| "All This and Gargantua-2" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Venture Bros. episode | |||
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| Episode no. |
Season 6 Special | ||
| Directed by | Jackson Publick and Juno Lee | ||
| Written by | Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick | ||
| Original air date | January 19, 2015 | ||
| Episode Chronology | |||
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| List of The Venture Bros. episodes | |||
All This and Gargantua-2 is a Venture Bros. special that takes place between seasons five and six. It aired on January 19, 2015.
Synopsis[]
The special begins with The Revenge Society, with new members Radical Left and Zero now in their ranks, planning their attack on the space station Gargantua-2. They plan to rob the station as they are in desperate need of funds. Meanwhile, the members of Team Venture (Dr. Thaddeus Venture is not invited, but Scamp, the [dead] dog is) have been invited by Jonas Venture Jr. to the grand opening of the station, which has the world's first outer space casino and hotel. Brock Samson and Amber Gold are also heading to the station in a secret mission in order to protect the station from The Investors. It is revealed that JJ made some kind of a deal with The Investors in exchange for help building the station.
The Monarch, Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, and Henchman 21 arrive at The Monarch's childhood home, (which the trio assume to have previously occupied by squatters - in fact, it was the Revenge Society). DMT Monarch is then immediately summoned by The Sovereign. However, other members of the The Council of 13 are slowly being killed off one-by-one in secret. This mass death count alerts the O.S.I. who bring up the council on screen and find that the only members left are Sovereign, Mommy Longlegs, Dr. Phineas Phage, Monseñor, DMT Monarch, Dr. Z, Dragoon and Red Mantle. (Their outdated list still includes the long-dead Clue Clown, and not Phage or DMT Monarch.) They are then told the latter three had slipped from an agent's sight the same morning. General Gathers concludes that the Sovereign has become aware the O.S.I. are closing in on them and tells his men to determine the location of the remaining members. At the Council meeting, the remaining Council members are confused to as to where the other members are just as the Sovereign arrives and shocks them by stating that he wishes to attack Gargantua-2 and kill everyone on board. It is later revealed that Sovereign is actually in league with Phantom Limb, unbeknownst to the both the council and the other members of The Revenge Society.
After feeling that he has been treated unfairly aboard the space station, Dr. Venture leaves the casino to find JJ in order to chastise him for his poor accommodations, however this is cut short when JJ reveals that he has cancer and is dying. This shocks Dr. Venture, and in a rare moment between the two, he embraces his younger brother. This moment is interrupted, when it is revealed that members of JJ's staff have found something odd floating around in space near the space station. Come to find out, this object is none other than General Treister, who has somehow survived being shot out into space but now reduced to a frozen state. They see that his vitals are not looking good and prepare to pull the plug before the heart monitor starts beating rapidly and Treister comes to, and mistakenly refers to JJ and Master Billy Quizboy as "little green men" who have fixed his prostate cancer. Brock spots The Investors and attempts to attack, but The Pirate Captain informs Brock that The Investors are invited guests, whereas Brock and Amber are not, and have the two thrown in the station's holding cells (The Investors speak for the first time ever, with thick, Hungarian accents á la Bela Lugosi.)
Meanwhile, The Monarch finds blueprints of Gargantua-2 in his home, and after realizing that it was Phantom Limb who was occupying his home and also that Limb plans to infiltrate Gargantua-2, immediately plans to head to the space station himself. He and 21 travel to The Venture Compound and steal Dr. Venture's rocket, which has an autopilot to Gargantgua 1. Monarch also leaves a trail of gasoline near the rocket's launch pad, igniting flames in the shape of the Monarch logo, which spread throughout the entire compound. Sergeant Hatred and The Order of the Triad attempt to put out the fire, but the flames get out of control and they can only watch as the Venture Compound burns to the ground. (The fire department arrives, but the trucks are destroyed by the Venture laser defenses.) Meanwhile, Sovereign attempts to murder the leftover council members, revealing it he who murdered the previous members. Sovereign gasses Monseñor in his chambers, killing him. Shortly afterward, Sovereign's slaughterbot shoots Mommy Longlegs to death. Watch and Ward, who are controlling The Sovereign's Diamond Dogs and calling themselves the "Guild Resistance", rescue the remaining council members (Dr. Mrs. The Monarch and Dr. Phineas Phage).
