History YMMV / BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE27MadAsAHatter

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation

*** There's absolutely no indication anywhere in the episode that either Billy or Alice were playing Jervis. That's makes no sense whatsoever.

*** As mentioned above, the breakup could have possibly been just them giving Jervis false hope and setting him up for a humiliating heartbreak. Nobody breaks up and then apologizes the next day with a proposal, what sane boyfriend/girlfriend/partner would do that anyway? For that matter, what sane person would instantly accept such an apology when it was apparently very bad? Alice was bawling and said they were both yelling at each other for crying out loud! This is clearly too spontaneous to be considered normal, this clearly has a number of suspicious implications already.

*** As mentioned above, the breakup could have possibly been just them giving Jervis false hope and setting him up for a humiliating heartbreak. Nobody breaks up and then apologizes the next day with a proposal, what sane boyfriend/girlfriend/partner would do that anyway? For that matter, what sane person would instantly accept such an apology when it was apparently very bad. Alice was bawling and said they were both yelling at each other for crying out loud! This is clearly too spontaneous to be considered normal, this clearly has a number of suspicious implications already.

** Was Billy much better a boyfriend than Jervis? Sure, he may not have done anything as brazen as mind control, but he does seemingly break up with her early on, only to suddenly apologize with flowers and an engagement ring in hand, which can be read as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_bombing Love Bombing]], a common emotional abuse tactic.

** Was Billy much better a boyfriend than Jervis? Sure, he may not have done anything as brazen as mind control, but he does seemingly break up with her early on, only to suddenly apologize with flowers and an engagement ring in hand, which can be read as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_bombing Love Bombing]].

*** Another theory is that Alice always knew about Jervis's feelings towards her but was just ignoring them both because she had a boyfriend and because of a lack of romantic interest in him; even after breaking up with her boyfriend, she just did not want to get together with Jervis and might have thought that if she ignored his feelings and just treated him as a friend, he would get over her which backfired on her in the worst way possible since Jervis could [[NotGoodWithRejection not accept Alice’s decision to reunite with her boyfriend and get engaged to him]].

*** Another theory is that Alice always knew about Jervis's feelings towards her but was just ignoring them both because she had a boyfriend and because of a lack of romantic interest in him; even after breaking up with her boyfriend, she just did not want to get together with Jervis and might thought that if she ignored his feelings and just treated him as a friend, he would get over her which backfired on her in the worst way possible since Jervis could [[NotGoodWithRejection not accept Alice’s decision to reunite with her boyfriend and get engaged to him]].

*** Another theory is that Alice always knew about Jervis's feelings towards her but was just ignoring them because she both had a boyfriend and a lack of interest in him; with even breaking up with her boyfriend, she just did not want to get together with him and thought that if she ignored his feelings and just treated him as a friend, he would get over her which backfired on her in the worst way possible since Jervis could [[NotGoodWithRejection not accept Alice’s decision to reunite with her boyfriend and get engaged to him]].

** Also, was Alice legitimately oblivious to how Jervis felt about her? Or did she know the entire time and was playing him? The fact that we don't see her argument and breakup with Billy could set up the possibility that they were setting him up. Alice knows that Dr. Cates regularly gives Jervis crap, so she could be pretending to be nice and was secretly laughing at him behind his back. If the latter interpretation is true, then it adds another layer to her last glance at Jervis at the end of the episode.

*** However, it could be equally possible that Alice could not have noticed Jervis's feelings for her because she was simply too naive and simple to notice. Jervis would Alice how she is the only one that understands him, and later when her boyfriend breaks up with her, Jervis clearly takes her out on an evening that is supposed to be a romantic date; despite all of this, Alice clearly does not get the hint that Jervis is interested in her and assumed that Jervis would be OK with her going back together with her boyfriend implying that she just saw him as a friend and thought that he was trying to cheer her up with no interest in getting together with her.

*** Another theory is that Alice always knew about Jervis's feelings towards her but was just ignoring them because she both had a boyfriend and a lack of interest in him; with even breaking up with her boyfriend, she just did not want to get together with him and thought that if she ignored his feelings and just treated him as a friend, he would get over her which backfired on her in the worst way possible since Jervis could [[NotGoodWithRejection not accept Alice’s preference for her boyfriend]].

*** Another theory is that Alice always knew about Jervis's feelings towards her but was just ignoring them because she both had a boyfriend and a lack of interest in him; with even breaking up with her boyfriend, she just did not want to get together with him and thought that if she ignored his feelings and just treated him as a friend, he would get over her which backfired on her in the worst way possible since Jervis was [[NotGoodWithRejection]] at all!

