Recap / The Venture Bros S 4 E 16 Operation PROM

Episode - Season 4, Episode 16 (Production Code: 4-55)

First Aired - November 21, 2010

Dr. Venture has recruited Brock, Sgt. Hatred, Pete White, Billy Quizboy, Dr. Orpheus, the Alchemist, and Jefferson Twilight for a critical mission: giving Hank and Dean "the best homeschool prom $500 can buy!" Brock, using a limo confiscated during a SPHINX operation, will transport the boys and their dates. Sgt. Hatred is in charge of security. Pete is in charge of the music while Billy is serving as Venture's assistant. Orpheus is in charge of refreshments, Al is in charge of decorations, and Twilight is the...custodian. (Much to his dismay.) Venture calls to order a group of prostitutes ("escorts") for the event.

As the group breaks to perform their assigned tasks, Hatred is alerted to an intruder on the compound. It turns out to be Henchman #21, there to bury the skull of the deceased Henchman #24, unable to tolerate 24's constant presence. Hatred, from the roof of one building, and Shoreleave, from the roof of SPHINX headquarters, bicker about who is running security and then which of them is the better shot. They decide to hold a competition, shooting off parts of 21's gear while 21 has no idea what is going on. Finally, Hatred accidentally shoots 21 in the chest.

Brock drives Hank and Dean in his limo to pick up their dates. Dean is having pictures taken with Triana Orpheus where she lives with her mother and the Outrider. Triana is going with Dean to the prom "as a friend," when her new boyfriend, Raven — a handsome young man on forearm crutches — arrives to see her off. Dean immediately begins acting jealous and combative. Hank tries to pick up middle-aged female postal carrier who delivers mail to the compound, but she refuses. He also tries and fails to bring the Quymn sisters. Finally, they pass by Dermott who is stranded on the side of the road with his minibike refusing to start. He agrees to go along to perform as "Shallow Gravy," his band with Hank and H.E.L.P.eR.

21 wakes up in the SPHINX headquarters under the care of Shoreleave, his chest badly bruised from where Hatred shot him (his armor saving his life.) He notices the unconscious body of Monstroso, whose disappearance has the Guild in an uproar. Shoreleave explains that they are playing a "shell game" with several dummy Monstrosos as a bargaining ploy with the O.S.I. Shoreleave plans to erase 21's memory, but the intruder alarm interrupts him. The SPHINX HQ is lightly manned as the rest of the team is off on the O.S.I. mission, so Shoreleave invites 21 to join him in taking out the intruders.

Col. Gathers, Sky Pilot, and the rest of the SPHINX crew are aboard the giant Sphinx Jet with another Monstroso. They are heading to the O.S.I. headquarters to negotiate their turning Monstroso over to O.S.I. custody. When they arrive at the O.S.I. helicarrier, Gathers is escorted by agents Doe and Cardholder to the office of General Treister. There, Gathers explains that he will turn over Monstroso for full clemency for each SPHINX agent. Treister forces Gathers to "wrastle" him, relenting when the colonel manages to pin him. Afterward, Gathers mentions that they injected Monstroso with truth serum and he revealed that the Guild has several moles within the O.S.I. Upon hearing this, Treister begins convulsing in rage and passes out just as Cardholder and Doe enter the room with guns drawn. Gathers is knocked out in the commotion and wakes up in Treister's destroyed office. He goes into the hallway to find Treister encased in hard foam, with his clothes torn. Treister explains that he is actually "a Hulk."

The intruders at the Venture compound turned out to be the "Associates," Monstroso's henchmen. The Alchemist has accidentally gotten mixed up with them, believing them to be prom guests. The small SPHINX team and 21 make short work of the Associates, and Al invites Shoreleave to the prom as his guest. Shortly after, Brock arrives with the boys and their guests. Hank invites 21 to the prom, but Brock makes him promise "not to do anything stupid."

At the Cocoon, the Monarch enters 21's room to see the Moppets in the act of checking names off of 21's list of suspected 24 murderers. He learns from them that 21 has gone to the Venture compound and incorrectly assumes that 21 is there on an undercover mission. He and Dr. Mrs. the Monarch make their way to the compound to see what he has planned.

