REVIEW: Rapacity in Blue (Venture Brothers)

[c_nordlander]

And the trend just continues... This is almost certainly my favourite episode of this season so far. That said, the show is still setting its stuff up, not paying it off. But it's doing it so well.

I love everything about the Monarch/Blue Morpho storyline. Not even going to try to narrow it down. Also, the way he and 21 interact is just awesome. 21 was great in this episode: dressing like a Jedi solely for a dramatic reveal is very him.

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Also, an appearance of 24! Even if it's just for a one-off joke, I don't care. I'm happy.

As for the other bits, Brock is very good. I actually cooled a bit on him in the last couple of seasons: it seemed like he was becoming a bit too grim and serious a character, which can be just as reductive as a character turning into just a shallow joke. (Come to think of it, I had the same issue with 21's overly "badass" character development.) Now he seems to have reached a good balance, just like 21.

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And is he in love? With a woman he wants to beat to a pulp/get beaten to a pulp by, what else is new? Wonder what Molotov will say about that.

Billy and Pete continue being hilarious/cool. Oh, all the characters are great. Harangutan was an obvious one-off villain, but had some pretty great lines.

I like how the Monarch/Dr. Girlfriend plot is progressing as well. Until now, I was a bit worried that it was heading in a stereotypical "wife neglects her husband for her shiny new career" direction. (Well, I don't think the show would actually *be* that 1950s, but it still had me a little bit worried.) This episode shows that she sincerely cares about the Monarch's career and about their relationship. Oh, if only she knew...

Kind of a shame that Rusty

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never actually invented mind-control gas. That's a plot I would have liked to see.

EDIT: Was that last shot of the mice (before they lit their cage on fire) a reference to "Apocalypse Now"?

Some predictions:

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The Monarch will become more and more of a superhero. Heck, he's already showing more interest in his Blue Morpho role than in being... well, the Monarch.

Meanwhile, Rusty will become more and more villainous. In the final episode, the switch will be complete.

Rusty and the Monarch were conceived in that foursome. Either they were swapped (Graham's theory), or Jonas Venture Sr. is the father of both, but the Blue Morpho raised little Malcolm thinking he was his son (my theory). EDIT: Or maybe the Blue Morpho was the *dark*, *anti-hero* brother of Venture Sr. Either way, some sort of sibling enmity has got to be involved.

EDIT: This is also borne out by the fact that we've never seen or heard anything about Rusty's mum. If he was conceived in a one-night-stand, that would explain why.

The Monarch... his new beard-style... mind blown, I'm in awe, insert reaction faces here.

F***ing-A you guys, keep making these.