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1* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: ''Does'' Batman's distaste for Bolton stem solely from the latter's extremism... or does Batman also realize that Bolton's ''[[DirtyCoward only]]'' picking on the weakest, frailest charges? Note that none of Arkham's ''really'' hardened inmates, like Joker or Croc, seem to have any complaints against Bolton; and that even when he goes off the rails, Bolton only tackles unsuspecting and (in his own words) "spineless" civilians, not armed criminals.
2* EvilIsCool: In addition to his relatable mentality, many fans have pointed out that unlike many other members of Batman's rogues gallery, Lock-Up's costume is actually nice-looking and makes him appear more threatening. His mask also has an interesting parallel to Batman's: Batman's mask covers everything but his mouth, while Lock-Up's covers everything but his eyes.
3* FanficFuel: Just what were the "rash of plant related crimes" that Poison Ivy was committing around the time Bolton decided to become Lock-Up?
4** What if Poison Ivy was one of the inmates giving a testimonial? It might be interesting to see someone usually so passionate and outspoken like her reduced to a quiet, withdrawn shell courtesy of Bolton's inhumane treatment.
5* HilariousInHindsight: Lock-Up, who's a GOP pundit parody, at one point says he'll "[[UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump Make (The City) (Safe) Again]]". May also double as HarsherInHindsight.
6* HarsherInHindsight:
7** Lock-Up's qualms about Gotham's inadequate crime and punishment system are proven all the more valid when ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' showcases that things still haven't changed much forty-some years into the future, even with numerous technological advances.
8** In real life, police and prison guard brutality has become more noticed and publicized, and its severity has pushed back on fans who argued for Lock Up’s case.
9* JerkassWoobie: The Arkham inmates are depicted as such. Despite knowing who they are and what they have done, you can't help but feel sorry for Harley, Scarecrow and Scarface. They're outright [[HorrifyingTheHorror terrified]] of Bolton, who punishes (and even goes so far as to torture) them even when they're on good behavior.
10* LesYay: Teased. During her report Summer Gleeson refers to Poison Ivy as "gorgeous."
11* MisaimedFandom: Lyle Bolton has some unapologetic fans who believe his aggressive actions were vindicated by the actions of Arkham's prisoners and their poor track record with them, but it blatantly overlooks that he's an emotionally unstable sadist and extremist who is barely any different from the inmates he tortures, and he goes well over the line to enforce the law, even trying to bring in innocent people and actual police like Commissioner Gordon because he sees ''them'' as no different than the criminals he watched over. Batman himself is horrified at Bolton's overzealous extremism, and is openly disgusted that Bolton believed he would side with his actions.
12* RealismInducedHorror: Batman's main villains are usually costumed nutjobs, which the average person in the real world doesn't encounter. Bolton's menace, however, comes from being a cruel man with authority over others, which is an all too common fear in the real world.
13* SpiritualAdaptation: This episode could be seen as a crossover between ''Batman: The Animated Series'', and ''The Dark Knight Returns'', with an empathetic and merciful Batman facing a more ruthless and brutal vigilante. The fact that Lyle Bolton's build resembles how Frank Miller draws Batman, only helps the comparison.
14* StrawmanHasAPoint: Lock-Up's meant to be seen as a hard-headed conservative nutcase with his rant about the inefficient politicians and the "liberal media" being the cause of the superpowered psychos. While "cause" might be a stretch, he's quite right about them being part of the problem. The police routinely fail to combat the maniacs, leaving Batman, a vigilante, to do 90% of the work. The people running Arkham keep it a barely-functional revolving door. The politicians, [[TheGhost as far as we can tell]], are doing nothing to improve Arkham or the city itself. And for one example of the media's faults, at one point they're shown positively portraying ''Poison Ivy'' instead of focusing on the murderous ecoterrorism. If they all did their jobs more efficiently and professionally, maybe there wouldn't be so many costumed freaks terrorizing the city. However, it is shown in most episodes that the authorities are doing the best they can when it comes to handling crooks. The politicians as well, as (before his [[HeelFaceTurn transformation into Two-Face]]), Harvey Dent was actively working to crack down on crime lords like Rupert Thorne, with the city's severe corruption being one of the only reasons he didn't get too far. Bolton’s methods for keeping the prisoners in line were highly unethical, even when the prisoners are not out of line.
15* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Lock-Up was an awesome, thought-provoking villain who appeared in just this one episode. In some ways, it can be understood, as he was a pretty obvious piece of political satire. Still, he was probably one of the scariest characters in the series. He eventually would become a CanonImmigrant to the main DCU.
16* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: So we have a man running Arkham Asylum as his own personal torture chamber and terrifying all of the members of the Rogues' Gallery to a degree that has [[HorrifyingTheHorror completely broken them and turned them into meek little sheep]] and the big discussion he brings to the table about how Arkham is a CardboardPrison full of irredeemable maniacs but there is still such a thing as going ''[[HeWhoFightsMonsters too]]'' far keeping them in line… and the Joker never appears, nor is he even mentioned. Is Bolton actually effective at dealing with the Clown Prince of Crime or does the Joker [[TooKinkyToTorture just take it in stride]]? Or, as mentioned in {{Alternative Character Interpretation}} above, Is Bolton only doing this to inmates who aren't actually a threat?
17* UnintentionallySympathetic: Bordering on StrawmanHasAPoint, Bolton's methods are supposedly brutal, but considering the fact that his [[AssholeVictim "victims"]] are psychopaths who [[CardboardPrison escape from Arkham with annoying regularity]], some viewers wish that Batman and the press would back off and let Bolton give the inmates everything they deserve. However, [[DeconstructedTrope he ends up losing support]] when his methods range from brutal to downright sadistic and the fact that Scarecrow was even willing to turn over a new leaf just to get away from Bolton really says a lot.
18* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: While we are meant to feel bad for the Arkham inmates who are tormented by Bolton, the fact that many of them are guilty of hurting innocent people means that many viewers don't feel particularly bad for them, or even think they deserve to be brutalized.
19* ValuesResonance: As the failures of mass incarceration become more apparent, this episode's statement about the "tough on crime" mentality has become relevant.

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