Board 8 > The Venture Bros. is a show, and I am watching it.

(+) Yeah! (+)

KILLINGER KILLINGER KILLINGER

(attempted beetlejuice summon)
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I could use more Killinger style advice in my life, but then, who couldn't?

S6E1: Hostile Makeover

Normalcy + pun = Venture Bros, through and through.

Vjpod, n&n's, Soup Everywhere, yessir, we're not in Kansas anymore, or wherever the Venture Compound was originally located. Rusty even has a snazzy new song about him. It creates a feelgood atmosphere, but a bit overly jovial considering the circumstances that lead to this good fortune.

In no short order, superheroes appear. We've already seen a spiderfellow, so these DCesque capes aren't at all out of place. I want Rusty to develop a battlesuit and be a Lex analog, but I doubt it'll happen. Would be a fun twist if he just joined forces with the other building, possibly in character too as a way to save money.

Killinger x3 ...I see what you did there Maria, a thing that would make sense in or out of context, but now that I have heard the words spoken in scene, more sense your words do make!

Little meetup with the guild...the Council of 13 is gonna make the guild great again!

I'm almost sad to see Hatred get the boot for Brock, but he never really jived with me. I'm confidant that if fans/the creators adore him that he'll find some alternate means to play a part in future events.

Bespoke speedsuit!

Pffft...an invisible chariot driven by birds.

Brock gets himself into a bizarrely well done fight scene that even gets some robot backup, as Helper finds himself playing second fiddle to awesomeo9000 or whatever the defender servebot's name is. Poor guy, you wouldn't have had this problem if you had just stayed a Walking Eye!

Meanwhile, Hank is being hank, which, being Hank, almost got him killed.

"I don't even care about the breast thing, I wanna do you!" going full amazon with this character, it looks like. Oddly enough, I didn't even catch this until Brock called attention to it.

The last second though....priceless. Oh how easy it is to just shove a robot off a building...
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bump
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S6E2: Maybe No Go

Mouthwash and cookie dough... My gut reflexively tells me this isn't a winning combination, although setting aside knowing that the directions do not recommend swallowing mouthwash, the internet does not immediately inform me about such a lifehack as this. Either mint is cheap enough that nobody is stupid enough to try, or everyone else on the web has seen it here on Venture Bros and have likewise rejected it as insane.

......Billy Quizboy and the Pink Pilgrim! Snazzy title, and possible indication that the rest of the episode will be all about them and their sudden status as adventurers?

Cute rescheduling gag. "I will get you...at a reasonable hour" really highlights how too often events like these happen at unseemly hours that would be untenable for anyone doing normal day stuff.

Brock's quest for coffee, and now The Monarch's...seductive means of securing a ranking position in the Guild. Really, with all the mundane going on, it is practically insane that there is any insanity to begin with, and yet, I have witnessed it countless times on the show.

And as St Cloud is taking a shower, it dawns on me that he is basically a vehicle for various obscure references. This simultaneously raises and lowers my opinion of him.

Kitten! Pirate dude arc is now 10x more awesome <3

Speaking of arcs, the superhero thing is moving along, as we learn that they've got some mafia villain ties. Is the whole organization a front, or is it just a select few? Or a little of both with many in the dark?

"I could pop off your head legally" Let's just take a moment to take this quote out of the intended context and appreciate it.

Brock gets a warning of the krill guy attack...they're speeding this thread along nicely.

Billy literally sold everything for that dumb ball thing. I hope he jumps off that bridge that they will cross when they get to it. Argh.

...quite the prank that Brock and Hatred pulled off there. Somehow. Cartoons, am I right?

Post credits, St. Cloud might have accidentally benefited them. Or maybe it is just a way to chip away at Rusty's wealth.
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pmub
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you can't tell me what to bump
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S6E3: Faking Miracles

Blue Morpho...father of The Monarch? And if he and Jonas became eventual buds, then there is some hope for Rusty and The Monarch. Love and hate and coins and all that.

"I wanna stay here and play with my new cave!" Classic Monarch, all about the new toys and lack of long term planning.

A few standard tech demos later and we got ourselves a plot. Some goop was released and found its way to Dean. A little odd a choice, but maybe it'll lead to some ol' fashioned Venture style mayhem.

On the other side of the plot, we've got Dr. Ms. The Monarch attending Kingfin's daughter's birthday party. I haven't been given a reason to care about Wale or his daughter, so I shall continue not doing so. The daughter's voice is like nails on a chalkboard, I hope something bad happens to her.

