At first glance, the romantic pairing between Killer Croc and Baby Doll seems a bit strange, surprising, and even off-putting. After all, what would a reptilian, anti-social loner like Croc see in a toddler-sized, rattle-shaking, tantrum-throwing brat? We’ve seen a lot of bizarre things in Gotham City, but this one had us shaking our heads! Turns out, these two misfits have a lot in common: Both have a rare medical condition that deforms their outward appearance, both have faced discrimination, bullying, and loneliness, and both are struggling to understand their own fragile and fragmented identities. In this rare episode of Batman: The Animated Series, these two characters discover each other, shack up in the sewers, and plan heists across the city, to Batman’s dismay. We see their relationship unfold in ways that tell us a lot about trust and bonding. For instance, what does this co-habitating couple need most as they struggle to find validation, purpose, and value in society? Are they able to rely on each other and receive the trust they’ve been missing in their lives? Why do they each revert to the “ugly” version of themselves that they’re so desperate to shed?   It’s our job to get past the discomfort to better understand their motivations and lessons learned. A lot is unpacked in this episode, “Love is a Croc!”