I've got S7 to watch but I'll be getting the movie on disc very soon, especially with Max dropping the series on Aug. 12(?!?!??!?).
-
Welcome to Talking Time's third iteration! If you would like to register for an account, or have already registered but have not yet been confirmed, please read the following:
- The CAPTCHA key's answer is "Percy"
- Once you've completed the registration process please email us from the email you used for registration at percyreghelper@gmail.com and include the username you used for registration
Once you have completed these steps, Moderation Staff will be able to get your account approved.
The Venture Bros. has been fucking cancelled
R.R. Bigman
Coolest Guy
(Henchman 21 Voice) Why would you do that!?
I have every season on DVD, but watching it on Max has been very convenient.
I have every season on DVD, but watching it on Max has been very convenient.
I watched the movie.
My spoiler-free review is that I found it deeply satisfying from a plot/characters/story perspective, but it wasn't as funny as some of the best VB stuff. The NYC seasons were amazing, and I would not want to see them wiped out, but my heart says that the perfect piece of VB media, and theoretically best possible capper for the series, was All This and Gargantua-2. That was the best the franchise has ever had to offer in a balance of everything the show has ever been. The movie is just extremely good.
My spoiler-free review is that I found it deeply satisfying from a plot/characters/story perspective, but it wasn't as funny as some of the best VB stuff. The NYC seasons were amazing, and I would not want to see them wiped out, but my heart says that the perfect piece of VB media, and theoretically best possible capper for the series, was All This and Gargantua-2. That was the best the franchise has ever had to offer in a balance of everything the show has ever been. The movie is just extremely good.
R.R. Bigman
Coolest Guy
Gogglebob, how many episodes of show would you say the movie contains?
It feels like each of the principle characters has a very distinct plotline, and, while they all intersect, they feel very separate for much of the run. Basically, each "star" could have had an episode of their exclusive story. So, with that in mind... like six?
I also watched the movie. That was an extremely dense 84 minutes! I have to wonder how far back it was planned that Rusty and the Monarch are clones. There were some solid jokes, but imo it continued the trend of season 7 being less funny and more plot focused. They just have too many damn ideas they need to cram into the story!
R.R. Bigman
Coolest Guy
Noted. Thank you.
Watched the movie. Watched it in chunks before bedtime for about a week. Probably not an ideal way to watch, but it was enjoyable.
If I had to compare it to an experience, it would be like the Cowboy Bebop film. As a coda to the series, it doesn't really add too much? Doesn't really feel like an ending either. But there are some good character moments, and just overall a pretty decent time going on one last adventure with the setting/characters.
If I had to compare it to an experience, it would be like the Cowboy Bebop film. As a coda to the series, it doesn't really add too much? Doesn't really feel like an ending either. But there are some good character moments, and just overall a pretty decent time going on one last adventure with the setting/characters.
Finally watched this. As a likely final piece of Venture Bros entertainment, I liked it a lot.
jpfriction
(He, Him)
I’m nearing the end of a full rewatch of the series, wanted to do that before I watched the movie. Waaay too many r slurs throughout most of the series but good lord isn’t this some of the best television ever made.
Yeah, it's an extremely unfortunate consequence of early 2000s media and where much of its age shows in the worst way. The word was just everywhere in those days. (Not to say there aren't plenty of people still using it today, sadly, but a lot of folks have unlearned it by now too.)
Editing to be clear: I am not trying to excuse or defend their use of the word. I hate hearing it any time I watch those old episodes (or when it comes up in other media from that period).
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Home Insecurity
Making my way through this one much slower than I expected. But I'm really into Columbo right now. This one is doing a lot of work in making Brock a little more than a callous murder and fuck machine by giving him his own adventure where he decides to protect, in their first appearance of Steve Summers and Sasquatch... OK, they don't matter much in the long term but this episode is fun and memorable and does what Venture Bros often does; deconstructs pop culture in small ways while still feeling like a classic adventure. Summers is a parody of the 6 Million Dollar Man and this episode points out it's kind of fucked up that he's expected to pay back being turned into a cyborg by being a government agent. Brock's legend grows as military dudes fawn over him but he also becomes more sympathetic as he decides to protect Steve and Sasquatch.
