The Arkham Sessions

Why do we stay with people who hurt us? Why are so-called "toxic" relationships sometimes the hardest ones to leave? And what can we do when those relationships become too dangerous for our psychological or physical well-being? In this episode of The Arkham Sessions, we spend some time reviewing one of the most psychologically relevant episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, "Harley and Ivy."

The brutal bird is back! We revisit the psychology of The Penguin this week in our review of "The Mechanic." Due to a high-octane car chase, the Batmobile is pretty banged up. Batman takes his beloved wheels to his mechanic, a man who basically services all the bat-vehicles in a secret garage hidden under Gotham City. Unfortunately, The Penguin discovers the location of the secret garage and blackmails the mechanic into booby-trapping the Batmobile! Although the episode is full of action-packed chases and hostage situations, there's still a lot of psychology to discuss! Is The Penguin a sociopath? And what's a sociopath anyway? What does all this destruction say about Batman? Find out!

Brian's love of magic is rewarded with this episode of The Arkham Sessions! Zatanna, the daughter of one of Bruce's old mentors, has come to Gotham to put on a show. Boy, does she ever! But it might get her into trouble. Dr. Letamendi discusses the Batman's continuing saga with unobtainable love interests, the psychology of magic and we even learn how Zatanna's big trick could have been done!

Once again, we're given a glimpse into the sibling rivalries within Gotham's mob community. Only this time, it's the brother of Rupert Thorne, Matthew, a gifted surgeon--and former friend to Thomas Wayne and Leslie Thompkins--whose license was revoked, due to his participation in Rupert's criminal activities. "Paging the Crime Doctor," perhaps, gives us our best peek into the personality of Rupert Thorne so far. So what does Dr. Letamendi have to say about him? And how does Batman himself stack up to Dr. Letamendi's professional code of ethics? Find out now!

Is Matt Hagen a criminal? Or is he just doing what he has to to survive? Clayface returns to Batman: The Animated Series in "Mudslide!" And, this time, he's joined by Dr. Stella Bates... and A LOT of classic movie references! Find out how Hagen's been doing since we last saw him and what Dr. Letamendi thinks about Stella in this episode of The Arkham Sessions!

A couple of episodes ago, we learned what Batman would be like with the possibility of losing Jim Gordon. Now, find out what Gotham would be like with the loss of Batman. Sidney Debris is the man who killed Batman. Or is he? And how does this potential blunder affect him and those around him? Find out, as Dr. Andrea Letamendi tackles the loss of Batman, for Gotham City, for Jim Gordon and...the Joker?! That's right. The Clown Prince of Crime is in mourning! Find out all about it here!

Meet Talia al Ghul, a mysterious woman in black, that seems to be on Batman's side. Or is she? In this episode of The Arkham Sessions, we learn about betrayal and what it does to our core schema and what this means for Batman--and Bruce--down the line!

It's been another year since the death of Bruce's parents and, like every year, Batman visits the site in Crime Alley with his old family friend Dr. Leslie Thompkins. But this year's different. Bruce has fallen into a much deeper depression and believes that Batman hasn't accomplished anything in Gotham City. This mindset gets Jim Gordon in trouble and Bruce has to make some very important decisions. In this episode of The Arkham Sessions, we explore Compassion Fatigue and what it takes to avoid it and combat it, should it fall upon us.

The Riddler is back and, once again, he's tapping into his advanced knowledge of gaming in "What is Reality?" This week, we discuss The Riddler's decision to renounce the identity of Edward Nygma, his early adoption of Virtual Reality, the possibilty of this technology actually killing Commissioner Gordon and VR's very real place in today's therapy. That and more in this week's episode of The Arkham Sessions!

Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, aka The Penguin, insists that he's going straight. But will society--specifically, HIGH SOCIETY--allow him to do so? In this episode of The Arkham Sessions, we get our first solid look at the psychology of The Penguin.

We celebrate our one-year anniversary with this very special look at the most requested Batman story yet, Mask of the Phantasm! Get a better look at the history of Bruce Wayne, his long lost love, and the painful missions of vengeance they both share.

The majority of Gotham's Rogues Gallery--Poison Ivy, Two-Face, The Penguin, Killer Croc and The Joker--are together to enjoy an evening of poker and storytelling, as they each get the chance to recount their tales of almost killing Batman. In this episode of The Arkham Sessions, we get a unique chance to take a look at each of our main Rogues; from their strengths to their shortcomings. We also get a chance to analyze Batman's own strengths and shortcomings with each of his nemeses. And we even get a little visit with Catwoman. This and more in this epic episode!

Man-Bat returns! Or does he? In this episode of The Arkham Sessions, we re-visit Batman: The Animated Series' original villain, Dr. Kirk Langstrom. But he's not the same man, having been dealing with the aftermath of his transformations for the past year. But so has his wife. It's the perfect time for Dr. Andrea Letamendi to check in on their recovery!

Kyodai Ken has returned and this time, he plans to end Batman's life by discovering a 500-year-old scroll that holds the secret to the "Kiba no Hoko," a fighting style so lethal it can kill Batman with a single touch! This episode of The Arkham Sessions explores Batman's self-concept and how others influence his sense of self.

Meet Anthony Romulus, an athlete determined to be the best. But those ambitions could cost him more than he ever bargained for. In this episode of The Arkham Sessions,we take on steroids and something called Clinical Lycanthropy!

The Arkham Sessions is back with an in-depth look at one of the most fantastical episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, "Tyger, Tyger." The science fiction of genetically engineered cat-people aside, the unique episode deals with the tragic issues related to Dr. Dorian's condition. We compare his motivations to Man-Bat, who was equally delusional, but not as interested in creating familial relationships the way Dr. Dorian does. This episode of The Arkham Sessions is dedicated to the memory of a member of our family and the perfect feline, Anya.

Our first LIVE episode of The Arkham Sessions! From San Diego Comic Fest, we bring you our conversation about "Joker's Wild!" This discussion with the audience gives us the perfect chance to re-analyze the Joker as well as Batman, himself. Especially since this episode proves that he can, at times, be a little too single-minded, putting the lives of those he's trying to protect in jeopardy.

It's taken 40 episodes, but we're FINALLY introduced to The Riddler and it's worth the wait, as we talk about the battle of wits between Batman and the newest member of his Rogues Gallery. But is Batman off his game a little in Round 1? Or is he giving Robin the chance to step up? Is either scenario a healthy one? Find out in this episode of The Arkham Sessions!

Wayne Enterprises is working on Artificial Intelligence, but this a good idea? After all, the man responsible for teaching Bruce everything he knows about electronics has already developed his own supercomputer and it's not working out well. We talk about A.I., hypothesize that this episode isn't really about A.I. at all, discuss Roko's Basilisk and more on this episode of The Arkham Sessions.

Is Batman stressed out? During this episode of The Arkham Sessions, we take a look at relaxation therapy with Dr. Hugo Strange. We also take a moment to sample one real relaxation technique. Listen to this episode for a chance to get de-stressed!