The Venture Brothers

[Wes]

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

--"I'm George Bush?"

OHHHHHHH Mariah Carey, I was so close!

Made it even funnier Monarch was Mark Knopfler.

Sgt Hatred's plan was down right wicked. So Monarch was stealling from him? Makes him and Dr Venture even more perfect for one another. And nobody in the Guild seems to really have a decent bodycount, and they live all in the same suburb?

[Wes]

" 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.

Yeah but apparently Hank and nobody else does, yet he talked about it in the season finale.

[reddsun1]

Yup, I remember that one. Another fine example of their extensive use of foreshadowing.

--"...you must have been passed out from all the wine, but trust me most of it was awful!"

I dunno, Alpha--are Tim Tom and Kevin really moles? or just being their exceptionally bad selves? We already know they had a major part in Dr. Girlfriend's first "solo assignment" not working out, i.e. "Shadowman 9:", she says something about "...my moppets were a bit hard to control..." or to that effect? Could be they just want to kill Monarch cause he's "taking" Dr. Girlfriend from them?

Edited June 23, 2008 by reddsun1

[JsARCLIGHT]

It's also mentioned that Sgt. Hatred apparently married Princess Tinyfeet. He regularly refers to her as "the wife" and if you look closely there is a picture of her on the wall in the den Brock is sitting in watching the PBS special on giant crossbows.

I also took Tim Tom and Kevin's remarks to be against the Monarch henchmen, not the Monarch himself. I think the murderous moppets are planning a purge of the henchmen in order to place themselves at the top of the pile. After all they show fierce loyalty to Dr. Girlfriend and it would be kind of odd for them to want to "off" The Monarch, her husband...

... unless...

It's a plot. Dr. Girlfriend is going to snuff The Monarch and usurp his little "tree fort" for herself, making him her "number two".

[Alpha OTS]

I also took Tim Tom and Kevin's remarks to be against the Monarch henchmen, not the Monarch himself. I think the murderous moppets are planning a purge of the henchmen in order to place themselves at the top of the pile. After all they show fierce loyalty to Dr. Girlfriend and it would be kind of odd for them to want to "off" The Monarch, her husband...

... unless...

It's a plot. Dr. Girlfriend is going to snuff The Monarch and usurp his little "tree fort" for herself, making him her "number two".

It's that Tim Tom(or is it Kevin) mentioned The Monarch by name that made me think they're planning on offing him. Can't wait to see how it pans out regardless.

Couple thoughts on Dr. Girlfriend. Have they called her Dr. Girlfriend at all this season? In this last episode she was introduced as Dr. Who-used-to-be-his-Girlfriend. I wonder if a name change is in the works. Dr. Wife? Dr. Mrs.? The voice and gender thing might still be ambiguous. It was Hatred that said her voice is like that because of smoking, she didn't agree or disagree. And her voice was like that in college as seen the last episode prior, which if she started in her early teens isn't quite enough time.

With all these bit characters coming to the forefront, how long until we get some more Truckules?

[JsARCLIGHT]

I'm slow on the uptake but I just now realized that The Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend now live in "A Town Called Malice"...

Baa baa baa dup baa baa baaaaaaaaaaa!

Struggle after struggle...

year after year...

The atmospheres a fine blend of ice...

I'm almost stone cold dead...

In a town called malice!

(For you young kids "A Town Called Malice" was a pretty good jam from 1982 by a band called... ironically... The Jam)

[reddsun1]

The Buddy System up at adultswim.com as of Sat nite; once again, VB provides lots of LOL's with comedy gold. [ed. there's a glitch with clip #2 though, miss a good 2 1/2 minutes! ]

"...tell mom you need excitement, tell dad you need a cashier's check. And we'll see you there! At Rusty's Day Camp for Boy Adventurers!"

So was Brock's rampage a little bit of a shot at Marvel? When he leaps into the fray with Sgt. Hatred's men, the hairy Sasquatch costume and claws, along with his blonde locks, makes him strongly resemble a well-known feral-mutant assassin, another guy with a penchant for bloodthirsty rampages...