The other half of the episode definitely feels like a Venture tale as the Ventures are trapped in their house and though the situation is dire, there's more character work as they bounce off of each other. It's good stuff and though H.E.L.P.eR. is never developed as deeply considering the time put into him early on, it does do a good job establishing him as the third and most gentle-hearted parent in the family. Meanwhile, Henchman 21 makes his first appearance here in a section that, along with Baron Underbeit, feels more like classic The Tick, a show Hammer and Publick did before this (Tick creator and later Supernatural showrunner Ben Edlund writes a couple episodes, in fact). I love the way both shows combine the ridiculous of the mundane meeting the dynamic and the nature of being a henchman. It's not the strongest of episodes but it's still a strong one.
Making my way through this one much slower than I expected. But I'm really into Columbo right now. This one is doing a lot of work in making Brock a little more than a callous murder and fuck machine by giving him his own adventure where he decides to protect, in their first appearance of Steve Summers and Sasquatch... OK, they don't matter much in the long term but this episode is fun and memorable and does what Venture Bros often does; deconstructs pop culture in small ways while still feeling like a classic adventure. Summers is a parody of the 6 Million Dollar Man and this episode points out it's kind of fucked up that he's expected to pay back being turned into a cyborg by being a government agent. Brock's legend grows as military dudes fawn over him but he also becomes more sympathetic as he decides to protect Steve and Sasquatch.
The other half of the episode definitely feels like a Venture tale as the Ventures are trapped in their house and though the situation is dire, there's more character work as they bounce off of each other. It's good stuff and though H.E.L.P.eR. is never developed as deeply considering the time put into him early on, it does do a good job establishing him as the third and most gentle-hearted parent in the family. Meanwhile, Henchman 21 makes his first appearance here in a section that, along with Baron Underbeit, feels more like classic The Tick, a show Hammer and Publick did before this (Tick creator and later Supernatural showrunner Ben Edlund writes a couple episodes, in fact). I love the way both shows combine the ridiculous of the mundane meeting the dynamic and the nature of being a henchman. It's not the strongest of episodes but it's still a strong one.
R.R. Bigman
Coolest Guy
I finally got my copy of the movie last week, then watched it on Friday. You can feel the story, full of a season of ideas and character threads, desperately struggling against the run time, yet it still felt magical getting to see almost everyone again after five years. One of the biggest surprises was the amount of Jefferson Twilight. The Order of the Triad both deserves and needs their own series.
I hope and pray we get more Venture Bros. The Blu-Ray was sold out for almost two weeks, so maybe someone at Warner will see the continued demand for one of the best TV shows ever made. Futurama keeps coming back, despite most of it’s fans not wanting it to anymore.
I hope and pray we get more Venture Bros. The Blu-Ray was sold out for almost two weeks, so maybe someone at Warner will see the continued demand for one of the best TV shows ever made. Futurama keeps coming back, despite most of it’s fans not wanting it to anymore.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
The Incredible Mr. Brisby
I appreciate that while a lot of stuff from episodes retroactively becomes important, this is an episode in which it is planting some seeds for season 2. Granted, after the surprise ending to season one, most people guessed at what would happen in season 2 to reset the status quo but still, it does it pretty elegantly and in particular, the villain, Brisby, a parody of pretty much every Disney conspiracy theory, makes the mistake many of Ventures enemies make; trying to convince him to work for them while citing his dad (especially in praising his superiority). Despite the fact that this is a good episode, this is one of those episodes where there's some ableism baked him, with Venture calling the wheelchair bound Brisby some shitty names. I know Ventures a dick but I feel like there's a difference between "this shows Venture sucks" and "Wee, we are being transgressive. We don't believe it but it's fun to indulge." I feel like it's a particular humour to the 2000s that I associate with South Park, Family Guy and Arrested Development in particular and it's aged really bad. Just because we agree we don't believe it doesn't make it funny to say, just shitty.
The other two plots are Hank and Dean kidnapped by revolutionaries fighting against Brisby which is the weakest part despite tying into the real idea of communities that can be affected by huge projects like Disneyland. Much more interesting is the introduction of Molotov Cocktease, the Black Widow-like secret agent. Though Steve Summers is something of a challenge, this is the first time Brock really feels evenly matched in every capacity and though in many ways she's the archetypical spy femme fatale, it's a character that works and the fight between the two is completely kick-ass.
