Batman: The Enemy Within - Episode 4: What Ails You (Xbox One) Review

The most fascinating character arc of this season of Telltale's Batman: The Enemy Within series has been that of John Doe. From the moment he debuted in the first season, in a surprise cameo, there was no way season two would not venture further into the character and develop him into the main villain of the piece. Episode 4: What Ails You does not give the whole picture, but it finally takes a major step forward in Doe's development, as his confused motives slowly become clearer. What makes this entire jump even more upsetting is how highly he regards Bruce, therefore, possibly attributing this friendship breakdown to his Clown persona, combined with his love for Harley Quinn. Of course, Doe's shock revelation towards the end of the game further shows just how good he is at reading people.

So far this season, Mr. Freeze has been just a bit player in the Pact, but in this episode he finally gets his layers peeled back in order to reveal more about Victor Fries, and what makes him tick. While he is forever trying to save his wife's life, the fact that the solution is just the very thing the Pact is trying to steal makes this entire ordeal that more important for Freeze. It is hard not to feel sorry for him, as a major decision has the potential to greatly impact Freeze moving forward. Linking the serum to Quinn and Bane to aid them in their personal problems seems pretty mundane and not as important in comparison to Freeze's personal crusade.

Of course, Harley Quinn steals the show once again with her acting and dialogue. Apart from Batman, she is single-handedly carrying this season and keeping it interesting and engaging. Her master manipulation of John Doe finally sees some minor sort of pay-off, although the final episode will surely finish off this phase of their character arc. Alfred delivers a major scare, which brings back an important signpost that was glossed over in the first episode of the season, as it now threatens to play a major role in the final episode.

The story itself moves quite quickly, as the Pact breaks into Bodhi Spa, and the Agency and Batman ambush the group in a last bid to prevent them from stealing the poison. This, of course, means that some characters get pushed to the back or might be finished in terms of story for this season, yet ultimately there was only going to be one big bad for the season. However, the run-home episode so far reaches the great heights that this season has been trying to hit. Whether it can maintain this high or even finish on a satisfying note, however, will be determined in time.