[Big Mac]

I don't know if one can say The Monarch has eased up - he's still pursuing Dr. Venture pretty vigorously. I'm really liking 21's new dynamic, including the fact that he can work with the boys while still carrying out The Monarch's overriding goals. We haven't seen enough Orpheus, and what's happening with Triana? Of course, it goes without saying we need Brock back ASAP.

[The Final Dakar]

Yeah, Triana is a definite question mark. But with regards to the The Monarch, last season, could you have envisioned him snatching Doc V ad then letting him go for a doctor's appointment? That's what I mean. I guess the best way to sum it up is: He's playing by the Guild rules.

[Eriamjh]

This was the best episode this season! The dialog was great. The story was solid!

[JoshuaZ]

Well I guess we now know the answer to the age old question "Which person in the Scooby Doo gang has herpes?".

I can sleep soundly now that I know.

[ort888]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Yeah, Triana is a definite question mark. But with regards to the The Monarch, last season, could you have envisioned him snatching Doc V ad then letting him go for a doctor's appointment? That's what I mean. I guess the best way to sum it up is: He's playing by the Guild rules.

The whole technicality within the guild rules thing is a bit overplayed at this point, but they paid off the gag at the end by having the Monarch be responsible for the shrink's death.

I do think this is the best episode of the season by far. It felt very old school in what has been a kind of weird season so far.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by JoshuaZ 

Well I guess we now know the answer to the age old question "Which person in the Scooby Doo gang has herpes?".

I can sleep soundly now that I know.

Hmmm? Unless you're talking about Johnny Quest, I missed the Scooby-Doo reference.

[ort888]

It was a conversation they were having in the car when they pulled up to the strip club.

Action Johnny was talking about easy Velma was and that he had the Herpes to prove it.

[The Final Dakar]

Thanks, totally missed Velma. Loved the lines though.

[Laminar]

...but the valley below is quite barren.

[Laminar]

Also, pedophilia.

[The Final Dakar]

I'd like Hatred more if they didn't feel that was his most compelling aspect.

[KeyLimePi]

Yea, he and his 'condition' are a guilty-chuckle at best. Building a whole episode around it is too much for me (haw haw, that 280lbs man likes to rape & torture little boys...haw haw. WTF?) Good dialog. Good casting, but I'm not crazy about the Monarch's yo-yo attitude toward Guild rules. It was funny way back when Dean got testicular torsion, but I liked him better when he was more compulsive about Venture. When the whole 'arching' thing seems like just a job to all the characters then it loses something for me.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

Moving along, I really enjoyed it. There's something very weird about Seth Green playing Hodgman's older brother.

Weird in a good or bad way? I'm not sure that I like him in that part.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Weird in a good or bad way? I'm not sure that I like him in that part.

It was Hodgman who seemed more out of place. He was too low-key for that group.

[The Final Dakar]

So, I loved the mid-season finale. Overall, I've been blown away by this season so far. They've done an amazing job of reinventing the show without losing too much of its original appeal. Loved the callback to "Tag-sale – You're it!" in the build-up to the fight with Brock and 21.

Cigar?

[ort888]

Yeah, finished very strong.

It's also frustrating, because right as it was getting really interesting they stop. I guess that's the point though.

I love the ghost 24 guiding 21.

[sek929]

Or maybe he is just a figment of 21s imagination?

Anyways, awesome pseudo-finale.

Shore Leave had some excellent lines.

"If you could pull that trigger you totally wouldn't wanna"

"Don't worry, that's why we got Brock Lobster on it."

[The Final Dakar]

Without talking about BSG (because you know, I haven't finished it), there's mild shades of Gaius and Imaginary Caprica 6 in the 21 and 24 dynamic.

[sek929]

21 is the Final Cylon.

[Laminar]

Great episode. Loved it.

[Big Mac]

Yup, great episode. So is Brock back to bodyguarding the family full time now?

[The Final Dakar]

A Delicious Peek at Venture Bros Season 4.5 - venture bros - io9

Over on his blog, Publick drops a whole mess of science. Namely that the show will be back at some unspecified date in August — which he knows sucks. "Don't blame the network," Publick writes. "They couldn't get it on much sooner than that if they tried. Why? Because we suck."

He adds, "we think you're going to really dig these next eight episodes. We seem to have re-embraced the show's sci-fi/comic book/adventure roots, and as much as it was a struggle to write them, they're a whole lot of fun. Lots more development of Hank and Dean, lots of new characters, and lots of old faces returning both triumphantly and trivially."

