…how much I love the Venture Bros.? Great shows often really hit their stride when their supporting cast become rich enough that they start supporting episodes of their own. Think of The Simpsons, which also hit this point in its third season.
VB has hit that point, with many of the 3rd season chapters barely featuring any of the show’s four main characters at all. In one, Brock Sampson showed up halfway through and it was almost surprising, like he was guest-starring on his own show. Dr. Orpheus and The Monarch have long been at that level, but now there are seemingly dozens of characters you could build Venture Bros. episodes around.
And while the program is funnier than ever, they somehow are really managing to make it at the same time genuinely pretty dark. The villainous Phantom Limb last season actually managed to be menacing now and again, and last night we learned some potentially very disturbing things about what may have happened to Dr. Venture’s father. Being able to pull this sort of thing off on a at time very goofy comedy show is an impressive feat.
Also, loved the League of Extraordinary Men knock-off last night, which while a spoof still managed to evoke Alan Moores’ League a hell of a lot more than the movie ‘adapted’ from his books.
