The Mantis-Eye Experiment

Summary

Love is in the air, kind of, when Dr. Venture encounters his childhood friend, Dr. Tara Quymn, in the Amazon Rain Forest. But while Rusty puts the moves on his old play date, Hank makes play for Dr. Quymn's twin daughters, Nancy and Drew, who in turn, only have eyes for Dean. And the Quymn's bodyguard, Ginnie, is hot for Brock. Maybe. But all their romantic interludes will have to be put aside when terror of the Wereodile threatens their camp.

Capsule

We are in the Amazon Rain Forest. Dr. Venture, holding some sort of idol, is running from a large group of natives. They begin to fire darts at him, with many landing in his back. He starts to slow down and drops the idol, stumbling around. He steps into a rope trap and is pulled up into the air, hanging by his ankle. The natives surround him, pointing their spears at him. Just then a female voice rings out. The natives step back. The woman jumps down from a tree and kneels down in front of Dr. Venture.

Dr. Quymn: Rusty?

Roll super short opening credits logo thing.

We're in the past now. A party is going on at the Venture Compound. The doorbell rings. Jonas Venture, clearly drunk, answers it. Col. Gentleman is at the door, proclaiming himself Colonel Fun.

Col. Gentleman: [stealing Jonas' drink] Ahh, you read my mind. I need a stiff one in me after that car ride.
Ms. Quymn: Why, was I too fast for you, Horace?
Col. Gentleman: Never let a woman drive your Aston, Jonsie. This one handles a stick like it's got herpes!
Ms. Quymn: Well who knows with all the strange garages you park it in. Hello Dr. Venture.
Jonas: Ms. Quymn [he kisses her hand]
Col. Gentleman: More like Ms. Bollocks baster. If she won't take my name maybe she'll take a smack in her smart mouth!
Ms. Quymn: Try me.
Tara: Mum, are you and Horace quarreling again?
Ms. Quymn: No, Tara.
Jonas: Ahh, hello sunshine! Oop, got your nose!
[they both laugh]
Jonas: Kano! Take Tara downstairs, would you?
[Kano silently picks up Tara, who screams]
Ms. Quymn: Go with the nice Chinaman, Tara-doll.
[Kano carries Tara, still screaming, away]
Col. Gentleman: Where do we uhh, you know? [he holds up his car keys]
Jonas: Helper!!
[HELPeR walks over to Col. Gentleman with a fishbowl full of car keys which Col. Gentleman drops his own keys into]
Col. Gentleman: Ohh, [spying another male at the party] you pretty thing.
[behind him, Jonas quickly slips his own keys to Ms. Quymn]

Down in the basement Rusty and Tara are playing adventurer with HELPeR and Kano. Tara is trapped in a kitchen pot about to be cooked by the native HELPeR. Just then Kano is called upstairs by Jonas because they are out of ice. When he leaves Tara comments that it's now her turn to save Rusty from the natives!

Back in the present Rusty wakes up as Dr. Quymn wipes his forehead. She tells him that she sucked out the poison but he's still dehydrated since he was apparently wearing a polyester shirt.

Dr. Quymn: Pity your father also didn't teach you not to steal fertility idols from irritable head hunters.
Dr. Venture: Oh that?! Heh heh. I- I've been researching alternative cures for... impotence. Oh, not for me! Of course.
Dr. Quymn: Have you not tried Viagra?
Dr. Venture: It gives me- my customers headaches. Nausea, dyspepsia and/or diarrhea. But enough shop talk, how've you been? What are you doing way out here in the middle of nowhere?
Dr. Quymn: Oh, you know, curing cancer.
Dr. Venture: Ah.
Dr. Quymn: Well I'm trying anyway. There have been a number of... obstacles.

Just then her daughters, Nancy and Drew, come in inquiring if Dr. Venture is okay. Shortly after Dr. Quymn's bodyguard, Ginnie, also enters. She throws a snake head onto the ground (to the disgust of Nancy and Drew) and shakes Dr. Venture's hand (nearly crushing it). Spooked, Dr. Venture stands up to leave (after freaking out when a creepy centipede crawls out of his shoes, only to be stomped out by Ginnie). Dr. Quymn asks him if he wants to stay longer, and Nancy and Drew start begging him to stay. Dr. Venture comments that they remind him of his boys; really excited about everything.

Speaking of the boys, they and Brock are teaching an orangutan named Clyde to box (Dr. Venture says they need the money). Dean has some boxing gloves on and is in a makeshift boxing ring with Clyde. Hank, meanwhile, is attempting to teach Clyde some tricks, even though Brock has told him not to. The boxing match starts but Hank says 'bang Clyde' and and ape immediately starts beating on Hank in anger.

Just then Ginnie shows up, firing a warning shot into the air and thinking Brock and the boys are poachers. Dr. Venture runs out of the jeep with Dr. Quymn and tells Ginnie that they're with him.

