YMMV / Batman: The Animated Series E52 "Mudslide"

• Harsher in Hindsight: It's hard to feel sympathetic for Clayface's tragic seeming demise at the end of this episode knowing what's to come in his next chronological appearance, in which he ends up killing his own "daughter" Annie, a split-off piece of himself that had gained her own sentience and sense of morality.
• Misaimed Fandom: It is not uncommon to see people regard Batman's actions in this episode negatively, often stating that Clayface only wanted to cure his degradation and that Batman essentially kills him by denying him treatment. However, this take ignores several key points that the episode makes in favor of Batman's stance:
  • The MP-40 that Clayface steals is not removing his powers but enhancing them to the point that he becomes a more effective Clayface. Stella specifically states that his abilities will last longer and he'll even be able to control split off pieces of himself, both traits that he shows later in the series when he's still committing crimes. Given his ability to evade the law for so long in his current state, it's understandable why Batman wouldn't want him to become more powerful and untraceable.
  • It's primarily Stella who promotes the idea of Clayface returning to his former life as Matt Hagen. Clayface even later accuses Stella of being in love with his former self rather than the him he is now, suggesting he has no intention of returning to life as a normal, wanted man.
  • Batman offers Clayface an honest opportunity for a cure at the episode's beginning and even after he switches off the machine at the episode's climax. Clayface turns him down both times.
  • At the time that Batman deactivates the machine, Clayface was safely stored in a containment suit that Stella made to help preserve his body. Despite that, Clayface rips himself out of the suit in an attempt to fight Batman and even continues attacking him on a precarious cliff in the rain despite knowing how unstable his body is.
• Unintentionally Unsympathetic: Clayface is dying in a horrible way, even Batman is shown to pity him. Alfred on the other hand, is not just completely indifferent towards Hagen’s situation, but he even goes as far as to crack jokes at his expense.