Edited June 29, 2008 by reddsun1

[JsARCLIGHT]

It was kind of a pisser that their video skipped that section. I was waiting to see if they fixed it before posting my feelings on the episode as I was kind of hoping that there'd be a nugget of pure comedy gold in that missing section.

That said, this episode was kind of "meh" for me.

It didn't really have that "super laugh out loud" joke or two that the past few episodes have had. It was good, but once again it was not "good" good. They can't all be diamonds though and I'll take a middle of the road VB episode over most of the stuff they run on Adult Swim these days.

... and is it just me or do they just keep adding more "questions"? They answer a few then throw more questions out there... I think by the time this season is over the questions to answers ratio will be back up to 2 to 1.

[Wes]

It was kind of a pisser that their video skipped that section. I was waiting to see if they fixed it before posting my feelings on the episode as I was kind of hoping that there'd be a nugget of pure comedy gold in that missing section.

That said, this episode was kind of "meh" for me.

It didn't really have that "super laugh out loud" joke or two that the past few episodes have had. It was good, but once again it was not "good" good. They can't all be diamonds though and I'll take a middle of the road VB episode over most of the stuff they run on Adult Swim these days.

... and is it just me or do they just keep adding more "questions"? They answer a few then throw more questions out there... I think by the time this season is over the questions to answers ratio will be back up to 2 to 1.

I think the ape thing was great though. Venture leaving Billy literally to the wolves was great. (They can smell fear/Can they smell urine?/That's like liquid fear!) Was that "ghost" in the Order of the Triad pic the kid he lost then regrew?

Brock having a kid? Sure it was bound to happen, funny that he hates him though.

Yeah they add questions, but they need to keep the story going. Better than all the backstory episodes, which are good once and a while but can get old.

[reddsun1]

Funny that he hates him? Not surprising at all. Nice play on the "like personalities repel" angle. Besides, what dad doesn't want to beat the hell outta their son when they get to be a teenager?

The skeleton in the bio dome was a bit gruesome. From the arrangement of bones, it seems that before the flesh decomposed, you probably wouldn't have been able to see where the head went.

[JsARCLIGHT]

I just enjoyed how Dermot (the guy's name) was the quintessential "chairborne ranger" black ops poser, complete with an army jacket. He talked a big game but got his ass handed to him by Dean of all people. A perfect bookend to Brock, who actually IS black ops.

[karmajay]

No talk about Dr. Girlfriend's new costume? Yowzer!

Also, has anybody that purchased shirts from the shirt club received any yet? I'm really liking this week's shirt! http://www.astrobasego.com/shirtoftheweek.html

[Dangard Ace]

Just watched the episode. Loved the Town Called Malice reference.

Of course I loved the Depeche Mode reference back in Tag Sale too.....

[kanedaestes]

I guess it makes sense. How much sex have we seen Brock have already? And have you ever seen or even heard them make mention of condoms? I am surprised he is not a infestested with every STD out there. He was banging strippers in a bathroom of a dirty strip club with no problem.

[Blaine23]

I just enjoyed how Dermot (the guy's name) was the quintessential "chairborne ranger" black ops poser, complete with an army jacket. He talked a big game but got his ass handed to him by Dean of all people. A perfect bookend to Brock, who actually IS black ops.

Reminded me of Ralphie kicking Scott Farkus's ass in A Christmas Story. Complete with crying.

Edited July 1, 2008 by Blaine23

[reddsun1]

I am curious if Dermot--or rather, his mom--will turn up again later in the season? Seemed a bit ominous that they kept her face in shadow.

--"Ah like your new costume."

--"Ah like huggin' you in your new costume."

[reddsun1]

Dr. Quymn, Medicine Woman is now up for view on adultswim.com, and it's HEE-f'in-LARIOUS! LOL moments galore! Dr. Quymn is a hottie [as cartoon chicks go]. But hey, if I were Brock, I'd get shagadelic with that Ginnie. Hey. There's things we do that we ain't proud of. But we do 'em. Loads of knee-slappin funny lines.

