November 12, 2009 - The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit

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 wa...

For more Thanksgiving ads, check out the Holiday Retrotisements section of the main site. In terms of marketability, Thanksgiving is important mostly because its end marks the official kickoff of the Christmas shopping season (aka Black Friday). That distinction is becoming more and more meaningless, however, as most stores now trot out their Christmas crap before Halloween. So in that sense, Thanksgiving is really more of a transitional holiday than an end in itself. That's reflected in advertising for the day, which has a bit of a haphazard feel. It stands to reason that since Thanksgiving involves gorging, Campbell's tries to get in on the action. So we have a pair of ads here. The first is straightforward enough, extolling the virtues of turkey noodle soup. And dig that mod...

Day: November 12, 2009

Venture Bros. wrapup: “Return to Malice”

Retrotisements: Thanksgiving Edition