Grab a controller and join the Venture Bros!
The struggles of being a Venture are real. Hank and Dean find themselves defying death all the time while Dr. Venture discovers that having Jonas Jr. around has stroked his jealousy. When Dr. Venture’s desire of exploration is rekindled, the truth about Brock’s mission among the Ventures could be revealed…and a secret enemy could arise!
The Venture Bros.—Season 3 is an animated action-adventure fantasy comedy series. Airing from June 1, 2008 to August 24, 2008 on Adult Swim, the series received positive reviews and continued to have a strong fan base.
Everyone needs a little Dr. Henry Killinger
Being a fan of Jonny Quest is a prerequisite for enjoying The Venture Bros. While you can still like the series without some deep Jonny Quest knowledge, the series largely favors those who grew up with Jonny Quest…and this season makes some deep dives into the Quest past.
The season largely is building to a secret organization (primarily in the last few episodes). Someone is targeting Brock and the Ventures and it is unclear whom it is. This puts the Ventures on the run and plays a bit with the format of “adventurers”…but it also leads into not being my favorite season.
Life’s been hard for Jonny
While plotlines were always rather fluid in The Venture Bros., The Venture Bros.—Season 3 seems to try to streamline the story a bit more into a bigger plot. This leads to a lot of establishment of the Dr. Jonas Venture adventures (which is fun and worth a whole series itself…if it wouldn’t end up rather racist like the Jonny Quest old episodes). The past and present start to really collide in the season and sometimes I found myself yearning for simpler Venture Bros. storylines instead of a more layered story. Normally layers would be good, but other seasons managed to accomplish both.
The cast still is fun and much of the humor comes from the stupidity of the entire Venture Squadron (especially Dean and Hank). The timing and delivery of the lines in the series still is top notch and the actors manage to squeeze all the laughs they can out of the scripts. It is one of the pluses of having a scripted animated series in that you get multiple takes at perfection.
Who’s the Firestarter…twisted Firestarter?
Visually, the series also is a feast. A lot of the jokes are wrapped up in the visuals and also require depth of knowledge from everything from the basic (aka Jonny Quest) to things like March of the Wooden Soldiers and Conan the Barbarian. It is a series that rewards educated viewers and many of the best comedies are series like this. One of my favorite rather random and one-off jokes was Dr. Venture encountering Keith Flint of The Prodigy in the tunnels under the Venture Compound…complete with the Firestarter music cue. It is dated, but it was dated even when it originally aired.
While this season of The Venture Bros. isn’t my favorite, it does have the best packaging…which makes it all worth wild anyway. Wrapped in a faux classic Atari box, the collection even contains one of those cheesy late 1970s-early 1980s pictures of the Ventures enjoying video game time around a TV…with a video game themed package and fun throw back humor, The Venture Bros. is a show for the geek in everyone.
The Venture Bros.—Season 3 Complete Episode Guide:
“Shadowman 9: In The Cradle of Destiny”
3.1 Shadowman 9: In the Cradle of Destiny Airdate: 06/01/08
Dr. Girlfriend and the Monarch are captured and questioned by the Council of Thirteen about their past, the Phantom Limb, and their evolution into super-villain criminals. Dr. Girlfriend’s henchmen take over the Monarch’s henchmen leading the henchmen to seek help.
“The Doctor Is Sin”
3.2 The Doctor Is Sin Airdate: 06/08/08
Dr. Venture finds himself struggling for money…and now it is time for Dr. Henry Killinger. With Killinger guiding Dr. Venture, Brock, Dr. Orpheus, and the Alchemist go on a mission to rescue Dr. Venture before he makes the ultimate mistake.
“The Invisible Hand of Fate”
3.3 The Invisible Hand of Fate Airdate: 06/15/08
Billy Quizboy’s forgotten past is remembered as he recalls his first team-up with Mr. White. When Billy is recruited Brock and Colonel Gathers in O.S.I.’s attempt to locate the Guild of Calamitous Intent, Billy finds himself a student of Professor Fantomos…and the reasons behind Billy’s hidden memories will be revealed!
