Terry shows up to a school function late and upsets his girlfriend Dana again, who’s getting tired of constantly waiting for him. Max, Terry’s friend, tells him that he should just reveal his true identity to Dana to salvage their relationship, as this might encourage her to be more understanding of his constant disappearances. However, Terry refuses to do this, and relates to her a story from his early days as Batman: While taking down a criminal gang, Batman tries to rescue a small boy named Miguel, but frightens him with his costume. To ease Miguel’s fears, Batman takes off his mask to reveal that he’s just a normal guy. However, this turns Miguel into a target for Batman’s enemies.
“Unmasked” is frustrating: On one hand, it’s a terrific “Batman Beyond” episode, but on the other hand is an unsatisfying conclusion to a great series. The story that Terry relates to Max perfectly encapsulates the difficulties of having a dual life as both a superhero and a teenager who, like all teenagers, has to deal with the usual aspects of teenage life like dating and making the grade. In many ways, this episode is the perfect encapsulation of what makes “Batman Beyond” such a great successor to the adventures of Bruce Wayne’s tenure as Batman while also demonstrating what makes it work so well on its own. It’s just that the series needed a better conclusion, is all.