After an altercation with Penguin, Batman suffers from a minor head injury that leaves him partially amnesiac. Playboy Bruce Wayne enjoys himself, forgetting his other side just as Barbara Gordon deducts Bruce's secret identity. Penguin then crashes the party, kidnaps Bruce for the funsies. When Batgirl gets captured saving Bruce, Batman must regain his memories before Penguin slices Batgirl in half.
This episode provides examples of:
- Amnesiac Dissonance: Without remembering his memories as Batman, Bruce truly becomes the partyboy that he pretends to be, so much that he can't even put up a fight when Penguin kidnaps him.
- Awesomeness by Analysis: Barbara figures out Bruce's secret partway through the episode, realizing that he has the same body type as Batman, is rich enough to afford all of Batman's gadgets, and has a very familiar chin. Of course, by the end of the episode, the amnesiac Bruce's behavior has her convinced that she was jumping to conclusions, and she completely drops the idea.
- Deducing the Secret Identity: Barbara manages to figure out Batman's identity in this episode. But, thanks to the Contrived Coincidence, Batman lost his memory about being Batman. The result: Barbara decides that she made a mistake.
- Death Trap: Penguin has his Kabuki twins tie Batgirl to a clock platform where she'll be sliced. She even says that if Batman doesn't hurry he'll have three sidekicks.
- Dirty Coward: Lampshaded. Amnesiac Bruce lambasts himself for running and leaving Batgirl to face the Kabuki twins alone after she saves him.
- Dramatic Irony:
- Barbara figures out Bruce's identity right after he forgets it. By the end of the episode, she's convinced that he's not Batman after all...and Bruce has finally regained his memory and accepted that he really is Batman.
- Penguin believes he's killed Batman at the beginning of the episode and announces this to the public during his kidnapping of Bruce Wayne. After Batgirl is captured, Commissioner Gordon spends hours waiting by the Bat-Signal, but Batman is a no-show (thanks to his Easy Amnesia), seemingly confirming Penguin's claim. A reluctant Gordon finally tells one of the officers to shut the signal off. This is immediately followed by a series of scenes where Alfred reintroduces Bruce to his secret identity.
- Most of Barbara's interactions with the commissioner, since he doesn't know she's Batgirl.
- Easy Amnesia: Bruce loses his memory from nearly drowning and suffering a severe blow to the head. Alfred helps him recover enough of it to save Batgirl. Afterwards Status Quo Is God.
- Foreshadowing: After Alfred says the night that belongs to the Batman, a confused Bruce says the night belongs to him. This is the first sign that he has forgotten is he is Batman.
- How Do I Shot Web?: Alfred has to reteach an amnesiac Bruce how to throw a Batarang. Though Bruce doesn't quite get the hang of it, the session does establish that his reflexes and muscle memory are still intact. During the later fight with Penguin, Bruce improvises with his utility belt and lots of dodging.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Barbara when Bruce gets kidnapped. Also Batgirl when the Penguin demonstrates that he's going to use the clock's axe figures to split her in half.
- Alfred when he realizes that Bruce has lost his memories on the drive home.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business:
- The first sign that something is seriously off with Bruce after his head injury is that his reaction to Penguin crashing the award dinner he's attending is to crawl under a table and cower rather then sneak off to change into his costume.
- Alfred, who openly disapproves of Bruce dressing up in a suit and fighting crime, helps him regain his memories by showing him the Bat Cave, reteaching him how to use his equipment, and even figures out where Barbara is so Bruce can rescue her before it's too late.
- You Said You Would Let Them Go: Amnesiac Bruce tries to buy his way out of Penguin killing him. After writing a check to Penguin, he gets tossed into a pool while tied to a chair.
- When the Clock Strikes Twelve: Penguin plans to use the clock to kill Batgirl.