At the very least though, their existence is permitting a fun little blending of the two sides of the story.

Brock knows spin because he works for the government, har har. I can't blame the show though, this joke is probably as old as government. At least here it is just an offhand comment by Brock that also doubles as something like life advice.

Nanites...I now fear for the safety of this world. Literally a grey goo scenario being treated with the seriousness of a scooby-doo mystery.

The 'it is a game, but actually happening irl' is also a pretty worn out gag, but still executed well here. Dean speaking in the just mentioned Babylonian is a masterful touch.

Aaand here we get the misunderstanding cliche. I hate this thing with a passion. The Monarch could just open with 'Honey, I was tranq'd when selecting a suit, I'm sorry I didn't make it!" and he would have the injury to prove it. But nope, we've got a damaged marriage and a win for the Copycat.

Superscience car gag falls flat too...it would not be there for Hank to conveniently get in, it would be somewhere crashed on the ground floor where it was left, unless Hank had a way to call it, but even then there would still be many other issues in the way like gravity and stuff.

Post credits, sneaky Rusty makes Dean think the nanites are being pissed away and not in his brain doing who-knows-what to him. This probably crosses more than a few ethical lines, but maybe there will be a superscience nanite solution for that too. Everything is possible with superscience. Except making Hank look cool.
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Did you catch this special someone at Wide Wale's party?


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I did not. Good heavens, that is quite the thing they snuck in there.
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I can't believe this season only aired last year. It seems like at least two.
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trump bump
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Mmph...super not feeling the best atm. Not a sickness or anything, at least I hope not, just a byproduct of my body adjusting to some diet/exercise changes I've made recently. Just feeling a bit weary and worn out. But the show must go on, and I am well due for another Venture escapade.

S6E4: Rapacity in Blue

As this holographic alarm goes off, it strikes me once again that the scenery is flippin amazing. It can be said enough, but I still find it crazy how much more detailed and nuanced all the animation has become since the beginning.

21 is wearing a shirt with a die on it. I wish I had a shirt with a die on it. They can't be that expensive. This scene reminds me that we never did settle all the implications of having a dad cave to explore.

"I shower in this cowl. I laugh at regular jokes like this Dahahahahaha!" The Monarch as a good guy would be amazing though, especially if Rusty also fell a few inches further down the morality hole at the same time.

Really, the oddest thing here is just how little effect the events of last episode seemed to have on the stability of The Monarch's marriage.

Mind control gas....any other series, I'd probably just say something like 'this will surely end well...', but honestly, I think this might be a step up for Venture Bros. They've done so much worse that I think it is probably more likely that this will end up being used hilariously rather than nefariously. The alternative is a washing machine and endless liver.

...21's going full on Yoda here. I'm with The Monarch on this one, this better be good.

...I'm not sure what I was expecting, but that was certainly not it. I mean, there's their dads hanging out, and then there's their dads hanging out...in an foursome.

Gawd, such a silly visual gag with the mice and the suddenly religious imagery, but I was taking a bite of food and that almost caused me to choke on it.

"I'm not Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World, I don't really care about this. Do what you want." So blunt, so amazing.

Blue Morpho and Kano! Yessss, now THIS is an introduction, XD

Such a vintage car, everything about this new dynamic duo is the best.

...and Rusty is on board subjecting Haranguetan to not properly tested mind control gas. This escalated quickly. I am now reminded of the gargantua-2 shield slave labor incident. Turns out all you need to make a supervillain is a deadline.

Things go awry, and crazy stuff happens.

"and your secret is safe with me...Blue Morpho" I like this, if only because now that The Monarch's dialed down his beard, he really could pass for Rusty if you squint just right (and are under the effects of mind altering gas).

Post credit...another wedge in the marriage, but also the preservation of The Blue Morpho's most sacred of secrets (and one of the rare instances of 'Honey, I can explain' being well used).
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S6E5: Tanks for Nuthin

"I married The Monarch, I don't even know who this person is!" this is every downward spiraling marriage ever, but the supervillain aspects really do give this otherwise worn out conversation a new coat of paint. There are so many things I could analyze if I chose here. Will this mounting pressure fuel more Blue Morpho antics, or will it cause The Monarch to reject his newfound joy to cling to scraps of his old life? "TO THE MORPHO CAVE!", hopefully, suggests the former.

It is also interesting to see that these organizations are so outside the normal channels of law that Dr. Ms. The Monarch is performing several functions that would normally be police duty. Who can she even appeal to after Brock denies her tape access? Given her vocation, the solution would probably be to just steal them.