I won't put it in the list of the strongest episodes but it's a really solid one for this season and the show still holds up really well, even before it REALLY gets going.
I appreciate that while a lot of stuff from episodes retroactively becomes important, this is an episode in which it is planting some seeds for season 2. Granted, after the surprise ending to season one, most people guessed at what would happen in season 2 to reset the status quo but still, it does it pretty elegantly and in particular, the villain, Brisby, a parody of pretty much every Disney conspiracy theory, makes the mistake many of Ventures enemies make; trying to convince him to work for them while citing his dad (especially in praising his superiority). Despite the fact that this is a good episode, this is one of those episodes where there's some ableism baked him, with Venture calling the wheelchair bound Brisby some shitty names. I know Ventures a dick but I feel like there's a difference between "this shows Venture sucks" and "Wee, we are being transgressive. We don't believe it but it's fun to indulge." I feel like it's a particular humour to the 2000s that I associate with South Park, Family Guy and Arrested Development in particular and it's aged really bad. Just because we agree we don't believe it doesn't make it funny to say, just shitty.
The other two plots are Hank and Dean kidnapped by revolutionaries fighting against Brisby which is the weakest part despite tying into the real idea of communities that can be affected by huge projects like Disneyland. Much more interesting is the introduction of Molotov Cocktease, the Black Widow-like secret agent. Though Steve Summers is something of a challenge, this is the first time Brock really feels evenly matched in every capacity and though in many ways she's the archetypical spy femme fatale, it's a character that works and the fight between the two is completely kick-ass.
I won't put it in the list of the strongest episodes but it's a really solid one for this season and the show still holds up really well, even before it REALLY gets going.
The revolutionaries part is not the best but we quote "It was a very pleasant Applebee's" surprisingly often
Last edited:
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Eeny Meeney Miney.... Magic!
In this one, the Ventures get a new tenant on the compound; Dr. Byron Orpheus (a necromancer) and his daughter Triana. Orpheus' extra-normal powers detect an evil from Dr. Venture's latest invention, the Joy-Can, a cylinder that can materialize a person's fondest desires. Brock ends up trapped inside and Hank and Dean go in to save him, only to be trapped themselves. Venture reveals that the device is powered by an orphan's heart and Dean manages to find a way out, emboldened by his feelings of love for Triana.
There's no small amount of great memorable characters introduced on a weekly basis but Dr. Orpheus is top tier for this show. Considering how often he goes to 10, it would be easy for this character to become annoying but far from it. He's both a very outsized character but also often a voice of reason and one of the few genuinely good people in the series (though he has many flaws himself). I can only imagine what fun Steven Rattazzi has with this character, because he brings it. I will say that while the character comes out fully formed, the show sometimes give him a few angles, like one where he has a big jaw, that seem wrong for the character. But that's a minor quibble. More than anything, if I were to list my favourite character on this show, it would probably be a very strong second after Brock Samson.
Speaking of, the main thrust of the episode as a plot isn't as strong as some others as despite revealing a few things about Brock, it's the part that's the least interesting. But it is also a crisis, one that works in a way where the show can move it at it's own pace and allows the juice of the episode to flow; fun conversational hi-jinks between Venture and Orpheus. Really, most of the episode could work as a radio play and the chemistry between them is perfect and Venture begins excited by his new adult friendship until like most adults he knows, he's kind of over his gimmick. That said, he gets along better with him than most of the show's characters, even though he's also impatient with him like everyone else.
The other thing I love is that it's the episode that really starts building the relationship between Brock and Hank. Brock gets along better with the Venture boys than their actual dad but there's something in particular between Brock and the dim-witted Hank where they really do click and it's clear Brock's a mentor to Hank and a hero. Dean also gets to have a good character beat with Triana. It's not a romance I ship (and the show eventually decided against it) but it's a friendship that's pretty fun, as they click in their own way, even if Triana doesn't get Dean. Triana is super cool but while she has an over-it teen attitude, it's clear she's also pretty respectful to Dean and wants to know more about him.
