- Title: Batman: The Animated Series – It’s Never Too Late
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“It’s Never Too Late” isn’t what you would expect from a Batman cartoon. With this early episode Batman: The Animated Series let fans know that the new series would break the mold when it came to cartoon heroes. The mob war between upstart Rupert Thorne (John Vernon) and old-timer Arnold Stromwell (Eugene Roche) heats up with the abduction of Stromwell’s son. Thorne leads Stromwell into a set-up where the old mobster is apparently killed, but Batman (Kevin Conroy) shows up to save Stromwell’s life and attempts over the rest of the episode to save the mobster’s soul.
Focused entirely on organized crime without a costumed super-villain in sight, “It’s Never Too Late” puts Batman in a different role than simply swooping in to stop the villain or save the day. Calling on Stromwell’s childhood friend turned priest (Paul Dooley), Batman attempts to convince Cromwell to supply evidence to the police to do major damage to Gotham’s drug rackets and the addictions which have claimed thousands including the man’s own son. Despite Stromwell’s waffling, and Thorne’s repeated attempts to put down his rival, the episode plays out allowing the old gangster’s tragic past to lead him to a fateful decision.
