Much to the shock and sadness of its many fans, the Venture Bros has been canceled by Adult Swim. Over the past year, it has basically become my all-time favorite show, with its blend of comic book parody, adventure genre homage, and obscure references very much in my own wheelhouse. I spent the first part of the year eagerly waiting for a Season 8, in the midst of this godawful pandemic. Well, there are hopes to revive it at HBO Max, but until its confirmed, why not at least go back through the seasons and see how the series changed and evolved to become something truly special. A beloved classic now of television. So, with that, lets begin our rewatch with, of course, how it began.
I frequently rewatch Venture Bros, but I don't really rewatch Season 1. Mostly, it's just because, in comparison to later seasons, it doesn't have the right elements yet. Sure, a lot of the best episodes and characters are built on these early episodes, but they don't have that same ... zing that later seasons often have. Honestly, most of my rewatches begin after "Escape from the House of Mummies, Part II" in season 2, where the show's parody actually starts to begin more decisive and its world building clearer. However, in rewatching the first season, I find a lot more episodes hold up better than I thought. The show's thesis statement of generational toxicity and the idea of the show being "between adventures" (as expressed by the creators in the show's art book) is very present in these early episodes. The episodes focus on the characters not going on adventures with jokey villains and gags, but is more of a Woody Allen-esque look into the character's particular quirks and personalities and how between adventures, they suffer from their own neurosies and often have failure in their personal lives. If you've seen the show, you already know that, but it's very clear in these early episodes, and it helps set up how the series will progress in its later seasons. Still, honestly, the first few episodes are rough. Especially the pilot, which doesn't have the best animation and it feels very "mid-2000's Adult Swim", which means a lot of weirdness and oddity in place of actual jokes. Luckily, it starts to pick up with "Careers in Science", which sets the format for many episodes of the show, dealing with the main characters as they each deal with their own crises, and how these characters handle (or don't handle) their own problems. Even still, the show really doesn't pick up until "Eeney, Meeney, Miney... Magic!", when it really feels like the parody is spot on with the introduction of the ever loveable Dr. Orpheus, whose introduction is bombastic. The episode helps transition the show less from its original as yet another weird Adult Swim riff on an old Hanna-Barbara property into something a lot more interesting. An examination of the comic book world, through the lens of Gen-X disillusionment in the vein of Dan Clowes. That, "Tag Sale, You're It", "Past Tense", and "Ice Station Impossible" are the few episodes I do rewatch from this season. "Tag Sale, You're It" is not only the best episode of this season, but of the whole show even now, because it really shows the satire of it at its best. It shows the sheer ridiculousness of the whole "hero/villain" conflict is as portrayed in comic books and genre fiction and also really cements the idea of failure and self-propellment in this world. The Monarch has the best line when he realizes he doesn't want to wreck Dr. Venture's lab: "What can I do that life already hasn't", which sums up the theme of the show in a nutshell. "Past Tense" is second best, merely because it is very funny and it shows the writers had bigger plans. Worst episode..... None of them are bad, per se, but the first few are rough and forgettable. Maybe .... "The Incredible Mr. Brisby", because it feels superfluous in the continuity, but even that has some good moments. It's weird to say, but the pilot is likely the worst episode, just because it feels like the initial concept with nothing on it. Like I said, another Adult Swim animated show deconstructing an old Hanna-Barbara property. It feels very different from what it would become, while still retaining the same structure and some of the same themes. Anyway, rewatching it, Season 1 is actually a little better than I remember it. I might start adding these episodes to my rewatch list. Oh yeah, and the season 1 ending was really when this show sold me on itself. No spoilers, but you don't see it coming, and its resolution really helps the show develop.
Which we'll get back to next time. If you like my writing, you can support me on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/rohithc. Just a one-time donation should be sufficient. I'm trying to gradually move my writing towards getting money, and I'm hoping the Ko-Fi is a good start. Please check it out, and I'll see you next month for Season 2.