A Thing I Didn't Notice Before:
When Hank asks why Brock why he doesn't want to play In Through the Out Door and presses him on his "bad memories" he suggests it's because of fighting ninjas before Brock confesses the album reminds him of a woman. In the Joy Can, Brock fantasizes about murder swaths of ninjas before Molotov arrives
I'm 100% if they could afford it, the Joy Can would play Carouselambra and All My Love for the ninja and Molotov scenes respectively.
In this one, the Ventures get a new tenant on the compound; Dr. Byron Orpheus (a necromancer) and his daughter Triana. Orpheus' extra-normal powers detect an evil from Dr. Venture's latest invention, the Joy-Can, a cylinder that can materialize a person's fondest desires. Brock ends up trapped inside and Hank and Dean go in to save him, only to be trapped themselves. Venture reveals that the device is powered by an orphan's heart and Dean manages to find a way out, emboldened by his feelings of love for Triana.
There's no small amount of great memorable characters introduced on a weekly basis but Dr. Orpheus is top tier for this show. Considering how often he goes to 10, it would be easy for this character to become annoying but far from it. He's both a very outsized character but also often a voice of reason and one of the few genuinely good people in the series (though he has many flaws himself). I can only imagine what fun Steven Rattazzi has with this character, because he brings it. I will say that while the character comes out fully formed, the show sometimes give him a few angles, like one where he has a big jaw, that seem wrong for the character. But that's a minor quibble. More than anything, if I were to list my favourite character on this show, it would probably be a very strong second after Brock Samson.
Speaking of, the main thrust of the episode as a plot isn't as strong as some others as despite revealing a few things about Brock, it's the part that's the least interesting. But it is also a crisis, one that works in a way where the show can move it at it's own pace and allows the juice of the episode to flow; fun conversational hi-jinks between Venture and Orpheus. Really, most of the episode could work as a radio play and the chemistry between them is perfect and Venture begins excited by his new adult friendship until like most adults he knows, he's kind of over his gimmick. That said, he gets along better with him than most of the show's characters, even though he's also impatient with him like everyone else.
The other thing I love is that it's the episode that really starts building the relationship between Brock and Hank. Brock gets along better with the Venture boys than their actual dad but there's something in particular between Brock and the dim-witted Hank where they really do click and it's clear Brock's a mentor to Hank and a hero. Dean also gets to have a good character beat with Triana. It's not a romance I ship (and the show eventually decided against it) but it's a friendship that's pretty fun, as they click in their own way, even if Triana doesn't get Dean. Triana is super cool but while she has an over-it teen attitude, it's clear she's also pretty respectful to Dean and wants to know more about him.
A Thing I Didn't Notice Before:
When Hank asks why Brock why he doesn't want to play In Through the Out Door and presses him on his "bad memories" he suggests it's because of fighting ninjas before Brock confesses the album reminds him of a woman. In the Joy Can, Brock fantasizes about murder swaths of ninjas before Molotov arrives
I'm 100% if they could afford it, the Joy Can would play Carouselambra and All My Love for the ninja and Molotov scenes respectively.
Purple
(She/Her)
To be fair, getting too bogged down in character development and world building has been a thing for a hell of a lot longer than season 7. That was really creeping in around season 1, and it was season 3 that really got bogged down in "Guild law" etc.
Anyway I was super surprised and delighted to see the movie finally deliver on the one thing I've been wanting them to get into for years and years now: Just going all in for a surprising percentage of the overall runtime letting Jefferson actually be in his element killing a bunch of blackulas. Like for real, he just got completely sidelined for a couple seasons and before that was just kind of a third wheel. It was nice to see him get such a sendoff. Also love the throwaway gag that he just kinda used to be roommates with Darkman and The Fly. Meanwhile I was hugely disappointed that we have all of Hank's other various weird personae floating around, but not Destiny. Also nice to see they clearly once again blew a huge chunk of their budget licensing songs they just really like.
I keep thinking it's somewhere around when they introduce "Sphinx!" (soooo, I think season 4?) when the show moves away from making constant "genre jokes" and more about character storylines that just happen to feature genre jokes, if that makes sense. There's definitely a point in the show where they realize they want to do something a bit more ambitious than be a send-up of Johnny Quest/comic books/Hanna Barbera cartoons, and correspondingly the density of those kinds of jokes goes down. (to be clear, I'm not disparaging this aspect of the show at all; it's all excellent to me)
And yeah, finally getting around to some Blackula hunting was severely past due. I have to think they would've done that earlier if the episode order for each season didn't keep getting smaller and smaller.