The prom is going poorly. Dr. Venture attempts to seduce one of the prostitutes he hired by offering her a "Rusty Venture," to which she replies by slapping him and walking away. The Alchemist and Shoreleave overhear and explain that a "Rusty Venture" is a horrific sex act originating in the gay community in the 1980s, though they disagree on the exact nature of the act. They call Col. Gentleman and Watch & Ward, who all give conflicting explanations for it as well. They eventually ask Triana, who read about it on Urban Dictionary. Dean mistakenly believes that it is an act she performs with Raven and flies into a rage. Triana leaves the prom upset.

The Monarch and his wife are flying the Monarchmobile through the tunnels beneath the compound. They eventually get inside but are stopped by Sgt. Hatred. They planned to use Princess Tinyfeet, Hatred's ex-wife, as a hostage but discover that she is a major bondage fetishist. They hand her over to Hatred, who is now distracted enough to let the Monarch and Dr. Mrs. the Monarch into the party.

Hank and Dermott, after performing a song as Shallow Gravy, plot with Dean to help him get Triana back. The three leave to carry out their plan. Meanwhile, Dr. Venture is in his lab with Billy mixing up a concoction of "Spanish Fly" that Venture has genetically engineered as an aphrodisiac. He plans to slip it to the prostitutes.

21 tries and fails to talk to one of the prostitutes, telling her a sob story about his life with 24's ghost making fun of him the entire time. He ends up talking to a drunken Orpheus, who explains that ghosts are his business. Since Orpheus can't see 24, 21 realizes that 24 isn't a ghost but a figment of his imagination. He and Orpheus embrace as 21 cries and 24's "ghost" disappears.

Brock has taken one of the prostitutes back to the SPHINX base for sex. He kicks out the one rookie agent standing guard over Monstroso, but the agent shoots him in the back with tranquilizers. The agent pulls off his mask revealing him to actually be Molotov Cocktease in disguise.

Treister explains to Gathers that he got prostate cancer and, as a result of the radiation treatments, was turned into "a Hulk." Doe and Cardholder later approach Gathers about Treister's declining mental health, saying that he's not a Hulk at all. They reveal that it's a story they made up to spare his feelings, and plan to use it as grounds to get the government to turn over leadership of the O.S.I. to them. Gathers realizes that it is they who are the moles, but he is quickly captured with Sky Pilot when the Sphinx Jet runs out of gas and crashes on the landing deck of the helicarrier. Gathers is then summoned to the "secret bridge" where Treister, half-naked and covered by a flag, has him take the wheel of the helicarrier. Treister explains that he isn't crazy and knows of Doe and Cardholder's treachery. To take them out, Treister had one of his own double-agents, Sky Pilot, infiltrate SPHINX. The Monstroso aboard the Sphinx Jet was a fake, and full of SPHINX agents who were waiting to arrest Doe and Cardholder. Treister reveals that he is dying of cancer and gives control of the O.S.I. to Gathers, who impressed Treister by successfully splitting off on his own. Treister loads himself into a missile, launching himself into space hoping that alien technology will be able to cure him.

The Monarch and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch find 21 at the prom. 21 snaps on the Monarch and reveals his attraction to Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, and tells him about the time they made out. The Monarch laughs it off since they are swingers, and he has seen his wife do all sorts of nasty things with other men. He tells 21 to stop being a crybaby, which prompts 21 to quit as a henchman. Monarch and Dr. Mrs. the Monarch then leave after Monarch gives a villainous speech to the other party goers, who couldn't care less.

Brock awakens and realizes that it was Mol who set him up. He runs to the window to see Mol shoving Monstroso's body into the back of the limo and driving off. Brock leaps out and onto the roof of the car. Shoreleave and Al, who were outside making out, notice and try to stop her but fail. Brock rolls off and steals Billy and Pete's "Conjecturecycle" to give chase. He catches up and, after a high-speed pursuit, causes her to spin out with the limo dangling off the edge of a cliff. Brock sits on the hood, keeping it balanced, and lights a cigarette. He explains that he is tired of chasing Molotov, who is just a mercenary with no sense of loyalty. She tells him that she has changed, throwing the chastity belt she had been wearing onto the hood as proof. Brock thinks this means she is ready to be serious with him, but she explains that she is taken by another man: Monstroso.

