Batman: Caped Crusader has been an interesting so far. What it has changed and focused on makes it stand apart somewhat from what has come before. Bruce’s trauma and motivation and Batman being an unknown factor are two bits that have come up multiple times in the episodes. But, it’s the corruption of the Gotham Police Department that has been the most interesting. In every episode, we’re reminded that there’s a wave of crooked cops who don’t follow the law and outright break it at times. That’s never been clearer than in the fourth episode “The Night of the Hunters.”

In “The Night of the Hunters,” Mayor Jessop assembles a task force to catch Batman. Detective Montoya, who we have learned is one of the good cops, is put in charge. Unfortunately, Detectives Flass and Bullock take matters into their own hands in an attempt to trap Batman, which spirals putting a part of Gotham in jeopardy.

Flass and Bullock have been two of the more interesting characters of the series. They flagrantly don’t follow orders and do what they want and think will give them the results they’re looking for. Those results can be totally wrong, but in their view, the end justifies the means. Here, they release a costumed villain thinking it’ll get Batman to come out and instead causes a building to go up in flames and endangers civilians. They don’t care though and the result is a frustrating one as perception becomes reality and they’re rewarded for their corruption.

This is an episode where lines are drawn as to who we can and can’t trust. Batman meets Jim Gordon and they both figure out that maybe they’re on the same side but with different methods. But, in the end, corruption wins out as Flass and Bullock’s roles are elevated. It’s clear they’ll go even further down the line and it’ll blow up in their faces, but we’ll have to wait and see.

“The Night of the Hunters” is another fantastic episode for a series that delivers nostalgia but also charts a brand new path for so many classic characters.

Overall Rating: 9.0