*** Another theory is that Alice always knew about Jervis's feelings towards her but was just ignoring them because she both had a boyfriend and a lack of interest in him; with even breaking up with her boyfriend, she just did not want to get together with him and thought that if she ignored his feelings and just treated him as a friend, she would get over him which backfired on her in the worst way possible.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: How much of a MeanBoss is Dr. Cates, deep down? She's hard on Jervis, but gives Alice a shoulder to cry on. When she smiles after Bruce praises Jervis and agrees to give him more time to work on his project, is she just being a ProfessionalButtKisser or does she want to help Jervis in a GentleTouchVsFirmHand dynamic way? Finally, Jervis ''is'' lying about how far his work has progressed and is wasting lots of time on his own sinister hobbies, so Cates's frustration about how he's behind schedule is somewhat justified.
** Also, was Alice legitimately oblivious to how Jervis felt about her? Or did she know the entire time and was playing him? The fact that we don't see her argument and breakup with Billy could set up the possibly that they were setting him up. Alice knows that Dr. Cates regularly gives Jervis crap so she could be pretending to be nice and was secretly laughing at him behind his back. If the latter interpretation is true then it adds another layer to her last glance at Jervis at the end of the episode.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: How much of a MeanBoss is Dr. Cates, deep down? She's hard on Jervis, but gives Alice a shoulder to cry on. When she smiles after Bruce praises Jervis and agrees to give him more time to work on his project, is she just being a ProfessionalButtKisser or does she want to help Jervis in a GentleTouchVsFirmHand dynamic way? Finally, Jervis ''is'' lying about how far his work has progressed and is wasting lots of time on his own sinister hobbies, so Cates's frustration about how he's behind schedule is somewhat justified.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: How much of a MeanBoss is Dr. Cates, deep down? She's hard on Jervis, but gives Alice a shoulder to cry on. When she smiles after Bruce praises Jervis and agrees to give him more time to work on his project, is she just being a ProfessionalButtKisser or does she want to help Jervis in a GentleTouchVsFirmHand dynamic way? Finally, Jervis ''is'' lying about how far his work has progressed and is wasting lots of time on his own sinister hobbies, so Cates's frustration about how he's behind schedule is somewhat justified.
* SympathyForTheDevil: Some viewers can emphasize for [[TheWoobie Jervis Tetch]], trying to woo Alice, the girl of his dreams, and blame Billy for causing him to fully embrace the Mad Hatter persona by getting back together with Alice and become a recurring threat to Batman.
* WhatAnIdiot: After Jervis treats Alice out to a wonderful night on Gotham City, she returns home to find Billy, ready to apologize for breaking up with her.
** '''You’d Expect''': Alice to politely refuse or at the very least, tell him to GetOut since she found a new man who’s willing to be with her forever, even if it sounded stalkerish.\\
'''Instead''': She predictably accepts Billy’s offer and becomes engaged to him.\\
'''The Result''': When Jervis finds out the next day, he becomes pissed and fully becomes the Mad Hatter, starting with brainwashing his boss Dr. Cates who attempts to reprimand him for his antics and then Billy and later Alice herself, forcing Batman to stop this villain, [[NeverMyFault who blames him for doing this to Alice]]. See, folks? The [[CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot whole thing could’ve been avoided]] [[ForWantOfANail just by Alice simply saying “No” to Billy]], in a manner that someone would say no to drugs from drug dealers!

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: How much of a MeanBoss is Dr. Cates, deep down? She's hard on Jervis, but gives Alice a shoulder to cry on. When she smiles after Bruce praises Jervis and agrees to give him more time to work on his project, is she just being a ProfessionalButtKisser or does she want to help Jervis in a GentleTouchVsFirmHand dynamic way? Finally, Jervis ''is'' lying about how far his work has progressed and is wasting lots of time on his own sinister hobbies, so Cates's frustration about how he's behind schedule is somewhat justified.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: How much of a MeanBoss is Dr. Cates, deep down? She's hard on Jervis, but gives Alice a shoulder to cry on. When she smiles after Bruce praises Jervis and agrees to give him more time to work on his project, is she just being a ProfessionalButtKisser or does she want to help Jervis in a GentleTouchVsFirmHand dynamic way? Finally, Jervis ''is'' lying about how far his work has progressed and is wasting lots of time on his own sinister hobbies, so Cates's frustration about how he's behind schedule is somewhat justified.