Episode Recap of “The Diving Bell vs. The Butter-Glider”

In true Venture fashion, the season premiere of the Venture Bros. “The Diving Bell vs. the Butter-Glider” was packed with action, surprises, and hilarity.

The opening scene begins with Dr. Venture, paralyzed but conscious in Sgt. Hatred’s jeep. The Venture’s are under attack from the Monarch’s Coccoon. Hank is firing a heavy machine gun until he runs out of “gun food.” In the Cocoon, we see Henchmen 21 in charge and the Monarch is no where to be found. At last, Team Venture arrives at the hospital.

In the next scene, we learn Henchmen 21 is on “Solo Command” and the Monarchs are at a Welcome Home Party for King Gorilla. A sickly King Gorilla is seated with a tank of oxygen next to him as unwraps the Monarch’s present: a carton of “Manboros” cigarettes. “Nobody told me!” the Monarch exclaims.

At the Hospital, metal pins that Billy used to reattach Rusty’s arm in season 2 make his shoulder explode during an M.R.I., and there were insurance issues, like not having any. The Venture gang is left to deal with Rusty’s mysterious illness at the compound. Cue Conjectural Technologies and dry erase board of medical conditions. Hank believes that his dad’s condition might be caused by swallowing too much gum over the years. The only solution they agree upon is to shrink themselves and a S.P.H.I.N.X submarine. Brock, Shore Leave, Hank, and Dean must travel a la Fantastic Voyage to solve Doc’s mysterious ailment.

Back at the Cocoon, Dr. Mrs. the Monarch has to deal with angry henchmen complaining about their crappy gear & equipment. Henchmen 21 calls his wings big “kill me signs” that do not retract. She tries to explain they don’t have the money for fancy Henchmen armor, when suddenly the Monarch flies in with the his hot new Butter-Glider. One mid-life crisis and tender ballad later, the Monarch is in love with the glider. Upset the Glider is taking her side of the bed, Dr. Mrs. The Monarch storms off and winds up in disguise at the Henchmen lounge. Henchmen 24’s ghost tries to convince 21 that she’s totally hitting on him, she approaches and makes him an offer (and no, it’s not a threesome), that if the Henchmen go on strike and attack Venture without the Monarch, that might distract him from his glider.

Now traveling through Dr. Venture’s arteries, Team Venture discover a blood clot which turns out to be the missing X3 submarine, complete with the skeletal remains of Hank and Dean. This apparently is what happened to the number seven clones of the boys. As the crew tries to maneuver both shrunken subs out of Rusty, trouble arrives at the compound. The Henchmen on strike explain to Sgt. Hatred that they’ve gone rogue. Hatred freaks out and calls for an immediate lock down, sealin Venture Industries. Henchmen 21, subdues walking eye H.E.L.P.eR. and forces him to bypass the security code to gain entrance. The Monarch flies in with the glider, and resumes his position as primary arch in this battle.

In the lab, The Monarch takes out Billy & White with his wrist shooters tries to fly away with Rusty tied to the Butter-Glider. Hatred who is shot with several darts of traq darts and adrenaline, manages to flip the shrink ray in reverse a fire a solid blast at Dr. Venture. As Dr. Venture’s gigantic body fall falls, he breaks the Monarch’s precious Butter-Glider and the Monarch himself is left in danger of being crushed by the giant subs that are falling out of Rusty’s giant tear ducts.

Points of Interest:

The moppets have new “real” Henchmen suits and they’re taking orders from 21.

King Gorilla gets a shirt that reads “Statutory Ape.”

Hatred, who is still acting as the official Venture bodyguard, accuses Brock of “Brock Blocking” him.

Conjectural Technologies has a Batman-like signal. Are Pete and Billy finally coming up in the world of Super Science?

According to the Monarch, when he tells a Henchman to jump, the correct answer is “what shark?”

Hank and Dean must have had their memories wiped too many times since the last episode. When asked what day it is Dean answers “Sagittarius.” Will the stupid answers play a bigger role in the next episodes or was it a throw away joke? What are the consequences of too much cloning and memory wiping?

H.E.L.P.eR’s back and still attached to the Walking Eye.

The Monarch was a fan of Pete’s college radio show, “The White Room.”

In next week’s episode of the Venture Bros., they boys graduate from the learning beds and there’s talk of college.

— Jennifer Amlie

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Review by Jennifer Amlie, Junior Writer – The Venture Bros. Blog