This weekend's episode of VB was the best one in the show ever.

[SwimModSponges]

This whole three-part season finale/premiere... hot damn, just... hot damn.

[rpgamer]

I try not to follow any information on things like this. Is it really just 3 new episodes we're getting? Or just a 3 part lead-in to the rest of the season?

Suppose I can't/shouldn't really expect it to get very far if they don't really know where they want to go with the story as a whole.

[katt_goddess]

33 minutes ago, rpgamer said:

I try not to follow any information on things like this. Is it really just 3 new episodes we're getting? Or just a 3 part lead-in to the rest of the season?

Suppose I can't/shouldn't really expect it to get very far if they don't really know where they want to go with the story as a whole.

This is a 3-parter that starts season 7. Normally Doc and Jackson don't do multiparters except as seasonal finales [those tend to be pretty thick with stuff that make it go beyond a single episode] . Season 7 and 8 were worked on back-to-back so I'm guessing the doodle book timelines are all sorts of weird. The Morpho Trilogy is trying to clear up some things and open up other things. 

[SwimModSponges]

Its sooooo goooood.

Tell them i love it- you have connections, right?

Tell them i love it.

[katt_goddess]

I'll add that to my list.

[rpgamer]

5 hours ago, katt_goddess said:

This is a 3-parter that starts season 7. Normally Doc and Jackson don't do multiparters except as seasonal finales [those tend to be pretty thick with stuff that make it go beyond a single episode] . Season 7 and 8 were worked on back-to-back so I'm guessing the doodle book timelines are all sorts of weird. The Morpho Trilogy is trying to clear up some things and open up other things. 

Yeah, that's about what I was feeling from it. Loving all the connections and twists.

Kinda curious if they had this planned since Dr. Dugong, but I suspect they more crafted WW with that plot element in mind to lead to this point.

[rpgamer]

There were.. so many twists to all of this, I'm pretty sure I've got whiplash.

One thing I'm not quite sure on is whether we were supposed to recognize the house that Al was trying to interest Orpheus in. Either it's supposed to be a reference or some new hidden gold mine of history or they just needed to write in a reason for the Triad to move closer to everyone else.

I know it's been a while since they've all resided at the old compound by now, but it's kinda just hitting me how... they've all moved so far along now, it feels a bit sad/funny that we'll never see that old mass grave again.

And yet, somehow, after moving into a brand new facility, Venture Sr. still finds a way to make everyone's lives hell from beyond the grave that he was apparently never buried in.

I don't really know where I was going with that. Just thinking about how a lot of the old problems were just messes left behind or poorly managed, and even with a fresh start, the Venture legacy continues to taint everything it touches.

[katt_goddess]

12 hours ago, rpgamer said:

There were.. so many twists to all of this, I'm pretty sure I've got whiplash.

One thing I'm not quite sure on is whether we were supposed to recognize the house that Al was trying to interest Orpheus in. Either it's supposed to be a reference or some new hidden gold mine of history or they just needed to write in a reason for the Triad to move closer to everyone else.

I know it's been a while since they've all resided at the old compound by now, but it's kinda just hitting me how... they've all moved so far along now, it feels a bit sad/funny that we'll never see that old mass grave again.

And yet, somehow, after moving into a brand new facility, Venture Sr. still finds a way to make everyone's lives hell from beyond the grave that he was apparently never buried in.

I don't really know where I was going with that. Just thinking about how a lot of the old problems were just messes left behind or poorly managed, and even with a fresh start, the Venture legacy continues to taint everything it touches.

The house they were looking at is a reference to Dr. Strange's house from the Marvel universe. Hence the 'It even has one of those Dr. Strange windows' comment to really bring it in. If there was anything in all of New York that would be the place for the Order of the Triad to move to [and out of the flea-bag motel they were currently in] , it would be something like that. 

[rpgamer]

Aha. Don't keep up with movies, so that was lost on me. Just chalked it up as a generic "magic man" comment ("The window is fancy and looks magical"), didn't expect it to be an explicit reference.

[katt_goddess]

21 hours ago, rpgamer said:

Aha. Don't keep up with movies, so that was lost on me. Just chalked it up as a generic "magic man" comment ("The window is fancy and looks magical"), didn't expect it to be an explicit reference.

Don't ever admit to not being a nerd around them. It could get messy.

I don't think there's a single episode that doesn't have some nerd reference in there, even if subtly. I for one am wondering if Hank as The Bat makes a reappearance at some point since he is in a big city now and there's costumed heroes running all over the place already. 

[rpgamer]

I loved this week's throwback to the Jacket music video. Plus just being back at the compound. Had the weirdest feeling it was going to come up again.

But I may need to rewatch all the Helper scenes after that final reveal. Although I think all it really meant was that Rusty wasn't exactly original with his cloning kids idea.