Ginnie: Your fancy new pal's got a nice little sideline selling apes on the black market, Tara.
Dr. Quymn: Oh, Rusty.
Dr. Venture: No! No, this isn't how it looks.
Dean: Yeah it is.
Nancy: Mummy? What's going on?
Drew: Who are they?

Dr. Venture desperately tries to explain the situation (making up a crazy story) but Hank is totally distracted by the twins. The twins, meanwhile, are totally distracted by Dean. Dr. Venture finishes up his story, claiming he's going to release Clyde into the wild now. Brock lifts up the boxing ring rope to let Clyde out, who immediately begins beating on Hank again.

Dr. Venture: See? Feral instincts taking over already! He's cured!

Driving through the jungle, with the boys in the back of the jeep and Brock and Dr. Venture riding on the top, Dr. Venture explains his past with Dr. Quymn to Brock:

Dr. Venture: Yeaaah, we had a bit of a fling years ago. Ah, she's one of those save-the-world bleeding heart types.
Brock: So, no more teaching chimps to box, huh? By the way, thanks for that new personal low.
Dr. Venture: I like to mix it up. Keep you on your toes. Speaking of which, new mission. Operation: do Rusty a solid. I need you to keep this Jimmy character distracted.
Brock: Who?
Dr. Venture: Her bodyguard, what's his name?
Brock: Who, Ginnie?
Dr. Venture: Yeah, him.

Meanwhile in the back of the jeep the boys are conversing with Dr. Quymn's girls. The girls comment that back home they like to solve mysteries. Dean agrees, but Hank says he's more of the adventuring type. The girls agree that solving mysteries often leads to adventuring anyway. Hank's final say, probably one of his greatest lines, is simply "I can bench press."

Back up top:

Dr. Venture: I think he's kind of got a thing for her, and frankly he's a bit of a wet blanket. The only wet blankets I'm interested in are the ones that-
Brock: Alright, I know where this is going.
Dr. Venture: You know, when we're sweating-
Brock: Yes.
Dr. Venture: -and rolling around.
Brock: YES.
Dr. Venture: We're having-
Brock: Alright Doc, I get it!!
Dr. Venture: Alright! Just making sure we're all on the same page here. [pauses] Sex.

Just then Ginnie stops the jeep abruptly since there's a group of natives standing in their way. Dr. Venture tumbles off of the roof.

In the native village Dr. Quymn explains that the natives don't trust outsiders since the Ikea down the river (which uses the lumber for its furniture) is trying to force the natives off their land. They meet the chief, who explains that another nuisance, the 'wereodile' also struck, killing their mightiest warrior. The girls explain that a wereodile is a part crocodile, part man and covered in 'horrible fur'. The chief's final word is that the wereodile is Dr. Venture's fault since he stole their idol.

Back at camp, Hank and Dean are talking about the girls in their tent:

Hank: Aww, it's a sweetheart deal all around. We don't even have flip a coin because they're identical!
Dean: Semi-identical. It means their mono-zygotic but developed differently.
Hank: Listen to the lady killer on this one. You have got to super-stop it with that egghead crud.
Dean: Drew's got a freckle on her nose. That's how you can tell them apart.
Hank: Frith help us, play it cool, Dean-o. Step to them with that line and they're gonna think you're some crazy, obsessed, weirdo stalker who draws pictures of them in your notebook.
Dean: They're for the Venture Home News. Pictures increase circulation!
Hank: And they'll think you like, talk to the pictures, and then, and then you cut out the lips and eyes with a razor blade and then you write dirty words on them with your own poop and then you rub them on your chest.
Dean: Where did-
Hank: CSI.
Dean: Well I'm not interested in 'playing it anything'. I like them, I just don't like them like them.
Hank: Well I do.
Dean: Which one?
Hank: I don't know, either one, whatever?

Outside the tent Ginnie has apparently been listening the entire time. She stands up and contemplates what she just heard. Meanwhile in their hut Nancy and Drew are discussing which of the boys they like better. Oddly enough both of them are into Dean and neither is very excited by the prospect of Hank. Ginnie walks in and warns them that they're not to get involved with either of the Venture twins. She says they can have whatever adventures they want with them, but if they get 'too adventurous' there will be hell to pay. As she leaves one of the girls asks her why she hates men. Ginnie comments that she doesn't hate men, she's just never met a real out.

Coincidentally Brock is outside wearing his classic cut off jean shorts and pitching his own tent (and by that I mean he is actually assembling a tent, not the other thing, you perverts). Ginnie introduces herself to him properly and they exchange a tense handshake. Brock squeezes back when he realizes Ginnie is attempting to crush his hand.

