The Joker (Cesar Romero) is back to test Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) yet again as he returns to menace Gotham City with a series of key-related crimes. He also seems to have learned a bit of hypnotism and mesmerism, in fact, Batman says he used to be a stage hypnotist before turning to crime.

This two-part story was written by Jay Thompson and Charles Hoffman, with part one, The Impractical Joker, first airing on 16 November, 1966.

The Dynamic Duo are determined to foil the Joker once and for all, but he seems one step ahead of him through it all. And behind the scenes, Burt Ward was instead taken with Joker’s new moll, Cornelia (Kathy Kersh), who, a short time later, became Ward’s second wife.

There’s a reference to The Green Hornet. Despite their showing up in Gotham, our heroes are actually getting ready to watch them on television! And we get a window cameo that almost no one now will get, I certainly didn’t. Howard Duff reprising his character Sam Stone from the series The Felony Squad peeks out of a window and converses briefly with Batman and Robin.

Of course, the pair end up in a cliffhanger situation just in time for the episode’s conclusion, Robin is close to drowning, while Batman is about to cut into a giant key!

This one is goofy, but it’s always fun to have Romero back as Joker and he truly seems to be having a great time chewing scenery and being the baddie.

The Joker’s Provokers aired the following night on 17 November, 1966. Thanks to a handy key of his own, Batman is able to free himself and Robin before setting off in pursuit of the Joker again. Having taken some bat-pills that prevent Joker’s hypnotic abilities from affecting them, are they shocked to discover the Clown Prince of Crime has a new tool to use for his nefarious purposes.

He’s got a device that can target people and freeze them in time, or even regress or advance them in age. How he doesn’t just turn around and sell it to become a billionaire instead of leading a life of crime is beyond me.

And why he doesn’t turn it immediately on the Caped Crusaders is again beyond me, because he could have finished them off permanently.

Instead, he pursues a plan of polluting Gotham’s water supply.

Alfred (Alan Napier) gets pulled into the action, staking out the Gotham Water Plant (having travelled there on his bicycle)where someone who looks exactly like him is working (Napier pulls double duty here) and is able to at least temporarily stop the baddies in their tracks until Batman and Robin are finally able to capture the villains and save the day once again.

Alfred gets his due thanks, and Gotham City is able to rest easy, until next week of course.

We are now 22 episodes into season 2, you’d think we’d be coming up on the end of the sophomore season, but you’d be wrong. Season 2 has 60(!) episodes, get comfy bat-fans!