Brock, enraged, threatens to kill them both. Mol explains that the "prostitutes" at the party are actually her Blackheart mercenaries under cover. If she does not call in an abort code by midnight, they will kill everyone at the party. Brock threatens that he will force Mol to call in the code, but she says she would rather die. She pops the limo's hood, knocking Brock off, and the limo falls off the cliff.

Brock checks his watch, seeing that he has only one minute until midnight. He goes as fast as he can back to the prom, failing to get there in time. However, when he opens the door, he sees that everyone is just drunk, with the party winding down and the prostitutes under the effect of Venture's "Spanish Fly." However, at that moment, each of the prostitutes transforms into a hideous, mutated fly monster as a side effect of Venture's brew. The party guests panic and flee while Brock moves in with his knife drawn.

In the background, a shooting star is revealed to be the missile carrying General Treister into outer space. The missile breaks up, sending Treister's frozen body into space with a post-it note ("FIX IT!") attached to his chest.

The Stinger shows Hank, Dean, and Dermott outside of Triana's house. Hank and Dermott spelled out Triana's name in logs on the lawn while they instructed Dean to go dress up as a Goth. Dean, misunderstanding, dresses as a ghost. Dermott lights up the wood anyway, as Dean stands in front shouting Triana's name. However, Dermott only had enough gas to keep one letter lit... the "T." Dean, in his ghost costume, stands in front of the burning "T" looking like a Ku Klux Klan member. The Outrider bursts outside preparing to blast his racist intruder but realizes that it's Dean. He gives a speech to Dean saying that if he truly loves Triana, he'll be happy that she has found happiness with Raven. Dean simply replies: "You know what...fuck you!"

Tropes:

