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Paging the Crime Doctor
Season 1, Episode 65
Paging Crime Doctor
Air date September 17, 1993
Directed by Frank Paur
Story by Mike W. Barr
Laren Bright
Teleplay by Randy Rogel
Martin Pasko
Music by Shirley Walker
Airdate Sequence
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The Worry Men
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House & Garden
Production Sequence
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Mudslide
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Zatanna

Paging the Crime Doctor is an episode of the first season of Batman: The Animated Series. It is notable as it introduces the character of Matthew Thorne, the "Crime Doctor" to the series.

"Paging the Crime Doctor" was the 53rd produced episode and the 65th and last episode of the first season to be aired.

Synopsis[]

Dr. Matthew Thorne, a formerly respectable surgeon who lost his license after sheltering his brother Rupert Thorne from the police and once a friend of Dr. Thomas Wayne and Leslie Thompkins, is reduced to acting as a mob doctor. When Rupert is critically injured, his brother coerces Leslie to assist with the surgery. But the recovering mob boss wants no witnesses, and Matthew is forced to decide where his real loyalties lie.

Plot[]

An armored car is attacked by a group of men and they steal the content the car was carrying. The group of men get the package and they escape from the place. Batman follows them and after struggling for a while, he manages to make them crash their car. Batman then fights one of them, while the second man opens the package they just stole and takes a laser gun from inside. The man fires the laser toward Batman, who is stunned by the impact. One of the crooks seizes the chance to punch Batman and throw him off the edge of the bridge they were standing on. After a while, they decide to leave, thinking that Batman fell to his certain death. Unknown to them, Batman landed on a cable car but is unconscious.

Brothers Thorne

A favor for a favor

The thugs reach their final destiny, which is a clandestine medical center for criminals. They meet up with Rupert Thorne, who is at the medical center to visit his brother Matthew Thorne. Rupert provides Matthew with the recently stolen device so he can actually make some serious operations. Matthew is upset with his brother for causing him to lose his medical license a long time ago. They discuss and after a while, Rupert gets heart attacked and he falls to the ground.

At that moment, at the Thomas Wayne Memorial Free Clinic, Leslie Thompkins is visited by a wounded Batman. Leslie checks him and tells him that he's got a minor concussion and tells him to rest for the day.

Matt Thorne has checked his brother and he tells him that he's got a tumor in his heart and that he needs to take Rupert to a proper hospital, but he refuses. Because, Rupert’s got enemies who pay a fortune to make sure he doesn’t come out. Rupert wants to be operated on at all costs in Matt's clinic but it is impossible for Matt to do it alone. Rupert asks Matt if there is another person that he can get in order to operate him and Matt remembers his old friend Leslie.

Matt and Leslie

Old Friends Reunite

Rupert sends his men along with Matt to talk to Leslie to operate Rupert for the old times, but she refuses to go with them so they force her to come along.

Meanwhile, at the Batcave, Batman analyzes a piece of fabric he managed to obtain from one of the thugs and discovers a direct connection to Rupert Thorne. Bruce and Alfred go to Leslie's place and find it empty and a complete mess. Bruce analyzes the scene and finds an old picture of Leslie and his father, Thomas, takes it and reads the back of it, where there's a written message signed by Matt. Bruce doesn't know who Matt is and asks Alfred about it. While Alfred tells him the story of three good old friends, Bruce finds a school yearbook and finds Matthew Thorne's picture. Realizing the connection to Rupert, he deduces where Leslie is.

Matt saves Leslie

Matt saves Leslie

Matt and Leslie's operation is successful and Leslie is ready to leave the place when some of Rupert's thugs tell Matt that they have to kill Leslie under Rupert's orders. Matt tricks them and tries to help Leslie to escape from the place. Batman arrives at that moment and takes down some of Rupert's thugs and follows Leslie and Matt to the rooftop. Matt and Leslie find themselves cornered on the rooftop and Matt decide to leap to the nearby building. With a lot of effort, he managed to do it, but Leslie can't make it. Matt grabs her arms and prevents her fall while a thug is shooting at them. Batman takes down the gunner with his Bat Claw and then he jumps to catch Leslie before she falls to the ground.

Bruce and Matt

"Tell me about my father"

A while later, Matt is in jail and is visited by Bruce Wayne, who promises to help him to get out of prison and recover his license, but Bruce tells him that first, he wants something in return. Matt doesn't want to hear anything about illegal business and refuses to help Bruce. However, Bruce tells Matt that he only wants to know more about his father, since they were very close friends. Matt is touched by the question and he gladly starts telling Bruce all about Thomas Wayne.

Cast[]

Actor Role
Kevin Conroy Batman/Bruce Wayne
Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Alfred Pennyworth
Joseph Campanella Matthew Thorne
Linda Dangcil Woman
George Dzundza Chubb
Diana Muldaur Leslie Thompkins
John Vernon Rupert Thorne
Rodger Bumpass Hoffman
Gary Kroeger Beechum
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