Line #26 Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE30PerchanceToDream


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/batman_tas_s01e26_perchance_to_dream_0009.png]]
2	Bruce Wayne wakes up and discovers his parents are still alive and he's not Batman. Everything seems perfect, but is it all too good to be true?
3
4	----
5	!!Tropes in this episode include:
6	* AllJustADream: Bruce Wayne wakes up in a world where he isn't Batman. He eventually realizes that it is a dream (because some people's dreams work in such a way that they can't read anything in a dream) and ends it by jumping off the clock tower. Apart from the reading issue, wish fulfillment dreams don't work on Batman; a world where Bruce Wayne is happy? His subconscious knows that's impossible.
7	* ArtisticLicenseBiology: Batman figures out he is trapped in a dream when he is unable to read the books or newspapers; he later explains this by saying that the parts of the brain responsible for dreaming and reading are on different hemispheres and that it's impossible to read in a dream. This is a myth--the brain is far more complex than that, and it is entirely possible and completely commonplace for people to read in dreams. However, if you read in a dream, the text on the page rarely ''stays the same'' between two looks. So given "realistic" limitations on the dream machine, he could very easily have found out almost exactly the same way in real life, too--it just wouldn't be quite as obvious. For a twenty-minute cartoon, the way they did it is a reasonable shorthand to save time and simplify it for the target audience.
8	* BerserkButton: Mad Hatter's scheme hit this for Batman. When the latter wakes up, [[UnstoppableRage he's so unbelievably pissed]] that he looks like he's about to ''strangle'' the poor bastard, before Mad Hatter's VillainousBreakdown left him too pathetic for Batman to even bother.
9	* BittersweetEnding: Batman escapes the dream world and the Mad Hatter is arrested. However, the experience leaves Batman bitter as he returns to his reality of life without his parents, a fiancee, and being free of the burden of his crusade.
10	* BlankBook: Some books are blank, others are just full of gibberish. [[ArtisticLicenseBiology This is because reading is a function of the right side of the brain, which is inactive when sleeping.]]
11	* CuckooNest: Bruce Wayne wakes up in a world where he isn't Batman and nearly gets institutionalized by his parents and fiancee (Selina Kyle) for maintaining against all evidence that he's a superhero. He spends the episode evading the police until he gets into an altercation with Batman. Of course, this is all a dream created by the Mad Hatter to trap Batman.
12	* DreamEmergencyExit: Bruce realizes it's AllJustADream when he finds he can't read any books (based on the idea that the left side of the brain, which controls the interpretation of written words, is mostly dormant during dreaming), though it takes him a bit longer to figure out how to free himself. Bruce gets out of the dream state unharmed by "dying" in a fall. Judging by Mad Hatter's reaction, this is the only way to get "out," and he's shocked someone would willingly end what should be their greatest fantasy.
13	* DyingToWakeUp: Once Batman figures out it's AllADream, he realises there's only one guaranteed way out, and jumps to his simulated death from the bell tower.
14	* FateWorseThanDeath: Bruce jumps off the clock tower rather than stay in the dream--either he wakes up or he dies, avoiding the worse fate either way.
15	-->'''Bruce:''' [[BigNo NO!!!]] I won't live a lie! No matter how attractive you make it!\
16	'''Mad Hatter:''' It's a moot point, my friend. There's no way out of this.\
17	'''Bruce:''' Tell me how to wake up or I'll... !\
18	'''Mad Hatter:''' Ah ah ah! You can't hurt a dream, my good fellow! And you ''can't wake up!'' Stop fighting it! See? In a moment the police will be here. Do you want to spend the rest of your dream life in Arkham?
19	* TheFinalTemptation: Batman is caught in a virtual dream world by the Mad Hatter (who fortunately cannot observe the dream itself) living a life as playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne, with his parents alive and well (and thus he has never become Batman). In the dream, he is engaged to Selina Kyle (who is not Catwoman) and the mysterious Batman is someone ''else'' who has just shown up in Gotham. His friends and family in the dream almost have him completely convinced he has created his real life as a delusion to escape his feelings of not having accomplished anything on his own, but the illusion falls apart when he discovers he can't read anything.[[note]]Trying to read something in a dream is a trick used by lucid dreamers to detect whether they are dreaming. Unless you have a photographic memory, your brain will have some trouble trying to remember or imagine a page full of text.[[/note]] Suffice to say, he does ''not'' appreciate the MindScrew when he wakes himself up.
20	* FiveSecondForeshadowing: Just before picking up the newspaper and seeing that the text is illegible, Bruce comments to Alfred that his new life is the greatest dream ever dreamt.
21	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
22	** The main clue that the Mad Hatter is behind the events of this episode is the fact that his theme plays multiple times throughout the episode, including on the episode's title card.
23	** During the first appearance of "Batman," one of the storefronts in the background has a sign on it that's illegible gibberish. It could be just an artifact of being drawn by the animators as filler, but, in retrospect, it could be a subtle clue as well.
24	* AGlitchInTheMatrix: The Mad Hatter traps Batman in a LotusEaterMachine where [[DeathByOriginStory his parents]] are still alive and well, and some other guy is out there beating up crooks in a bat costume every night instead of him. The way he realized he was dreaming was that the newspaper he was reading was gibberish. Then he remembered that the brain hemisphere used for dreaming was not the one used for reading. While ''that's'' nonsense (both hemispheres are used for dreaming, and he got it the wrong way around about which is used for reading), it ''is'' true that some dreams typically failed providing readable text.
