The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

Well too bad, because we’re getting another one.  Feast your eyes on the trailer for Will Forte’s MacGruber, due out in April:

I’m a fan of the recurring “MacGruber” sketches on SNL, but those are 3-minute bites.  I don’t have high hopes for a full-length movie, although it has some things going in its favor.  Forte is one of the funnier current SNL cast members, as is co-star Kristen Wiig.  And hey, good to see Val Kilmer’s still getting work!  Even if he does look more bloated than the national debt.

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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It’s been almost 10 years since the final episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 aired, but I’m happy to report that the legacy lives on.  Not just through a dedicated community of fans trading episodes, but through the creative forces behind the series.  There are actually two post-MST3K projects kicking around these days – Cinematic Titanic features MST3K originals Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu (Crow #1 & Dr. Clayton Forrester), J. Elvis Weinstein (Tom Servo #1), and Frank Conniff (TV’s Frank), as well as later addition Mary Jo Pehl (Pearl Forrester).  I’ve never seen any of their stuff to be honest, but then again I was never a huge Joel fan.

I have seen a fair number of works by RiffTrax, headed by former MST3K host and head writer Michael J. Nelson, as well as Kevin Murphy (Tom Servo #2 & Observer) and Bill Corbett (Crow #2 & Professor Bobo).   It’s pretty much a continuation of latter-day MST3K in terms of humor, just without the iconic silhouettes and skits.

RiffTrax also differs from both MST3K and Cinematic Titanic in that it is available as audio-only tracks, which means they don’t have to pay any licensing fees for the movies they make fun of.  This gives them the freedom to stray from the usual B-movie fare riff on more mainstream films like the Lord of the Rings trilogy or, more recently, Twilight.  But during last night’s special live performance of RiffTrax, the gang went back to their roots and brought forth a colorized version of the godfather of all awful movies – Ed Wood’s immortal Plan 9 from Outer Space.
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