The Venture Brothers

[JsARCLIGHT]

Actually... (putting on VB Dork Hat) all the Monarch tells Dr. Girlfriend during that origin story is that he went to the city and claimed a fat inheritance. He doesn't really tell her exactly how he became the super villain "The Monarch", only that he lived with monarch butterflies for a brief period after his parents died which most likely gave him his penchant for the monarch butterfly shtick. I think everyone assumes that as soon as he got to town and claimed his inheritance that he became The Monarch, but the season three premier fills in the time from his teen years until he became the Monarch.

One area that it might have been retconned (but once again was never clearly stated) was having Malcolm (The Monarch before he was The Monarch) responsible for the blast that took off Underbieht's jaw. Which creates kind of a bizarre set up in that The Monarch and Underbieht have a sort of friendly détente between each other and it would make for some real hilarity to discover that the bane of Underbieht's world (Dr. Venture) is really innocent and his new good buddy is the real villain.

[reddsun1]

One area that it might have been retconned (but once again was never clearly stated) was having Malcolm (The Monarch before he was The Monarch) responsible for the blast that took off Underbieht's jaw. Which creates kind of a bizarre set up in that The Monarch and Underbieht have a sort of friendly détente between each other and it would make for some real hilarity to discover that the bane of Underbieht's world (Dr. Venture) is really innocent and his new good buddy is the real villain.

Actually, they alluded to the Monarch's being in college with Rusty, Brock, Baron Underbheit and Pete White before [Past Tense, sea. 1]. Rusty jokes with Pete and Mike Sorayama in one part about "this wierd kid with funny eyebrows...that likes to go on with poetry about butterflies" in one of his classes. These guys have really done an excellent job of establishing details in early eps that flesh out the story later in the series.

And I too would lay odds that the revelation about Malcolm's responsibility for Baron's lab mishap is bound to come up again in later eps. Sure, the irony made for a great joke in Shadowman 9:, but it's too good not to develop further.

handy dandy ep guide here: http://www.venturebroswiki.com/vbwiki/Vent...._Episode_Guide

Edited June 4, 2008 by reddsun1

[kanedaestes]

It's all good because now the Baron can blame Venture for losing his thrown and the archnemesis role can continue.

[Wes]

I'm more concerned about the Monarch, I mean who's he supposed to arch now? He's going to be after Phantom Limb yes but he's so into the good side now it's going to be lame. I'd like to see him arch the other-Other Dr Venture, THAT would be entertaining.

[reddsun1]

Oh, I'm sure Monarch's got plenty of angst left to direct at Rusty Venture for some time to come.

And no, JsARCLIGHT, you're not the only one to notice that Council member's resemblance to the perv in the Guild video shown to Dr. Orpheus [considering the time it takes to conceptualize, design, and draw characters for an animated show, I'd say nothing like that is just coincidence]. LOL, I love the way the Council of 13--this ultra-secretive, mega-powerful, world-wide crime syndicate--winds up being like a bunch of dithering old ninnies, babbling like old ladies at bridge-club or something.

Speaking of nothing being left to coincidence--my thoughts turn to questions raised by certain things you'll hear characters say--almost in passing--during the show; seemingly insignificant things at first, but when you think about how stuff tends to come back up later on in the show...

--Dr. Girlfriend says at one point: "I did what you asked! I made him promise to stop arching Dr. Venture!"

--And we hear Monarch ask the Council in a rather nonchalant manner: "...hey who killed him [Dr. Venture] anyway? You guys must know..."

Just WHY is the Guild so interested in protecting Rusty Venture? Oh sure, they have professional standards to maintain--like "the supervillians' OSHA" or something--but it still makes one wonder if all this is hinting at some deeper plot twist to come.

[JsARCLIGHT]

And they still haven't actually said why The Monarch hated Dr. Thadeus Venture so much. He dedicated most of his adult life to wrecking havoc on the man... but what started it?

[kanedaestes]

He is another one, the whole Rusty's Law about what to do with capture people and how to act whenever they need immediate medical attention as in "Are You There God? It's Me Dean." The Guild has a lot of laws to do with Rusty or just the whole Venture family.

[Wes]

I think that law was the only one, which is why Monarch was making fun of him, the law he coined was such a wussy one. Never made sense as I thought they were trying to kill people, what God's not allowed the assist?

I think they were just trying to check Monarch, because he apparently started unofficial. But there is one good reason why they'd not have anyone arching the Ventures - Brock Sampson. I bet he's personally halved their numbers by now.

[JsARCLIGHT]

It is pretty obvious that Rusty's father had a good deal to do with the Guild when he was alive. Watch and Ward remark to Rusty "I can't believe I'm standing in the same room the Treaty of Tollerance was signed". I would assume from as much as Jonas is mentioned that he was instrumental in the formation or development of the Guild and perhaps in return the Guild tries to keep his kid safe.

And it's funny someone mentioned the "Are You There God, It's Me Dean" episode. In that episode we get the first not so obvious clue that The Monarch is operating outside Guild authority. He tells Hank to "look him up" in the Guild registry and Hank can't find him... I wonder why?

