Put on your hat and coat and follow Marlo and Lola down a dark and twisted path as they discuss the disturbing and harrowing exploits of Everybody Comes to Hank's. Freudian slips and tangles punctuate a very serious commentary on one of the heaviest episodes of the series. Due to the powerful nature of some themes of this cast, your hosts encourage you to comment and share your own insights.
Side Note: Marlo clicks a pen when excited. She will remove all click pens from future recording sessions.
Just a note about statutory rape in this episode. Hank is technically 19 years old. While he may think he is 17, we know otherwise from the episode where the brother are kidnapped by Mira. When she has them tied up int he abandoned hotel it's reviled that they are in fact older... So is what Nicky did still technically statutory rape? Or it's really a grey are, like most things with the Ventures.
ReplyDeleteOk, I see your point. But two things: One, his body is not 19 yrs old, it hasn't been able to make it that far. And two, does Nikki know that he is supposed to be that old? As far as she knows, he is 17, the age of her son. But yeah, grey, really grey.
ReplyDeleteActually, since we see that all of the clones were grown together and not some kind of as needed accelerated growth, his body would technically be around 19...
ReplyDeleteHmmm, I see. Then why were they told they were 16 when they bought them back? Because their license said their real age. And if their clones aged with them... why even change the age? Oh, must be something to do with the learning beds. Also, I always just thought Dr. Venture didn't think of cloning them until they were toddlers, thus the clones being a couple years younger than the original boys. CONFUSION!
ReplyDeletementally, they're really like 14. in many cases where the age of sex partners turns into a legal gray area, the younger partner's body is far more developed than their mind.
ReplyDeleteRecall the original scenario between Rusty and Nikki--she told him that she was twenty when she was only fifteen. Rusty was willing to allow himself to believe her, and I think it's safe to assume that he himself was mentally a lot younger than his own body would otherwise say.
Placing legal age limits on sex is socially confining to be sure. It is unfair to assume that someone should be ready to share their body with another at some magical age. what we have here, regardless of stipulations, is the idea of someone taking advantage of another person's naivete and inexperience.
xoxo
LW
i am completely and fully in love with the venture brothers and this is by far my favorite episode. i have a crazy (impossible)crush on dean. and i cheered when he lost his virginity.
ReplyDeletei think that this whole legal age thing is a total double standard however.Rusty wasn't wrong and neither was Nikki in either situation.
I personally am 16 and girls my age are seen as troubled if they went around parading about losing their virginity but if a boy does it is a well acclaimed moment. (i am a virgin by choice, but I'm not waiting for someone magical either.)
to TMNTartarugas: you are assuredly right about societal double standards in concerns to rewarding men and chastising women. trust me, I feel ya, and so should any self-aware human being :)
ReplyDeletewhat was actually wrong to begin with in the situation between Nikki and Rusty is that it involved dishonesty and deception on Nikki's part, which is always a bad way to start out any relationship.
For Rusty's part, he was in a position of power over her, vis-a-vis her worship of him; responsible heroes know not to fuck their worshippers; it will always cause problems to have such an uneven respect.
There are ways that their situation could have been handled honestly and responsibly if he had actually been brave and felt genuine love for her. alas, bravery just ain't Doc Venture's M.O.
Thanks for listening!!
xoxo
LW
God, I so Love Hank. Beginning of season 4 was when I switched from being a Deaniac to being a Hankuloid. Have a lot more to say but can't put the words together now.
ReplyDeleteI think this episode did start a lot of talk in the VB fan circles about statutory rape.When I first saw this episode my jaw hit the floor. When I think about it, yes Hank is technically 19. But physically he's 17 and mentally even younger. So many levels of wrong.
ReplyDeleteYet some guilty part of me was very pleased with Season 4 as far as Hank is concerned. I had no real favorite character in the show until Season 2. And it turned out to be Hank. And season 4 made him awesome.
I was sad when they cut his hair. But oh well. Hank is still Hank.