The 25 Days of Christmas Episodes – Day 18 – The Venture Bros. “A Very Venture Christmas”
Dean’s addicted to a 900 number that offers stories of Santa Claus. Hank finds some of Brock Samson’s holiday-themed porn. And we learn that Venture tradition is to put the porcelain baby Jesus in his manger at midnight. Only, this year, there’s a detonator inside the baby, and the whole nativity has been wired with C4, courtesy of the Monarch. (And his henchman, Tiny Joseph. His skill set rarely comes in handy.)
Most of the first season’s cast shows up to the Venture Christmas party. This includes the original Team Venture, a couple of luchadores, and Bigfoot. Hank and Dean want some more Christmas stories, so they look through the book that necromancer Dr. Orpheus brought to the party. Then inadvertently summon a Krumpus – a Germanic demon that abducts naughty children and punishes the wicked. The Krumpus turns on Doc Venture, who is fairly wicked as far as that goes.
It’s when the Krumpus starts… violating… Doc that Brock Samson joins the fray. The two forces of nature pound on each other until the stroke of midnight. With that, the Krumpus’ earthly work done, he leaves. But not before placing Baby Jesus in the manger, killing everyone.
And then Doc wakes up for the third time. He’s been unconscious the whole episode, recovering from injuries sustained when their experimental jet crashed into Bethlehem. “We saw where Baby Jesus was born, pop! And it’s shooting out God-fire!”
Best Line – This is a tie, actually.
Dr. Orpheus: “While Christmas is no more real than Kwanzaa or the Wookie’s ‘Life Day’, I find it charming.”
Billy Quizboy, on why Mr. White’s attempts to flirt are doomed to failure: “One, you’re totally gay. Two, she’s hot, and you’re an albino. Three, you’re totally gay.”
Christmas Tropes:
Santa Claus – Both Dr. Girlfriend and Brock wear Santa Claus outfits.
Trimming the tree – Not only is the Venture Compound all decked out, but the Monarch’s flying cocoon is festooned with tinsel, and we see Henchmen 21 and 24 decorating a giant tree.
Reindeer Sweater – Hank wears one of these, which is rare in animation.
Nativity Scene – Thanks to Tiny Joseph, it’s the deadliest nativity ever!
All a dream – It’s a dream within a dream within a dream. That has to be some kind of a record.
Gifts – Brock gives Hank his old bass guitar, restrung with the zebra stripes buffed out. Dean’s a little harder to shop for, as all of his requests come out of a 1976 Sears Wishbook. Dr. Girlfriend gives the Monarch a scale model of the Venture Compound.
Learning a lesson – Santa Claus was real, but he got sucked into a jet engine in 1969.
Cheer-o-meter Score: I like the way the opening invokes so many Christmas classics in a good-natured way. Also, everybody in the episode is really enthused about Christmas. Even the Monarch has a tree! Combine that with a seasonal beatdown, and you have a 9.