Telephone in a statue....I miss the Adam West era Batman. This The Monarch arc is such a love letter to it.

"There can only be one explanation!" "Ghost ninja!" "Time tunnel!" Followed soon by hallucination and lying. This is definitely a universe where there can always be another explanation, even if Dr. Z has the right idea.

As the death of Haranguetan continues to have impact with Professor Giant Head now able to arch (as well as a search for some tank), it hits me that this season has had a lot more continuity between episodes than in prior seasons. As someone who is pro continuity, I hope this trend continues.

...his villain name is Think Tank. Argh, my head. Argh. He could easily have destroyed Rusty too, but nope, tank's got a chess set tucked away in it. Gotta have a battle of wits. Gotta buy time for Brock. Or don't buy time, because Brock'll get there at the speed of plot anyway.

Such a cheap gag with these guild doofuses and their customer service, but the episode DID set this up in advance, and it is fantastically paired against a background fight, I can't give this anything less than full marks.

And once again, there's beard confusion, and that will never stop being great.

Speaking of great, flying car! Super convenient, but it has all the right narrative flow that I gotta let it slide.

Plus, it looks to be setting up events for the next episode. Can't wait for the inevitable reveal of The Blue Morpho to Dr. Ms. The Monarch.

...that lobby hole is quite the murder pit.
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blue morpho is awesome
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I am supremely enjoying The Monarch as Blue Morpho. Best thing to happen to his character in a long time.
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Liked the plotline so much I literally bought a Blue Morpho shirt when it was their weekly T-Shirt.
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Got caught up in stuffs, really glad to see this got saved. Just got a few episodes to go too...I am hype for whatever wacky resolution ends up happening Venture style, but first I must sleep.
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S6E6: It Happening One Night

A careless click deleted my first few observations, but I loved the superfriends spoof and Dr. Ms. The Monarch's different obsession than her husband's over Rusty. Hank thinks belts are a valid fashion choice too.

"TO THE MORPHO SCOOTERS!" He could have Dr. Ms. The Farmgirl, but tranq'd her ass for this. Also, this is perhaps the singular occasion when the Morpho Scooters could ever have hoped to be useful.

A ninja theme'd restaurant happens, and Dr. Venture is subjected to some very awkward arching.

"I'm...so confused" Is this him being arched, or an experimental party? Who can say?

Hank sure does believe in a lot of things...

And those darn floating metallic balloons in every other scene is messing with my head. Did the artist behind them amaze everyone with them and so it was decided that they should be everywhere this episode?

"Dude"
"Dude!"
"Dude!"
"Duuuuuuuuude!"

"Good evening citizen." *click* KABOOM!

Simply amazing end to the episode. Maybe would have been better to just end it at the explosion, but man, that was some fine concurrence of events.

Also, I guess that means all of Venture's stuff was blown up too. Amazing how even as Blue Morpho accidentally helps out, he successfully arches in a way, causing as much problems as he solves.
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It Happening One Night is one of my favorite episodes

there's actually a ton of stuff all densely packed in there which is probably impossible to catch without sitting down and analyzing the whole thing scene by scene, and that's not even the reason why I like it so much. it's just entertaining and weird in all the best ways.
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Yeah, after getting half my stuff erased, I was more chill with the episode, and it rewarded me by being stuffed full of events, none of it a bore. The fight scene with Brock and Other Dude. The date help by Dean and friends. Blue Morpho plans, Hank love interest plans, Doom factory plans, all these plans in motion and all of them mixing together in a way that felt natural and right on so many levels. Definitely a highlight of the season and series as a whole.

It manages to be pretty self contained too. The new villains are written out almost as quickly as they were written in, and very little hinges on extreme continuity, but the nods are there for those who have closely followed everything. It is a fairly basic story all things considered, but it works on quite a few other levels too, making for an exceptional watch.
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S6E7: A Party for Tarzan

Sounds like a simple enough title, but considering this is the second to last episode in the season, likely deceptively so.

We're off to a solid start with 21 backstory and a brilliantly dumb plan to get a name made illegal. And oh yeah, something about Rusty getting sniped.

'My leader went to Calamity Conference, and only got his best henchman this lousy t-shirt' A bit verbose, but I like it.

So many narrated flashbacks, but filled with so much goodness. If this is this episode's gimmick then I am on board with it. Dr. Z's encounter with BM, and now Rusty talking about last week escapades condensing a season's worth of celebrity cameo in just a few moments.