“Home Is Where the Hate Is”
3.4 Home Is Where the Hate Is Airdate: 06/22/08
The Monarch questions moving into the super-villain neighborhood of Malice while dealing with dependency issues with their henchmen. Dr. Venture finds himself with a new super-villain nemesis of Sergeant Hatred.
“The Buddy System”
3.5 The Buddy System Airdate: 06/29/08
Dr. Venture has opened Rusty’s Day Camp for Boy Adventurers, and the Monarch wishes he could get part of it. Hank gets a new teenage friend named Dermott…who can push Brock and Dr. Venture’s buttons and might have a secret of his own.
“Dr. Quymn, Medicine Woman”
3.6 Dr. Quymn, Medicine Woman Airdate: 07/06/08
A trip to the jungle leads to an encounter with Dr. Venture’s former friend Dr. Tara Quymn in search for a rare cure for cancer. Dr. Quymn’s twins Nancy and Drew find themselves the target of Hank though Dean is the one catching their eyes while Quymn’s bodyguard Virginia is suspicious of everyone. Love is in the air but the threat of the local tribe’s warning of the Wereodile could mean doom!
“What Goes Down, Must Come Up”
3.7 What Goes Down, Must Come Up Airdate: 07/13/08
A subbasement to the Venture Compound has been unlocked, but Dr. Venture finds his father forgot a tour group before sealing it up. Meanwhile, Brock is trapped within a bomb shelter and a maniacal program called M.U.T.H.E.R. could mean the end of the world if the Order of the Triad cannot stop her.
“Tears of a Sea Cow”
3.8 Tears of a Sea Cow Airdate: 07/20/08
The Monarch is in a slump. With Dr. Venture off the table as an archenemy, he is losing his will to be a super-villain. When Dr. Venture goes away for a conference, the Monarch’s assistants Henchman 21 and Henchman 24 join him on a raid of the Venture Compound…but Hank, Dean, and Dermott might have to play the heroes.
“Now Museum—Now You Don’t!”
3.9 Now Museum—Now You Don’t! Airdate: 07/27/28
Spider-Skull Island has become the Jonas Venture Jr. Museum of Jonas Venture…even if Dr. Venture doesn’t like it. With Brainulo trying to provoke a fight, the opening could go off the rails.
“The Lepidopterists”
3.10 The Lepidopterists Airdate: 08/03/08
The Monarch is now Jonas Jr. ultimate nemesis…and the Monarch has decided to be proactive. As Jonas Jr. seeks to eliminate the Monarch, Henchman 21, Henchman 24, and Henchman 1 are infiltrating Spider-Skull Island to sabotage the plan…which could be bad news for Dr. Venture.
“Orb”
3.11 Orb Airdate: 08/10/08
When Billy Quizboy deciphers a hidden message from the old Venture TV series, Dr. Venture and Billy find themselves on a quest for a hidden treasure that’s power is untold. With Brock assigned to stop them, Brock discovers the truth about what happened to Jonas Venture.
“The Family That Slays Together, Stays Together—Part 1”
3.12 The Family That Slays Together, Stays Together—Part 1 Airdate: 08/17/08
Brock has been targeted for death…and the Venture family could become collateral damage. When his efforts to lose the Ventures fail, Brock and the Ventures find themselves on the run and none of their allies can help them. Meanwhile, the Monarch plots his ultimate revenge against Dr. Venture…if he can find him.
“The Family That Slays Together, Stays Together—Part 2”
3.13 The Family That Slays Together, Stays Together—Part 2 Airdate: 08/24/08
Brock has eliminated the assassins sent after him but he is no closer to the truth. H.E.L.P.eR could be the key for the Monarch to locate the Ventures and destroy them. Pitting the Monarch’s people and the O.S.I. against each other could be Brock’s only hope…but is there a secret agenda that no one sees?
Related Links:
The Venture Bros.—Season 1 Review and Complete Episode Guide
The Venture Bros.—Season 2 Review and Complete Episode Guide
