Unsurprisingly, the God Gas gets out of control and causes a lot of people to hallucinate (Harangutan included, who is always a welcome presence) and lose control. “Rapacity in Blue” sees the team concoct the absurdly dangerous, “God Gas,” which is ostensibly a mind control hallucinogenic toxin.įurther reading: Rick and Morty Season 4: Everything You Need to Know Venture, Billy, and Pete find themselves in an increasing amount of Three Stooges-esque scenarios and the trio definite work best when they’re in over their heads with some super sciene. Rapacity in BlueĪs The Venture Bros. goes on, Dr. It’s a strong example of the show beginning to tell stories that are larger in scope and figuring out how enriching it can be for the show’s universe.
It’s a triumph that this episode doesn’t just collapse under its own weight. The episode provides explanations for Billy’s cybernetic eye and arm, but also explains that he was a vital component in the disaster that turns Fantomos into Phantom Limb and gets Brock stationed to be Rusty’s bodyguard. “The Invisible Hand of Fate” is a truly fitting name for this installment because Billy’s past ties together with many other characters in a surprising way. “The Invisible Hand of Fate” does exactly this with Billy Quizboy, and by extension Pete White, but it also provides a fascinating look into what at this point has only been a strange supporting character.įurther reading: Tropical Cop Tales: The Perfect Recipe for An Adult Swim Nightmare The Venture Bros.’ Season 3 develops an interesting trend where many characters receive flashback episodes that help color in their past. The way in which the Monarch breaks Captain Sunshine’s mind during the final act and uses his pedophilia against him is one of the darker endings of an episode, but it’s one that takes a risk. This is a genuinely upsetting installment and the fact that Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman from Batman: The Animated Series, voices Captain Sunshine and is willing to portray such an evil version of his iconic character is impressive. “Handsome Ransom” really doesn’t hold back on the dirty secrets that Captain Sunshine hides behind closed doors and the fact that everyone whispers and knows about his indiscretions is even more disturbing.įurther reading: Ernie Hudson on Playing Hot Streets’ New Boss Due to some unexpected circumstances, Hank finds himself in Captain Sunshine’s orbit and becomes the man’s new Wonder Boy. Venture Bros.’ Batman surrogate in this case is Captain Sunshine, who’s run through a slew of Wonder Boy sidekicks through the years. “Handsome Ransom” isn’t everyone’s favorite episode, but it deserves credit for being a 22-minute dissection of Batman’s unhealthy relationship with Robin. It’s a brilliant way to blend heady themes with ridiculous storytelling and the results are surprisingly deep. It’s a great demonstration of how crazy the show can get with its episodic stories, but additionally, this is really an episode that’s all about science versus magic. You’re desperate for exposition and answers and the episode gleefully withholds them.įurther reading: The Venture Bros. There is no “Escape to the House of Mummies, Part I” and the episode takes advantage of that by throwing the audience right into the tail-end of an insane time travelling escapade that involves the likes of Sigmund Freud, Edgar Allen Poe, and Caligula. “Escape to the House of Mummies, Part II” is a great example of how sharp and inventive the show was, even in its earliest seasons. On top of this, there are also some very clever teleportation gags in the final act of the episode that would make Chell proud (that’s a Portal reference). This all becomes even better after the episode’s big twist at the end reveals that Rusty’s entire storyline has been a manipulative simulation. Further reading: Unicorn in Captivity Review