BATMAN 102-The Ogg and I

 

BATMAN 102-THE OGG AND I

Wellington number four is the cologne that Gordon uses and it was also used by a former employer of Alfred’s, the Earl of Chutney. It is imported from Sumatra. Alfred follows the smell to the warehouse 12 at 12 Banister Street. We see Charlie again, the parrot and Batgirl’s cycle. The fight music is appropriately Russian like. Olga and Egghead teamed up, kidnap Gordon and lead Batman and Robin into a trap. Olga, campy, will make Batman her first husband and Egghead, her second, even after she and Egghead have a fight. Alfred frees Robin and Gordon and Robin joins in on the fight, “I’m with you, Batman!” Egghead uses eggs laid by hens fed a strict diet of onions for six months, which produce tear gas egg bombs to help Olga, her Cossacks and Egghead himself escape. Batman in the fight has continued the odd throwing Robin at henchmen. Omar Oloff, the ambassador of Bessarovia is with Olga and prepares a meal that will make Robin and Gordon part of it. Of course, they’re freed. Of particular interest is that this ends with Egghead and Olga escaping and of course, Gilligan, the cook at O’Hara’s breakfast place being played by GILLIGAN’S ISLAND actor Alan Hale, the Skipper on that show! While this is Olga’s first appearance, it is Anne Baxter’s third (she was in an early first season episode as Zelda, almost a good girl!). And odd to realize that this is only the second Egghead story. He did appear briefly at the end of the last episode to give the lead in to this two part story. As a two part story, this doesn’t follow ALL the rules as such and dispenses with the Batride to the office. It’s nice to see a new way of kidnapping that involves a hot air balloon but it feels familiar somehow. All in all, not the worst episode but clearly not the best, yet Baxter and Vincent Price have a fun rapport with each other and everyone else, too, lifting it above average. I also love Batgirl’s rapport with Alfred. It so works. Burt’s problem is there but not as much as in other episodes. And any episode where Robin passes out and sword fights can’t be all bad! Though West really tries hard to overdo the Batman repulsion at marriage. To Olga or anyone?  Oh and I’m not sure the scenes at the beginning of this match the ones at the end of the last episode, looking as if they were reshot. In fact, the shorter woman looks like she could be a stand in ford Aunt Harriet and a few others bypassers look strangely like Bruce Wayne and Gordon! Though Egghead’s appearance in Gordon’s office dressed as a delivery boy (!) as announced by Bonnie is fun and creepy at the same time, it’s hardly making Egghead an impressive villain by having him first appear riding a donkey and calling, passively and subserviently, to Olga in a whimpering voice,  “Oollggaaaa, wait for me… Olga….”  The idea of everyone paying an Egg-Cise Tax of ten cents on every egg they eat is appropriately wild enough for this show and the Batman villain universe overall so kudos for that!