The second 21 mentioned the little italian shop, several pieces clicked into place for me, and then I had to watch as the inevitable happened with Rusty. Still a great example of events driving the plot, even if it is really plot driving events under the hood.

One Chrisless party later, and the Lunar Eclipse is finally starting to happen. The drinks have been made, and the ruddy bottom has been spilled on Rusty's conveniently fitting Morpho suit, so the stage is set for the opening shot.

Naturally, thanks to cartoon logic of 'bulletproof = anything is stopped', Rusty is back on his feet in about 5 seconds. It was cute how they pulled out all the stops with the snazzy 'bullet slowdown flight with narration' bit.

Everything seems to work out in the end, and there's still one more episode to go. I imagine it is gonna be nothing but the other shoe dropping hard.
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After Bot Seeks Bot, I don't see how anybody can take the "OMG Rusty's dead!" thing seriously anymore

And really, after S2E1, I don't see how anybody can take any character death in this series without a grain of salt. Nobody dies for good on this show.

Except 24

and probably the Moppets. nobody liked them
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also to pre-empt any disappointment this is the weakest finale in the entire series. if you're expecting anything to get resolved... don't.

think of it more like the end point between 4A and 4B

even though there's not going to be a 5B

they really made it like season 5 was just half a season, and season 6 is going to be a continuation of the same plots
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noooo put that shit in spoiler tags

he needs to be as horribly disappointed as the rest of us
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fine, if you insist

took me a while to see your post though cause I was writing, so he might have already seen it anyway

whoops
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I don't think one episode out of dozens is gonna incite disappointment, not unless it just completely tarnishes everything great about the show.

S6ETheLastOneForNow: Red Means Stop

Ok, definitely not the usual opening scene, but even in this horror scenario there are still Venture Bros stylings. One of the captives is freaking out about the situation. The other...wants pants.

Bad news: failing marriage, hentai
Good news: council's not in a position to stop Blue Morpho antics

Red Death is the next target...and while the council might not be in action on the surface, that isn't stopping secret dealings from happening!

Red Death is also a surprisingly likable chum, considering how he looks. Does that make me racist? Do red skull people qualify as a race? Still, such instant affableness towards The Monarch is gonna make eliminating him quite the challenge.

While it is nice to see another joint venture with guild and OSI, highlighting how very similar the two organizations are, that doesn't stop them from acting like children towards each other, all but tearing their clandestine alliance apart.

Meanwhile, Red Death is pulling out all the stops to pretend like this is a show where something legit will happen.

At dinner, Rusty's got quite the grenade horror story, the ease with which his company laughs tells the viewer everything they need to know about this universe.

The guild/OSI dressed up like Venture people is a hoot. They even do the 'go team venture' sign.

It later turns into an actual party, the legit sort, not the 'im arching you, or am i' sort.

Red Death apparently sees through all, as his departure and locating of the Morpho cave and recognition of The Monarch suggests. In one episode he's basically topped out the competency scale. All while having a pretty normal family side too.

...oh, well, that explains the kidnapped supervillains. Perhaps the mother of all 'i should have suspected this in hindsight' moments. There were probably all sorts of tells throughout the season too. 21 accidentally being the most gruesome of the lot, who knew?

Classic Monarch moment too..."Why didn't you tell me we had a bathroom down here?"

So yeah, I agree, it doesn't feel much like an ending, but it now means I am current with the series. All this setup though, I bet it'll be pretty rad when season 7 rolls around. There are quite a number of places they can take this.
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yeah I am super excited to see where things go from here

also glad that you're caught up as well, and that you seem to have enjoyed the ride
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It was a fun ride indeed. It was great watching the story shift in various ways, from a simple Johnny Quest spoof, to something grander in scope that also kinda became its own thing.

I can't say I enjoyed every element of the show, but even were I to take away all that I don't like, there's still quite a lot left that I do.

Like, take the issue of permanence. They could very easily revert everything to how it once was handwaving anything with magic or super science. But here, even in this most recent episode, Brock still has a metal plate over his chest. That's just part of his reality now. There are some exceptions like how Helper was able to be reverted back from being a Walking Eye, but he is himself a creation of super science, and also a robot, so that level of modification is to be expected. Ultimately, it could be said that this is a show about life, and how there are consequences for actions taken, and sometimes you just have to live with the hand that is dealt, while other times you basically win the lottery and get to live in a penthouse on top of a building you now own.

All in all, I am quite glad I decided to give the show a chance, and will eagerly await the continuation of it whenever that will be. Next year? The year after?
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