The Story of Henchman 21

[@pipebombpete.6861]

In a world of failure he succeeded.

[@nobody-op6pl]

That's a fucking amazing thing to say bad ass as fuck

[@BlastinRope]

@@nobody-op6plunlike in the real world he would have failed in a world of success

[@Supperdude9]

@@BlastinRope Well, no. If he joined the Democratic party he'd be able to do villainy.

[@danielcornwall1585]

Times like these I realise how few shows really get to mix the "making fun of a thing" and "reveling in how genuinely cool a thing is" like The Venture Bros pulls off so magnificently.

[@paulrippcord506]

My favorite thing is Gary’s relationship with the Monarch and the growth of their friendship. By the end of the series he decides he’d rather help his best friend with hate rather than be his own supervillain.

[@majormccoy2659]

The Venture Bros took a random comedic henchman and turned him not only into a badass but gave him depth and they still kept that nerd and comedy aspects of his character and I love it. Almost every character in the show likes 21 and I like how he comes off as more of a frenemy or a person who is evil by association then actually evil.

[@cgecko3]

Yeah he's pretty cool, he's not a "bad" guy despite being a bad guy. Don't get me wrong he's not a good person either but he's a decent enough person. I think him being so multifaceted and honest with himself is why he's so likeable.

[@4JBrewer]

In the upcoming movie, The Monarch and 21 will officially be known as "The Monarch & The Viceroy" - It works in that a viceroy is not only a royal that is subservient to a monarch, it is also a sub-species of Monarch butterfly.

[@SuperMrHiggins]

That's so fucking cool. Thanks for sharing.

[@DownToTruck]

Not a subspecies - they are separate species from different genera. Same family of butterflies, though. The viceroy mimics the monarch's coloration.

[@fernandotrevinocastro1018]

​@@DownToTruckeven deeper

[@Saria_Creed]

THANK YOU! Finally someone who doesn't see him going back to the Monarch as Gary failing or a result of lazy writing. There are plenty of people, myself included, who prefer to work for someone else rather than trying to carve out a new niche. It's such a refreshing take.

[@BillTheSpill]

I tried being a manager once, absolutely hated it!

[@Kragar01]

Gary was born to be a Henchman, not a Supervillain. He became “The” Henchman. Hench4life.

[@nerdyrockcomics5428]

21 is hands down my favorite character and probably my favorite character ark in the venture Brothers. I like that. Even though his independent spinning off didn't work for him, he still found satisfaction in his career and that maybe being a solo isn't for him but being a number two is. I like it because it shows like growth and maturity, but he didn't have to sacrifice being a funny nerd honestly to have that growth which is so often what the world pushes.

[@adrian_veidt]

"In a world of failures, washed ups and has been, 21/Gary succeeded." I love that eventhough Gary lost 24, his relationship with the Monarch grew to the point that you can say they were best friends.

[@iamlink32]

2 ton 21 is my favorite character and I hope his part in the upcoming movie does him justice!

[@kerrykrishna]

You did a terrific synopsis on this. I believe it now too.

[@laotasurfs1110]

So I thought about it for a second, and I have a lot more to say about 21 than I thought I would: I respect the hell out of this character's values. He starts out the series as a completely unambitious manchild, not merely out of laziness or cowardess, but because he doesn't revere the pecking order at all -- he knows the Monarch is just a trust fund brat in a toy crown who somehow lucked into an amazing wife and whether you're a leader or a henchman doesn't really say anything about your worth as a person. No, 21 just wanted to have fun with his best friend playing bit parts in the greatest game of cops and robbers the world has ever seen. He didn't have much in the way of self-respect, but he didn't really need it yet. To him, real growth is always lateral. But then losing 24 meant all the energy and emotion from his friendship had to go somewhere. And the narrative needed to change. He couldn't just be one of "those two guys" anymore. So he decided to play a different game and focus on his story as an individual. Because that's all there is in his world, games and stories. As the Monarch goes through one crisis after another, and distance grows between him and the things he uses to orient himself, he leans on 21 more and more -- recognizes and respects him more and more. And, in a completely unselfconscious way, gains a friend, possibly his first. And thus 21 starts to see in the Monarch what Sheila does, goes from resenting him to gladly risking his life for whatever stupid cause strikes his fancy. His own personal game changes again, but he still just wants to play it with his best friend. So thanks for a great video, it made me think about Gary a little bit harder.

[@BillTheSpill]

Great freaking insights!

[@someguycalledgoober155]

I think 21 isn't a bad leader, but he isn't someone that is good for *top* leading. It's like someone that's good at middle management but wouldn't be a good CEO. He's a great right hand man, handles the henchmen under him well, but doesn't have enough skill to handle a big organization like Sphinx on his own.

[@wonkyfug]

He has the force, to do literally anything but sit around at his mother's house, du du du du duh du du du du du duh BAAA, BAAA, BAAA, dududu duh duh duh!

