Friday, June 7, 2013
For those of you who have been living under a rock for the last ten years, Venture Bros is the pinnacle of American animated television. It tells the story of the Venture family: Rusty, Hank and Dean, and all of the people that they encounter in their lives. Some of these people include Brock, The Monarch, Henchman 21, and many, many others. People who follow the show know that it is like no other show on the air: it doesn’t have a season every year. Hell, it doesn’t even have a season every other year. The fifth season just started and the show premiered in 2003. Do the math. Four seasons in ten years. How many shows could boast that inconsistent schedule and still have a ridiculous fan base? None. And you know why? Because Venture Bros. is like nothing else on television.
For the few of you who haven’t been watching Venture Bros., let me give you a bit of a synopsis of the show. The show follows the adventures of the Venture family; the mildly incompetent teens, Hank and Dean; their super-scientist father, Rusty; their bodyguard, former secret agent Brock Samson; and Dr. Venture’s self-proclaimed arch-nemesis, The Monarch (and Dr. Girlfriend.) Going any more into the plot would require detailing specific episodes. This is the, kind of vague, but pretty accurate description of the overarching plot of the show, but there is much more to the series than just this.
This show is something uncommon among television these days. Not only is it a completely original property, it is also a homage to just about everything anyone has ever seen. Seriously, if you watch every episode, you are bound to find one that you really identify with. Whether it be the Johnny Quest references, the not-so-veiled David Bowie tie, or the straight-up Scooby Doo spoof, there is something in this show to love for everyone. 
I think that is what really distinguishes this show from any other long-running animated serial. This show is always changing. Watching the first season of the show feels like a completely different beast than watching the (currently airing) fifth season. But at the same time, they still feel connected in some way. The new episode, that aired this past Sunday, was still full of the ridiculous references (several Game of Thrones and Rocky references, to be exact), but had a new ridiculous adventure plotline to follow.
If you are looking for something to compare it to, I would say that it reminds me a lot of NBC’s Community. I think that it cleverly balances plot with pop culture references, and sometimes even ties the two together. But the best thing about Venture Bros. is that it is animated, so it can take the comedy/references from Community and match it with an over-the-top plot with giant flying cocoons, bizarro Fantastic Four, and much, much more.
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If you haven’t given Venture Bros. a chance yet, then you really need to do yourself a favor and sit down with the first season and see what you think. If you have given it a chance and didn’t think it was your cup of tea...I say give it another go. Push your way through until you find that one episode that really speaks to you, because, if you are a pop culture junkie like me, you will definitely be able to find one episode that seems made for you.
And for anyone who has stuck with the show for the last ten years, keep with it! This first episode was an absolute gem. It gave characters like Billy and Pete a much more interactive plotline that I’m actually really excited to see play out. Sgt. Hatred had some unforgettable scenes that made me laugh my ass off. And, as always, Dr. Venture was up to his usual antics, with Hank and Dean close behind. If this episode is any indication of the season to come, then we all have reason to be very excited.