[Alpha OTS]

And it's funny someone mentioned the "Are You There God, It's Me Dean" episode. In that episode we get the first not so obvious clue that The Monarch is operating outside Guild authority. He tells Hank to "look him up" in the Guild registry and Hank can't find him... I wonder why?

Maybe Manotaur took his slot.

Didn't The Monarch also mention that he only joined for the group insurance benefits or some such otherwise he wouldn't have bothered? There's probably a loophole there where he didn't go through the official channels, but does show up on an official list. So he is a member of the Guild, but he isn't. Maybe that's why Phantom Limb wasn't allowed to liquidate him outright?

[kanedaestes]

Plus in Home Insecurity him and Underbeit were talking about going through proper Guild proceedures to kill Venture, so he must have been part of it in some way. Actually when you think of it he probably was since he was a henchmen so that would explain why he shows up in the Guild database and why he knows so much about it; but since he wasn't an actual supervillian he wouldn't be in the Guild supervillian database. There is your answer right there. It was all explained in the last episode.

[Alpha OTS]

Actually when you think of it he probably was since he was a henchmen so that would explain why he shows up in the Guild database and why he knows so much about it; but since he wasn't an actual supervillian he wouldn't be in the Guild supervillian database. There is your answer right there. It was all explained in the last episode.

Bingo! We're through the looking glass here, people!

[JsARCLIGHT]

That sounds like it would make sense. In "Hate Floats" Phantom Limb claims he is "Acting in full costumed aggression without a Guild license". It is apparent that The Monarch's prison chums are all Guild members and remained Guild members to some degree while incarcerated... which would make one wonder why The Monarch when he breaks out somehow doesn't have a license. One could then assume that he "officially" joins the guild as a super villain when he signs the paperwork with Phantom Limb in "Victor Echo November".

My question is still how it all relates back to Rusty Venture. Whatever "it" was it apparently happened either in college or just before college in which Malcolm sets himself on the path to arching Venture. I'm kind of of the opinion that the whole "Dr. Girlfriend" side of his story was more or less a distraction that put him off course from getting Venture. Dr. Girlfriend made for a handy "excuse" but I think it all still goes back to why he hates Rusty to begin with.

[kanedaestes]

I am sure it will come up in the season 4 premiere lol jk, hopefully it will be addressed but as the show moves forward it constantly opens up new plotlines about the past with newer characters like Venture's first body guard. I do hope we see why all the hatred with Venture started though, in the first season we knew why Underbeit hated him, now to learn what the Monarchs deal is. But all this has solved one question, despite many objections it is a fact that Dr. Girlfirned is all woman now i guess.

[kanedaestes]

Man i could talk about this show forever

[Alpha OTS]

But all this has solved one question, despite many objections it is a fact that Dr. Girlfirned is all woman now i guess.

Does it though? Ixnay on the oicevay!

I'm guessing that the way the show eventually ends will be with how Jonas Venture Sr. died. So many previous stories and plot points always link back to that event somehow.

[JsARCLIGHT]

I just watched "The Doctor is Sin" on Adult Swim.com.

Two words: FREAKING AMAZING.

This season is two for two.

[Alpha OTS]

Just watched it immediately after Js said it was up. Excellent episode, and actually a logical progression in the overall story. I should have seen the swerve coming because Dr. Venture's so obviously set up to become what Killinger was selling. This isn't only good comedy, it's good story writing.

Adultswim.com cycled into the "Guess Who's Coming to State Dinner" episode, and I had forgotten that when they show all the magazine covers and newspaper headlines for Manstrong crashing Gargantua-1, that one of them is a rip off of the Weekly World News with Bat Boy! The headline "Bat Baby! Manstrong's Secret Shame!" with the sub-headline "I won't let him breast feed." Awesome.

[reddsun1]

Just watched The Doctor is Sin. Pretty f'in good. So Monarch did "quit" arching Dr. Venture? I'm sure it's not permanent though. Loved how he got Dr. Orpheus and everybody to help "pitch the sell" to the General.

What IS the deal with Killinger, though? Is he a wizard? A devil? He certainly was taking Rusty in a wierd new direction though...

[JsARCLIGHT]

Dr. Killinger simply "is".

He creates balance and endeavors to give people what they truly want. To a degree, Killinger is not actually evil... he just tries to "make the best" out of people, it's his "thing" and as he says, "I love mein job!".

[reddsun1]

It certainly seemed that Killinger was grooming Rusy Venture to make a Supervillian of him; the gaudy costume, the "Venchmen," evicting the "extended family" from the premises, the sudden disappearance of would-be arches at the compound, etc.

Killinger does seem to be working on a sort of karmic agenda; given Rusty's personality, and "character flaws," it does seem he would've been more suited to be a supervillian.

[JsARCLIGHT]

"The Invisible Hand of Fate" tonight at 7pm on AdultSwim.com.

