Welcome to part two of three of my Venture Brothers posts leading up to the Season Four premiere episode on Sunday, October 18th. For cliff notes on what The Venture Brothers are all about head over to the Season One Post. For a recap and ratings of all episodes for Season Two…you’re in the right place.
EPISODE 2.1 POWERLESS IN THE FACE OF DEATH. In the Season One Finale, Hank and Dean Venture were killed and Season Two’s first episode begins with a surprisingly powerful opening montage cut to the Aquagen remix of Everybody’s Free by Tim Cox, Nigel Swanston, and Rozalla. In the sequence Dr. Venture gallivants around the world trying to “forget” while Brock tries to bring him home. It’s one of the best sequences of the entire series and a great start to the season. The rest of the episode primarily deals with the characters grieving and “getting it back together” while Dr. Orpheus tries to bring the boys back from the dead and The Monarch plots his prison break. The episode has one of the series’ best reveals in that Dr. Venture and Brock reveal that Hank and Dean are clones that have died thirteen times before. Episode Rating: 5.0/5.0
Favorite Line: Dr. Orpheus to Triana: “I like digging! Can’t a man leave his home with a shovel without an inquisition?!”
EPISODE 2.2 HATE FLOATS. After his two remaining henchmen recruit thugs to help The Monarch get back in action he begins “Operation Get Back Dr. Girlfriend”. The local mall serves as the perfect setting for Monarch’s attempts to win back his love from Phantom Limb, and sets up some fun and unlikely pairings such as The Monarch and Dr. Venture, Phantom Limb and Brock, and The Venture Brothers and Dr. Girlfriend. Good times! Episode Rating: 4.5/5.0
Favorite Line: Dean to his dad, Dr. Venture regarding his new jumpsuit: “I look like Santa’s magic janitor.”
EPISODE 2.3 LOVE-BEHEITS. After crashing in Underland the Ventures and Brock are taken prisoner and Dean is singled out as a new bride for Baron Underbheit, it’s up to Brock and the resistance to save him. The Episode Highlight: Dr. Venture being pissed that they have lost the group Halloween costume award yet again thanks to Hank always insisting on being Batman…while the rest of the family are Star Wars characters. Episode Rating: 4.5/5.0
Favorite Line: Dr. Venture referring to the villain The Wallflower: “Lamest. Villain. Ever.”
EPISODE 2.4 ESCAPE TO THE HOUSE OF MUMMIES (PART II). An insanely fun episode with no part one except what is told in recaps. Shrink rays, time travel, duplicate Brocks, Edgar Allen Poe, The Perfect Man, Caligula, and a gentlemen’s bet are just half of the crazy fun. Episode Rating: 4.0/5.0
Favorite Lines: Dr. Venture: “Is anyone else not impressed with the hall of sorrows?”
EPISODE 2.5 20 YEARS TO MIDNIGHT. A message from beyond the grave from Dr. Jonas Venture sends the Venture Family on a dangerous scavenger hunt that brings them in touch with an insane Jonny Quest, a deceased Col. Horace Gentleman, and the always challenging Impossible Family. Episode Rating: 4.0/5.0
Favorite Lines: J.J. Venture to Dr. Venture regarding his capture: “What do you want from me? You had super kill guy with you and you still got caught.”
EPISODE 2.6 VICTOR. ECHO. NOVEMBER. While on a double date with The Monarch and a girl he met on Livejournal, Phantom Limb tries to impress his date Dr. Girlfriend by having the Venture family killed. Dean finally gets a “date” with Triana. Episode Rating: 4.5/5.0
Favorite Lines: The Monarch to Dr. Girlfriend regarding his internet date: “Will you look at me?! I’m in a fucking evil butterfly costume, what age group do you think is going to be attracted to me!?”
The Monarch about Phantom Limb’s experiment that made him Phantom Limb: “There were TWO side effects – One! He can mess up a guy just by touching him, and TWO! He became a humorless dick.”
EPISODE 2.7 ASSASSINANNY 911. Called away on a mission to kill a rogue agent that turns out to be Brock’s former mentor, Brock calls in colleague Molotov Cocktease to watch over the Venture Family in his absence. Episode Rating: 3.5/5.0
Favorite Line: Hank Venture regarding a “tee pee” in his pants: “My pants are haunted! My pants are haunted!”
