Episode Review of “Silent Partners”
Lola Wickerman does not keep secrets from the Venture Fandom, so I’m ripping the bandage…
Episode Review of “Assisted Suicide”
Assisted Suicide takes the Ventureverse out of the realm of the subtle Freudian slip and into the overt world of the three-part clinical Freudian explanation of human consciousness. The craftsmanship of this episode is thoroughly marvelous; it successfully inserts Freudian themes into each storyline contained within.
Within the compound, a strange and varied assortment of father-figures attempt to save the day by different means of might and magic. The tension between Brock and Sgt. Hatred is growing thicker, both driven by an affection/attachment for the boys and a desire to wrest some kind of usefulness for their continued presence. Meanwhile, the boys themselves prove ineffective as anchoring totems for Orpheus’ magical efforts; their father’s love for them is apparently not strong enough to allow for psychic entry. The tone of these scenes could be called Oedipal (perhaps swaying more toward the resolution of the Oedipal complex which supposedly results in identification of the child with the same-sexed parent) based on the nature of the fixation of father-figures, but the dynamic is reversed; it is the father-figures competing for the position as responsible party.
Episode Review of “Bright Light, Dean City”
Bright Lights, Dean City can be separated into three sub-storylines, all of which eventually braid…
Episode Reviews “Every Which Way But Zeus”
I keep a safely guarded opening in my heart of hearts all week long, ever patient to fill that special hole with the latest installment from our pals at Astrobase Go. Dedicated readers will remember my slightly under-whelmed reactions to the last two episodes, but I loyally accepted those chapters into my special hole with the good faith of a steadfast partner who knows that love is not always perfect. Tonight, I felt totally rewarded for that faith, and completely thrilled by the performance. We were treated to a slew of old familiar faces such as the Lepidopterists, Captain Sunshine and Ghost Robot (R.I.P.) We also got to see some seriously low behavior from Rusty via his dirty talk to a Teddy Ruxpin rip-off, as well as some beautifully self-reflective softness as his true feelings toward Hank were expressed.
Episode Review of “The Diving Bell vs. The Butter-Glider”
Tonight was the moment that Venture fandom had been anticipating with bated breath for months on end. Tortured by the split format of season four and the achingly wide chasm between the two halves, I found I was unable to disassociate my excited expectations when attempting to view the episode with the unbiased and critical eye of a cut-throat assessor. I bounced in my chair, squealing like a school-girl in the throes of spring’s first amorous breezes as soon as the episode began. If I may extend this metaphor, the opening of The Diving Bell vs. The Butter-Glider was passionately strong, dropping us directly into an ongoing crises wrought with tense excitement and explosions—it then abruptly careens us off a cliff and dissolves into slightly disappointing inaction, leaving me desperately wanting for more… just like a teenage crush.