Zip up your speedsuits and turn down your two way wrist communicators because The Venture Bros. is back in an absolutely astounding special “All This And Gargantuan 2”. If you thought the finale of season five was action packed, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Season six comes out of the gate swinging with a whopper of an episode, bringing back fan favorites and making some crazy plot twists that none of us would see coming. Plus Brock is back and he’s more like the same old Brock we all know and love… you know, cause he kills guys.
The show opens announcing Gargatuan 2 because the old one sort of malfunctioned and plummeted from the sky as a giant failure meteor. Jonah Jr. has been hard at work since the middle of season five making an even better space station than his father. It does all the things the old space station did with much more technological advancements but this time it is also a resort and casino catering to the exotic whims of the rich and famous. And since this is its grand opening, the “Who’s who” of the Venture Bros. universe are quick to RSVP. But this also means there are some unwanted guests like the Revenge Society and the Investors. So, a giant powder keg floating in the inky void of space with all kinds of machinations underfoot, what could possibly go wrong?
Let’s pause for a moment so I can dispel some misunderstanding. If you think this is a review or a critique of the masterpiece that is “All This And Gargantua 2” then you clearly missed when I just called it a masterpiece, a word associated with the Italian Renaissance and “Star Wars”—as a side note, there is definitely a super awesome light saber fight in space in the episode so also more points. This whole episode is filled with set piece after set piece of exquisite action. Whether it’s an escape from the Guild of Calamitous Intent or it’s the Monarch sneaking into the Venture Compound to steal a rocket to Gargantuan 2, there are these moments of incredible visuals that make the episode fly by at a hundred miles per hour. And yet, it takes the time every once in a while to sit down with two characters as they get embroiled in a conversation like when the Monarch and Gary play a game of twenty questions on the way to space. Everything works to humanize these characters that we’ve grown to love over the twelve years—that’s right, first episode aired in 2003. There are some incredibly touching moments as characters come close to the brink and then worse when other characters fall over the brink, leaving us for the same pastures as Henchman 24 and all the Hank and Dean clone slugs that were annihilated at the end of season three. Doc and Jackson were right when they said this episode would be a game changer because the twists in this episode make season six irrefragably different from its predecessors.
One of the things that gets me really hyped for the rest of the season is how they’ve set up the rest of the season. If you haven’t watched the episode you may want to go illiterate for a bit because I’m dropping into spoilers without a parachute. In the online epilogue for the episode, the Venture compound has burned to the ground. There’s nothing there but ashes and the giant bronze statue of Jonas. But, Rusty isn’t down and out yet. He’s inherited all of his brother’s Venture Industry holdings which include all business divisions and a shiny new headquarters in New York. That’s right, the Venture Brothers are bringing their dysfunction to the city. To me this move makes a lot of sense. Hank and Dean have continued to move away from the naïve boy detectives that they originated as. Dean in particular is interested in exploring the world outside the sphere of his father and it’s hard to do that when he’s locked on a compound fifteen miles away from everything. Even from the brief images that flickered on screen during the teaser for the upcoming season, it’s still plain to see that all the spirit of the Venture Brothers will be in this season. There’s still plenty of action, still plenty of outlandish spectacles, and still lots and lots of failure. There’s a few thing that are still left to speculation though. Like Brock. Brock’s role with the family has greatly diminished over time which is sad because he is such a pillar but this episode has hinted at him becoming much more involved. He laments his time away and is seen at the end guarding the Venture estate even in the state that it’s in. The Council of Thirteen has radically changed—for the better I think seeing as how it is headed by a fan favorite, though it is still super hilarious that The Monarch isn’t invited onto the council. But I suppose the only question we should be asking at this point, the only pertinent question on every fan’s mind is how can we keep this amazing masterpiece going for years to come? Also? Why isn’t Doc Hammer cast as Doctor Strange?
