Venture Brothers

[Buuhan1]

Is it the lack of Brock? Because I'm enjoying this season but it's just not the same without him.

Actually, I had more or less forgotten about him. It just doesn't feel... Venturey. Maybe it's a combination of things, no Brock, the change in animation, but it just doesn't seem to have the charm the previous seasons had.

[Silence]

I dunno man, I think this new Season is quality. It's also nice seeing the characters evolve and change. Seeing Hank and Dean actually having to grow up some now that their clones are all dead is interesting - in particular, seeing how they handled being kidnapped by Henchman 21, was interesting.

And you can't tell me that Captain Sunshine episode wasn't comedic GOLD.

[RobbyBevard]

I And you can't tell me that Captain Sunshine episode wasn't comedic GOLD.

He wasn't. Strip away that he was voiced by Kevin Conroy, and its just a bunch of pedophile jokes.

Doesn't matter if apparently the character wasn't at all... it was still nothing but a bunch of pedophile jokes.

Actually, I had more or less forgotten about him. It just doesn't feel... Venturey. Maybe it's a combination of things, no Brock, the change in animation, but it just doesn't seem to have the charm the previous seasons had.

I said this over in the South Park thread and I'll go ahead and toss it in here too.

With any series that has had a lengthy run, that then takes hiatuses, followed by just a handful of new episodes, an unreasonable ammount of expectation builds up for a thing.

Don't watch the show for three years. then catch one of the current episodes in reruns amidst a batch of old ones.

You'll find its on par quality wise most of the time. Its just at this point, expectations are raised so high after X years, you expect more out of a new episode. But if you saw an episode you "missed" from a few seasons back, you'd like it more than you do now as a new episode, because you associate it with being in its "prime", and the same weight and expectation of a "new" episode isn't there. When really, its about the same as it always was, its just we've seen so much of it at this point.

The same applies to South Park, Simpsons, Futurama, Family Guy, Kim Possible, or Avatar the Last Airbender, or a chapter of HxH or Berserk. They were stronger when they were new, because they were NEW and you didn't know all the character quirks and nuances of the comedy style yet, and the writers hadn't run through their kind of jokes 12 times already, or the story was still moving in a certain direction.

There is naturally, some natural set in of "been there, done that, seen it already", but thats going to happen when you get a lot of any one creator's material over and over, you start to recognize their voice and their style and what they do, and it stops being as fresh, while at the same time, you start remembering the earlier material with fonder and fonder memories. Especially when there's extended year long hiatuses.

There's also some degree of decay, and some dependance on old plot threads or recurring gags, and yes, and natural evolution of style that may take it away from your preference. The Futurama movies were hit and miss, but they perfectly retained the style of the tv show, people had just idealized the show a little more in the 5 years away.

Yes, Simpsons WAS at its best in seasons 2-5 and there was some degradition from there when they consciously switched away from character development towards more straight up comedy, but season 6 isn't all that different from season 10, which wasn't all that different from 15, which is pretty consistent with season 20. Its just you've seen so much of it, that it feel old and worn out. But if your first exposure ever to the franchise was to the new stuff, and then you went back and saw the old, you'd wonder why the pacing was less sharp, the characters less realized.

(the first few episodes of Kim Possible are especially hard to watch compared to later material.)

This season of Ventures has been off in a couple places, but I think its as solid as ever. Once its had time to sit, stew, and pay off at the end of the season, it'll all work better, I think.

[Buuhan1]

The first few episodes of Kim Possible really are hard to watch after later ones.

[Wagomu]

I don't think it's the quality that's changed, but the shows dynamic has been altered a lot lately.

-Hank and Dean have finally grown somewhat
-Brock isn't the bodyguard anymore (which does make a huge difference, since his was the voice of reason)
-The Monarch is now a much more competent villain and his team has changed up (Pupa Twins and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, who were there since last season, and new 21/no 24)
-OSI/TGoCI/SPHINX have taken much more important positions in the show's universe
-Due to the evolution of the series, the characters and world have been developed and have become much more complex (this is kind of a cop out to say, but it's true)

There's no doubt that it's become a much different show from what it was in the first season. I haven't seen much of a decline in quality, myself, but I can understand how the new dynamic might turn away some old viewers or attract new ones.

[Sano]

I haven't noticed any type of drop of quality. It seems like same Ole good Venture Bros to me.

[Mr. Lucci]

Could someone remind me where SPHINX appeared before this season?

I'm almost certain they did appear earlier, but I've forgotten where.

[Sano]

Season 3. During the episode, "The Invisible hand of Fate".

[Mr. Lucci]

Oh, right. I remember now. They were mentioned as an organization the OSI took out or something.

[Wagomu]

They were Cobra to OSI's GI Joe.

[Syan Strife]

That episode was actually really good, felt more on par with previous seasons than most of the others.

Freaking 24 is now on par with Hatred in a fight, that's crazy, but I do like all the development for Monarch's crew. Monarch has stepped up big time.

I'm disappointed with Hatred though. It's not like I never liked him, as he was great in season 3, he's just weak and easy now. I was just thinking about the episode where he's in the hot tub with Monarch and comes off totally manipulative and maniacal. When he was shown as the new bodyguard, I was expecting him to be just slightly weaker than Brock but more ruthless and underhanded due to his background as a villain in the GoCI with an occasional boy-love joke, not a continually sobbing pedophile gag.

[MoonNeko]

I myself am LOVING this new season, it was WELL worth the wait. I love the most recent episode, it showed just how ruthless and serious the Monarch really is!! GOD it was great XDDD Showing Johnny and the 'Hardy Boys', the 'Astro boy' robot, OH MY GOD.. just.. GOLDEN!!!!!! I just ADORED IT xD I feel sooo bad for Captain Hatred, that poor poor guy!!! XD I'm not sick of the Pedophile jokes, they just add to his retardedness, and add to him as a character. Sure he used to be more ruthless, but everyone changes. I'm glad the Venture Bros are more mature, I love how defiant Hank is, and poor Dean xD He still acts pretty much the same, I just LOVE IT!

[Ubiq]

I'd say that the last episode was par for the season: a mixed bag. The stuff with Rusty was great, but the whole pedophile thing continues to grate.

[Wagomu]

I loved the teardrop tattoo around Action Johnny's left eye.

And, of course, Beep Boop.

[KaizokuFan22]

Seems AS is back to Episode 1 for now
Oh wow.. Orpheus Powers Just melted the soldiers face O.o
Glad to see #21 back in the series
I dont get the codenames(Angel, Submariner) or the 22/53K

[Nobodyman]

Yeah, it's kinda lame that they didn't show a new episode this week when they've only got two more episodes until the huge break. Oh well.

[Dark Lord Zenigame]

Way to troll their viewers... my Sunday was seriously ruined. :/

[Ubiq]

I dont get the codenames(Angel, Submariner)

The Sub-Mariner, Human Torch, and what-not are all references to Marvel Comics #1 as those were the stars of that issue. A lot of people probably don't realize that Namor is seventy years old.

[Dragon Warrior Steve]

Forgot to mention how last weeks episode made me love Action Johnny now.

[Buuhan1]

Oh come on guys, have a sense of humor. They did it to all their shows that night in reference to Thanksgiving leftovers. We'll get a new episode next week.