7. Past Tense
October 16, 2004
Those hands of his are strong enough to crush a boulder, yet delicate enough to crush a butterfly.As usual, your detective skills are impeccable, Samson. You succeeded in exposing my sinister plan to lock myself in a dungeon, chained to an albino. The Venture family heads to the funeral of Mike Sorayama, one of Docs old friends from college. A trap is sprung, and an unexpected enemy gets his revenge. Hank and Dean are forced to seek assistance from the original Team Venture, and we get to meet Colonel Gentleman, Otto Aquarius, Kano and the Action Man. Past Tense is the best episode of the first season. Season one really kicks in with The Incredible Mr. Brisby, and the Trial of the Monarch is exceptional. But Past Tense takes the cake. The premise of Doc Venture, Brock, Pete White, Baron Underbite and the Monarch all going to college together is wonderful. Craftsmanship-wise, theres a lot going on here. Both the present day and flashback stories reach their climax with a tremendous Brock rampage, cutting flawlessly back and forth between the two time periods. Wonderful jokes abound. Dr. Orpheus cameo is most amusing, as is young Baron Underbites introduction. What really makes this episode special is the sense of history it develops. Through the retired Team Venture and all of the college flashbacks, the Venture family becomes people, not just vessels for jokes.