The Venture Bros./Hate Floats

Hate Floats
Season 2, Episode 2
Airdate	July 2, 2006
Production Number	206
Written by	Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick
Directed by	Jackson Publick
← 2x01 Powerless in the Face of Death	2x03 → Assassinanny 911
The Venture Bros. — Season Two

Hate Floats is the second episode of the second season of The Venture Bros., and the seventeenth episode overall. The Monarch's plan to get Dr. Girlfriend back goes horribly awry.

Voice Talent: James Urbaniak (Dr. Venture/The Phantom Limb), Patrick Warburton (Brock Samson), Chris McCulloch (Hank Venture/The Monarch/Henchman 24/Thug Henchmen/Saleslady), Michael Sinterniklaas (Dean Venture), Doc Hammer (Dr. Girlfriend/Henchman 21/Wailing Thugs), Paul Boocock (Voice of Jonas Venture Sr.)

Plot Overview

Gary (aka Henchman 21) is living at home with his mother, when he gets a call from the Monarch. The Monarch summons both 21 and 24 back to the destroyed cocoon, with expectations that when he gets out what's left of the shower, everything will be up to spec — the cocoon, the roster of henchmen, and so forth. Henchmen 21 and 24 head out right away.

Dr. Venture and Brock wake up Hank and Dean to celebrate their 16th birthday. When Brock hands them their IDs, Hank points out that the year on it doesn't match up with how old he should be. Dr. Venture tells him to drop it.

Henchman 21 and 24 head to a lower-class neighborhood and manage to recruit a couple of street toughs as new henchmen, and even get the cocoon running again. Unfortunately, these new henchmen aren't too keen on listening to Henchman 21 and 24... or the Monarch.

Dr. Venture takes Dean to the mall to get his first speedsuit (aka jumpsuit), while Brock picks up other supplies with Hank. The Monarch and his henchmen are at the mall too, because they're following Dr. Girlfriend and Phantom Limb. Phantom Limb is going on-and-on about a dinner party, though Dr. Girlfriend makes it clear that she doesn't care. Hank bumps into Henchman 24, who calls the Monarch. Unfortunately, he interrupts a conversation between Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend. The Monarch tries to tell Dr. Girlfriend that he misses her and loves her, but she says he cares about getting Dr. Venture more, and her point is proven when the Monarch orders Henchman 24 to move in on the Venture Family.

The Monarch ends up tranquilizing Dr. Girlfriend, and tries to fly off with her before the Phantom Limb can catch him. The henchmen move in on the Venture Family, with Hank and Dean ending up in a pile at the bottom of the escalator, Dr. Venture having his eye knocked out of its socket, and Brock getting shot. The Monarch accidentally drops Dr. Girlfriend, who lands on the boys. The Monarch retreats with the henchmen, who grab Dr. Venture as well. The Phantom Limb spots Brock bleeding on the floor.

The Phantom Limb takes Brock back to the Guild of Calamitous Intent's Location B, having patched up Brock's wounds. He informs Brock that the Monarch committed a number of infractions, including kidnapping the entire Venture Family. Phantom Limb wants to team up with Brock, because this incident puts his career with the Guild at risk.

Dr. Girlfriend drags the boys to Brock's car, which she hotwires and then makes Hank drive. Dean is convinced that the reason she seems to know so much about them is because she's their mother.

Back at the cocoon, the Monarch berates the new henchmen for using guns and tries to confiscate them, but all that results is that he, Henchmen 21 and 24, and Dr. Venture get locked up in a cell. Henchman 21 suggests escaping into his room above, where he has a personal stash of weapons. Unfortunately, that personal stash ends up being a variety of toys and props from 21's favorite comics and movies, like a sword from Lord of the Rings.

Brock and Phantom Limb head to the cocoon, where they take out all of the new henchmen with no problems, and Brock even compliments the Limb's neck cannon. When they finish, Brock's car comes crashing into the cocoon, Brock is reunited with the boys, and Phantom Limb embraces Dr. Girlfriend. They overhear something in the next room, and attack the first thing that emerges through the door. Which is of course, the Monarch.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• The Monarch returns to the cocoon, and summons back Henchmen 21 and 24. The two henchmen fix the cocoon and bring in a bunch of new recruits, who end up being more than the Monarch can handle. During a botched attempt to kidnap Dr. Girlfriend, they shoot Brock and kidnap Dr. Venture.

• Phantom Limb saves Brock and teams up with him to infiltrate the cocoon and save Dr. Girlfriend and the Venture Family. They take out the henchmen and find out that Dr. Girlfriend, Hank, and Dean weren't taken to the cocoon anyway.

• The Monarch, Henchman 21, Henchman 24, and Dr. Venture team up to stop the gangster henchmen, but all that really happens is that the Monarch gets shot by Phantom Limb.

Characters

• Hank and Dean Venture: The brothers are finally revived. Dr. Venture and Brock tell them its their 16th birthday, but Hank notices that the dates don't add up. Dr. Venture also ends their re-education process early in reviving them, leading to some possible gaps in their memory (which could be why they seem to lack any memories that might indicate they were older than 16, but it could also be that the cloning process just takes up enough time that it's added up to years). The gaps in their memory are most evident when the boys run into Dr. Girlfriend and don't remember her at all, despite meeting her in 1x01, 1x09, and 1x12.

• Phantom Limb: He used to work for the government as a scientist. One of his projects was a muscle-growth accelerator. He turned to evil when one of his experiments went horribly wrong, which is also the cause of his deformity and powers.

• Phantom Limb pulls the following objects out of Brock:

1. the henchman's bullet
2. three other bullets
3. a blow gun dart
4. two shark's teeth
5. the tip of a bayonet
6. a twisted paper clip
7. a medium handful of buckshot

• Guild of Calamitous Intent: Phantom Limb also mentions that the Monarch is "operating in full-costumed aggression without a guild license" and that "his henchmen are using level 5 weapons for a level 1 threat." This just adds to the list of grievances that the Guild has against the Monarch.

Referbacks

• 1x13 - Return to Spider-Skull Island: The Monarch is a bit displeased to find his cocoon headquarters destroyed, even though he ordered Henchmen 21 and 24 to do it, a fact which they remind him of when he complains.

• 1x11 - Tag Sale - You're IT!: This isn't the first time Dr. Girlfriend's femininity has been questioned. Billy Quizboy and Pete White had a discussion about it after seeing her at the yard sale.

Trivia

References & Allusions

• Hope Floats:
• Best Western:
• Mary Lou Retton:
• Butterfly Kisses:
• Duffy Moon:
• Superman:
• Scully and Mulder:
• Hulk hands:
• Magneto helmet:
• Lord of the Rings:
• Magic the Gathering: