Ten/Melanie Walker has returned to Gotham and attempts a daring robbery of the Derby, a group of criminals playing a high-stakes game of poker. Although Batman intervenes and stops her from committing the heist, he later runs into her as Terry and learns that her family has been kidnapped by the Jokerz and they have demanded her to pay them a ransom in order to ensure their safe release. Against Bruce's advice, Terry decides to help her out.
Tropes:
- Absurdly High-Stakes Game: The Derby, an annual poker game held by mob leaders for incredibly high stakes, which Bruce says is a tradition that goes back even before his time. (A minor example, as they only play for money, although it is a veritable fortune.)
- Butt-Monkey: Bennie, one of the members of the Derby, who often gets picked on by his fellow criminals, is the big loser of the poker game before Ten robs it and trips and falls into a puddle while chasing the Royal Flush Gang at the end:
Bennie: (
gets hit) Ow! What was that for?
Tyrus Block: For saying "
I told you so!"
Bennie: But I didn't!
Tyrus Block: Well, you were gonna!
- Call-Back: Among the Jokerz that both Ten and Batman overfly is a hyena Splicer. May even double as a Call-Forward to "Return of the Joker".
- The Cameo: Most of the previously appearing Jokerz (such as Terminal's gang) appear in the episode but most are only background characters.
- Cleavage Window: Lula's outfit has one.
- Designated Girl Fight: Lula, the only girl in the Derby, is also the one who does the most shooting at Ten when she's robbing them.
- Dating Catwoman: Yet again for Terry. Bruce lampshades his inability to learn from the last time:
Bruce: Ah, to be young again. And gullible!
- Did They or Didn't They?: Terry and Mel share a passionate kiss on his bed before we get a Time Skip to the evening. It's not clear if anything more happened (the bed is still undisturbed and clean) but their dialogue afterward don't help.
- Dramatic Irony: Melanie hides out in Terry's home, thinking it's the last place Batman would think to look for her. She has no idea that Terry is the new Batman.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Subverted. King and Queen insist they love her, but Melanie says they never would've put her through all this if they really did. That said, a later episode indicates that Melanie was half right: Queen still cared about Melanie somewhat but King didn’t.
Melanie: All I've been to you is an accomplice, never a daughter.
- Evil Versus Evil: Batman manages to thwart the Royal Flush Gang by tipping off the Derby to their location.
- Expy: Tyrus Block appears to be one for Spider-Man and Daredevil villain, the Kingpin, due to his imposing girth, bald head, and white and purple outfit.
- Heel–Face Turn: After strongly considering it in "Dead Man's Hand," Melanie quits the Royal Flush Gang for real this time after learning that her parents had been deceiving and manipulating her all along.
- If I Do Not Return: Before the final fight, Melanie hands Batman a note to give to Terry if she doesn't make it out. At the end, Terry throws the note away, unread.
- It's Personal: The Derby keep shooting at Ten even after she tosses back their money.
- Mêlée à Trois: The climax of the episode with the Royal Flush Gang vs. the Derby vs. Batman and the police.
- Nervous Wreck: Bennie comes across as a bit edgy, although its largely because of how far behind he is in the poker game.
- Noodle Incident: While briefing Terry on the Derby, Bruce alludes to his own 'memories' of the game during his tenure as Batman.
- No Name Given: Three of the Derby players; a Jamaican man, a blonde guy in a blue jacket and a dark-haired guy with a mustache.
- Opening Shout-Out: Batman finds himself surrounded by Jokerz, just like the intro.
- Properly Paranoid: Benny of the Derby. While playing poker with the other members, he gets nervous and believes that an intruder arrived so he ordered his henchmen to thoroughly check the penthouse. The rest of the gangsters assumed he was blowing smoke and stalling for time, until Ten actually arrived to literally rob them blind (until Batman returned their loot). Benny also was nervous it'd happen again with the same person despite having since moved their location...and it did.
- Red Herring: Much of the episode focuses on Batman and Ten taking on the Jokerz to rescue her family. In reality, they faked the kidnapping and just used the Jokerz as a decoy scapegoat.
- Secret Test of Character: It turns out that Melanie’s family had not been kidnapped at all. They merely faked the ransom note and hid away to test her loyalty to them. Melanie is enraged when she discovers this and leaves the gang for good.
- Sequel Episode: To Season One's "Dead Man's Hand", continuing the Royal Flush Gang Trilogy that will conclude with Season Three's "King's Ransom".
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: The whole episode is this for Melanie. See Secret Test of Character above.
- Villains Out Shopping:
- The episode opens with two gang leaders appearing to be making a deal...then the camera pans out and reveals that the "deal" is in a game of poker.
- The Jokerz are literally not causing any trouble when Batman's spying on them.
- Wham Shot: The King stepping out of the shadows, revealing the truth about the kidnapping.
- What Happened to the Mouse?:
- One Derby player (the mustached man) doesn't accompany Lula and the others when they show up to attack the Royal Flush gang at the end.
- The ending is a bit vague about whether the rest of the Derby simply give up the chase or are arrested with the Royal Flush Gang, although the former is implied.
- The Unreveal: Melanie leaves Terry a note in his bag in the episode's final scene. He accidentally pulls it out as he's on a date with Dana and realizes who it's from. He looks at it for a moment, initially putting it back in his pocket, before deciding to throw it out without reading it. Dana asks what the paper is as he tosses it away, and he responds that "it's nothing" and walks off without looking back.
- What the Hell, Hero?: While still officially dating Dana, Terry blows off a date with her to spend time making out with Melanie. Max suspects as much later on and calls him out on it.
- Who Would Be Stupid Enough?: The Derby had minimal security present during their poker game because they assumed that nobody would be crazy enough to actually try stealing from them. Enter Ten...
