2. What Goes Down Must Come Up
July 13, 2008
There was even talk of French Toast. But there was none to be had.Orpheus, you the one who dragged us into this BS, so how do you wanna go out? Sitting in a peep booth waiting for some Atari bitch to tell you game over, or do you want to finish what you started? While moving some of his fathers old equipment, Doc accidentally falls into a series of tunnels beneath the Venture Compound, where he finds a secret society. Brock searches for Dr. Venture, but then he ends up locked in one of Jonas Ventures hidden labs. Hank and Dean turn to the Order of the Triad and Pete White for assistance. I absolutely love this episode. For a long time, it was my very favorite. This one remains my go-to for trying to lure new people into The Venture Bros. Setting aside the humor and beloved characters, the structure is razor sharp. Mysterious experiments, retro technology, a puzzle to piece together. What Goes Down Must Come Up is a legit piece of action/sci-fi that stands neck to neck with Lost on its best days. Wonderful work from the supporting cast. Dr. Entmann is hilarious as a Hebrew Hank Pym. Jefferson Twilight and the Alchemist provide their usual good times. But what really takes things to the next level is the climactic drug-induced freakout, where we finally learn how M.U.T.H.E.R. and her demented children came to be. Easily one of the darkest moments in the show, that terrible sequence is the perfect payoff to such great build-up. Great jokes, great animation and edge of your seat pacing. What more can you ask?