The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

There’s always some danger going into an episode like “The Better Man”, which fanboys like me knew in advance would mark the triumphant return of Dr. Orpheus and the Order of the Triad.  The Triad is sort of like the Boba Fett of the Ventureverse – they don’t get a lot of screen time but are basically awesome every second you see them, and as a result fans have grown intensely fond of them.  So the danger is that when you know they’re going to get a spotlight episode, it will be a letdown.

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I’m a week behind on recapping the latest VB installment, but since last night’s episode was a repeat of the season premiere it’s all good.  So without any further preamble, let’s get into it.

The formula for “Self-Medication” is vintage Venture - some intense action (particularly during the cold open), and some further exploration of the larger theme of failure that permeates the entire VB universe.  And by the time we’re done, some major characters find themselves at a crossroads.

First up is good ol’ Doc, who nearly meets a gruesome end at the hands of a newly emboldened and energized Monarch (how can you not love a device called a ’scarionette’??).  Rusty is literally saved by the bell, when a fortunately timed therapy appointment triggers a new Guild clause (the Mental Health Arch Exclusion) and leaves the Monarch with a case of villain blue balls.  Rusty’s issues are deep and varied, as fans know by now, but I have to say that the scene of little Rusty sharing his anxieties with Jonas Sr. was one of the more pathetic moments in series history.

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OK, so not every episode can be a stone classic.  I said last week that I like the more self-contained Venture Bros. episodes and I stick by that.  But this one felt a little disjointed until the last few minutes.  Maybe it’s Doc Hammer’s approach to the source material.  Don’t get me wrong though, there were plenty of good moments and laughs.

Maybe part of the problem is that with three separate storylines to focus on (Sgt. Hatred and Rusty trying to save the boys, the boys contending with a grief-stricken Henchman 21, and the Monarch in desperate need of some Benadryl), there was simply too much ground to cover.  I’m not sure what I would’ve cut, but I think the Hatred/Rusty bit felt the most flat.  After earning some redemption in my eyes over the course of the season, Sgt. Hatred was probably the weakest link this episode.

The cold open has 21 talking directly about 24’s death (it was a car intentional) for one of the few times this season, and it also revealed the newfound respect he’s earned from his fellow henchmen.  Hell, even the Monarch is singing his praises for increasing the efficiency of his operation (I guess he’s like a Six Sigma black belt of villainy).   But then we see that 21’s grief has morphed into something bordering on insanity, as he still carries on the same inane discussions he had with 24 – only now he’s talking to 24’s burned skull.  Yikes.

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Stupid real life is really putting a crimp in my ability to review this season of The Venture Bros.  As a result, you may have noticed that last week’s episode – “Handsome Ransom” – was skipped.  I’ll get around to it at some point, but suffice it to say that I enjoyed it quite a bit.  And now on to newer business.

I don’t know about you, but Season 4 of VB is clicking in a way that Season 3 seldom did.  Maybe it’s the more character-driven storylines, but it doesn’t feel as if Jackson and Doc are trying so hard this year.  “Perchance to Dean” is a perfect example.  It’s got the feel of an early episode, but with the comedic and storytelling sophistication of more recent efforts.  It really is a neat hybrid, just like Dean’s creepy, Phantom of the Opera-esque clone brother.

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So hey, I’m a little late on this review.  I know that seems inexcusable since it is the season premiere, but my damn DVR didn’t record this when it was supposed to.  And if it’s not on my DVR, it doesn’t exist.  But enough of that…VENTURE BROS. IS BACK!!%$#!

I think the question I asked as season 3 ended  – in what direction do Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer want to take this show? – has been answered, at least on the basis of “Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel”.  They’re going to get even deeper into the show’s characters, while at the same time strengthening their geek cred.   And we’re also going to get plenty of laughs.  So we got that going for us, which is nice.

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The trailer for the upcoming season of The Venture Bros, which was shown at the recent San Diego Comic-Con, is up on the Adult Swim website.  But I’ll save you the trouble and just post it here.

Not sure how much more of Sgt. Hatred I can take, but other than that this is pure win.  J.G. Thirwell’s music continues to be a vital part of the Venture experience, and the animation is at least as good as last season’s.  I caught a nice Raiders of the Lost Ark reference, and had to look up LARP.  Oh and I laughed a bunch of times.

Yeah, this is shaping up to be a kickass season.

Television.  Love it or hate it, it sure beats reading or taking out the garbage.  I don’t post all that frequently about TV on this site, but man do I spend a truckload of time watching it.  So here’s a breakdown of the shows I watched over this past television season, and what I thought of them.  Overall it was a pretty good year, and the spectre of the writers’ strike is already a distant memory.

American Dad! – I can only guess that more of Seth MacFarlane’s attention has been directed towards this show than Family Guy, which is the reason it has consistently been the funnier of the two.  Or maybe he isn’t overseeing it, and that’s why it’s funnier.  Either way, this season saw a drop in quality from the previous few but was still pretty good.  Any bit with a Roger/Steve pairing was usually pretty good, but there were good laughs to be had elsewhere as well (Steve and friends facing off against the cool kids at school and the inspired Roger/Hayley costume switching gag to name a few).

One of the best elements of American Dad! is its willingness to explore Roger’s various neuroses and personalities for something other than comedy.  “The One That Got Away” is a prime example – Roger tracks down an unknown crook who maxed out his credit card, and it turns out to be himself living a completely separate life.  This kind of relatively nuanced writing has been done before on AD and I hope to see more of it. Final grade: B-

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