(Sphinx!)
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Ghosts of the Sargasso
This is the one where: The Ventures travel to the Bermuda Triangle so Dr. Venture can take a night dive to recover his dad's experimental rocket. While Venture is underwater, the ship is attacked by anarchronistic pirates and a "pirate ghost" (just a dude in disguise). Brock surrenders when Dean is held hostage and Hank, who is free, manages to subdue some crew with Brock's coaching via communicator watch. Meanwhile, Venture uses a "metasonic locator" which accidentally awakens the ghost of Major Tom. the experimental rocket's pilot. However, Tom isn't actually a threat... it's ghoulish form is just standing around screaming. Dean, Hank and the Pirates stop their fight to deal with it but eventually Brock, whose freed himself, simply smashes the ghost off the ship. The pirates surrender and ask to be forgiven and taken back to land (they've been trapped in the sargasso for years, living off stolen goods) and Brock accepts.
Character introductions and notable events:
The Pirate Captain
The Original Team Venture (mostly the Action Man)
The Pirate Captain leaves the sargasso
Ghosts of the Sargasso is definitely the kind of story the Venture Bros does often and well; on the surface it's an adventure but mostly it's characters talking, de-mystifying what it is like to live as or through a genre trope. Namely these pirates, despite managing to briefly get an advantage over Brock, are just kind of pathetic and want to go home. Mostly, it's a lot of Dean and Hank finding what they learned in genre fiction isn't so cool or glamourous and no one wants to live through it.
The idea of the screaming ghost is pretty funny as they realize... all it does is scream. Everyone gets to have a little fun and I like that while Dr. Orpheus can be over the top, he has smarter, practical solutions to problems and like everyone else, has to let Hank and Dean down that this is going to be a low-fi solution. The show is also doing great in building up the bond between Hank and Brock. The Pirate Captain is a fun antagonist, who starts theatrical and runs out of patience entertaining that element of his old theme and he becomes a welcome recurring character down the line. It's pretty fun episode and kind of the platonic ideal of a straightforward episode.
This is the one where: The Ventures travel to the Bermuda Triangle so Dr. Venture can take a night dive to recover his dad's experimental rocket. While Venture is underwater, the ship is attacked by anarchronistic pirates and a "pirate ghost" (just a dude in disguise). Brock surrenders when Dean is held hostage and Hank, who is free, manages to subdue some crew with Brock's coaching via communicator watch. Meanwhile, Venture uses a "metasonic locator" which accidentally awakens the ghost of Major Tom. the experimental rocket's pilot. However, Tom isn't actually a threat... it's ghoulish form is just standing around screaming. Dean, Hank and the Pirates stop their fight to deal with it but eventually Brock, whose freed himself, simply smashes the ghost off the ship. The pirates surrender and ask to be forgiven and taken back to land (they've been trapped in the sargasso for years, living off stolen goods) and Brock accepts.
Character introductions and notable events:
The Pirate Captain
The Original Team Venture (mostly the Action Man)
The Pirate Captain leaves the sargasso
Ghosts of the Sargasso is definitely the kind of story the Venture Bros does often and well; on the surface it's an adventure but mostly it's characters talking, de-mystifying what it is like to live as or through a genre trope. Namely these pirates, despite managing to briefly get an advantage over Brock, are just kind of pathetic and want to go home. Mostly, it's a lot of Dean and Hank finding what they learned in genre fiction isn't so cool or glamourous and no one wants to live through it.
The idea of the screaming ghost is pretty funny as they realize... all it does is scream. Everyone gets to have a little fun and I like that while Dr. Orpheus can be over the top, he has smarter, practical solutions to problems and like everyone else, has to let Hank and Dean down that this is going to be a low-fi solution. The show is also doing great in building up the bond between Hank and Brock. The Pirate Captain is a fun antagonist, who starts theatrical and runs out of patience entertaining that element of his old theme and he becomes a welcome recurring character down the line. It's pretty fun episode and kind of the platonic ideal of a straightforward episode.
jpfriction
(He, Him)
Long ways away from those later seasons with everyone’s dick hanging out.