[katt_goddess]

Doc Hammer was unable to attend the Con so all personal messages for him went undelivered.

Too much work still ongoing and he can't fly anywhere so travel time was considered too extensive. 

[rpgamer]

Mark fucking Hamill.

[katt_goddess]

15 hours ago, rpgamer said:

Mark fucking Hamill.

I've been sitting on this forever!

He's always a Joker. Always.

[SwimModSponges]

So this episode wasn't one of the greatest this season, but still pretty good.

Any thoughts on who the dude in the bear suit is?

[katt_goddess]

6 hours ago, SwimModSponges said:

So this episode wasn't one of the greatest this season, but still pretty good.

Any thoughts on who the dude in the bear suit is?

Scare Bear is back?

I haven't watched this episode yet [I watch it on the tv just like an Amish] but maybe I'll be able to post a general theory of it once I've actually seen things play out. I do know he's got a long time attachment to the Venture family because he keeps coming back. 

[SwimModSponges]

Lots of folks apparently think it might be the brown widow- I am 100% against that theory.

More spoilery thoughts:

Spoiler

Love triangle- ehhhh. Lotta people mad at Dean on this one, lotta people think one of the brothers goes supervillain over this. I really don't see it. Really, not honestly a big thing... I don't know, the relationship has really been a super-background thing IMO with all the other stuff... Hank clearly couldn't handle her anyways, Dean could use some relaxation. I don't think the whole hookup is especially serious. Also, the brothers making snow angels in   the commercials kind of leads me to believe this whole thing blows right over. Maybe they get some DP action going on, who knows.

That was an anticlimactic end to the Peril Partnership. Kill one dude, check. Also, why are Malcolm and Gary getting all the important guild missions? Where are all the other villains? 

Time traveling Doc and Billy- ok I need to know what's up with that one.

The double cross of the OSI after the credits... I don't get it. I mean, I know that's what they do, but she was in the Guild HQ already, why not just say "Oh, he's in here," and just lock her in. To turn the knife? Eh.

 

Edited September 30, 2018 by SwimModSponges

[rpgamer]

The highlight of the episode was definitely Hank concussing himself.

[katt_goddess]

On ‎9‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 10:28 PM, SwimModSponges said:

Lots of folks apparently think it might be the brown widow- I am 100% against that theory.

More spoilery thoughts:

  Hide contents

Love triangle- ehhhh. Lotta people mad at Dean on this one, lotta people think one of the brothers goes supervillain over this. I really don't see it. Really, not honestly a big thing... I don't know, the relationship has really been a super-background thing IMO with all the other stuff... Hank clearly couldn't handle her anyways, Dean could use some relaxation. I don't think the whole hookup is especially serious. Also, the brothers making snow angels in   the commercials kind of leads me to believe this whole thing blows right over. Maybe they get some DP action going on, who knows.

That was an anticlimactic end to the Peril Partnership. Kill one dude, check. Also, why are Malcolm and Gary getting all the important guild missions? Where are all the other villains? 

Time traveling Doc and Billy- ok I need to know what's up with that one.

The double cross of the OSI after the credits... I don't get it. I mean, I know that's what they do, but she was in the Guild HQ already, why not just say "Oh, he's in here," and just lock her in. To turn the knife? Eh.

 

OK, now that I've seen it aired and slept and went to work and went shopping and came back here, time to post random thoughts of random!

Non-spoiler hypothesis time for ye old Scare Bear.

It is definitely not Brown Widow [or even Brock or Shore Leave running around for that matter] . Under the circumstances, all three of those would have gone to the hospital regardless of whatever role they might be playing. Long shots to the title would be the return of Sasquatch [non-verbal, large, understands and cares for humans but would need a costume of some kind in order to walk around - why not a murder bear creature in a city full of heroes and villains? ] , Ben 'Potter' who would have enough medical knowledge to know if trekking all over the place in the cold would be a good or bad thing, or Teddy - Dunwich Asylum inmate / burn victim / voice of 'teddy ruxpin' in the Venture-verse [teddy bear costume after all and he wouldn't be able to speak because his voice IS 'Teddy Ruxpin' and an instant giveaway] . I say long shots because while they are all possibilities [Teddy especially] , I think it's someone else that's been floating around in the background of almost every NY episode.

I think Scare Bear is the Venture-verse's version of Rorschach. Which means he's the weird looking dude wandering around, often wearing a tinfoil hat and a 'Freakazoid' ripe-off t-shirt. He would know everything that is going on and be unnoticeable by most people because he's just another homeless guy. Rorschach had a 'day job' as a sidewalk doomsday weirdo and a 'night job' as a super hero which he felt was his true self. So my vote is that Scare Bear is the 'true self' of the weird homeless guy.