The Revenge Society finally make their move, holding up the various patrons of the casino at gunpoint, while Baron Ünderbheit and Zero begin taking the money from the vault. Phantom Limb makes it to the bridge, where he is confronted by The Investors. He tells them that the Sovereign sent him on this mission, and one of them then deactivates the protective ray shield. As asteroids begin pelting Gargantua-2, Limb realizes that he has been double crossed by the Sovereign, who intends to kill everyone on the space station, including The Investors and The Revenge Society. After members of Team Venture and Rose Whalen (i.e. Triple Threat) attack the Revenge Society, Hank takes a key to the holding cells just in time to horrifyingly watch Brock snap Zero's neck, killing him. Dr. Venture, Dean, Treister, and JJ attempt to assist with the ray shield as Doc and Dean reengage the ray shield from the outside of the station manually, while being protected from meteoroids by Treister, who has been turned into a Hulk by the cosmic rays. Meanwhile, JJ notices a problem with the nuclear reactor.
DMT Monarch and Phineas Phage are finally safe after traveling through a secret tunnel ending in a large lake. Phage flees, while it is revealed that DMT Monarch has been mortally shot. With nothing left to do, she confronts Sovereign in his lair. Sovereign initially takes the form of Jonas Venture Sr., before reverting to his Bowie form. He reveals his plans to murder the Council of 13 and The Investors, and also that he's not really David Bowie but "just some bloke who wanted to be anyone but himself". He then leaves DMT Monarch to die, but not before Watch and Ward enter the hideout to reveal that the hideout has a secret escape pod. Meanwhile, former Council members Dr. Z and Red Mantle/Dragoon meet with OSI leader Hunter Gathers to give up the Sovereign's location in exchange for full immunity.
Back on Gargantua-2, JJ informs the patrons that he is evacuating the space station, as he intends to fly the bridge with the reactor into space along with the help of hulk Treister. JJ gives a heartfelt goodbye to Doc and Dean, before flying the bridge further into space when it explodes, presumably dying in the explosion. Doc and Dean are rescued by Brock, and begin to head back to Earth. The Investors confront Dr. Killinger, who reveals that they are his "brothers" and calls them by their names Lips, Caecius, and Skiron. He begins battling the three with his umbrella while they wield light-sabers. Meanwhile, the escape pod carrying DMT Monarch, Watch, and Ward crashes into the rocket carrying Monarch and Henchman 21, they all end up at Meteor Majeure, the hideout of the previous sovereign, Force Majeure, where Dr. Killinger and The Investors are also battling.
The OSI is investigating the escape tunnel outside Sovereign's lair when it explodes. Headshot accidentally discharges his weapon into the air when the explosion's shockwave hits his boat. Immediately afterward, we hear the same eagle cry the Sovereign made when transforming into an eagle earlier. Shortly after the eagle cry, a bald eagle plummets into frame and drops into the water.
Meanwhile, one of the Investors has been crushed and another cut in half with a light-sabre. As The Monarch, 21 and DMT Monarch enter the room, we see Killinger and the remaining Investor engaged in a telepathic battle. The other two Investors lie dead nearby on the floor. The Monarch et. al. break the remaining Investor's concentration and Killinger seizes the opportunity, plunging his umbrella into his last living brother's heart. Phantom Limb and Radical Left appear on the Meteor Majeur through Fat Chance's "enigma hole." Dr. Killinger then points out that the hideout has thirteen chairs, indicating that he plans on forming a new Council of 13. As an excited Monarch runs to a chair, gloating that he will be a council member, Killinger is already in the seat and tells him, "Not you."
In the episode's epilogue, a funeral for JJ is held on the burnt ashes of the Venture Compound. Orpheus, in an attempt to console Dean reveals that he can and has brought back his loved one making Dean think he meant JJ, but instead Orpheus reveals Mr. Reachy, Dean's stuffed giraffe that had almost been burned in What Color is Your Cleansuit? JJ's attorney informs Dr. Venture that while Sally Impossible was left Spider-Skull Island and a "rather generous inheritance," JJ had left him his multi-billion dollar industry and his new headquarters in New York, which causes Dr. Venture to faint.
