While Batman saved the hostages Summer Gleeson saved the episode--from Mayoral, mediocrity, mistake, HamilDULL (as in D-U-L-L) Hill..
In comics Hill was corrupt crony of Rupert Thorne, but here had become a FUNGUStein monster blighting the series, THE character CATASTROPHE of it, Where Joker and company were evil HE - WAS - BAD.. While bright, beautiful, Summer was mostly buried in brief broadcasting bits the filmmakers foolishly pushed Hill as MAJOR character, deluded by his title with DISASTROUS results, plunging to the depths OF DULL., No episode would EVER be the better for Hill, infuriatingly instead THE WORSE, left viewer wondering what the film makers were thinking--or NOT. He and that whimpering worm, simpering sap, son in terrible top hat made Be A Clown the series WORST episode, beyond bad, UNWATCHABLE, mawkish, maudlin, last scene so excruciatingly EMBARRASSING it makes one CRINGE, not worth having even THE JOKER.. Hill was the one couldn't noticed was replaced by replicant in Heart of Steel, stiff, lifeless, ALREADY. He characteristically created his as enemy duplicate in DREAR TempDULL Fugate, Clock King and Time Out of Joint, dud duels in DULLNESS. Then he nearly SANK otherwise hilarious Harlequinade, like he did in pool, , wet towel thrown in face cutting comment what he WAS, more like SOAKED, SODDEN, one couldn't have ignited WITH A BLOWTORCH.
lOCK-UP looks LOSINGLY at first ANOTHER Hill kidnapping CATASTROPHE in the mediocre making, he one of THREE - OLD - MEN getting kidnapped, B - O - R - I - N - G, can clearly see THAT coming at the hearing, sadly Summer BE dismally dumped AGAIN at the bottom briefly broadcasting, stock mike in the face HALF minute, expect her to then as EXPECT exit from episode. BUT, in what one does NOT expect, surprise of the whole series, terrific twist of it, in what has become series most controversial scene Lyle Bolton sees her again on TV and goes on anti-media rant that actually gets him SYMPATHY from some---THEN HE KIDNAPS SUMMER in episode's most spectacular scene, can't remember Hill's, she completely CRUSHING him in competing kidnap scenes.
If Summer was, admittedly, tenuously tacked on--THANK GOODNESS SHE WAS-- would wretchedly been Hill horribly sinking story before the ship did, the most important service she did for the series. It was her victorious vindication over Hill, proving she was the worthWHILE character, Hill the worthLESS. One has to suspect after close run-to-ruin of of Hill in Harlequinade filmmakers FINALLY realized their TWO mistakes, WASTED Summer, always appealing, WASTING episodes on Hill, always appalling. Mari Devon to her credit always energetically, enthusiastically, voiced with verve where she could have become disappointed, discouraged, disheartened, almost-always being bottom of the bill, Scant Seconds Summer, fall into rut just reading off lines. Lloyd Bochner with MORE chances than Summer EVER got, as Hill STARTED in the rut, terribly then dismally dug ever DEEPER into it, always awful, disinterestedly drearily droned in a monotonous monotone, hard to hear, even tell where one sentence ended and the next started--whether being true to character or just plain B - O - R - E - D matter of debate.
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