Next - the boys aren't making snow angels. They are making Snow Monarch Butterflies. The  bottom legs aren't connecting and if you look closely there are crown imprints above their heads. I don't think it's anymore than a punny thing done for the episode pimps. 

Semi-spoiler time just to be safe

Spoiler

I don't think Hank is going to go super villain for this but he will probably have his own depressive period similar to what Dean went through when he found out about being a clone. I am thinking that he might go off on his own for a bit or at least attempt to. Outside chance he ends up hanging out with Gary as a henchman-in-training but not seriously, more like someone looking for a big brother with a shoulder to cry on. 

I don't think the Peril Partnership is gone-gone. Just the branch of it that was pushing into the US / Guild territory. A nip-it-in-the-bud thing. Plus, I think Wide Wale is a bigger deal with PP than people might think. Monarch and Gary getting the 'important' missions isn't quite the sweet deal it sounds like. I'm guessing they are getting these types of missions because if they screw up, the Guild has deniable plausibility if things go south - the Monarch has killed before after all and he's low enough on the lists to skate certain things while his wife is high enough on the lists that she could have info that he just so happened to get into on his own. 

I really want to believe that Grover Cleveland's time machine with Doc and Billy is a Doctor Who reference. Peter Capaldi's main companion was named Billy after all. This might really just be one of those one off things where all the adventure already happened off screen and we'll never actually see any of it. I'm just partial to the possibility of it being a deliberate Doctor Who reference because whovian.

I didn't see it as a double cross. He doesn't remember her at all, he's back to being a complete Stranger for the Guild and reacted as such - by taking hold of an OSI agent found in the Guild HQ. She wanted to see him at least one last time and was given that option. She'll probably be released with nothing worse than a broken heart. 

 

[SwimModSponges]

11 minutes ago, katt_goddess said:

OK, now that I've seen it aired and slept and went to work and went shopping and came back here, time to post random thoughts of random!

Non-spoiler hypothesis time for ye old Scare Bear.

It is definitely not Brown Widow [or even Brock or Shore Leave running around for that matter] . Under the circumstances, all three of those would have gone to the hospital regardless of whatever role they might be playing. Long shots to the title would be the return of Sasquatch [non-verbal, large, understands and cares for humans but would need a costume of some kind in order to walk around - why not a murder bear creature in a city full of heroes and villains? ] , Ben 'Potter' who would have enough medical knowledge to know if trekking all over the place in the cold would be a good or bad thing, or Teddy - Dunwich Asylum inmate / burn victim / voice of 'teddy ruxpin' in the Venture-verse [teddy bear costume after all and he wouldn't be able to speak because his voice IS 'Teddy Ruxpin' and an instant giveaway] . I say long shots because while they are all possibilities [Teddy especially] , I think it's someone else that's been floating around in the background of almost every NY episode.

Interesting theory. Way better than mine- I was thinking it could be some relative of Dr. Henry Killinger and the Investors. Oh wait- just popped into my head- Baron Von Ünderbheit???? No, probably not.

I think Scare Bear is the Venture-verse's version of Rorschach. Which means he's the weird looking dude wandering around, often wearing a tinfoil hat and a 'Freakazoid' ripe-off t-shirt. He would know everything that is going on and be unnoticeable by most people because he's just another homeless guy. Rorschach had a 'day job' as a sidewalk doomsday weirdo and a 'night job' as a super hero which he felt was his true self. So my vote is that Scare Bear is the 'true self' of the weird homeless guy.

Next - the boys aren't making snow angels. They are making Snow Monarch Butterflies. The  bottom legs aren't connecting and if you look closely there are crown imprints above their heads. I don't think it's anymore than a punny thing done for the episode pimps. 

Holy balls, never noticed that. Maybe more forshadowing?

Semi-spoiler time just to be safe

  Hide contents

I don't think Hank is going to go super villain for this but he will probably have his own depressive period similar to what Dean went through when he found out about being a clone. I am thinking that he might go off on his own for a bit or at least attempt to. Outside chance he ends up hanging out with Gary as a henchman-in-training but not seriously, more like someone looking for a big brother with a shoulder to cry on. 

I bet that's where his character arc is headed.

I don't think the Peril Partnership is gone-gone. Just the branch of it that was pushing into the US / Guild territory. A nip-it-in-the-bud thing. Plus, I think Wide Wale is a bigger deal with PP than people might think. Monarch and Gary getting the 'important' missions isn't quite the sweet deal it sounds like. I'm guessing they are getting these types of missions because if they screw up, the Guild has deniable plausibility if things go south - the Monarch has killed before after all and he's low enough on the lists to skate certain things while his wife is high enough on the lists that she could have info that he just so happened to get into on his own. 