"I think I've found my cure for impotency! Now, if I could just figure out how to bottle that ass, I'd be a millionaire!"

and the coupe de gracie...

--"Ah ga boo ga wee la wa cha wee na boo ga..."

[i thought those f*#@ing people would never leave! Where the hell were you?!]

--"Meh ce ta, ooh la wee na gi ba wah neh wah..."

[Down by the river, putting fake blood on stuff. Where were you?!]

--"Wah le ah na weh la ga wa cha neh wah...."

[Getting my ass handed to me by a f*#@ing orangutan!!!]

Edited July 4, 2008 by reddsun1

[JsARCLIGHT]

"Now you're all like... go... team... boobies!"

Classic as they come. I'm chomping at the bit to buy this season on DVD. I hope they release it shortly after it's run ends rather than waiting forever like they did with the other two seasons. Jackson Publick mentioned on his blog how they were working on the season three DVD package art so hopefully it will be turned loose post haste.

[reddsun1]

I should retract part of my previous post, though. From the look on his face, it could be said that Brock's brief little tussle with Ginny was better than sex.

Yup, I need to go ahead and pick up the already released eps of Venture Bros myself.

[JsARCLIGHT]

The DVD sets are worth it for no other reason than Doc and Jackson's "non commentary" commentary tracks. The bonus materials on them are also pure spun gold as well and I bet the extras on the third season set will be even better.

I'm DVR'ing all the episodes this season but it's just not the same as seeing them on DVD... plus I hate Cartoon Network's "not HD" HD channel. They basically take their normal SD channel and rebroadcast it on their HD channel. So shows like VB and Metalocalypse which are created in HD 16x9 are broadcast letter boxed and in low def.

I'd murder people for VB season three on Blu Ray.

[baronv]

Dr. Quymn, Medicine Woman was pretty good. Enjoyed how the Ventures now have doppelgangers. Dug how Dr. Quymn's jet was a white/pink SR-71 Blackbird as well.

The scene with the twin girls holding Dean on the bed was my favorite scene. Wonder if he'll fess up what happened to triana in a later episode.

[JsARCLIGHT]

... or if Dean will ever reveal the terrible secret of Turtle Bay (that the Nancy Drew sisters stuff)?

[JsARCLIGHT]

OK, I just got finished laughing my ass off.

For those who don't know (or do know) the Venture Brothers "Shirt of the Week" this week is simply a drab tannish brown number with a screen of Dean and the word "DEAN!" above it. This has to be one of the biggest in jokes they've done yet. For those who don't have the DVDs and listened to the commentaries, Doc and Jackson made comments about all the bootleg shirts on the market and how they were of questionable design quality yet they were apparently selling like mad. They then go on to say they should make their own shirts to cash in on this VB shirt craze, except they should make shirts that were so "out there" that people would never buy them. To wit Doc makes the crack that they should/could/would release the drabbest, most non-sequitor shirt ever that was brown and simply said "Dean" on it.

Now that shirt has become reality.

[Wes]

Dr. Quymn, Medicine Woman is now up for view on adultswim.com, and it's HEE-f'in-LARIOUS! LOL moments galore! Dr. Quymn is a hottie [as cartoon chicks go]. But hey, if I were Brock, I'd get shagadelic with that Ginnie. Hey. There's things we do that we ain't proud of. But we do 'em. Loads of knee-slappin funny lines.

"I think I've found my cure for impotency! Now, if I could just figure out how to bottle that ass, I'd be a millionaire!"

and the coupe de gracie...

--"Ah ga boo ga wee la wa cha wee na boo ga..."

[i thought those f*#@ing people would never leave! Where the hell were you?!]

--"Meh ce ta, ooh la wee na gi ba wah neh wah..."

[Down by the river, putting fake blood on stuff. Where were you?!]

--"Wah le ah na weh la ga wa cha neh wah...."

[Getting my ass handed to me by a f*#@ing orangutan!!!]

Listen to it more it's kinda a pig-latin talk I could understand it without subs.