• Bittersweet Ending:
  • The episode balances out ending relationships while also starting some new ones. Dean is forced to give up on Triana again. Molotov leaves Brock for Monstroso and seemingly commits suicide with Monstroso rather than being captured. Henchman 21 is fully disillusioned with Dr. Girlfriend as well as the Monarch, quitting and flipping them off but opening the door for a full Heel–Face Turn, as well as being forced to finally face the fact that his best friend is truly dead, and he's been hallucinating him this entire season. At the same time, the Alchemist finally hooks up with Shore Leave and Sgt. Hatred is reunited with Princess Tinyfeet. Hunter Gathers is finally able to end the feud with OSI, but at the same time, General Triester ejects himself to possible death in search of an alien cure after being shown to be a really good guy. Finally, 21 buries 24's skull, giving himself the closure he needs to move on from 24's death. (In regard to Molotov's death, however, the creators of the series have stated numerous times that no one is dead unless you see them die on screen.)
  • The episode could have functioned as one for the entire series, as Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick's contract with Adult Swim was set to expire after the fourth season and they were admittedly starting to suffer from burnout. However, the pair ultimately came up with enough new ideas in the course of writing that they decided to renew their contract and continue the series after all.
• Brick Joke: One of Hunter's demands to General Treister in exchange for Monstroso is for the O.S.I to stop sending agents to try and infiltrate SPHINX, as they're starting to get tired of killing them and can't afford the body bags. By the end of the episode, it's implied that all but five of the SPHINX agents are O.S.I moles.
• Chain of Corrections: The definition of the "Rusty Venture" sex act goes through a half dozen different characters, each describing it differently.
• The Chessmaster: General Timothy Treister claims to have "invented the secret-keepin' bidness" and proves it when he's demonstrated to be several steps ahead of Cardholder and Doe's attempted coup and abduction of Monstroso, even factoring in Col. Gathers' own precautions against foul play.
• Cluster Bleep-Bomb: Most of the "Rusty Venture" explanations, especially Colonel Gentleman's.
• Continuity Nod:
  • Hank having a crush on the mail carrier was previously mentioned in The Better Man. When she refuses to go to the prom with him, Hank then calls the Quymn twins from Dr. Quymn, Medicine Woman.
  • The U.S. having a "secret president" was first mentioned in Assassinanny 911.
  • 21 and 24 recognizing one of Monstroso's henchmen as "#38" was explained in ''Hate Floats," as when the Monarch went to prison, most of his henchman joined up with Monstroso.
  • The O.S.I. "nozzles" Gathers. The "nozzle" was seen in The Invisible Hand of Fate.
• Disney Villain Death: Both Molotov and Monstroso go off a cliff in a limo at the end of the episode. We see the limo explode, but nothing of the occupants.
• Expy: Triana's new boyfriend, Raven, is basically Edward Cullen on crutches.
• Foot Popping: Al does this after Shore Leave kisses him.
• Gambit Pileup: Let's count them. SPHINX, O.S.I., Guild moles Doe and Cardholder, Molotov and Monstroso...
• Hair-Trigger Explosive: Rusty's modified "Spanish Fly" can explode if you shake it.
• Heel–Face Turn: 21 quitting the Monarch crew.
• Hypocritical Humor: Rusty previously the story of how his father hired prostitutes for his 16th birthday party, making things extremely awkward. He does the same thing here, hiring "whores" for Hank and Dean's homeschool prom.
• I Have Your Wife: Played with. The Monarch and his wife pull out Princess Tinyfeet, Hatred's ex-wife, bound and gagged as a bargaining chip to enter the prom. They quickly reveal she was like that when they found her, and she insisted they drive her there in the trunk. Dr. Mrs. The Monarch explains that if he wants her back, he needs to start respecting her very strange needs.
• Improbable Aiming Skills: Shore Leave is deadly accurate with his pistols, being able to shoot specific pieces on 21's costume, one handed, from the same distance that Sgt. Hatred (no slouch with guns himself) needs a scoped rifle.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Defied. When the Outrider tries to convince Dean to think like this, Dean shoots right back:
  Dean: "You know what I think? Fuck you."
• Metaphorgotten: This exchange between Col. Gathers and Gen. Treister regarding Monstroso.
  Treister: That plus-sized Hans Brinker's got his thumbs all stuck up in the Guild's Christmas pie. That makes whatever plums he pulls out - ploink! - O.S.I. bidness.
  Gathers: Little Jack Horner. Hans Brinker's thumb was stuck in a dike.
  Treister: Son, whatever depravity you get up to on your own time is between you and your living god.
• Milholland Relationship Moment: 21 finally reveals to the Monarch that he kissed Dr. Mrs. The Monarch in "Assisted Suicide." The Monarch laughs it off because he doesn't care; they're in an open marriage.
• Mistaken for Racist: In The Stinger, Hank, Dean and Dermott decide to go through with the weird Grand Romantic Gesture they had talked about earlier in the episode, having Dean dress as a goth and setting fire to a bunch of flaming letters. However, Dean dresses as a ghost (with a white hood) and the fire goes out on every letter but the lower-case "T" in Triana which makes it look like a flaming cross, causing the Outrider to think a member of the KKK is at their doorstep.
• The Mole:
  • Doe and Cardholder for the Guild.
  • Sky Pilot and several other SPHINX agents are this for General Treister.
• Obfuscating Insanity: General Treister's negotiation methods may involve wrestling and he may steer the O.S.I. hoverquarters whilst wearing the American flag as a toga, but his supposed belief that he can transform into a Hulk due to radiation/chemotherapy is simply a means of lulling Guild moles Cardholder and Doe into a false sense of security and he recognises that Col. Gathers is a worthy successor to head the O.S.I. in his absence.
