Venture Bros.

[Spark Of Spirit]

The Venture Bros. was recently picked up for two additional seasons and its own special, apparently.

Now I know this show is extremely divisive around here, but I just wanted to see what exactly it is people don't like or like about this show.

I preferred its season 1 approach of stand alone episodes sprinkled with character revelations and unpredictable gags. Season 2 still had these episodes, but in season 3 I started losing attention when they started making long arcs and became too up its own ass with continuity where everything was connected and it kind of bored me. From what I heard season 4 is more of the same and is probably the most divisive season yet, so I doubt I'll get around to that any time soon.

The show's world used to feel a lot more open than it does now, where it feels like everything is connected and the world is less interesting for it. Again, I haven't seen season 4, but 3 didn't really hold up to me as well as the first two, so I doubt 4 will change my mind.

Thoughts on VB?

[Dr. Insomniac]

I stopped watching the show around the start of season 2, though hearing how arc-heavy the later seasons got might be right up my alley. Since honestly, I found season 1 more boring than anything.

[Spark Of Spirit]

If you like continuity, you'll probably like it. I just didn't like how it came at the expense of making the world seem so small.

[Avaitor]

The first season was fine IMO. It wasn't much more sophisticated than anything else [as] was doing at the time, but it was still a pretty clever show with some good characters.

Season 2 was even better in terms of humor and character interaction, but that's when the continuity started to get overbearing. Season 3 got even worse in that regard, and that's all that four is. And Sgt. Hatred.

The show is too stuck up it's ass in continuity, and it isn't even that much smarter than most other William Street originals like the fans want you to believe. There's still plenty of shit, piss, and obviously pedo jokes. More of the same in half hour form, with a bunch of references to early episodes that you won't get unless you see every episode in order, some multiple times.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I was kind of hoping season 4 would go back to what made the first two seasons fun, but I don't know, I guess a lot of people like the continuity heavy direction. I just think in the process it made the scope so narrow that it lost a lot of its richness in the adventure-style set up it used to have.

Oh well, I guess I'll just have to sit out on this show for now.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

So, I never really watched much of this show before, beyond a few random episodes here or there, and those were only from the first 2 seasons, anyways.

My brother recently let me borrow his Season 1 DVD set and I've plowed through the first of 2 discs, so far. Personally I'm loving it. The sense of humor is really up my alley and while I normally don't like how cold and mean-spirited some characters can be (namely Rusty), in this series it seems to work out just fine in playing into its sense of humor. Currently it seems to be more of a parody of Johnny Quest (among other things) than an homage to it or something of the sort as I've heard some people describe it. At any rate, I do find myself enjoying season 1, so far. I'll post my full thoughts on it whenever I manage to complete the set.

I stopped watching the show around the start of season 2, though hearing how arc-heavy the later seasons got might be right up my alley. Since honestly, I found season 1 more boring than anything.

I guess I'm just the opposite, or maybe the later seasons will prove me wrong, but to me this show seems like it would almost only work well as an episodic series. I kind of feel the same as Desensitized that arc-based story-telling would make this series feel more limited rather than anything else. But once again I have yet to see anything beyond season 2 so I'll have to check it out for myself to see how I feel about the later seasons.

[Avaitor]

Season 1 is a lot of fun, and 2 showed a lot of promise. Whether you like 3 and 4 or not is up to you.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Season 2 is basically a more ambitious version of season 1 with subplots. It's season 3 where they pretty much just jump right into ongoing stories.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I just finished watching season 1. Overall I quite liked it. I'm not sure what to make of the ending, though. Was that scene supposed to be canon or did they retcon in out in season 2? I'm guessing that the creators didn't expect the show to last more than one season and had a kick by killing off the Venture Bros. at the end of season 1, but I suppose I'm taking it more seriously than I should since its mostly a ridiculous show with silly plots that heavily parody Johnny Quest and other classic cartoons and such.

Anyways, I'll see if my brother has season 2 in his collection so I can borrow it, but if he doesn't then I'll have to find the set somewhere else (and hopefully I can get it for a cheap price in that case).

[gunswordfist]

I used to like this show....then it got too nasty. It hurts my brain watching past season 1.

[Daxdiv]

I just finished watching season 1. Overall I quite liked it. I'm not sure what to make of the ending, though. Was that scene supposed to be canon or did they retcon in out in season 2? I'm guessing that the creators didn't expect the show to last more than one season and had a kick by killing off the Venture Bros. at the end of season 1, but I suppose I'm taking it more seriously than I should since its mostly a ridiculous show with silly plots that heavily parody Johnny Quest and other classic cartoons and such.

There are some clues that hint that what happened at the end of Season One... happens a lot to Hank and Dean. One instance I remember was Dr. Venture talking about some process in the episode where Dean's "No-nos" hurt. But don't worry, I thought the same thing after watching those episodes the first time I watched Venture Bros on TV.

As for me, still a fan of this show. I like the special that aired recently and the song "Jackets" is stuck in my fucking head. I feel half tempted to get that shirt on AdultSwim.Com

[Spark Of Spirit]

I just finished watching season 1. Overall I quite liked it. I'm not sure what to make of the ending, though. Was that scene supposed to be canon or did they retcon in out in season 2? I'm guessing that the creators didn't expect the show to last more than one season and had a kick by killing off the Venture Bros. at the end of season 1, but I suppose I'm taking it more seriously than I should since its mostly a ridiculous show with silly plots that heavily parody Johnny Quest and other classic cartoons and such.

Anyways, I'll see if my brother has season 2 in his collection so I can borrow it, but if he doesn't then I'll have to find the set somewhere else (and hopefully I can get it for a cheap price in that case).

It gets explained, and it actually does make a lot of sense, but if you feel cheated then you can at least rest assured that its not something they rely on ever again after that moment.

Season 2 is satisfying enough for a continuation, I feel.

[Daikun]

Well, it's been three years and a couple of specials thrown in-between, but Season 5 FINALLY premieres tonight with a one-hour special.

And here's a recap of the first four seasons in 8 minutes.

[LumRanmaYasha]

This new season better be worth the wait. Season 4 was a step up from season 3, so let's hope season 5 will be just as good or better.

[GregX]

I seem to be the opposite on this show here. I love it, and I think the heavy continuity and mythology they built with actual character development made it so much better.

Out of all the "adult" cartoons there are, this is my favorite.