The Venture Bros./20 Years to Midnight

20 Years to Midnight
Season 2, Episode 5
Airdate	August 6, 2006
Written by	Jackson Publick
Directed by	Jackson Publick
← 2x04 Escape to the House of Mummies Part II	2x06 → Victor. Echo. November.
The Venture Bros. — Season Two

20 Years to Midnight is the fifth episode of the second season of The Venture Bros., and the twentieth episode overall. The Venture Family finds an old message left behind by Dr. Jonas Venture Sr., sending them on a quest across the world to reassemble his greatest invention.

Voice Talent: James Urbaniak (Dr. Venture/Dr. Jonas Venture Jr./Young Rusty), Patrick Warburton (Brock Samson), Michael Sinterniklaas (Dean Venture), Chris McCulloch (Hank Venture/Pirate Captain/The Grand Inquisitor/Ned/Colonel Gentleman), Stephen Colbert (Professor Impossible), Mia Barron (Sally Impossible/Jonas, Jr.'s Ibezan Houseguest), Paul Boocock (Dr. Jonas Venture Sr./Alien/Subway Bum/Taxi Driver/Voice of Impossible Computer), Brendon Small (Jonny Quest), Doc Hammer (Impossible Security Guard)

Plot Overview

A tall robot-like creature lands near the Venture Compound and heads down to the building where it spots Dr. Venture. Meanwhile, Brock is vacuuming in the study, where he finds an old box under a table. Inside the box is a variety of items, including one of Rusty's old t-shirts, a sweater vest, and a recorded message from Dr. Jonas Venture.

In the video, Dr. Jonas Venture explains that he received a message from outer space about his latest (and greatest) invention, instructing him to dismantle it for the time being. The invention was to be activated once, on May 4 of T.S.'s 44th year. Brock points out that date is tomorrow. T.S. sees that they have to go to Spider-Skull Island for the first piece of the machine. They all turn around to see the giant robot standing outside. It introduces itself as the Grand Galactic Inquisitor and tells them it is here to observe them, and that they should ignore its presence.

On board the X-1, Hank and Dean continue to look through the box. T.S. plans to sneak into the lab on Spider-Skull Island and take the piece without contacting his brother, but he walks in on Jonas Jr. and a girl. On board the X-2, Brock and the boys find the ghost pirate they met in Ghosts of the Sargasso. He's been living on the boat since they rescued him, and Jonas Jr. made him captain of the X-2.

T.S. shows his brother the tape, and J.J. ends up taking charge, splitting up the group into three so they can gather the pieces more quickly. J.J. and the captain head to Quest Bell One underwater. The man in charge there has gone insane, and threats them with a gun. The captain notices scattered drug vials and tells "Mr. Quest" that J.J. can write a prescription for anything he wants since he's a doctor.

Hank and Dean visit Colonel Horace Gentleman, only to find him dead in bed. They look through his diaries to find nothing useful, but Hank locates the missing piece when messing around with the colonel's cane.

T.S. and Brock head to Impossible Industries to pick up the last piece, buried in the foundation of the building (which used to be Venture Industries). T.S. sets up a meeting with Sally Impossible, using her crush on him as leverage. Her brother Ned goes to the park with her baby boy Rocket, where Hank and Dean are waiting with the X-1. Professor Impossible's men knock out Ned, and take the boys hostage, while baby Rocket wanders away.

When Sally leads T.S. and Brock into the building, they are captured by Professor Impossible. He also has J.J. tied up. J.J contacts HELPeR, who disables the restraints on the Ventures. Sally is upset at her husband, mostly because he doesn't seem to care that their son is missing. Outside, the Grand Galactic Inquisitor leaves the X-1 and runs into Rocket.

Now freed, the Ventures attack Prof. Impossible and pin him to the wall, and he retaliates by blowing himself up like a balloon, knocking everyone out of the room. They all grab onto the professor, and when bouncing down into the subway, tie him to a passing V train. When the handle they tied him to breaks off, it snaps back and hits Professor Impossible in the face, knocking him out.

The device lands safely on the street, and Brock's watch goes off, indicating it's time for whatever is supposed to happen. The Grand Galactic Inquisitor arrives in a cab with Rocket, announcing it is time for judgment. The device activates, opening a portal through which Jonas Sr. steps. He pulls out a gun and shoots the Grand Galactic Inquisitor. He turns to leave, but T.S. begs him to stay. Confronted with an awkward moment between him and his two sons, "Jonas Sr." admits he's not really Jonas Sr. He's an alien sent to kill the Grand Galactic Inquisitor before he destroyed all life. T.S. calls him several nasty names, to which the alien shows his true face and chews them out for being ungrateful. The alien steps back through the portal, and the device disappears completely.

Sally approaches J.J., and the two are attracted to each other. T.S. wants to get out of there, but Brock is being freaked out by what they did to Professor Impossible.

Notes

• This episode takes place on May 3 and May 4.

• Impossible Industries in New York City was once the location of Venture Industries' world headquarters. The building appears to be located above the subway station at 53rd Street and 5th Avenue.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• T.S. Venture finds a message from his father, instructing him to gather the pieces of and reassemble his father's greatest invention, bringing it to New York City. It turns out to be some sort of portal, though which a replica of his father appears. The replica shoots the robot that was following T.S. the entire episode.

• The Venture Family encounters the Impossible Family again. Sally still has a crush on T.S., who still doesn't return her feelings. J.J. is receptive to her advances, though.

Characters

• T.S. Venture: When Dr. Venture was a kid, he told his father he wanted to make videos. From that point, his father showered him with cameras and other related items every holiday.

• T.S. continues to have weird dreams involving his brother. This time, he is being flown like a kite via an umbilical cord extending from his father.

• Hank Venture: Hank admits he really isn't into neckerchiefs. Dean says he wears them well, though.

• Jonas Venture Jr.: Jonas continues to outshine his brother, being invited to the Fiesta Scientifico when his brother was not. He's also built a new plane, the X-X-1.

• Colonel Horace Gentleman: Hank and Dean discover his corpse at his home. Looking through his diaries, they find lots of pointless lists such as "Toys Colonel Gentleman Wishes He Had When He Was a Lad But They Weren't Invented Yet" and "Good Names for an Imaginary Friend."

• Sally Impossible: The Impossible Family has relocated to New York City, where Sally is now the mother of a baby boy named Rocket.

Referbacks

• 1x06 - Ghosts of the Sargasso: The ghost pirate captain never left the X-2 after the Ventures gave him a ride back. He was still there when J.J. inherited the boat and Spider-Skull Island, so J.J. made him captain of the X-2.
• 1x07 - Ice Station - Impossible!: Sally has given birth to a baby boy named Rocket. Her husband hasn't improved much at all, and also still remembers how bad of a student T.S. was (particularly his physics grade). Sally still has a crush on T.S. Venture.

Trivia

Behind the Scenes

• In her previous appearance, Sally Impossible's ears did not turn invisible with the rest of her face, presumably due to an animation error. The error has been corrected in this episode.

Allusions and References

• Ladysmith Black Mambazo:
• Herculoids:
• Jesus Jones:
• Jonny Quest:
• Micronauts:
• Scooby Doo Monster Game:
• Witch Witch:
• Star Wars:
• Stay Alive:
• Fantastic Four:

Quotes

The Grand Galactic Inquisitor: IGNORE ME!