There are many villains that "Batman: The Animated Series" just nails; characters that are given a new sheen and welcome redefinition. Bane is not one of them. He's the stuff of early '90s event comics, and even though the character had substance in the "Knightfall" story arc (relatively speaking, that is; at least he's not Doomsday) his somewhat R-rated image just doesn't really fit on this series; and it shows. I don't have anything against the guy, it's just that he's a one-and- done 'roided out goon who gives Batman a run for his money. Even when I was a kid, I knew that the Dark Knight wouldn't suffer a broken back like he did in the comics. There's just no way to adapt a guy like that without neutering him to some extent.
It's a functional episode and at least gives Rupert Thorne another appearance.
6/10