Review: Beware the Batman "Toxic"

You call that "toxic"? P'shaw. Try eating Hot Pockets four days a week. Now that's toxic.

Characters
Tatsu Yamashiro
While it is nice to finally have her past and motivations revealed to us, I take issue with the fact that it was done in an episode she has only two minutes of screen time in.

But having said that, a new question is brought up: Where does Tatsu go from here? She's on the run from assassins the sword is too dangerous to give to the CIA, and she won't just destroy it for whatever reason. Like Bruce, she's alone in her personal quest. And like Bruce, she confides in Alfred. After a fashion.

Rex Mason/Metamorpho
As I said in the Recap portion, this version of Metamorpho has a SCIENCE-based origin that owes more to his Justice League incarnation than his comic counterpart.

Whereas the design of Simon Stagg in that episode owed a lot to Uncle Sam, apparently.

Now, the Beauty and the Beast cliche of loving a man on the inside has been done to death with the Thing, the Hulk, Metamorpho, etc. But here, we get a more realistic version of that. Of course Sapphire doesn't love this freak of nature. Let's be honest. We'd like to think she would, but he's a rock now. Who knows if his touch is toxic? Who knows if he's infectious? Who knows if he's really the same Rex Mason on the inside anymore?

And Sapphire finds it easier to cope by abandoning him. But we as an audience have gotten so used to the happily-ever-after that this comes as a shock. It's done well. It's done beautifully. And it's absolutely heartbreaking.

Simon Stagg
Same as ever. He's a petty, jealous tyrant like he was in "Hunted." But here we see just how far that pettiness extends.

And now there won't even be a grandson to win over his cold heart. Thanks, Sapphire.

Sapphire Stagg
A real heart breaker, for Rex and the audience. And I'm sure she'll never show up in an episode that makes her seem less tragic and more like a heartless b... um, lady.

Plot
Well, I already sort of went over the plot, but I can always say more.

This was a good episode, filled with a mature grasp of the inherent horror of the episode's events. This is Beware the Batman doing a B-movie.

Attack of the Metamorphous Man! It came for the women!

It really doesn't feel like a way to end this chunk of episodes, though; especially since Tatsu was barely in this one. Oh, well. It was still a good episode in its own right. The only thing is...  Katana's teammate from the comics, Metamorpho, appears as a hero before Tatsu does? That doesn't seem quite right. But hey, could you imagine an Outsiders series?

Boy, wouldn't it be great if this entire season led up to Batman and the Outsiders? Man, the second season would be awesome! ...dangit.

See you next time.