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"Fallen Arches"
The Venture Bros. episode
Fallen Arches
Episode no. Season 2
Episode 8
Written by Doc Hammer
Production code 221
Original air date 3 September 2006
Guest Stars
Episode Chronology
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"Love-Bheits"
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"Guess Who's Coming to State Dinner"
List of The Venture Bros. episodes

Fallen Arches is the eighth episode of Season 2 and the overall twenty-first episode of The Venture Bros.

Plot

Dr. Orpheus receives his long-awaited approval from the Guild of Calamitous Intent for an arch-villain. However, the approval is for a team which long ago disbanded, forcing him to hastily reassemble The Order of the Triad with former teammates Jefferson Twilight and The Alchemist.

The Monarch, meanwhile, invites a prostitute over and makes her dress like Dr. Girlfriend, then sends her through a treacherous maze in order to escape The Cocoon.

Henchman 21 and 24 embark on a scheme to pass themselves off as supervillains using forged licenses and stolen jet-packs. However, their trial attempts are unsuccessful due to their failed handling of their equipment.

The Order of the Triad hold interviews for their arch-nemesis, causing a large group to amass on the Venture compound in order to audition. Dr. Venture, jealous of the attention Orpheus is getting, takes out a mostly non-functional Walking Eye robot and washes it (in a scene reminiscent of the car washing girl "Lucille" in Cool Hand Luke), baiting the amassed supervillains into causing havoc.

Told to entertain Triana, Dean Venture stages a poor performance of Lady Windermere's Fan with Brock Samson. However, Hank notices a foul smell in the bathroom left by a supervillain using the toilet; when the teens investigate, Triana disappears in a puff of smoke. The Order ultimately gives the archvillain position to demonic Australian supervillain Torrid, who impressed them by kidnapping Triana.

Episode Cast

"Villain Screening"

After Dr. Orpheus receives a video from The Guild of Calamitous Intent informing him of a "villain screening" that afternoon, The Order of the Triad hold tryouts at the Venture Compound for their own Guild-certified archvillain. Amongst the hopefuls are:

First Appearances

Connections to Other Episodes

Eeney, Meeney, Miney... Magic!

The Trial of The Monarch

A Very Venture Christmas

Cultural References

A.I.D.S.

Aquaman

Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2000-2015)

Blade

Black Manta

Blackula (1972)

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

  • The scene where Dr. Venture washes his Walking Eye robot to entice the Guild hopefuls is a direct reference to the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke, in which a busty blonde washes her car to tantalize the members of the chain gang. The final shot of this sequence parallels the final shot of the car wash scene, where the girl's large breasts are rubbing against the window of the car.

Deadman

Deep Red (1975)

Dormammu

Double Dare (1986-1993)

Francis Dolarhyde (Red Dragon)

Franco American

  • The Alchemist wonders aloud why a company named Franco-American would make Italian food. The company sold canned pasta, gravy and condensed soups and were acquired by the Campbell Soup Company which gradually phased out the Franco-American brand name replacing it with their own. One of their best known products is SpaghettiOs.

Here I Go Again (1987)

James Bond

Jet Boy, Jet Girl (1977)

Johnny Got His Gun (1939)

Jonny Quest (1964-1965)

  • The Walking Eye robot that was created by Dr. Venture is based on the 1964 Jonny Quest episode, "The Robot Spy". The original version was created by Quest family nemesis Dr. Zin, the basis for Guild villain Dr. Z.
  • A robot similar to the Walking Eye can also be seen in the opening credits of the first season of The Venture Bros., just as the original version appeared in the opening credits of Jonny Quest.

Lady Windermere's Fan (1892)

  • The play that Dean stages for Triana is Lady Windermere's Fan, an 1892 play by Oscar Wilde. Wilde would later be seen as one of the original members of The Guild in the season 3 episode O.R.B.

Lost (2004-2010)

  • The Monarch's maze features the polar bear from the television series Lost.
  • In the episode's commentary, Jackson Publick claimed that Torrid's voice was taken from Lost, and that the fake Australian accent failed to impress series composer J.G. Thirlwell, himself an Australian.

Mary Poppins (1964)

Mordru

  • Curse, the supervillain the Order of the Triad challenges using magic, appears to be a reference to DC villain Mordru, a recurring enemy in the Legion of Superheroes comic books.

Nightcrawler

Orpheus Island

Pyro

Ro-Sham-Bo / Rochambeau

Shaft

Splash (1984)

Philosopher's Stone

  • Jefferson Twilight asks The Alchemist if he's still searching for the Philosopher's Stone, the fabled alchemical substance capable of turning base metals such as mercury into gold or silver. The Alchemist says that the Philosopher's Stone is a metaphor for enlightenment, so in a sense he's always in pursuit of it.

Tales of the Gold Monkey (1982-1983)

  • The names listed on Henchman 21 and Henchman 24's respective fake Guild licenses, Jake Cutter and Corky Craptucker, are references to the two main characters from the short-lived television series Tales of the Gold Monkey. (The name "Craptucker" was probably invented by Henchman 21, as Corky's surname is not revealed on the 1980s television series.)

The Pit and the Pendulum (1842)

Theseus / Minotaur

Turtle Wax

  • The Monarch mentions Turtle Wax, a liquid wax product used to protect automobile exteriors by providing a "hard shell finish". A "year's supply" of the product was often one of the consolation prizes given to losing television game show contestants.

Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)

Watchmen (law enforcement)

  • The names of Guild sentries Watch and Ward are mentioned in this episode for the first time in the series. Their names are a play on the "watch" and "ward," the rudimentary system of local law enforcement established by writ of King Henry III in 1252 and reformed by King Edward I in the Statute of Winchester (1285) - the "watch" describing the nightly duties of the constabulary, and the "ward" describing the daylight duties.

What's My Line? (1950-1967)

Goofs

  • When the Unnamed Fishman Villain is being interviewed by the Triad he first appears to be pantless but when he is shown in full again he now has on red tights, being likely due to an animation error.

Production Notes

  • One of the animation directors (Kimson Albert) has "nickname" inserted into his credits. The nickname is an unusual line or word from the preceding episode. For Fallen Arches the credit reads Kimson "Rochambeau" Albert.


Preceded by:
"Love-Bheits"
The Venture Bros. episodes
Original Airdate:
September 3rd, 2006
Followed by:
"Guess Who's Coming to State Dinner?"
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