Looks to finally possibly reveal the origins of Phantom Limb, the disposition of Billy's missing eye and hand and possibly give us some extra background on one of my favorite characters (Pete White) as well as more Myra!

[JsARCLIGHT]

The new episode, while great, is somehow less shiny and delectable than the first two. I thought it was a great ep and it did indeed answer a ton of the remaining "questions" surrounding a few of the characters (as well as providing even more back story to a few)... but... I dunno. It was good, but not super out of the park good.

[reddsun1]

Is the pilot ep of Venture Bros. by chance on either of the DVD's that are out now? I've never seen it, but there's a clip in the "10-Best Brock Fights" on adultswim.com, and it's fuggin' awesome! Brock pretty much eviscerates a crocodile that's stowed away in a luggage bin on the X1. It's cool to see the characters in their more rough-hewn, "original" conceptions.

[Alpha OTS]

Is the pilot ep of Venture Bros. by chance on either of the DVD's that are out now? I've never seen it, but there's a clip in the "10-Best Brock Fights" on adultswim.com, and it's fuggin' awesome! Brock pretty much eviscerates a crocodile that's stowed away in a luggage bin on the X1. It's cool to see the characters in their more rough-hewn, "original" conceptions.

It's an extra on the first season set. Pretty good episode, actually.

Have to ditto what JsArclight said above. This last ep was good, and answered a lot of remaining questions(now we know why Billy and Pete live in a camper), but it wasn't a knock out of the park like the last two were. A little odd since it has all the best characters in it. Still good pizza regardless.

My friend told me he's going to be bummed out if Brock doesn't at least mention the Led Zeppelin reunion this season or even better, attend the concert in the show.

[JsARCLIGHT]

Yep, "The Terrible Secret of Turtle Bay" is a bonus on the first season DVD set, as is "A Very Venture Christmas". It should be noted however that Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick have "disavowed" the pilot as being part of the official Venture continuity... mostly because it contradicts a lot of stuff that comes later.

[reddsun1]

Just watched Invisible Hand....LOLOL! Nice to see they're still keeping up to par on the topical humor--you'd miss the the little Abu Ghraib reference in the O.S.I. flashback if you blink.

--"Oh yeah, well the Village People called, and they want you to go *bleeping* kill yourselves, you prancy bastards! Place's gone to hell in a ham sandwich since they 86'd the dress code."

I dunno, I wouldn't be surprised if maybe this "flashback" of Billy's was a bit of manufactured-memories, a la Total Recall. There were some things that were just too much to be coincidence, like Race Bannon AND Steve Austin being at O.S.I. h'quarters the same time as Brock? Shiela/Dr. Girlfriend is in college--and a student of Fantomos' to boot [but that's feasible--could explain how they meet, go on the picnic that gets her into "Ee-vil," but in combination with everything else]? And anyone else notice the hostess on the Quizboys show was the hooker that Monarch tries to kill in Fallen Arches? When just about EVERYBODY you've ever seen starts making a cameo in someone's flashback, it begins to make me a bit suspicious.

The references to the Guild's decades-long ties to the Venture family--both real and implied--were pretty cool.

Edited June 14, 2008 by reddsun1

[JsARCLIGHT]

I got the vibe that the OSI Guild plant who chews out Brock and gives him his assignment at the Venture compound is going to turn out to be Sergeant Hatred.

I also enjoyed seeing OSI "haul off" Myra... complete with HELPR holding the titular babies in his arms in the background. It kind of gives you the impression that Dr. Venture just ignored it all until it boiled out of control... like everything else.

[reddsun1]

After re-watching for a few more giggles, I've just one thing to say....

I just HOPE TO GOD Billy WIPED before he jumped up and came running out of that damn bathroom!

Edited June 14, 2008 by reddsun1

[JsARCLIGHT]

"Ditch the non lethal... we're going NERF on this!"

Home Is Where the Hate Is.

Classic.

[reddsun1]

--"You're a brainless failure, and live entirely off your father's name and fortune."

--"I'm George Bush?"

[Alpha OTS]

"We've all heard that speech a thousand times, Monarch. We're all super villians here."

Tim Tom and Kevin are mole assasins! Plotting to kill the Monarch!

"Leave the gas on so they go all quiet like."

"But I want to hear them scream!"

"No, the Monarch won't be expecting....."

I wonder who they're working for. Phantom Dick? UnderBheit?

The episode was pretty good and is the result of little lines of dialogue in the last two seasons. The henchmen have always been stealing parts from Hatred for the Cocoon, and now it seems that Hatred's taken the arch-spot for Venture to spite the Monarch. Awesome.

But I don't think I like that they kind of explained Dr. Girlfriend's voice.

[reddsun1]

Yeah, I was wondering if that would be the "official" explanation for Dr. Girlfriend's voice. Too funny, considering how much they've played it up over the past 2 seasons...

[baronv]

Fave quote:

"It's hate to live and not live to hate "- Sgt. Hatred

[kanedaestes]

" Who how old are they? I can't be around minors"- Sgt. Hatred. Classic i remember they mentioned him being a pedophile in an earlier episode.