Episode Cast[]
- James Urbaniak: Dr. Venture, Jonas Venture Jr., Phantom Limb, Bowie Sovereign
- Patrick Warburton: Brock Samson
- Mike Sinterniklaas: Dean Venture, OSI Soldiers, Security Guard
- Chris McCulloch: Hank Venture, The Monarch, Action Man, Col. Gentleman, Sgt. Hatred, Hunter Gathers, Dr. Henry Killinger, Sovereign Head, Dragoon, Dr. Z, Watch, Pirate Captain
- Doc Hammer: Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, Henchman 21, Billy Quizboy, Shoreleave, Rose, Ward, Investor 1, Red Mantle, Dermott
- Stephen Colbert: Prof. Impossible
- James Adomian: Phineas Phage, Lawyer
- Mia Barron: Sally Impossible, Airport P.A.
- Paul Boocock: Jonas Venture Sr.
- Paget Brewster: Amber Gold, Mommy Long-Legs
- John K. Hodgman: Snoopy, Investor 2
- Toby Huss: General Treister
- Larry Murphy: Monseñor, Don Hell's Bouncer, Newscaster
- Charles Parnell: Jefferson Twilight
- Steven Rattazzi: Dr. Orpheus
- Brendon Small: Hector, Swifty
- T. Ryder Smith: Baron Ünderbheit, Investor 3
- Dana Snyder: Alchemist
Episode Transcript[]
See: All This and Gargantua-2 (transcript)
Connections to Other Episodes[]
- The space shuttle that Henchman 21 and The Monarch attempt to take to Gargantua-2 is the same shuttle seen in the episode Careers in Science, complete with an autopilot button to Gargantua-1.
Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean
- In a conversation with Hank, Master Billy Quizboy references the events of Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean when he states that he "untwisted Hank and his brother's testicles."
- Jonas Jr. asks Dr. Venture if he remembers when he was born, to which Dr. Venture responds "Hard to forget a tumor being removed from my body that tried to kill me". This is a reference to the events of the Season 1 finale Return to Spider-Skull Island.
- Brock mentions that he gave Hank his bass for Christmas one year. He did so in the special episode A Very Venture Christmas.
- In Hate Floats, Phantom Limb mentions that serrated knives are only good for bread and asks the shopkeep to see the Wüsthof knives. In this episode The Monarch discovers that Phantom Limb had been in his house by recognizing the serrated Wüsthof that Henchman 21 is using to cut bread.
- In a conversation with Hank, Master Billy Quizboy references the events of Victor. Echo. November. when he states that he "put [Hank's] dad's arm back together."
- Zero recognizes Brock from their first meeting while Brock doesn't initially recognize him until he recalls beating him up in the episode The Lepidopterists.
- 21 stated Zero was taken out by Death by Samson, which didn't happen until Amber helps Brock kill him.
- When speaking to Zero, Brock mentions Zero attempting to be a supervillain in the episode Any Which Way But Zeus.
- In Operation P.R.O.M., Cardholder and Doe lie to General Treister and tell him that he has become a Hulk. In this episode, Treister really does become a Hulk, due to the gamma rays from floating in space.
- Various references are made to the episode What Color is Your Cleansuit?, including the construction of the ray shield and Dr. Venture hiring interns to construct the shield.
- Dean brings up their multiple arms.
- Brock learned of the existence of the Council of 13 from Monstroso.
- It's revealed that the house that The Revenge Society has been staying in, is actually The Monarch's childhood home in Newark, New Jersey.
- Action Man and Rose's relationship began after Hank helped Action Man win her over in The Devil's Grip.
- The OSI slowly began to collect the identities of the Council of 13. As of this episode, they have now garnered up the identities of the entire council.
- The advert for Gargantua-2 says that there is world famous entertainment and a picture of Season 6's Copycat is shown singing. Copycat is next seen in the episode Faking Miracles, in his first speaking role on the series.