I really want to believe that Grover Cleveland's time machine with Doc and Billy is a Doctor Who reference. Peter Capaldi's main companion was named Billy after all. This might really just be one of those one off things where all the adventure already happened off screen and we'll never actually see any of it. I'm just partial to the possibility of it being a deliberate Doctor Who reference because whovian.

I didn't see it as a double cross. He doesn't remember her at all, he's back to being a complete Stranger for the Guild and reacted as such - by taking hold of an OSI agent found in the Guild HQ. She wanted to see him at least one last time and was given that option. She'll probably be released with nothing worse than a broken heart. 

Oh wow, I didn't think of it like that... damn, that is sad.

 

 

[PokeNirvash]

My theory concerning S-464 and Kimberly McManus:

Spoiler

The amnesia is all a lie. He's pretending to have no memory of her as part of a ploy to escape with her during her transfer to imprisonment by the Guild, thus being free of the Guild-PP relationship and having the chance to be together with her without issue. He was willing to betray the Guild once for her, what with the weather machine, so betraying them again for potential freedom wouldn't be out of the question for him. Plus Dr. Mrs. was more than willing to help him get back with her the first time, and was the only one to have hinted at his "amnesia" before the reveal, so it's entirely possible that she's in on the whole thing.

It's not exactly a solid theory, partly because I suck at explaining things while crunched for time, and even then, it's probably flimsy in the context of S-464's predicted actions as he could've done something smarter than that. But, for the former, I tried my best, and for the latter, sometimes the less sensible option is the one with the greatest chance of success. A little something I like to call, "saving the whiskey".

 

 

 

[SwimModSponges]

That is a great theory.

[SwimModSponges]

Season finale already.

Goddamn.

Went too fast.

[rpgamer]

So, I meant to post this earlier in the week or something, a thought I had related to that whole Hank possibly henching theory or whatever. Sponges was pretty much on the nose already, but the thought I had was, as much as Hank idolizes Batman, I knew he'd never go down that road.

But seems like pretty much all the theories came together pretty well. Everything just sorta blew over, and Hank is hitting his own "finding himself" part of life.

Overall, almost a bit disappointing, with no real big twists or cliffhangers. The big family secret is out in the open (maybe). The Monarch and the Guild seem to be back to the status quo. Like, all I can really think of for the future is just how this makes a decent end point, wrap up some loose threads, start in on the next saga if it's going to keep going. Hank's deal is still a little up in the air, but otherwise?

[NaBarney]

10 hours ago, rpgamer said:

Hank is hitting his own "finding himself" part of life.

Specifically, he's back on his finding his mom bullshit 

[katt_goddess]

14 hours ago, rpgamer said:

So, I meant to post this earlier in the week or something, a thought I had related to that whole Hank possibly henching theory or whatever. Sponges was pretty much on the nose already, but the thought I had was, as much as Hank idolizes Batman, I knew he'd never go down that road.

But seems like pretty much all the theories came together pretty well. Everything just sorta blew over, and Hank is hitting his own "finding himself" part of life.

Overall, almost a bit disappointing, with no real big twists or cliffhangers. The big family secret is out in the open (maybe). The Monarch and the Guild seem to be back to the status quo. Like, all I can really think of for the future is just how this makes a decent end point, wrap up some loose threads, start in on the next saga if it's going to keep going. Hank's deal is still a little up in the air, but otherwise?

Actually, Hank ending up doing henchman training is not entirely out of bounds. He gets along with Gary and Gary seems pretty fond of him too in a big brother kind of way. Plus, Wayne studied fighting styles with Ra's Al Ghul so if Hank is really going to go Batman, he won't have any problem learning henching. It's still Batman. He's also had Brock training since forever because he loves it so he might end up working in one of those dojos the Monarch and Gary were checking out earlier which again would lead to being picked up. 

Another thing for him to process is that huge list of things Dean wrote for him. The last time that list was seen was spread out on Hank's comatose body and Dean might have just left them there when he fell asleep. Hank might have taken that list with him. 

This was a definite ender episode for several arches. But a starter as well. The Monarch and his official #2 are Guild recognized level 10s which means he's back on list to officially arch Dr. Venture. There's all the processing of them now knowing they are related and the various lies they were each raised with. Hank is missing [did his dad chip Hank like Jonas used to do with him?... ] . Wide Wale refused being a member of the Guild council so now he's running as a free agent once more [and P.P. is not gone - that nutbar couldn't have caused Wide Wale enough panic to make him pay protection money, not by a long shot] . Plus Dean being involved with Serena is another tie to Wide Wale. 

And now the waiting begins again...

[katt_goddess]

NEW FIGURES ARE OUT, BEYOTCHES!

First box I opened and it's the one I was ready to kill for.

There's also Dr. Girlfriend in her pink outfit and Phantom Limb. Dr. Girlfriend is a rare.