Tag Sale - You're It!

"Tag Sale – You're It!"
The Venture Bros. episode
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 6
Directed by	Jackson Publick
Written by	Doc Hammer
Production code	1-06
Original air date	9 October 2004
Episode Chronology
← Previous "Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean" Next → "Past Tense"
Episodes

"Tag Sale – You're It!" is the sixth episode in the first season of The Venture Bros.

Plot

Thaddeus Venture is having a tag sale, but such a tag sale is going to be profitable and interesting only to certain types of people: adventurers, heroes and super-villains. The government sends in a unit of Secret Service agents (whom Doctor Venture refers to as Brock's little "ska band"), here to help keep things from potentially getting out of control, and placed into the supervision of Team Venture's bodyguard Brock Samson. Meanwhile, Hank Venture has set up a lemonade and grinder stand with his brother Dean Venture, Triana Orpheus and H.E.L.P.eR. as his employees, and is taking his proprietorship a little too seriously, making demands of his three workers.

The Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend, escorted by Henchman 21 and Henchman 24, get to the sale and have a blast, the Monarch himself being particularly jolly (all the while making insulting comments about the wardrobe choices of some of the other villains). As they wait in line, they cringe in disgust when Baron Ünderbheit must take off his lower jaw for the metal detector. In the same line, Master Billy Quizboy and Pete White talk about Dr. Girlfriend's deep voice and rumors of her having a baboon's uterus transplanted into her. This leads to suspicions of her being a transsexual. Despite this, the two unsuccessfully hit on her anyway, proposing a Batman/Catwoman type arrangement, and attempt to impress her with Billy Quizboy's hydrocephalic head and Dr. White's albinism.

Dr. Venture is merely attempting to enjoy making some cash and relaxing in the sun, having sold a prototype lightsaber to 21. Apparently, the fact that it cost over $2 million in parts alone was too much for the intended toy company to stomach, and the Army passed on it, due to the fact that they no longer fight with swords. To Dr. Venture's dismay, Dr. Orpheus comes in, asking how the yard sale is going and more importantly, how glorious the life of a super-scientist must be, having enemies and adventure at every turn. Dr. Venture wryly remarks Dr. Orpheus can have that life, to which the necromancer admits that he frankly envies Dr. Venture. Upon encountering the Monarch, Dr. Orpheus unsuccessfully tries to make him Orpheus's personal arch-enemy by slapping him and giving him a magically-induced hotfoot. Instead of leaving the Monarch wanting revenge, he is simply left confused about the encounter.

When the Monarch makes a quick, unsuccessful trip to a portable toilet, Dr. Girlfriend is found, and hit on, by super-villain Phantom Limb, who mocks the Monarch to her displeasure. When the Monarch returns, he admits that the tag sale is getting boring. He shoots a small projectile from his wristbands that hits Baron Ünderbheit in the back of the head, who mistakes a civilian shopper for the deed. Ünderbheit's attack quickly causes the tag sale to become a destructive riot. Hank's business is torn down with him temporarily knocked off his feet by a flying shoe, and Brock immediately begins pounding down various evildoers. When 21, thinking he now has power with his lightsaber, attempts to use the weapon against Brock, the saber passes right through him; it was simply a light-projection, with no offensive capabilities. 21 flees. Meanwhile, Dr. Orpheus gladly joins in the fight, attempting to shout out amongst the fighting that he needs an arch-enemy and is happy to make one, and incorrectly assumes Dr. Venture is going inside to protect the front of the compound when he merely is going off to count the profits.

Meanwhile, the Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend have sneaked into the Venture Compound to find a working bathroom. After that mission is successful the duo now need something to do, preferably something that would strike at the heart of their arch-enemy. They can find nothing, despite wandering through most of the Venture compound, and figure Dr. Venture's lab ought have something. The Monarch is unimpressed by Dr. Venture's lackluster workstation. After having toured the house and deciding that Dr. Venture's life is really quite pathetic and pitiable, the Monarch is ready to give up harassing Dr. Venture entirely when he and Dr. Girlfriend suddenly attacked by some of the government agents. After a brief scuffle in which the Monarch quite handily defeats the agents, he poses and gives an impromptu and melodramatic monologue on how he, the Monarch, would still destroy Dr. Venture. Other members of the Venture family await the end of the monologue in another room. The two villains use a grappling hook to escape other agents, but end up simply hanging near the ceiling for several hours, until it is safe enough for them to leave.

Episode Cast

• James Urbaniak as Dr. Venture, Phantom Limb, Mister 12, "Green Goo Scientist", "Girly Mag Scientist".
• Michael Sinterniklaas as Dean Venture, Mister 16.
• Patrick Warburton as Brock Samson.
• Christopher McCulloch as Hank Venture, the Monarch, Pete White, The Intangible Fancy, Mister 7, "Monarch Henchman #2".
• Doc Hammer as Dr. Girlfriend, Master Billy Quizboy, "Monarch Henchman #1".
• Steven Rattazzi as Dr. Orpheus.
• T. Ryder Smith as Baron Ünderbheit.
• Charles Parnell as Mister 1.
• Lisa Hammer as Triana Orpheus.
• Soul-Bot as H.E.L.P.eR.

Cultural References

• Henchman 21 and Henchman 24 argue over who would win in a fist fight between Lizzie Borden and Anne Frank.
• A member of Depeche Mode is observed as present at the sale by the Monarch (the show's creators are avowed fans of the band). The Monarch is amazed that said Depeche Mode member [specifically the singer, i.e. David Gahan] is there with "A girl," having thought that all members of Depeche Mode are gay. Dr. Girlfriend confirmed that the DM member is straight because she saw on "a thing about him on the VH1" [DM's Behind the Music].
• Items purchased at the tag sale include the game Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots and a Seven and the Ragged Tiger T-shirt.
• The Monarch's comment that his effort to defecate was "All sound and fury, signifying nothing," is a quote from William Shakespeare's play Macbeth, although the original line does not refer to intestinal ailments.
• Upon finding his battery-powered microphone Dean Venture says, "Breaker, breaker, one niner. This here's the rubber duck you got a copy on me, come on;" this is a reference to the C.W. McCall song Convoy.
• The United States Secret Service stands guard over the Venture Compound during the yard sale.
• 21's actions and use of a "light saber" are references to the Star Wars franchise. His movements mimic those of the Star Wars kid internet video.

Connections to Other Episodes

• This episode sees the introduction of the characters Mister 1, Mister 5, Mister 7, Mister 12, Mister 16, and Phantom Limb. The Intangible Fancy and Rick Danger are also seen for the first time, but not named.
• Professor Impossible is seen attending the sale, albeit his character is confined to the background and has no dialogue. His admittance to the Venture Compound is odd, as Impossible had previously stranded Dr. Venture out in the harsh Arctic cold in an attempt to kill him, during Ice Station – Impossible!.
• Many of the villains present at this yard sale reappear in Fallen Arches waiting in line for their chance to "Arch" Dr. Orpheus and his team, the Order of the Triad.
• There is a rack seen that has lab coats and jump suits on sale, as signified by the sign. In the episode Hate Floats, Dr. Venture insists they should be called "Speed suits".
• Hank Venture first mentions HankCo .

Production Notes

• A minor character, Rick Danger, is never named within the show but is given a name in the DVD commentary, named after the series' storyboard revisionist and character designer, Rick "Danger" Lacy. He makes appearances throughout the show most times when background extras are present..
• On the DVD commentary, Doc Hammer refers to the Secret Service agent Mister 5 as "Agent Hank," referring to his similar appearance to Hank Venture.
• One of the animation directors (Kimson Albert) has a "nickname" inserted into his credits. The nickname is an unusual line or word from the preceding episode. For this episode, the credit reads Kimson "Little Water Baby" Albert.
• The Wilhelm scream can be heard very faintly when Henchman 21 confronts Brock Samson.

References

Preceded by: "Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean"

The Venture Bros. episodes Original Airdate: October 9, 2004

Followed by: "Past Tense"