Cultural References[]
- Directly before dying, Don Hell takes a drink and quotes the A.A. "big book", stating "follow the dictates of a higher power, and you will presently live in a new and wonderful world."
- The asteroids being shot by the robots perform identically to their behavior in the video game Asteroids.
Batman (1989)
- In the commercial for Gargantua-2, one of the models says "Love that gravity!" This is a reference to one of the models in a fake commercial in the 1989 Tim Burton film Batman, who famously says "Love that Joker!" with a similar inflection.
- In the episode's epilogue, The Pirate Captain plays a rendition of the Crash Test Dummies song, "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" per JJ’s last will and testament; a possible gag being that JJ may have requested another Crash Test Dummies song, “At My Funeral” to have been played instead.
- In a game of 20 Questions with Henchman 21, The Monarch guesses the names Criss Angel and Doug Henning, before correctly guessing Lance Burton. All three are famous magicians.
- Wild Fop states that The Sovereign "can be such the Queen Bitch when we're late". "Queen Bitch" is a song by David Bowie from the album Hunky Dory.
- Henchman 21 wonders if the squatters who had been previously occupying The Monarch's old home had gone dumpster diving at Dean & DeLuca, which is an American chain of upscale grocery stores with the first one established in New York City's SoHo district in 1977. Most locations are now closed due to the company filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy.
- In a game of 20 Questions with Henchman 21, The Monarch guesses the names Criss Angel and Doug Henning, before correctly guessing Lance Burton. All three are famous magicians.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
- General Treister rides the exploding reactor in the same way Slim Pickens rode the nuclear bomb in the film Dr. Strangelove.
Fantasy Island (1977-1984)
- JJ addressing the crowd with "Smiles everyone, smiles" and then "Welcome to Gargantua-2" mirrors the opening to Fantasy Island where at the start of each episode, as the guests arrived, Mr. Roarke would say the same thing before saying "Welcome to Fantasy Island."
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972-1985)
- Phantom Limb refers to Fat Chance and the other Revenge Society members as "Fat Albert and his junkyard gang". Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids was the name of a cartoon series from the 1970s, created and voiced by Bill Cosby. The kids were typically known as the "junkyard gang" because of where they spent their free time.
Hollywood Squares (1966-2004)
- Watch and Ward make a reference to the game show Hollywood Squares and celebrity square Shadoe Stevens.
- General Timothy Treister returns from outer space filled with cosmic radiation and consequently transforms into "a Hulk" from Marvel Comics.
- Brock tells Amber that only spies play Baccarat - the game prominently featured in the James Bond adventure Casino Royale (1967).
- Similarly, the three men seated at the baccarat table resemble three of the actors who have played James Bond, and they have all apparently ordered a vodka martini (shaken, not stirred, Bond's drink of choice).
- In a game of 20 Questions with Henchman 21, The Monarch guesses the names Criss Angel and Doug Henning, before correctly guessing Lance Burton. All three are famous magicians.
Lost Highway (1997)
- When The Investors approach a disguised Brock Samson on Gargantua-2, it may be a reference to a scene with Robert Blake in David Lynch's 1997 neo-noir film Lost Highway.
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
- Hank's statement "Who run Barter Town?" is a reference to the film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.
Newark Liberty International Airport
- The Monarch and Henchman 21 attempt to board a flight at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.
- Guild Council members Dr. Z, Red Mantle, and Dragoon--all dressed in disguises--purchase tickets at the airport to evade assassination by The Sovereign.
- JJs' tombstone bears a plaque similar to those placed on Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft.
Red Dead Redemption (2010)
- When the Diamond Dog he's remotely controlling gets stuck facing a wall, Watch mentions being stuck in a cart playing Red Dead Redemption. Red Dead Redemption is an open world, western action-adventure video game released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles in 2010.
Red Hulk (Rulk)
- General Timothy Treister returns from outer space filled with cosmic radiation and consequently transforms into a Red Hulk from Marvel Comics. General Treister is partially based on General Thunderbolt Ross, the first Marvel character to become "Rulk".
She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985-1986)
- Amber Gold mentions feeling like She-Ra. She-Ra is the protagonist of the 1985 cartoon She-Ra: Princess of Power.
