History Recap / TheNewBatmanAdventuresE7JokersMillions

Eventually, the Joker's accountant shows up with bad news: the Internal Revenue people want Joker for a massive amount of back taxes owed. Not wanting to go to war against the IRS ("I'm crazy enough to take on Batman, but the IRS? No thank you!"), the Joker starts checking the stash of money he has left... only to find out that while the first ten million was legitimate, the rest of Barlowe's money is counterfeit. Barlowe's will and fake inheritance was all one huge last gag at the Joker's expense, as explained by a final recording Barlowe left to be discovered among his fake millions:

* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Once he realizes the windfall inheritance he got from Barlowe was fake, Joker knows that he'll become Gotham's [[ButtMonkey punchline]] if he publicly admitted he's been had by a dead man.

* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Once he realizes the windfall inheritance he got from Barlowe was fake, Joker knows that he'll become Gotham's [[ButtMonkey punchline]] if he publicly admitted to falling for a prank.

* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Once he realizes the windfall inheritance he got from Barlowe was fake, Joker is torn between admitting a dead man conned him and become Gotham's ButtMonkey (and having his reputation sullied), or pretend he wasn't and get jailed for tax evasion.

Suddenly stuck back at poverty level, only now with the IRS breathing down his neck, the Joker decides on doing what he does best: commit the biggest heist he can and save his hide.

* BerserkButton: Joker goes nuts when he's pranked by someone else. In a posthumous SpitefulWill, King Barlowe got the last laugh when he revealed that the UnexpectedInheritance was fake and knew that Joker would binge-spend before the IRS came for the taxes. Realizing he was duped, the Joker [[ShootTheTelevision shoots the television]] playing the VideoWill in rage.

* VillainWithGoodPublicity: This episode introduces the "revamped" Penguin, no longer a bird-themed thief but a [[LegitimateBusinessmensSocialClub "legitimate businessman" running the Iceberg Lounge]]. That said, he doesn't actually ''do'' anything evil in this episode besides rubbing shoulders with the "reformed" Joker (who [[ZigZaggedTrope zigzags the trope]]; while his method of "reforming" is less than ethical, he does seem content to retire from supervillainy until he starts needing money again).

* CounterfeitCash: Most of Joker's "inheritance" consists of fake money and valuables. The bills even have King Barlowe's face on them as an extra "In your face" to the Clown Prince of Crime.

* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Joker is torn between admitting a dead man conned him and become Gotham's ButtMonkey, or pretend he wasn't and get jailed for tax evasion.

* ShootTheTelevision: The Joker shoots the VideoWill in which his benefactor reveals most of the money is fake.

** Joker's new henchmen ''very wisely'' decide to bolt out of the room after seeing the joker get increasingly angry watching King Barlowe's {{spiteful will}}.

* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: Penguin loudly tries to demand that Batman leave "Joker" (the fake decoy) alone. But after listening to the interrogation for a moment outside the door, Penguin quietly and nervously tiptoes away.

** CastAsAMask: Ernie's Joker disguise has Mark Hamill provide the voice.

* Ernie's Joker disguise looks near-identical to Joker's first design before the revamp, minus the red lips.

* CastAsAMask: Ernie's Joker disguise has Mark Hamill provide the voice.

* EvilLaughTurnedCoughingFit: After [[KarmaHoudini King Barlowe]] finished explaining his ThanatosGambit (which is also a BatmanGambit) to make Joker's life hell, he finishes his speech by gloating and laughing. But because he's on his deathbed, he suffers from IncurableCoughOfDeath mid-laughter and must use an oxygen breathing mask to stop it.

* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Joker is torn between admitting he's been had by Barlowe's fake will scam and become Gotham's ButtMonkey, or pretend he wasn't and get jailed for tax evasion.

* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Joker is stuck between admitting he's been had by Barlowe's fake inheritance scam and become Gotham's ButtMonkey, or pretend he wasn't and get jailed for tax evasion.

