The Venture Bros.: Maybe No Go

February 8, 2016 7:43 AM - Season 6, Episode 2

The Monarch tries to get back in the game (and so do Billy Quizboy and Pete White), Brock and Sergeant Hatred make do with what little they have, Wide Wale gets a surprise or two, and Rusty tries to deal with the realities of running a public company with the help of The Pirate and his boys.
posted by filthy light thief (18 comments total)

I love how it took one episode for Rusty fuck up the company this bad, and hiring Billy and White will only add to the mess.
posted by lmfsilva at 8:09 AM on February 8, 2016

A+ use of Trainspotting to detox Sir Reginald von Pirate Guy.

Augustus St. Cloud has always been one of my favorite side characters, his voice is just the best. Plus adding Billy and White to the mix in NYC is going to be amazing.

I was actually surprised by the fact that The Monarch's parents? father? was Batman. Looking forward to him trying to hide that from Dr. Mrs. the Monarch. Also, great use of local knowledge with "Newark is way better than Patterson"
posted by hobgadling at 8:16 AM on February 8, 2016 [3 favorites]

Also, I am so excited to wear this week's shirt
posted by hobgadling at 8:25 AM on February 8, 2016

It was fun to see FatherDagon's comment from last week so clearly addressed this week:

I couldn't remember the Captain's name - apparently he's never been given one! He's just.. The Pirate Captain. Right up there with The Waitress in ASiP for best recurring nameless characters.

Speaking of the Pirate Captain, the A.V. Club review touches on something that I missed by not seeing this show in years. The show is getting kind in its older age. Instead of the druggie Johnnie Quest being used as a joke, we get the Pirate Captain back on tranq, and the Ventures help him get clean (to help run the company, but they're still nice about it all).
posted by filthy light thief at 8:56 AM on February 8, 2016

POSSIBLE SPOILERS, but really just detective work. If you're interested in the Monarch's dad, check out this picture from one of Jonas' parties, then check out this picture comparing him to a certain character who was prominent at the end of season 5. Then compare to this image from the season 6 trailer, think about what path the Monarch started on today, and what the Monarch will probably be doing this season starts to become clear. (All credit to the VB thread on SA.)
posted by Pope Guilty at 10:57 AM on February 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

PG: That's some great detective work. I was thinking Batman, but looking at that last image from the trailer, maybe we're going in more of The Spirit direction, which is actually less surprising given the history of the references on the show.
posted by hobgadling at 11:33 AM on February 8, 2016

I have nothing to say other than I LOVE THIS SHOW SO MUCH.
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 4:10 PM on February 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

Huh, that's something right there PG. But what about this infamous photo?

Anyway, I wish each of these episodes was two hours long they're so good.

And St Cloud's gratuitously over-the-top 80's references are... gratuitously over-the-top.
posted by GuyZero at 10:09 PM on February 8, 2016 [1 favorite]

This has been the best season in a while, and I'm trying to figure out precisely what it is that I'm finding so refreshing about it. I'm tempted to say that it's because they've added a bunch of fun new characters without overusing them, but on reflection I think that it's more likely that it's because of the minimal screen time thus far allotted to Sargeant Hatred and the total absence of Dermott.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 9:54 AM on February 9, 2016 [1 favorite]

Sgt Hatred has been awesome this season, although perhaps yes possibly because he's been getting less screen time and possibly because he's less of an idiot this season. Although I think some of the pleasure I get in seeing what he does this season is because he's been such a moron in the past. No one is missing Dermott.
posted by GuyZero at 10:07 AM on February 9, 2016

One of the things that I think is weakest about this show is that when they can't think of something funny or interesting to do with a character, the go straight back to the "lol pederast" well. Sergeant Hatred is probably the most prominent version of this, but they also did it with Colonel Gentleman and Captain Sunshine. They've used it so often that it feels lazy to me, so now whenever they hint it about a character, I just assume that they've run out of ideas.

So you can imagine my thoughts about Hatred being added as a regular cast member.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 10:24 AM on February 9, 2016

Yeah, that and the boob jokes about Hatred are pretty lazy but I feel like there's a lot else going on in his character arc. He has this desperate desire to be loved and to belong and he hasn't always been particularly competent so here he's finally being actually competent. He tells Brock what's going to happen and Brock treats Hatred like a peer and not just some annoying sideshow. They actually do something together in a way that has them both contribute meaningfully. (Also, how did they get the polar bear that fast?)

Also, Billy's grappling-hook hand not having a winch in it was great.
posted by GuyZero at 11:46 AM on February 9, 2016 [2 favorites]

I was really unhappy that billy and pete sold their company. Well, i was unhappy with the whole premise. This show is about failure and their failure at being heroes was monumental. It was difficult to watch. And then it ended up all working out in the end... I don't know, it just didn't feel right.

Why was the ball so important? Why did they sell their company for it? I think, if they admitted the ball was just a ball, then they would have been fighting for nothing that whole time. I always thought of billy and pete as smart enough to know when to fold, to say 'well that was terrible, let's try again tomorrow.'
posted by rebent at 8:39 AM on February 11, 2016

a) there needs to be a reason to get them to NYC
b) this season seems to be setting up some story arcs with long payoffs and perhaps we'll see the ball again

or perhaps they just wanted a nonsensical interlude with Billy & Pete White.
posted by GuyZero at 10:02 AM on February 11, 2016

Why was the ball so important?

Have you never seen Duran Duran?
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:25 AM on February 11, 2016 [3 favorites]

And then it ended up all working out in the end...

I don't know, failure tends to be even more painful and profound if its preceded by success. Like I said last week, I can't imagine Rusty managing to hang on to what he has now past the season finale this year, which will bring Billy and White crawling back to St Cloud. Actually, that will make a great scene.
posted by hobgadling at 10:52 AM on February 11, 2016

I always thought of billy and pete as smart enough to know when to fold, to say 'well that was terrible, let's try again tomorrow.'

Dunno, their "origin story" episode hints otherwise.
posted by lmfsilva at 1:47 PM on February 11, 2016

Was I hallucinating, or did St. Cloud say "If You Leave" was a Spandau Ballet song? Come on! Everyone who googled it a month and a half later knows that song's by OMD.
posted by Sys Rq at 1:18 AM on March 31, 2016