Batman: The Animated Series was excellent in reforming previously ridiculous joke villains, such as Mr. Freeze and The Clock King, and giving them fascinating stories that completely changed the dynamics of their character to how we know them today. Mad Hatter is another one of those characters. I think for the writers, trying to make Mad Hatter an interesting character was a tough task because Mad Hatter was just a guy who dressed up like the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland. The '60s show just had Mad Hatter be a guy who has just... obsessed with hats. But this episode totally changed Mad Hatter to the character as he's portrayed today and it's a great one.
In this episode, Jervis Tetch, a neuroscientist who works for Wayne Enterprises and is making mind control devices, has an unrequited love for his co-worker named Alice. However, she has a boyfriend. When he notices her venting to their boss about a fight they had, Jervis sees this as his opportunity to get the love of his life.
It's a pretty classic story of unrequited love and it's something that can pull at your heartstrings. But in the modern age when it's been talked about ad nauseam about how "nice guys" are not really nice and are see women more as objects of their desire, Mad As A Hatter helps to pull back the veil and show what these guys are really like.
Jervis is not a good person. He did not respect his co-worker's relationship nor her rebukes when he tries to make a move on her. His obsession with Alice truly drives him to be "mad as a hatter".
Great episode and one of my favorites.
