The Venture Bros./Eeny, Meeny, Miney... Magic

Eeny, Meeny, Miney... Magic
Season 1, Episode 5
Airdate	September 4, 2004
Production Number	104
Written by	Doc Hammer
Directed by	Jackson Publick
← 1x04 The Incredible Mr. Brisby	1x06 → Ghosts of the Sargasso
The Venture Bros. — Season One

Eeny, Meeny, Miney... Magic is the fifth episode of the first season of The Venture Bros., and the sixth episode overall.

Voice Talent: James Urbaniak (Dr. Venture), Michael Sinterniklaas (Dean Venture), Patrick Warburton (Brock Samson), Chris McCulloch (Hank Venture/Col.), Steven Rattazzi (Dr. Orpheus), Lisa Hammer (Triana Orpheus), Rachel Simon (Fantasy Mom), Doc Hammer (Tommy), Tom Vollette (Signer)

Uncredited: Mia Barron (Molotov Cocktease)

Plot Overview

Dr. Venture's newest invention has the entire family interested -- not to mention trapped inside. The Ventures' new neighbor, a master of mysticism, Dr. Orpheus, seems to be the only one that can help them escape. Meanwhile, Dean falls for Dr. Orpheus' teenage daughter Triana, and Brock falls for his old flame: Molotov Cocktease.

Notes

• We get to hear what is supposedly Hank and Dean's mom. Since this is a fantasy, it may not be the real voice of their mom, and she may not even exist.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Dr. Venture rents out one of his labs to a necromancer named Dr. Orpheus and his daughter Triana.

• Dr. Venture builds a new device called the "Joy Can" that brings a person's deepest desires to life. The device sucks in Brock, who becomes trapped inside. Hank and Dean try to rescue Brock, only to become trapped themselves. Dean manages to free everyone when he hears Triana's voice in the lab.

Characters

• Dr. Orpheus: Dr. Orpheus and his daughter Triana become permanent residents of the Venture Compound when they rent out the Venture reptile lab and convert it into living space. Dr. Venture raises his rent when Orpheus destroys the "Joy Can." Orpheus also mentions that his wife left him for a younger necromancer, leaving him with custody of Triana.

• Brock: Brock played college football but was kicked off the team and out of school for accidentally killing the deaf quarterback during practice.

• Dean: Dean mentions that he and Hank don't go to school. Instead they receive instruction in their sleep via an audio-suggestive learning device. He doesn't seem to like it much.

Referbacks

• Hank sees his dog Scamp inside the Joy Can. Scamp died sometime between the pilot and the first episode.

Trivia

Behind the Scenes

• During Brock's "Joy Can" fantasy, he talks to the football player that he accidentally killed who happens to be deaf. During this time, they have an actual deaf actor doing sign language to translate what the character is saying. However, because the dialogue is so fast, what he signs basically translates to "football dead." On the commentary, it's said that the actor was hired for $100 and he thought everything said by Doc Hammer was "where do you live?"

Allusions and References

• Night Stalker: Dr. Venture admonishes Dean by saying, "No more Night Stalker reruns for you." Kolchak: The Night Stalker was a 1974 television show about a newspaper reporter who investigates unusual crimes that often have a supernatural cause. In the first Night Stalker TV movie (which preceded the show), a serial killer turned out to be a vampire.

• In Through the Out Door: The tape that Hank pulls out of the box is In Through the Out Door, the last full studio album by the hard-rock band Led Zeppelin.

• Adam and the Ants: Triana says she was going for a retro style ala the late 1970's/early 1980's punk/pop band Adam and the Ants. After the unsuccessful release of their first album, they dressed as pirates as part of an image makeover.

• Burger King: When Dean is fantasizing about Triana, he is wearing a paper crown with a hamburger printed on it. Burger King is a fast-food restaurant that sometimes hands out similar paper crowns to children that have the Burger King logo printed on them.

• David Koresh: When Dean asks Triana if he'll see her around the compound, she asks if he thinks he's David Koresh. David Koresh was the leader of the Branch Davidians, a religious cult with a ranch in Waco, Texas. The ranch was raided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in 1993, resulting in the deaths of several agents and eighty of the church members, including Koresh.