[@Orangefan77]

I love Henchman 21, and I love the Venture Bros.

[@hawtgarbage6664]

Also, his look upgraded 100% at the end of his arc.

[@BobTheBuilder294]

i've rewatched Venture Bros so many times just to see Henchman 21 be awesome again. Really wish the series went on longer

[@rayderweich]

Great analysis man! Look forward to more :)

[@ALL_OUT_OF_BUBBLEGUM]

"I have got a Shai Hulud down there!!" One of the greatest (and nerdiest) lines in television history.

[@adrianaslund8605]

Frank Herbert's Dune. For those who don't know.

[@taxman3749]

I always appreciate it that in the monarchs daydream from 'the high cost of loathing' , while the rest of the henchmen bow on the Monarchs' approach, 21 remain standing. It goes to show you I think that the monarch held 21 as his friend and equal.

[@sentor98]

In all fairness, it's ok for them to kill one comedy duo, even if it is 21 and 24, in the venture Bros. That show has so many comedy duos its a wonder they don't stumble over them all.

[@Sanbaddy]

My favorite character on the show.

[@nivekian]

Gary is that best friend/ wingman we all wish we had.

[@laok]

i loved watching him grow

[@getwhatyougive]

[In a cruel world that wants to limit our VB experiences, here YOU come with your fresh, witty and intelligent analysis. I hope you continue with this channel for eternity or longer. Thank you so much.]

[@powerofanime1]

"It's hard to explain" proceeds to explain perfectly.

[@BLOODKINGbro]

Them desecrating that mint condition comic was brutal.

[@ongogablogian4396]

21 was never a background henchmen.

[@meemeekeykat9402]

4:04 i'd be pretty unhappy with a friend that would lay a spoiler like that on me early in a series

[@BillTheSpill]

That's a pretty light spoiler

[@TheSten84]

AW G-A-R-Y! You ain't got no alibi, you're Gary! Oh, Oh! you're Gary!

[@brianlarsen9952]

HENCH 4 LIFE! GO TEAM VENTURE

[@guszillayt]

Henchman 21 should have his own Spin-off Series 🦋

[@mr_j6662]

Honestly 21 has the best archive a Michel not just this series like has a whole transformation

[@wambutu7679]

Yaaaay...., Gary!

[@alexandarvoncarsteinzarovi3723]

Fate might have accidentally created a monster that not even Brock can take down, or the very least not with out a nuke,

[@dusrus]

Where does the lore that he told his mom he was living with his uncle come from, I don't remember that?

[@BillTheSpill]

In the dream sequence in the beginning of The Rorqual Affair

[@RicklessSanchez]

That word called deuteragonist is always stay be his side. Look it up.

[@SuperMrHiggins]

21 is a god damned role model of mine.

[@BillTheSpill]

Agreed

[@zero95lucky]

cool vid mate

[@michaeldavis1879]

Have you ever thought about doing a deep-dive on Billy Quizboy (and/or Billy and Pete White as a duo)? Billy is similar to 21 in that he's an excitable nerd in an actual comic book-y world. Also, like 21, Billy is a character that repeatedly fails, but has an arc where he does end up succeeding.

[@BillTheSpill]

Billy is probably top of my list of characters to do in the future if I decide to continue this character series. Excited for you to see my Orpheus video in a couple weeks in which I spend a paragraph or two talking about Arrested Development.

[@michaeldavis1879]

@@BillTheSpill Ooh! I can't wait to see you somehow connect Arrested Development and Venture Bros. Look forward to it.

[@joshuadelgado1286]

Awesome name by the way

[@___chief866]

Holy crap it's 2-ton-21

[@kharnifex]

He's no bungler

[@michaelcahan8675]

21 seems inspired by Kevin Smith.

[@Mister_Mr_Man]

21 is a badass

[@BillTheSpill]

@@Mister_Mr_Man agreed

[@LiSfan2000]

Great stuff. Please do Hank or Billy soon.

[@BillTheSpill]

Hank's coming in a couple weeks. Billy maybe in the future

[@5w337D]

Imm watch more venture stuff if you make it boss!

[@jtom68]

He got dieseled

[@SpidermanandhisAmazingFriends]

You know what my favorite thing to do with a new viewer, spoil the shit out of the show in the third episode 😂

[@rainygamedays5873]

TWOTONTWENTYONE BOOOIII

[@blackhatfreak]

21 is one half of the answer to the meaning of life.

[@vicman3122]

This makes me think that if Abbott would had died before Costello, Costello would have become an action hero, ANYTHING IS WRONG WITH MY LOGIC.....

[@BillTheSpill]

Suddenly mourning we never got the movie "Costello Meets Frankenstein and Totally Slays Him"

[@vicman3122]

@@BillTheSpill That's a great idea dude

[@vaughnmckinley3968]

2:14

[@MichaelAngztek]

Some just REFUSE to be an NPC. #Oogopogo

[@blackjew6827]

Henchman 21 is the best.