Things keep moving along at a breakneck pace, and in a rather surprising way. If you had told me a month ago that episode two would be Brock free, and episode three would find him relegated to a silent cameo in the opening scene, I might have been a little worried. I certainly wouldn’t have thought that I’d be pondering whether or not this is the best Venture Bros. has been. But that’s where we are. Between the Venture compound being mistaken for a religious cult, Dean’s introduction to prog-rock and big-boy science, and the deepening rift between Rusty and Hank, “Perchance To Dean” was another excellent outing.
If I was going to pick a favorite storyline from the episode, it would be Dean and his newly minted junior laboratory. Partly because of the reaction on his face when he convinced himself that he had created an evil clone, but mostly because it is such a good example of the attention to detail that sets the show apart. Rusty didn’t just introduce Dean to progressive rock, in general. He was specific about how such a delicate undertaking should be approached. Most people should start out easy, with Asia.
It got even better as he dropped Roger Dean‘s name as the greatest artist of our time. He kept it rolling by cautioning Dean against air-drums because “Bruford can change the timing so fast you could snap your wrist.” Even better, that nearly happened later. And best of all, “Oh my God! He’s in a Floyd Hole!” It’s all of those little things that give the show such a tremendous replay value. Every time you watch it, there is something new to be gained.
The D-19 story was awfully creepy, but made for a great backdrop. I always enjoy the flashbacks to the young Rusty, and it answered the question we forgot to ask: What did they do with all of those dead Hanks and Deans? D-19 has had a rough go of it, but Hank isn’t much better off at the moment. It appears the loss of Brock is taking its toll on Hank both emotionally and practically. Hank really needs Brock back just to keep Rusty in line.
You could see where Hank’s joyride, and D-19’s grave-robbing, were headed well before the collision actually happened, but it was still a treat to watch it all play out. Dermott’s overselling of his abilities — “And my pilot’s license is only good for a single engine” — is always funny, and he did have the funniest line of the night with, “Prison is like being grounded for life. Plus, instead of chores … butt-sex.”
It all finally came together in a raid of the compound that was something of a mash-up between the Branch Davidians and Heaven’s Gate. I dug the cop that kept threatening the Rusty decoy, and the sad end to D-19’s story as Rusty asked, “Who the hell was that?”
A few final good bits:
Clacked by Brett Love 
on Nov 03, 2009 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