[JsARCLIGHT]

Well... I think we have our "dog" of the season. "What goes down must come up" was kind of blah. I really only laughed twice, the first time when the guy from Prodigy was mugging around and when the crap rocket crashed. Outside of that it was pretty much... well... a miss.

Still though, seven episodes in and only one I'd call a miss and several I'd call pure gold. They are batting above the average in my book.

[Alpha OTS]

One of the other boards I was frequenting was discussing last week's episode and picked up on something that's obvious that I missed: Dr. Quymn is likely Rusty's half-sister. Evidence: Swinger's party where their parent's hook up, and they look an awfully lot alike. If that's the case, poor Rusty can never catch a break.

[JsARCLIGHT]

I was thinking the same thing, especially how she reacts to Jonas Venture at the door but cries when he foists her off on Kano.

... and speaking of Jonas Venture it seems the new "fad" of this season is continually painting Jonas as more human and fallible, whereas before he was seemingly the straight-laced competent genius with only the odd mistake who was above reproach. Now he's a key party throwing wild man.

[baronv]

Ack, "What goes down must come up" was indeed a boring episode. The only part that was amusing was when Brock was trying to remember the name of the Avenger comic book character that was small like that itty bitty dude.

[Alpha OTS]

Aw, c'mon, it wasn't that bad! We had some more Order of the Triad action complete with a whole slew of Jefferson Twilight Blackula jokes. Avengers references, Mezco doll references, and one of the underground dwellers was dressed like David Bowie from the Ashes to Ashes video!

And the theme seems to be Rusty cleaning up all the crap, literally, that Jonas left behind. It wasn't the best episode this season, but I really enjoyed it.

Edit: TWILIGHT, not Davis!

Edited July 14, 2008 by Alpha OTS

[JsARCLIGHT]

Another thing just noticed:

I was re-watching "My Dinner with Hatred" on my DVR and I just now noticed that Dr. Tara Quymn is the first page of the "new super scientists to arch" book that the Monarch is reading.

[Beltane70]

I loved the four people dressed as the people from the Art of Noise music video for Close (to the Edit), as well as the Ashes to Ashes costume!

[reddsun1]

Well... I think we have our "dog" of the season. "What goes down must come up" was kind of blah. I really only laughed twice, the first time when the guy from Prodigy was mugging around and when the poo rocket crashed. Outside of that it was pretty much... well... a miss.

Oh, thanks! I immediately recognized who that guy in the tunnel was supposed to resemble, but couldn't remember from what group. I LOL'd when he finally popped out so Rusty could see him.

I didn't think What Goes Down... was so bad. They pretty much went almost from A-Z with their "familiar" references in this one; from Alien, to Beneath the Planet of the Apes, to Logan's Run, to The Shining, to The X-Men.

The irony of Rusty's crack about his dad at the beginning certainly wasn't lost on me, "...oh come on, this thing's practically a symbol of his repression." Considering what a super-freak Dr. Venture actually was...

It warrants a re-watch or two--just for a fun bit of trivia, trying to guess all the 80's artists/groups that the "underground cult" members had patterned themselves after...

Edited July 15, 2008 by reddsun1

[JsARCLIGHT]

What sold the Prodigy reference for me (and how I instantly recognized it) was the faux "Firestarter" guitar riff they had when he was running around. That whole scene was almost directly lifted from the Firestarter video.

I've gone back and re-watched the episode with my DVR so I could pause it and look at the entire group of people to see all the references. And there are quite a lot... but there is some repetition in the references, for instance Trevor Horn appears twice (once as his Buggles self and again as his Art of Noise self).

[kanedaestes]

I like the episode, sure it wasn't as epic as some of the other ones but every now and then they have to do episodes like these. Besides its the dialoge in the show that kills me. Jefferson Twilight and his Blackulas, Brock asking that wanna be Ant-Man about his powers and stuff, even its worse episodes is better than 90% of the crap on tv anyway.

[JsARCLIGHT]

Tears of a Sea Cow... another instant classic.

"I want to build an empire to house the machine I built to kick his ass!"