Guest Stars:
Riley Smith ...Guy '20 Yrs'
Michael Welch ...Guy '14 Yrs'
Bobby Edner ...Guy '9 Yrs'
Kevin Rankin ...Dr. Lewis Melfin
Brody Hutzler ...Mercenary

Ratings for 10/30/02 - 4.0/6, Position 5 of 6, 104 out of 134 Shows.

Reviews:

Is anybody watching this show for anything other than Ashely Scott and Dina Meyer? Dina Meyer as Oracle/Barbara Gordon. Ashley Scott as Huntress/Helena Kyle. Rachel Skarsten as Dinah Lance Shemar Moore as Detective Reese Ian Abercrombie as Alfred Pennyworth Mia Sara as Harley Quinn Written by David H. Goodman and Julie Hess. Directed by Craig Zisk. Original Airdate The Birds and a Baby originally aired on Wednesday, October 30, 2002. Synopsis The trio find themselves caring for a boy that grows up several years every time he goes to sleep. Harley Quinn wants him back. High Point The battle sequences in this show are some of the best on television. Low Point The scene that started right after the last commercial. It just didn't work for me at all. The Review They knew how unoriginal this story was, or they wouldn't have named it after an unoriginal movie that has been parodied dozens of times since. 2 out of 6. The effects were few, but decent. The aging sequences looked more like morphing than actually aging, but they were otherwise great. 4 out of 6. The story was predictable and uninteresting. The only part of the ending that I wasn't expecting was the information Huntress provided that Oracle repeated. (I knew the info, as does the viewer, but I hadn't noticed Huntress pick up on it.) I give it 3 out of 6. The acting ranged from bad to average. Mia Sara is digging far deeper into camp than she needs to. (Her acting and material was so much better in the pilot.) I don't mind camp, but it looks to me like they're trying to be serious half the time, so neither approach really works. Dina Meyer, Rachel Skarston, and Shemar Moore were all acceptable or better, but Ashley Scott and Mia Sara need either practice or better directors. I give it 3 out of 6. This generated very little emotional response. Alfred was worth a laugh, but he seemed so out of character that the advantages were undone. I was not drawn in at all. I give it 2 out of 6. The production is even slipping. I noticed three editing errors in which characters and/or props moved when the camera angle changed. The lighting and cinematography was competant, but uninspired. I give it 3 out of 6. Overall, this was, sadly, one of the better episodes so far. In the likely event that I stop watching a show because I don't have time for that much TV, this will be the first to go. I give it 3 out of 6, because the fights were well done, and because of the hints of a tighter storytelling arc on the horizon. In total, Three Birds and a Baby receives 20 out of 42. by fiziko October 30, 2002 [Bureau 42]

Based on Characters from DC Comics Starring Ashley Scott, Dina Meyer, Rachel Skarsten, Shemar Moore, Ian Abercrombie and Mia Sara Birds of Prey may be a very stylish program, but I’m not sure style will be enough to save it. I really want to like Birds of Prey. I’m a long-standing Batman fan, and when I heard that the Birds of Prey would be coming to roost at the WB, I was delighted. Delighted, but wary. In an era where superhero vehicles have either been very good (Smallville comes to mind) or abysmal (Cleopatra 2525 - yikes), the staff at Birds of Prey would not be given many opportunities to get it right with viewers. They have yet to score a run in the four episodes broadcast thus far. This week’s plot was a direct lift from an episode of Batman: The Animated Series. In that episode, Poison Ivy, who is unable to have children, genetically engineered them with short lifespans and amplified violent tendencies. This week began differently, but the chorus sounded much like the aforementioned B:TAS episode. Harley Quinn, unable to reproduce because her completely crazed sweetie has yet to be allowed a conjugal visit, genetically engineers a child with the aforementioned problems. Am I the only one who sees a pattern here? The “fish out of water” plot with the Birds and the baby was predictable at best and saccharine at worst. Alfred provided welcome relief as the voice of experience and polite amusement while the three “superheros” scrambled to care for the child. Ian Abercrombie provides a polished and refined presence as Alfred, and his portrayal is one of the reasons I bother tuning in. I certainly didn’t tune in to hear Helena’s “Afterschool Special” chat with Guy. It was nauseating, and I think the actors deserve better lines than that. His ready acceptance of her impassioned plea made the situation even less credible. Mia Sara, on the other hand, must have done her research regarding Harley Quinn. The cool and collected insanity was a nice counterpoint to Helena’s frantic attempts to keep Guy on the straight and narrow. Harley has purpose and a vision- Helena lacks these things, and it reflects the dilemma of her entire character. Her muddled relationship with Reese is also a source of frustration- and not of the pleasant, unresolved tension variety. I can’t tell if the writers are trying too hard or not hard enough to establish a rapport between the characters, but I find myself longing for the kind of working relationship shared between Batman and Commissioner Gordon. It seems an attempt is being made to mirror this, but sexuality is being thrown into an already unstable mix and it ends with a poor result. Dinah and Barbara also slid into the background this time, as anti-mother Helena took center stage with Guy. I realise this episode was designed as a three character showcase, but wasn’t the title “Three Birds and a Baby”? I would like to have seen competency from Barbara in caring for the baby (although the paper towel scene was cute), and I would have enjoyed a little more insight into Dinah’s background, but this was not to be. Only the anti-mother could step up and be considered worthy. The ratings for Birds of Prey have been on a downward slide since the pilot aired. I don’t find this suprising, particularly with the weak and watered down pilot. With the rate of descent, one wonders how much longer the Birds will be calling the WB Clocktower home. Next week: The Black Canary stops in for a visit, resulting in reunions all around. Ladies and Gentlemen, start your “cat who ate the canary” quips. By Tiffany Knoell Friday, 1 November, 2002 [Test Pattern]