* SoreLoser: Joker's reaction to Barlowe's SpitefulWill is to ShootTheTelevision in anger, realizing he's been had by a dead man. Barlowe knew the clown would splurge on his "inheritance" money very quickly and got the last laugh posthumously.

* BrainlessBeauty: Fake Harley is cute but it's pretty obvious that she's not the sharpest tool in company.

'''Joker:''' [[SarcasmMode Good idea, Ernie.]] Let's let Batman know I did it, SO HE CAN KICK MY KEISTER RIGHT BACK INTO ARKHAM! ''[shoves Ernie away, where he crashes into something]'' Dolt!

Arriving at his apartment, Joker is shown to have money problems, including being late with the rent. He gets the news that he inherited millions from recently deceased mob boss King Barlowe, an old rival, much to his excitement. He begins living large, tossing money left and right, even hiring a replacement Harley (with the real Harley getting even ''more'' enraged when she hears about it stuck in Arkham).

->'''Barlowe:''' (''on his deathbed'') Hiya, Joker. If you're playin' this tape, you've probably figured out [[OutGambitted you've been had]]. Yeah, I left you some cash, but only ten million -- which, knowing you, [[AFoolAndHisNewMoneyAreSoonParted you've already blown]]. All the other stuff, money, jewels, and gold, it's all fake. See, [[DyingDeclarationOfHate I always hated your guts]], and this was the perfect payback. By now, you're probably out of real money, the IRS is after you, and [[{{Pride}} you can't admit I fooled you]], or [[OnceDoneNeverForgotten you'll be the laughingstock of the underworld]]. The joke's on you, sucker! I got the last laugh after all! (''laughs, [[IncurableCoughOfDeath chokes, uses his oxygen mask]], still cracks a smile'')

* BluntYes: The Joker and Harley Quinn ran out of gas during a escape. When he berated her for not refueling the car, she reminded him they were broke and asked what he wanted her to do: "fill the tank, shoot the guy and drive off?" The Joker silently nodded and she complained he didn't tell her before.

* CallBack: Ernie, Joker's lawyer, mentions [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE34TheLaughingFish the laughing fish]].

*** The "World's Finest" crossover is also where it's established that the Joker is strapped for cash. We see how broke he is in this episode: running out of ammunition during a robbery, no more acid in his squirting flower, behind on rent in a sleazy, rundown apartment, and not even able to put gas in his getaway car.

-->'''Ernie:''' Maybe you can raise the cash by pulling [[ContinuityNod one of your classic routines]], like [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE34TheLaughingFish the laughing fish]].\\
'''Joker:''' [[SarcasmMode Good idea, Ernie.]] Let's let Batman know I did it, SO HE CAN KICK MY KEISTER RIGHT BACK INTO ARKHAM! [''shoves Ernie away, where he crashes into something''] Dolt!

--> '''Batman:''' "Where is [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker he]]?"\\
'''Ernie:''' "I dunno what you're talking about!"\\
'''Penguin:''' (''outside the bathroom, under his breath'') "He can't threaten my guests...!"\\
'''Batman:''' "Let me jog your memory!"\\
'''Ernie:''' "[[BigNo NOOOOGBLBGLBLBLG]]!"\\
'''Penguin:''' (''upon hearing the sound of '''repeated''' flushing, [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere he decides to walk away without a word]]'')

'''Joker:''' I don't wanna save it! I ''wanna'' go with it!

* EjectorSeat: When the getaway car runs out of gas and the Batmobile closes in, Joker uses one to escape. Unfortunately, since he could only afford one, Harley ends up getting caught.

-->'''Joker:''' It's just a plain old pack of hundreds. See? There's [[Creator/BenjaminFranklin Ben Franklin]]'s chubby little- What? ''King Barlowe?!'' He's on ''this'' stack! And ''this'' one!

* FallingChandelierOfDoom: A chandelier falls on a {{mook|s}}.

* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Barlowe's Bodyguard was not made aware of Barlowe's plan before his death. So he doesn't understand why his boss left all of his money to his most hated enemy. His attempt to go after Joker himself unwittingly nearly derails the posthumous vengeance Barlowe had planned.

'''Harley:''' (''pause'') ''NOW'' ya tell me!

* OffscreenVillainDarkMatter: Inverted - in this episode, it seems the Joker can no longer access whatever method he uses to fund himself. He and Harley are broke.
* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: Harley not only managed to escape Arkham, but also somehow disguise herself as a police officer well enough to fool the entire force so she could end up in the back of Joker's prison van to beat him up with a nightstick.

-->'''Nightwing:''' (''to Joker'') We were trying to save innocent lives. You're just an unpleasant bonus.

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveConnections: When the Joker becomes a patron of his club, Penguin turns away everyone else at the door. When Barbara mentions out loud that she’s “the police commissioner’s daughter”, Penguin is [[PapaWolf scared enough of the threat]] to let her in.

-->(''Batman breaks the device he's working on in anger'')\\

* TerribleIntervieweesMontage: The Joker trying out new Harley Quinns after abandoning the original in prison (she gets her revenge at the end of the episode). A string of less-than-stellar ladies (and a [[CreatorCameo cameo]] of Creator/PaulDini in a Harley suit) meet his ad. He ends up hiring a [[BrainlessBeauty busty but not-too-bright actress]], who can't even spell Joker and calls him "Mistah G"; best summed up by the Joker's muttered line, "Maybe I should've hired the fat guy."

* TooDumbToLive: While this Trope applies to ''anyone'' who volunteers to work for the Joker, Harley's replacement was even dumber. She didn't even know who he was.

* UnexpectedInheritance: The Joker certainly didn't expect to inherit his rival's wealth. The visit from the IntimidatingRevenueService and the rival's VideoWill made him understand.
* VideoWill: Barlowe left a tape explaining why he gave his fortune to Joker. Joker didn't find it until it was too late, [[TheTapeKnewYouWouldSayThat which Barlowe anticipated]]. Turns out most of it was fake, and Barlowe did it as a [[SpitefulWill posthumous up-yours]] against his rival.

'''Ivy:''' ''(overhearing)'' Ha!\\
''([[DescriptionCut cut]] to Harley stuck in a washing machine yelling for help)''
* WomanScorned: Harley didn't take it well when the Joker abandoned her to be caught by Batman at the start of the episode. To twist the knife further, the Joker dumped Harley for a new hench-girl while she was incarcerated in Arkham, much to her dismay.
-->'''Harley''': (''reads newspaper'') "Joker seeks new hench-girl?" '''''I'LL KILL HIM!!!!!'''''

'''Ernie the Accountant:''' "I dunno what you're talking about!"\\

* FrivolousLawsuit: Parodied this with an [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed unnamed Johnnie Cochran lookalike]] popping up to say a catchy line to support a lawsuit. In the commentary for one such episode, the creators note how dated the joke wound up being. Joker used high-powered lawyers to get acquitted of his various crimes (clearly referencing Cochran's most famous case): "If a man's filled with glee, that man must go free!" According to the commentary, they knew this joke would end up very dated, but they just couldn't resist it.

* bFakeAlibi: Joker tries to set one up for his robbery of the armored cars by having his henchman Ernie disguise himself as Joker and go to the Iceberg Lounge. Unfortunately, Ernie [[BadLiar isn't very good at lying under pressure]] and [[PaperThinDisguise his makeup comes off when he starts sweating.]]

* TheAlibi: Joker tries to set one up for his robbery of the armored cars by having his henchman Ernie disguise himself as Joker and go to the Iceberg Lounge. Unfortunately, Ernie [[BadLiar isn't very good at lying under pressure]] and [[PaperThinDisguise his makeup comes off when he starts sweating.]]

* WomanScorned: Harley didn't take it well when the Joker dumped her for a new hench-girl.