EPISODE 2.8 FALLEN ARCHES. Dr. Orpheus resurrects his old team The Order Of The Triad once he has been approved for a guild sanctioned arch-enemy. Auditions at the Venture Compound are complicated by Dr. Venture’s walking eye. One of the auditioning villains is none other than the infamous Dr. Girlfriend, now returning to her arch villain name of Madame Au Pair and her Murderous Moppets. Episode Rating: 5.0/5.0
Favorite Lines: Dr. Orpheus to teammate Jefferson Twilight: “Aquaman doesn’t have a secret identity – he’s ALWAYS Aquaman!”
The Monarch to a hooker trapped in his lair: “But which door to choose?! That one could have fun, surprises, and a year’s supply of turtle wax behind it – OR THE POLAR BEAR FROM LOST!!!”
24 to 21: “I can’t believe that whore stole my Stanza!!”
EPISODE 2.9 GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER. The Ventures and Brock encounter the ghost of Abe Lincoln and a Manchurian candidate Neil Armstrong knockoff at the White House. Hilarity ensues, ‘natch. Episode Rating: 3.5/5.0
Favorite Line: Mrs. Manstrong to Brock: “Man couldn’t find a g-spot without a senate sub-committee.”
EPISODE 2.10 I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD KILLS. While Dr. Orpheus tries to free Dr. Venture from a cursed floating demon head, the boys are kidnapped by a mysterious woman claiming to be their mother. Dr. Henry Killinger and his Magic Murder Bag join with The Monarch to rebuild his evil Monarch empire. 21 enlists the help of Dr. Girlfriend to rescue The Monarch from Killiger’s influence and as a result Killinger manages to reunite the lovebirds. Episode Rating: 4.0/5.0
Favorite Line: Henry Killinger to The Monarch: “This woman has come to rescue you.”
The Monarch: “From what?”
Henry Killinger: “From lonliness you silly billy.”
EPISODE 2.11 VIVA LOS MUERTOS! Dr. Venture successfully re-animates a random dead henchman after a raid on the Venture Compound results in a Brock killing spree. Dr. Orpheus coaches Brock through a crisis and a team of washed up investigators (the Groovy Gang!) stumble upon and investigate The Venture Compound. Episode Rating: 3.5/5.0
Favorite Line: Brock to Dr. Orpheus: “I think I might be a tapestry of quiet desperation.”
EPISODE 2.12 SHOWDOWN AT CREMATION CREEK (PART I). In order to win the hand of Dr. Girlfriend The Monarch agrees to stop arching Dr. Venture. When the Henchmen miraculously capture The Ventures and Brock, The Monarch makes the family a part of the wedding to cover it up. However, Phantom Limb is unwilling to lose his girlfriend without a fight and stages an attack during the wedding. Episode Rating: 4.5/5.0
Favorite Line: The Monarch to The Henchmen after realizing they have captured The Venture Family: “You dicks! I promised her. I made a pinky swear! A SACRED pinky swear! Dr. Fiancee is going to flip!”
EPISODE 2.13 SHOWDOWN AT CREMATION CREEK (PART II). When Phantom Limb kidnaps Dr. Girlfriend from the wedding The Ventures and The Monarch work together to rescue her. With Brock taking charge of the Henchmen they become an impressive fighting force, and they realize that their wings actually function as more than decoration. Hank, in disguise as a henchman joins Brock in battle and surprisingly doesn’t get himself killed, while Dean goes off the deep end and has a ‘Neverending Story’ style hallucination. Episode Rating: 5.0/5.0
Favorite Lines: Billy (as Giant Boy Detective) talking to Dean Venture in his hallucination: “Don’t kid yourself there, you’re…you’re a bit of a pussy.”
STAND OUT EPISODE: It’s probably a tie for the premiere episode and the finale episode. A strong start and an equally strong finish. No small feat.
WEAKEST EPISODE: Though it’s still a hilarious twenty two minutes, the weakest link for me is probably Guess Who’s Coming To State Dinner or Assassinanny 911
BEST EPISODE RATING: 5.0/5.0
WEAKEST EPISODE RATING: 3.5/5.0
OVERALL AVERAGE SEASON RATING: 4.5/5.0
Season Four of The Venture Brothers will be premiering on Sunday, October 18th @ midnight on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim.
Seasons One, Two, and Three are all available on DVD (Season Three is also available on Blu-Ray); and if you’ve somehow missed out on this show, you can catch up with clips and a few full episodes online at Adult Swim.
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Kelly is a freelance writer and artist living in New York who is relatively obsessed with comics and feminism, which generally make horrible bedfellows and explains a lot of her recurring headaches. You can read her rantings about such things at: http://1979semifinalist.wordpress.com 