• Obvious Trap: Treister attempts to pull one on Gathers while offering him a seat - Gathers, naturally, doesn't take the bait.
  Treister: The prodigal son returns. Take a load off, boy.
  Gathers: Hmmm. With my back to the door and the bending bamboo seat? Nice try.
  Treister: *chuckles* Caught me tryin' to get all Feng Shui on you. Good eye, son.
• Passing the Torch: General Treister, dying from prostate cancer, has handpicked Col. Gathers to replace him as the head of the O.S.I. He does this by having Hunter take the wheel of the hoverquarters.
• Precision F-Strike: Dean at the end to the Outrider, who is trying to give him the "I Want My Beloved to Be Happy" speech. Particularly effective since Dean previously had a comic aversion to "bad" words.
• The Rashomon: No-one can agree on what a "Rusty Venture" actually is, and no two interpretations of it are identical; the only common elements describing it seem to involve different varieties of squick-inducing scatological sexual behaviour. Doc Venture, after whom the technique is named, is naturally mortified.
• Really Gets Around: The Monarch doesn't care that 21 kissed his wife, since as villains they're supposed to swing! When Dr Girlfriend confirms that she's done it with others, 21 leaves the Monarch in disgust.
• The Reveal:
  • We eventually learn what a "Rusty Venture" supposedly is thanks to Brock: basically, it's masturbation until it gets red and sore. Per Word of God, even this is possibly an Un-Reveal, since the point is less what a Rusty Venture is, and more that, whatever the true nature of it, Doc's childhood name, unbeknownst to him, has been synonymous with gross, scatological sexual practices long enough for the original meaning to be lost to history.
  • Also, the masked SPHINX "rookie" seen in the background and on missions in several episodes may well have been Molotov Cocktease in disguise all along.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: When 21 learns that his make-out session with Dr. Mrs. The Monarch in "Assisted Suicide" meant nothing to her and that The Monarch isn't even mad about it (because they have an open marriage and regularly have sex with other villains), he quits The Monarch's service in disgust.
• Secret Test of Character: Treister's actions towards Hunter Gathers are heavily implied to be this, scoping out his suitability to take over OSI. To note:
  • Upon first meeting, he offers Hunter a seat which Hunter immediately pegs as an Obvious Trap; Treister complements him for having a "good eye", i.e., being Properly Paranoid enough to Spot the Thread.
  • When discussing releasing Monstroso into OSI custody, Treister insists on wrestling Hunter for him; Hunter counters that he can have him in exchange for him and his fellow SPHINX agents' being given full clemency. He then pins and forces Treister to yield, showing that he is a formidable physical opponent.
  • After learning of Treister's "Hulk" condition and Treister begs him not to inform Washington or "Secret President", and subsequently that it's all nonsense and that Cardholder and Doe are attempting to gaslight Treister in order to take over, Hunter tells the General at his first opportunity, showing that he is honest and dedicated to the same goals as the OSI, despite his defection.
• Series Fauxnale: At the time, it wasn't clear if the show was going to be renewed again, so the episode was written as a potential conclusion to the story while leaving things open for more. Thankfully, it was renewed.
• Shell Game: SPHINX is playing one with Monstroso. They have a dummy Monstroso aboard the Sphinx craft and the real one back at base, should the O.S.I. try to double cross them in their negotiations.
• Ship Sinking: A double whammy in this episode for both the Brock/Molotov pairing and the Dean/Triana pairing.
• Shout-Out:
  • The O.S.I. Hoverquarters is basically the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, with a domed section resembling the US Capitol building.
  • The scene with Gathers and the SPHINX agents flying towards the O.S.I. Helicarrier is a reference to a similar scene from Dr. Strangelove; likewise, General Treister discovering he has "pee-pee cancer" during "the physical act of love" is a reference to General Jack D. Ripper's discovery of his own impotence.
  • 24's "ghost" mentions 21 "declaring this meeting of the Midnight Society over."
  • Billy requests that one of the prostitutes come to the prom dressed as Hawkgirl.
  • Gathers mentions that while they had Monstroso drugged with truth serum, he was singing "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" from The Sound of Music.
  • The Alchemist, while talking to the Monstroso henchmen, mentions that their masks look "very Slipknot."
• Spanner in the Works: Rusty and his "Spanish Fly" is the only reason Molotov's Black Hearts were prevented from murdering everyone present at the prom, as it turned them into mutant flies.
• Stealth Pun: Hatred changed the red "H" tattoo on his face to a blue "V." He had all of the other letters removed, except for the "D" because it was in a tender area. His tattoos now spell out "VD."
• Took a Level in Jerkass: Dean previously decided he needed to move on from Triana and "broke off their relationship" as kindly as he could, with the two leaving on good terms. Here though, he is overcome with intense jealousy upon finding out she has a boyfriend now, and eventually snaps at her over it with a barrage of sexist insults that just amount to Tantrum Throwing. At the end of the episode when he tries a wild stunt to get her attention and "get her back", The Outrider, Triana's stepdad, tells Dean he should be happy that Triana is happy if he really loves her, Dean just snaps "You know what I think?... Fuck you!" in response.
• You Are in Command Now: Treister, knowing he is dying of cancer, hands control of OSI and the Hoverquarters over to Hunter.
  Treister: From where I sit, looks like the old gal's in pretty good hands. Took guts to bust out the nest and go off on your own, son. Took balls too. Err, cut off your balls! Even without 'em, you got more true grit man-moxie on tap than any of these yes men and bureaucrats been runnin' the place!
  Hunter: No, no! General, I'm not—!
  Treister: You'll do fine.

---