The Pirate Captain is one of my favorite characters. I love that episode.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Ice Station Impossible!
This is the one where: Dr. Venture, Pete White and Billy Quizboy are invited by super scientist Prof. Richard Impossible to do research at his secret arctic headquarters. Venture, having a pill problem, struggles to pass the drug test but gets help from Sally Impossible, Richard's wife, who supplies him a sample she made. Venture learns Sally, her brother Cody and her cousin Ned were all mutated by an experiment by Richard. When Richard finds out, he leaves Venture in the arctic to die, claiming it's for entering a restricted area. Meanwhile, Brock discovers a battle between adventure hero Race Bannon and a terrorist group have left Hank exposed to a serum Richard created that turns organisms into bombs. To stop Hank from exploding, they head to find Richard at his base, only to save Venture along the way. Richard tries to kill Hank, believing it the only way to stop him from killing everyone but Cody and Ned stop him while Venture, Pete and Billy work on an antidote. Whether it works is unclear. Hank is fine after he takes it but Richard claims they merely made ranch dressing and the serum just doesn't work on humans, seeing as they didn't test on any. Sally says she's leaving Richard for Venture but the Ventures decide to leave without her. While Sally is crying, Richard, testing "Venture's" urine sample, believes Venture to be pregnant.
Character introductions and notable events:
The Impossible Family (outside of pilot)
Billy Quizboy (outside of pilot)
Pete White (outside of pilot)
Race Bannon
This episode isn't bad but it's also one that makes some choices I don't like. The most problematic is Ned, who has an intellectual disability that they use some shitty words for and in general it's just an ugly portrayal. Beyond that, I also feel like there are gags and elements that just aren't the show at it's strongest. There's something about the scene where the kids play with Race Bannon's corpse that isn't just not that funny, it... just doesn't feel like what I think of this show as.
Still, there's more bad than good. Stephen Colbert is perfectly cast as the worst possible version of Mr. Fantastic; cruel, smug and just an all-around shit. There aren't a lot of episodes where Venture gets a straight up win and even though Impossible is probably right that Venture didn't do anything, he still did the moral and brave thing, which is more important for this character (though he does leave Sally in the lurch. Dude, don't date her but feel free to get her out of that toxic atmosphere).
The inclusion of Race Bannon is fun and it's a shame the series undid Johnny Quest being canon. It feels like they were allowed to because that's what most Adult Swim cartoons were doing and despite being one of the more memorable Hanna Barbera cartoons, it's not IP that gets used a lot. I'm not sure why they undid it (unlike, say, the David Bowie thing, which I feel makes sense in wanting to honour him and have a story where the guy turns out to be a cowardly dick). Despite my issues, it's a pretty good episode and it's nice to see Venture actually act the hero for once, in his own way, which I don't think happens again until he does something surprisingly noble in the season finale.
This is the one where: Dr. Venture, Pete White and Billy Quizboy are invited by super scientist Prof. Richard Impossible to do research at his secret arctic headquarters. Venture, having a pill problem, struggles to pass the drug test but gets help from Sally Impossible, Richard's wife, who supplies him a sample she made. Venture learns Sally, her brother Cody and her cousin Ned were all mutated by an experiment by Richard. When Richard finds out, he leaves Venture in the arctic to die, claiming it's for entering a restricted area. Meanwhile, Brock discovers a battle between adventure hero Race Bannon and a terrorist group have left Hank exposed to a serum Richard created that turns organisms into bombs. To stop Hank from exploding, they head to find Richard at his base, only to save Venture along the way. Richard tries to kill Hank, believing it the only way to stop him from killing everyone but Cody and Ned stop him while Venture, Pete and Billy work on an antidote. Whether it works is unclear. Hank is fine after he takes it but Richard claims they merely made ranch dressing and the serum just doesn't work on humans, seeing as they didn't test on any. Sally says she's leaving Richard for Venture but the Ventures decide to leave without her. While Sally is crying, Richard, testing "Venture's" urine sample, believes Venture to be pregnant.
Character introductions and notable events:
The Impossible Family (outside of pilot)
Billy Quizboy (outside of pilot)
Pete White (outside of pilot)
Race Bannon
This episode isn't bad but it's also one that makes some choices I don't like. The most problematic is Ned, who has an intellectual disability that they use some shitty words for and in general it's just an ugly portrayal. Beyond that, I also feel like there are gags and elements that just aren't the show at it's strongest. There's something about the scene where the kids play with Race Bannon's corpse that isn't just not that funny, it... just doesn't feel like what I think of this show as.