- During the casino heist, Baron Ünderbheit is carrying a Klingon bat'leth from Star Trek.
- The graphics on the core meltdown alert screen are the same as the Red Alert screen graphics in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979).
- J.J.’s outfit aboard Gargantua-2 is also modeled on Admiral Kirk’s uniform from Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979).
- The opening and end credits are themed to look like the Star Wars credits and similar music is used.
- The Investors battle Dr. Killinger with Star Wars lightsabers.
- One of the members of the crew seen in the ad for Gargantua-2 is Lobot from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
- Hunter Gathers' statement "that big talking head is burning down the house!" is a reference to the song "Burning Down the House" by the band Talking Heads.
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
- The scene where Dr. Henry Killinger saves Dr. Mrs. The Monarch's life aboard Meteor Majeure by removing a bullet from her torso and magically healing her is a reference to a similar scene from the 2003 film The Matrix Reloaded, where Neo saves Trinity from a gunshot wound and restarts her heart.
- Professor Impossible's line "Trouble in River City" is from the song "Ya Got Trouble" in The Music Man.
Totally Spies! (2001-2014)
- The Sovereign, disguised as Henchman 21, mentions Alex, Sam, and Clover from Totally Spies! Totally Spies! is an animated series that airs on Cartoon Network. The reference is far too forced and specific - not something 21 would say, but something someone imitating 21 would say.
- When Brock sees The Investors walking towards him and nobody else can see them, one of them says "It is not our custom to go where we are not invited." This is a reference to vampiric folklore, where it is believed vampires must be invited into a home before entering and are invisible in mirrors or on camera.
- The Monarch discovers that Phantom Limb had been in his house by recognizing the serrated Wüsthof that Henchman 21 is using to cut bread.
Production Notes[]
- The Animation Direction Supervisor (Kimson Albert) has a "nickname" inserted into his credits. The nickname is an unusual line or word from the preceding episode. For All This and Gargantua-2 the credit reads Kimson "All This Money" Albert.
Trivia[]
- It is not explicitly stated why Pete White does not join Billy on the trip. Presumably, he was either not invited or chose not to attend.
- Baron Ünderbheit and Fat Chance are not shown escaping the Gargantua-2 station. This raises the question of whether they are dead or escaped by unknown means.
- It is confirmed Dr. Henry Killinger is a supernatural being as he is stated to be the brother of The Investors.
- The eagle that Headshot accidentally killed was really The Sovereign, as confirmed by the shows' creators.
- As of this episode, Sergeant Hatred has lost his overdeveloped breasts.
- This episode marks Stephen Colbert's return to voicing Professor Impossible, having last voiced the character in Twenty Years to Midnight, with the role being taken up by Christopher McCulloch and Bill Hader thereafter.
Goofs[]
- When Billy mentions to Hank that he operated on he and Dean's testicles, Hank claims he doesn't remember this before realizing that Billy was referring to his previous clone. This is clear contradiction to the episode Victor. Echo. November. where the same version of Hank clearly remembers Dean's previous clone's operation with the line "It was that big-headed guy that operated on your balls, Dean."
- This may not be a goof - Hank's had his memory wiped multiple times since that episode.
- In addition to this Hank has demonstrated mixed memories or having memories the other clone versions of him had which he never experienced, such as jumping off the roof.
- When JJ begins his first announcement over the P.A., the woman in white (who bears a strong resemblance to Vespertina) is sitting on the couch near a man. While JJ's announcement continues, the camera angle changes and we see the same woman standing with another man.
- When Amber Gold breaks the arm of Scott Hall, his arm was inside the cage when she broke it. In the next shot, his arm was outside the cage while Amber still has a grip on it.
- Near the end, as the Triad members and Sgt. Hatred stand watching the Venture compound burn down, we see Hatred from the back and the fireman next to him has his hand on Hatred's shoulder. In the next shot, the fireman places his hand on Hatred's shoulder.
| Preceded by: "The Devil's Grip" |
The Venture Bros. episodes Original Airdate: January 19, 2015 |
Followed by: "Hostile Makeover" |