Yes, the Venture Brothers are back. BUT, before you go into histrionics of joy, it is only for a 15 minute music special, but it is so much better than that. Sunday’s episode is “From the Ladle to the Grave” and is basically a “Behind the Music” style special about Hank, Dermit, and H.E.L.P.eR. and their band “Shallow Gravy,” who we’ve seen in bits in pieces throughout the past few seasons. There are callbacks to the Christmas special, “Operation PROM”, and several other important storylines, all narrated in that ridiculous overdramatice fashion that these roc docs always are. In fact, in one of my favorite moments of the episode (minor spoiler), the narrator (ably played by Bill Hader of SNL and current voice of Dr. Impossible) actually stops and tells Hank and Dermit he won’t read what they’ve written for him.
This episode is the perfect little snack that we’ll need to tide us over until the next season. We get callbacks, but also some important plot developments (make sure you pay attention to Dr. Venture’s interview near the end of the episode). I sat down with Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick while I was at Comic-Con and tried to needle out of them what we could expect in upcoming episodes: well, they don’t exactly know, as they haven’t written them yet. Jackson said he’d like to refocus the show back on its main characters, especially Dr. Venture and Hank and Dean. He said we can expect to see more of the “continued growth of Hank and Dean and their kind of divergence. They’re growing up and they’re becoming their own men.” As for Doc Hammer, he told us, “My interest on the next season are to fulfill the things we’ve set in place. Not to forget the things… that were clearly rolling forward already.”
Given some of the important plot points in recent episode and where we can really see the changes the no-longer-so-fresh-faced Venture Bros, that sounds like a recipe for greatness. But, like always, they have to be careful not to get too sidetracked into their wonderful and growing menagerie of compelling side-characters. (But come on! Who doesn’t want to see more of Dr. Mrs. The Monarch or Shore Leave?) But even given that, Publick felt there were some characters and areas left unexplored last season that he may bring back for more: The Action Man and the rest of the original Team Venture, Jonas Jr, The Revenge Society, and, if at all possible, depending on H. John Benjamin’s increasingly busy schedule, Orpheus’s Master. But you know what? If it’s called The Venture Brothers, I’ll watch it, and am assured that I will see one of the best shows on TV.
I previously pointed out that you could download the music from the episode from itunes or your favorite electronic outlet. After watching the episode, I’m sure you’ll want to, especially since it comes with a free music video of Jacket.
Check your DVRs and make sure they’re set for midnight Sunday (technically 12am Monday?) for East and West Coast. If you’re in a different time zone, adjust accordingly. Or check it out along with all sorts of other [adult swim] goodness at adultswim.com