YMMV / Batman: The Animated Series E28 "Dreams in Darkness"

• Harsher in Hindsight: One of Batman's fear toxin-induced hallucinations is the Joker appearing in the Batcave. Come Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, it becomes all too real.
• Hilarious in Hindsight:
  • Batman thought he saw the Joker's reflection on the Bat-computer. Years later in an episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, the Joker really does visit the Batcave.
    • Or it could be Harsher in Hindsight, since in this continuity, Joker later does invade the Batcave in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
  • In the nightmare, Poison Ivy instantaneously sprouts monstrous, attacking vines as if just by mental command. That's not how it worked with her before this, but since then in the comics and animation it's become her regular thing.
  • The Scarecrow's plan to poison the water supply and how he ends up confined in a straitjacket at the end is eerily identical to Batman Begins.
• Nightmare Fuel: Unsurprisingly, given the villain of the episode, Dreams in Darkness is quite full of this.
  • While Batman is driving to Arkham to confront Scarecrow, he suddenly hallucinates Robin on the road before running him over in the Batmobile.
  • As Batman is going through another vision, he is treated to the sight of his parents walking into a tunnel that transforms into a giant revolver. The gun then begins to ooze some mysterious run liquid from the barrel, heavily implied to be the blood of Bruce's parents, before opening fire on Batman.
  • While venturing through the caves under Arkham, Batman is suddenly started by a rat that has the face of The Joker. Suddenly, from the ground, a giant version of The Penguin appears before his head explodes to reveal Two-Face's. Two-Face then melts into goo that reforms into Poison Ivy, who uses her vines to begin to dragging Batman into an open ravine. From behind her, Robin and Alfred arrive to tell Bruce this is what he deserves before he finally falls to his demise.

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