Still, there's more bad than good. Stephen Colbert is perfectly cast as the worst possible version of Mr. Fantastic; cruel, smug and just an all-around shit. There aren't a lot of episodes where Venture gets a straight up win and even though Impossible is probably right that Venture didn't do anything, he still did the moral and brave thing, which is more important for this character (though he does leave Sally in the lurch. Dude, don't date her but feel free to get her out of that toxic atmosphere).
The inclusion of Race Bannon is fun and it's a shame the series undid Johnny Quest being canon. It feels like they were allowed to because that's what most Adult Swim cartoons were doing and despite being one of the more memorable Hanna Barbera cartoons, it's not IP that gets used a lot. I'm not sure why they undid it (unlike, say, the David Bowie thing, which I feel makes sense in wanting to honour him and have a story where the guy turns out to be a cowardly dick). Despite my issues, it's a pretty good episode and it's nice to see Venture actually act the hero for once, in his own way, which I don't think happens again until he does something surprisingly noble in the season finale.
Purple
(She/Her)
I think it really was the legal department changing their mind. Or the network losing rights to the show in the interim.
Personally I just figure the character felt he needed some better personal branding somewhere in his late teens/early 20s and/or started resenting his father too much to want to keep throwing his last name out there.
Personally I just figure the character felt he needed some better personal branding somewhere in his late teens/early 20s and/or started resenting his father too much to want to keep throwing his last name out there.
This was always my head cannon as well: he's still Johnny Quest, but he just started calling himself Action Johnny in a pathetic bid to distance himself from his family's legacy and pump himself up.
Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
Mid-Life Chrysalis
"So what's your name?"
"Crap! We didn't plan for this contingency!"
This is the one where: Brock's license to kill is expired, so he prepares to retake his secret agent test. This causes Brock great anxiety, unable to make love or beat up the people harassing him. Despite having issue with the written portion and not following all of the rules, the tester is overwhelmed with his ability and passes him. Meanwhile, Doc Venture decides to hit the dating scene and despite his pathetic display, dates Charlese. However, Charlene is actually Dr. Girlfriend, the Monarch's partner in crime and girlfriend, who injects him with a mutating serum to turn him into a caterpillar. But Dr. Girlfriend feels bad about it and eventually betrays the Monarch to turn him back.
Character Introductions and Notable Events:
Not a lot (though I wouldn't be surprised if some of the jokes would be alluded to in a more significant way later. There is a reference to the Monarch and Rusty being alike that wasn't intended as anything but pays off later)
I guess this is the first time there was a betrayal/"real" schism in the Monarch/Girlfriend relationship.
Mid-Life Chrysalis is an episode I remember not being a big fan of. Rewatching it I like it a lot more but I still have problems. The big one is the characterization of Dr. Girlfriend which I don't think jibes with the character when we get to know her. She's still a work in progress and it's not a BIG deviation but it's one I think matters. Now I would believe she would betray the Monarch. The two are truly in love but they both have screwed each other over from time to time, usually the Monarch for selfish reasons and Girlfriend for what she feels is a greater good (good being a relative term). But I just can't buy without the audience seeing it why she would care enough to try to save Venture. She's a sensitive, emotionally in touch woman who follows her own specific "moral" code but without seeing why she would care, especially when Rusty is being portrayed as just... the worst, I can't buy it. Especially when she so often is the one in the relationship finds herself having to make the hard choices. I think it would only work if the episode let us and her actually see true vulnerability and some surprising openness from Rusty that also reflects what she loves about the Monarch.
On the other side, Brock getting his license back works both comedically and sweetly as Hank and Dean act as supportive coaches. It's adorable when they pack him a lunch and give him a cheat sheet and a lucky rabbits foot (from HELPeR). That section is a lot more fun and, as is Rusty utterly convinced he and Brock are both clubbing together and he has a chance and Brock is miserable. Rusty trying to be sexy and proud of bedding a woman is very funny ("I'm all out of condom") and we don't get a lot of sympathetic Rusty but he's just pathetic... in a fun way. So I do think it is a solid episode but one whose ending hinges on characterization that doesn't really pan out as the character grows later on.
