Here at Techland, only one television program manages to tie into so many of our geeky obsessions all at once. Superheroes, mythical creatures, action figures and barely believeable sci-fi all flop onto each other on the glorious cavalcade that is The Venture Bros. Cartoon Network’s just started airing the series from the start and Techland’s Hive Mind is taking the occasion to re-watch the exploits of Hank, Dean, Brock and Dr. Thaddeus Venture. Join us as we witness how Venture Bros. evolved over its four stellar seasons.
[Programming note: Anyone who’s been actually watching the Venture Bros. re-runs has noticed by now that they’re not showing the series in order. Rather than jump around the continuity, the Joint Venture feature’s going to keep going on in series order. This is because we love you, dear reader.]
This week, Michelle Castillo, Evan Narcisse and Graeme McMillan talk about Season 1/Episode 10: “Tag Sale – You’re It!“
GRAEME: Hey, look! It’s 21 and 24 – as 21 and 24!
EVAN: I think 21 and 24 have been presented as henchmen voices in the series but not as distinct characters. They’re still kinda blank-slate nerds here but it’s fun to see how much of their personalities were there from the beginning. I love that 21’s lightsaber wielding at the end of the ep has some slight echoes of the infamous Star Wars Kid video from the early days of YouTube.
GRAEME: This is the first time they’ve properly appeared, right? In a weird way, it makes sense, because there’s something about this episode that feels Pure Venture Bros. It’s the first time that there isn’t much plot beyond “put fantastic, ridiculous characters into mundane situation and see what happens,” but the results are spectacular: Dr. Orpheus trying desperately to find archvillains of his own, Dean trying and failing to impress Triana, the Monarch disappointing Dr. Girlfriend (who is again underscored as the capable one in the relationship) after goofing around and being in a surreally good mood. It’s a character-based episode, but this is really a character-based show for me, so I loved it.
EVAN: I loved the deadpan military seriousness of this episode’s opening, which really doesn’t pay off until you know that it’s the most mundane of suburban rituals that the G-men are guarding. Without the drive of a suspense-filled plot, the characters’ idiosyncrasies really have room to breathe. The tension in the Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend’s relationship peeks through a little bit but the fun-loving side of the butterfly bad-ass shown in this is delightful. Don’t get me wrong; he’s still an a-hole but it’s not all life and death. At least until the port-a-potty scene and all that follows.
MICHELLE: Let’s not forget the introduction of Phantom Limb. He plays such an integral part in Dr. Girlfriend’s life that we don’t yet know about – and that leads to the Dr. Girlfriend – Monarch – Phantom Limb love triangle that spans the show. But enough about future episodes. Just from “Tag Sale” we already get an inkling of the supreme evilness behind the character, and we know he’s going to become a super villain of the show.
EVAN: Phantom Limb works the pun-as-name gimmick that runs through the show just about as well as anyone on the show. What I loved about him, even this early on, was the way his demeanor harkens back to back-in-the-day mustache-twirlers. It seems that there’s a bit of Snidely Whiplash in Phantom Limb but that could just be me.
GRAEME: Weirdly enough, Brock and Rusty really don’t seem to get that much to do this week – Brock especially, for some reason, despite his leading the special forces security detail. I loved the opening, with the drill instructor’s love of putting his men in dresses, much to everyone else’s discomfort, but it seemed divorced from everything else that was going on. Although now we know that Brock would make an awesome bouncer, if his spy and/or bodyguard gigs ever fall through.
MICHELLE: We’ve already seen a lot of backstory and development about these two guys so it’s nice getting to know more about the other characters. We finally get a better view of the recurring villians in the show, although why the bad guys are super enthusiastic about this yard sale and all decided to show up confuses me.
GRAEME: Random questions for the group:
– Why would Baron Von Underbeit’s jaw set off the metal detector when the massive chains he wears didn’t?
EVAN: My guess is that his jaw is weaponized in a way that his other accouterments are not. The chains and spikes might just be for show, whereas his lower face-bone is all business.
GRAEME: Am I the only one who’d happily watch a Dr. Orpheus spin-off series? (Also, am I the only one who read a comment on Doctor Strange’s lack of success as a comic book star when Orpheus was failing to attract any nemeses?)
EVAN: Great reading, Graeme! I personally have loved certain takes on Dr. Strange–including the Roger Stern/Paul Smith run from the 80s and Brian K. Vaughn’s recent miniseries with Marcos Martin–but he’s not had much luck as a solo star. But I love Dr. Orpheus sooo much. When his theme music starts up and he goes all stentorian, I start giggling like a kindergartner.
GRAEME: Should I be disturbed that Hank seems to have a better head for business at his young age than I do in my considerably more advanced years? I didn’t even KNOW about W2s at that age! Admittedly, I was also living in a country that doesn’t have W2s, but that’s not exactly the point.
MICHELLE: Yeah, he also knows a lot about union breaks and the risks of striking employees. I’m not even as knowledgeable about that stuff I should be. He also knows more about running a business than Doctor Venture. Maybe his father should trust him a bit more about running the day-to-day finances?
Also, why is there a Rock’EM Sock’EM Robots in Doctor Venture’s laser death ray sale bin?
GRAEME: Favorite line this week? “Okay, pookums, that sound you heard was nothing. But some of the pressure has been released.”
EVAN: For me, it’s “Team Leader, would you like to see them in pretty pink dresses?”
MICHELLE: Mine is: “Well that’s why you have your little ska band there to keep the oddballs in costumes from raising kane.” Oh Rusty, you do have a way with words.
More on TIME.com:
Cord-Cut No More: Pay TV Numbers Rise For Q4 2010
Cable Companies Sued For Patent Infringement By Unknown Company