Oh, and the season finale is gonna be an hour long: "We are currently editing the animatic for what will be a Very Special Venture Bros. Season Finale Hour-Long Extravaganza. Which is another reason why we won't be premiering until August. And why the finale probably won't air until December. But hey — that's an extra half an hour of Venture-y goodness for your patience, right? What we take away with one hand, we give back with the other..."

So, "season finale" implies another season after this? Awesome.

[sek929]

I noticed that as well, a little later than I would have hoped but at least we get new episodes before fall.

[The Final Dakar]

http://io9.com/5595647/jackson-publi...the-new-season

Has Adult Swim ever said to you, "This parody is playing it a little too close. Folks will get litigious?"

Adult Swim will sometimes say "You can't do that," but it's very rarely with characters or other pop cultural allusions. Sadly, it's stuff like, "You have to take the fake UPS logo off the fake UPS guy's hat." We did have a problem with the Batman outfit – we couldn't call him Batman when Hank was wearing it. We also have to be careful with David Bowie [the leader of the Guild of Calamitous Intent].

[The Final Dakar]

At last, a trailer for the new, blissfully insane season of Venture Bros.

I didn't watch it because, you know, spoilers, but in case anyone else is curious.

Also, I didn't realize the new season was just a month away!

[Laminar]

Also not watching.

[pooka]

Will someone watch and tell how awesome it is?

[The Final Dakar]

And use spoiler tags where appropriate.

[pooka]

Side note - I would give someone's left and right testicles for another t-shirt club. Just got the monarch shirt from adult swim shop. Ink faded after first wash. Cheap Mexican Apparel shirt too. I need 6 more Dr. Girlfriend shirts to last me through the next decade or so if anyone has extras they're hoarding. Large please.

[The Final Dakar]

I wash those things like they're the shroud of turin. It's pathetic, really.

[ort888]

I watched. It sucked.

[Eriamjh]

New Venture Brothers is better than NO Venture Brothers.

[sek929]

I watched the vid and I have a massive boner.

[Eriamjh]

My DVR has been recording the reruns and the first two seasons were the sh*t (they rocked).

[The Final Dakar]

Yeah, I just realized it premieres tonight.

Friendly reminder for the rest of the forum.

[Brien]

Based on the previews it looks like Hank is going back to his old look. :/

[sek929]

Zuh?

Looks like I'm not getting to sleep early.

[The Final Dakar]

I missed the first minute or two. Turns out Adult Swim has massively reshuffled its West Coast reairings, and VB comes back on at 4 am. Yikes.

Anyway, nothing mind-blowing to kick start the second-half of the season.

[Brien]

Nah. A few good jokes though, like the second submarine in Dr. Venture.

[The Final Dakar]

Anything that involves the past deadly misadventures of Hank & Dean kills me.

[sek929]

I loved when they were clamoring with their own skeletons during the escape.

Also the huge Dr. Venture warranted an actual belly laugh from me, that and seeing the huge Dr. Venture shaped crater in the compound too.

[Laminar]

Any way to watch the episode online yet? I don't see it up on Adult Swim's site yet.

[The Final Dakar]

Not from what I saw. Which is surprising, didn't they used to put the up Fridays before air?

[Brien]

The only part that got me to literally laugh out loud was that bit in the end involving Pete White and a bottle of lotion.

[The Final Dakar]

I enjoyed the Past Tense callback between the Monarch & White.

[KeyLimePi]

A good episode. Glad to see Brock back.

And I give it to Jackson...I think he's pretty aware about the show's tenuous success. "I say jump, and they say 'which shark.'" I thought that was pretty funny.

[ort888]

Pretty middle of the road and forgettable episode.

Not bad, nothing in it was weird or annoying... it just wasn't especially funny or interesting in the grand scheme of things.

[The Final Dakar]

I really have no understanding of the Phantom Limb storyline past the finale of season 2.

[sek929]

He seems to simply be a wrench in the works so to speak. Though I like how this season is shaping up with the 'new' guild of Limb, Impossible and Underbheit. I guess Limbs main drive is to tear down the institution that ruined him. The Orb episode with Limb was entirely confusing, and even to this day I am not sure what to make of the last 5 minutes of that episode.

Highlights of last night for me was the Vatican Karate Gorillas, and when Hunter winds up and cranks the phone against that guy.

[Laminar]

Looks like Adult Swim is running a one week delay on posting episodes online.