The Flying Graysons are in town, preparing to put on their trapeze act. Young Dick is worried about his costume, but things become serious when the Zuccos come to extort them. Batman saves the Graysons, but Tony Zucco escapes and vows revenge. When the parents die onstage, Bruce adopts Dick and vows to avenge his parents by catching Tony Zucco. Dick catches wind of what his guardian is doing and decides to tag along. Cue Robin entering the scene and establishing himself as a sidekick.
Tropes in this episode include:
- Accidental Murder: Zucco admits to Batman that one time he was doing his knife throwing act with his father, he missed his mark and killed his old man. He was actually very confused about it and is so broken he clearly wonders why it unfortunately happened.
- Actor Allusion: Kevin Conroy plays John Grayson, Dick Grayson's biological father after famously playing his surrogate father Bruce Wayne in Batman: The Animated Series. His killer Tony Zucco is played by Mark Hamill who played his archnemesis in that series. Looks like the Joker finally got Batman.
- Adaptational Badass: Mr. Grayson in most adaptations is a trapeze artist but a Nice Guy and not violent. Here, he actually throws down with the Zuccos for a few minutes before Batman comes and wins the fight.
- Adaptational Intelligence: Most adaptations have Bruce tell Dick about his secret identity upfront, or rescuing him from Zucco. Here, Dick figures it out on his own by wandering around the mansion and following Alfred into the Batcave's secret entrance.
- Appropriated Appellation: Although Dick intentionally disliked the nickname his mother gave him, Robin, he chose to make it the name of his alter ego as Batman's sidekick after defeating Zucco at the end of the episode, in honor of his parents.
- Art Evolution: Batman is redesigned with a more angular jawline and smaller eyeslits on his cowl.
- Big "NO!": When Dick sees his parents fall to their deaths, he yells no in horror and sadness.
- Bond One-Liner: After seeing the Graysons fall to their death, Zucco comments that “the Flying Graysons are gonna hafta change their name”.
- Calling the Old Man Out: When Dick finds out that his guardian is Batman, he says he needs to come along and get justice for his parents. Bruce says he needs to handle it alone because he's the best person to find Tony Zucco, and besides, it's way past Dick's bedtime and getting late. Dick mutters, "Late for Bruce Wayne, early for Batman."
- Casting Gag: Mark Hamill plays Tony Zucco, while Kevin Conroy plays Mr. Grayson.
- Dying Declaration of Love: A more realistic sort; Mrs. Grayson calls her son’s name before she and her husband fall.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Zucco and his brothers truly do care for each other, in fact the reason Zucco killed Dick's parents was for revenge for getting one of his brothers arrested. When interrogated by Batman on Zucco whereabouts, one of his brothers refuses to tell him because he says he doesn’t rat out family.
- Even Evil Has Standards: One of Tony's brothers is visibly horrified when he realizes that his brother sabotaged the trapeze.
- Everyone Has Standards: Zucco tells Batman about his background as a circus performer, specifically a knife-thrower. His dad was often the volunteer and he would always manage to hit his mark (every spot except on his father). When Batman presses why he gave up such a promising career, Zucco calmly answers "One day, I missed." For normally being thick-skinned, Batman is shocked at how Zucco can so casually imply that he accidentally killed his own father and not show a sign of regret or remorse.
- Faint in Shock: Completely justified for Tony Zucco. He's just had his ass handed to him by a very angry Batman, then fallen from the top of a trapeze, only to be caught by Robin before he hits the ground. Once he's back on solid ground, he understandably faints dead away.
- Forced to Watch: Bruce and Dick are horrified to see his parents die in front of him onstage.
- Gory Discretion Shot: As with Robin’s Reckoning, the camera cuts away to the audience and Dick's reactions as his parents fall.
- It Always Rains at Funerals: It’s pouring rain during the funeral of Dick’s parents.
- Karma Houdini: Per Bruce, the criminal who murdered his parents was never brought to justice. This drives his desire to bring in Tony Zucco.
- Knife-Throwing Act: Tony Zucco has Batman tied up in one of these during the episode’s climax, and even explains that he was part of one with his father in his youth as a circus performer. Why’d he give it up? Well…
- Mass "Oh, Crap!": You can hear the crowd screaming in horror when the Graysons fall from their trapezes. Bruce is horrified that all he could do was watch.
- Meaningful Echo: Mrs. Grayson calls Dick her "little Robin". He later takes up the moniker to honor her memory.
- Mood Whiplash: Dick's last interaction with his parents was him complaining about his outfit and nickname Robin, and his dad playfully grabbing them all in a Group Hug. The heartwarming feels go away the minute Dick sees their trapeze about to fall in the next scene.
- The same goes for the opening, when Dick is having another slice-of-life day at his family's circus, when he sees a dark figure, Zucco, ominously emerge from the shadows.
- My Greatest Second Chance: Bruce said he never found his parents' killer or brought them to justice. He wants to find Zucco so that Dick can find that closure.
- Oh, Crap!: The Grayson parents have an extended one when they realize the trapeze bolts are going to come loose, while their son is watching. All Mrs. Grayson can do is call out to her son, before she and her husband fall.
- Papa Wolf: Batman muster all the strength to free himself and beat Zucco up who was about to kill Robin.
- Parental Neglect: Bruce Wayne falls into his Workaholic habits to find Tony Zucco and misses dinner on Dick's first night. Both Alfred and Dick call out Bruce on this but he feels this was his hope in bringing justice for Dick's parents in order to bring the boy peace. They compromise when Batman says that Dick can be his sidekick.
- Save the Villain: Batman makes Robin a sidekick officially when Dick saves Zucco from a deadly fall because turning him in was justice.
- Self-Made Orphan: Implied with Zucco, at least of the accidental sort. Back when he used to be a knife-thrower, his father was often the volunteer in his act. Why isn't he a knife thrower anymore? "One day… I missed."
- Tranquil Fury: Batman is slightly more visibly angry and aggressive when attempting to capture Tony Zucco and his brothers, which means he's absolutely furious.
- Villains Out Shopping: The strongman Zucco brother seems to be enjoying the Graysons' trapeze act for a moment before realizing that Tony sabotaged the rigging.