"So what's your name?"
"Crap! We didn't plan for this contingency!"
This is the one where: Brock's license to kill is expired, so he prepares to retake his secret agent test. This causes Brock great anxiety, unable to make love or beat up the people harassing him. Despite having issue with the written portion and not following all of the rules, the tester is overwhelmed with his ability and passes him. Meanwhile, Doc Venture decides to hit the dating scene and despite his pathetic display, dates Charlese. However, Charlene is actually Dr. Girlfriend, the Monarch's partner in crime and girlfriend, who injects him with a mutating serum to turn him into a caterpillar. But Dr. Girlfriend feels bad about it and eventually betrays the Monarch to turn him back.
Character Introductions and Notable Events:
Not a lot (though I wouldn't be surprised if some of the jokes would be alluded to in a more significant way later. There is a reference to the Monarch and Rusty being alike that wasn't intended as anything but pays off later)
I guess this is the first time there was a betrayal/"real" schism in the Monarch/Girlfriend relationship.
Mid-Life Chrysalis is an episode I remember not being a big fan of. Rewatching it I like it a lot more but I still have problems. The big one is the characterization of Dr. Girlfriend which I don't think jibes with the character when we get to know her. She's still a work in progress and it's not a BIG deviation but it's one I think matters. Now I would believe she would betray the Monarch. The two are truly in love but they both have screwed each other over from time to time, usually the Monarch for selfish reasons and Girlfriend for what she feels is a greater good (good being a relative term). But I just can't buy without the audience seeing it why she would care enough to try to save Venture. She's a sensitive, emotionally in touch woman who follows her own specific "moral" code but without seeing why she would care, especially when Rusty is being portrayed as just... the worst, I can't buy it. Especially when she so often is the one in the relationship finds herself having to make the hard choices. I think it would only work if the episode let us and her actually see true vulnerability and some surprising openness from Rusty that also reflects what she loves about the Monarch.
On the other side, Brock getting his license back works both comedically and sweetly as Hank and Dean act as supportive coaches. It's adorable when they pack him a lunch and give him a cheat sheet and a lucky rabbits foot (from HELPeR). That section is a lot more fun and, as is Rusty utterly convinced he and Brock are both clubbing together and he has a chance and Brock is miserable. Rusty trying to be sexy and proud of bedding a woman is very funny ("I'm all out of condom") and we don't get a lot of sympathetic Rusty but he's just pathetic... in a fun way. So I do think it is a solid episode but one whose ending hinges on characterization that doesn't really pan out as the character grows later on.
Are we spoiling things? Eh, just in case: I was surprised on a recent rewatch of the series how much of a runner came from this episode. It is in fits and starts here and there, but there is an arc of Rusty dimly recognizing Dr. Girlfriend in future encounters, and then realizing that she was Charlese, and then only assuming that "Charlese" existed to bed him, and not as part of one of Monarch's random plans. Straight through to the finale, Rusty seems to be genuinely convinced that Dr. Girlfriend still carries a torch for him, but, as is established in this episode, she mostly just pities him. I always thought the Dr. Girlfriend flirting from Rusty was his usual horndoginess, but on rewatch I realized Rusty frequently directly references this incident.
And speaking of Dr. Girlfriend pitying Rusty, I do feel this fits the full characterization of Dr. Girlfriend. It is not a desirable trait, but a consistent thing with Dr. Girlfriend is that she is competent, and is attracted to men that she acknowledges have... let's say... "Issues". It is very consistent that she outright gets turned on when Monarch is in full obsessive mode, but a LOT of their relationship is, basically, "Monarch needs a mommy". And you can see something very similar in her dealings with Phantom Limb: he seems to be a "more competent" villain compared to the Monarch, but he also throws it all away over a petty grudge and then starts talking to women's shoes (and, not coincidentally, needs a new "mommy" in the form of Killinger to get back on track). She's into passionate men who are intermittently helpless. Anywho, long way of saying that I feel Dr. Girlfriend sees something attractive in Rusty here, and basically saves his life because of it... even if it doesn't come from a good place. ... Then again, she is a villain, so not coming from a good place is kind of her thing...