25	* IdleRich: With his parents alive and the role of Batman taken, Bruce has nothing to do--while he runs Wayne Enterprises in theory, "Alfred" notes that Lucius Fox does the actual work. "Leslie" assumes Bruce's problem stems from disassociation--he's identifying with Batman because he doesn't feel he's personally accomplished anything.
26	* InUniverseFactoidFailure: Bruce explains to the dream version of Batman that dreams are mostly formed by the brain's left hemisphere while the right hemisphere is responsible for understanding written text. This is actually backward and a very rudimentary understanding of the brain's complexities even beyond that.
27	* ItsAWonderfulPlot: Bruce wakes up to discover his parents are alive, he's [[DatingCatwoman engaged to Selina Kyle who isn't Catwoman]], and there's even a Batman to fight crime. Sounds like a perfect life, huh? [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Like it says in the title]], it's AllJustADream and he's been put in a LotusEaterMachine by the Mad Hatter.
28	* LeaveYourQuestTest: Batman is trapped in a LotusEaterMachine where his parents aren't dead, he's [[DatingCatwoman engaged to Selina Kyle]], and someone else is running around Gotham City, solving crimes and fighting the good fight. Eventually Bruce Wayne starts to settle in and writes his Caped Crusader days off as a temporary illusion. Then, he realizes [[BlankBook he can't read]], and recognizes that it's because [[AllJustADream he's in a dream world]].
29	* LiteraryAllusionTitle: To ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'', more specifically the To be, or not to be soliloquy.
30	* LotusEaterMachine: The Mad Hatter's device creates its victim's ideal world for them to stay content in. Since it uses the mechanism of dreaming, common irregularities of dreams such as illegible printed text act as AGlitchInTheMatrix to clue the victim in to what's going on.
31	* MilkingTheGiantCow: "Thomas Wayne" makes a giant swinging motion as he explains that he and "Martha" are going to go golfing. Evidently, the Thomas Wayne in this continuity ''really'' likes golf.
32	* MusicalSpoiler / ThemeSongReveal: There's a modified version of The Mad Hatter's Leitmotif as a musical hint towards his usage of a dream machine on Batman that plays at several points throughout the episode.
33	* NeverMyFault: Tetch's final scene makes it clear he still blames Batman for the events of "Mad as a Hatter" rather than taking any personal responsibility.
34	* NightmareOfNormality: The bulk of the episode, with Bruce finding himself in his dream of an ordinary life.
35	* PinkMeansFeminine: Selena wears a pink and [[GracefulLadiesLikePurple lavender]] outfit.
36	* ParentalBonus: Pay close attention to Selina's actions when she offers to cheer Bruce up. She's taking off her gloves as she says it.
37	* PsychologicalHorror: Bruce fears to see ThroughTheEyesOfMadness for all his IJustWantToBeNormal fantasy.
38	* ShoutOut: Although the entire series is heavily indebted to FilmNoir, some of the most explicit references are found in this episode. The climax at the bell-tower is perhaps a nod to ''Film/{{Vertigo}}'' and Batman directly quotes the final paraphrase from ''Theatre/TheTempest'' in ''Film/{{The Maltese Falcon\|1941}}'' in the end. The dreamlike nature of the storyline is very much in common with FilmNoir. Interestingly, the climax also resembles the finale of ''Film/{{Metropolis}}'' and ''Film/{{Batman\|1989}}'', in which Batman and the Joker face off in the spire of a cathedral.
39	* ShoutOutToShakespeare:
40	** The title comes from a line in the famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy from ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'', in which Prince Hamlet debates with himself whether or not to commit suicide, or to face the cruel travails of the world, and specifically the task of avenging his dead father which has been put before him. This is a subtle, but intriguing parallel not only to the story of the episode itself, but to the story of Batman in general.
41	** Batman quotes ''Theatre/TheTempest'', act IV, scene 1.
42	--->'''Prospero:''' ''...We are such stuff\
43	As dreams are made on; and our little life\
44	Is rounded with a sleep.''
45	* TranquilFury: Bruce upon breaking free of Tetch's Dream Machine. He's ''pissed'' as makes his way towards the Mad Hatter, demanding to know why Tetch did this through gritted teeth.
46	* VillainousBreakdown:
47	-->'''Mad Hatter:''' [[ThisCannotBe It's not possible!]] No one's will is strong enough to escape my dream machine!\
48	'''Batman:''' ''[furious] Why? Why did you do it?''\
49	'''Mad Hatter:''' You of all people have the ''gall'' to ask me that? ''[[NeverMyFault YOU RUINED]] [[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE27MadAsAHatter MY LIFE!!]]'' ''[BrokenTears]'' I was ''willing'' to [[PetTheDog give you whatever life you wanted]], ''JUST TO KEEP YOU OUT OF MINE!!''
50	* WholePlotReference: This episode is one for the comic "ComicBook/ForTheManWhoHasEverything" (later given an AnimatedAdaptation in fellow DCAU show ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague''). Both stories are about a villain placing the hero who into a LotusEaterMachine and given a dream about [[IJustWantToBeNormal regular life]], their parents are alive, and they are [[HappilyMarried happily married]].
51

Context Recap / BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE30PerchanceToDream