Ginnie: Woah, tough guy, eh? Ha ha, what do you drive?
Brock: '69 Charger.
Ginnie: Pssh, penis substitute. [she glances behind Brock and notices Dr. Venture is at Tara's cabin] 'Course all them horsies under the hood ain't worth a damn in this rugged terrain. [she steps back and pats her jeep, then turns around and grabs it, waggling her hindquarters at Brock] Four wheel drive, solid chassis. Pliant suspension. Torque.
Brock: Look, uhhh [Ginnie slaps her own ass] Phew.
Ginnie: Hot in the jungle, huh?
Brock: Uhh, huh, yeah. Yes it is, isn't it?
Ginnie: Moist heat. Grips you like a vice. Maybe go for a nice dip in the river? Skinny dip?
Brock: Uhh yeah, maybe I'll do that...
Ginnie: Ho, ho, ease off the gas there, Mustang Sally. Where I live, we drive on the other side of the road. [she walks away]
Brock: What the hell?

Fade to the campsite at night, the wereodile appears in a tree high above them, howling.

Commercial.

A lovely morning in the jungle. Dr. Venture is meditating with Dr. Quymn. We get a montage of Dr. Venture trying to better himself. He gives the fertility idol back to the natives. He spends time swimming with Dr. Quymn. He is no longer scared of giant bugs crawling on him. Dr. Quymn is impressed. We next come to a shot of them climbing a huge tree. Dr. Quymn gets to the top effortlessly as an out of breath Dr. Venture, covered in what appear to be leeches, catches up to her.

Dr. Venture: Down [pants] now.
Dr. Quymn: Oh, Rusty, you should quit smoking.
Dr. Venture: Don't [pants] smoke.
Dr. Quymn: Oh. Then you should really get more exercise.
Dr. Venture: Brock [pants] second hand [pants] killing me.
Dr. Quymn: Oh you can't tell me this view wasn't worth the climb. I want to show you something even more special. [she crawls out to the edge of the branch. Dr. Venture is enticed]
Dr. Venture: Yes.
Dr. Quymn: This is the entire reason I'm here. [she cuts a fruit from the branch] It's called Solomon's Heart. This valley is the only place on Earth it can grow. They only blossom on mature trees over forty years old. [she cuts the fruit in half] You see how the seeds form a heart?
Dr. Venture: I do.
Dr. Quymn: Now you see why it's so desperately important we protect this rain forest.
Dr. Venture: Because... hearts?
Dr. Quymn: Because these seeds contain the antigens that can cure cancer and who knows what else?
Dr. Venture: Loneliness?
Dr. Quymn: With more research I could- did you say-
[Dr. Venture kisses her. She does not return the favor]
Dr. Quymn: Ow. [she has a leech on her face]
Dr. Venture: I'm sorry, let me-
Dr. Quymn: Ow. [she pulls off the leech] We should go. It's- it's getting dark and I don't want to-
Dr. Venture: ...but I want to...
Dr. Quymn: I don't want to get hurt-
Dr. Venture: You won't! That felt good, didn't it?
Dr. Quymn: It's not a good time, we have to get back to camp before moonrise, I'm sorry.

She quickly climbs down from the tree, leaving a frustrated Dr. Venture to wonder how he is supposed to get down. Answer: fall. However he's wearing a harness and doesn't hit the ground, and instead swings fifteen feet off the ground. Dr. Quymn walks back towards the camp. Ginnie has been watching the entire time. She sneaks away, but it turns out Brock has been watching her the entire time. Also Dean has been watching everyone. Also Hank is taking a leak. The sound of the wereodile rings through the jungle. Hank quickly zips up his pants and runs away, slamming into Dean who was apparently fleeing in the opposite direction.

Dean: Oh my god!
Hank: You're the wereodile!
Dean: You're the wereodile!
Hank: I'm not the wereodile, you're the wereodile!!
Dean: Hank, how could you, you're my brother!
Hank: Oh my god, we're twins! That means- that means I'm a wereodile too! Oh no!!
Dean: That- that- that doesn't really follow. I mean, we have different hair.
Hank: And I have a huskier build, let's admit it. Plus, I barely have hair under there [he points to his underarm]
Dean: Me too! Not for lack of trying.

Another wereodile scream echos through the area causing Hank and Dean to super run away!

They come to the campsite. Brock approaches with Dr. Venture slung over his shoulder. He says he found him swinging from a tree and he'd probably been upside-down for a while. Blood probably rushed to his... er...

Hank: Who did that to pop!? What it the wereodile?!
Dean: Did you see him, Brock?
Brock: No, I saw... them. Two of them.
Dr. Quymn: Two of them?

The twins walk out of their cabin at this moment. Hank tries to console them, even though they need no such service. Ginnie storms into the camp and instructs everyone to get to their bunks. The camp is now on full wereodile alert. She pulls Dr. Venture away as he attempts to go to Dr. Quymn's cabin instead of his tent.

Inside Dr. Quymn's cabin Ginnie tells Tara that she wants the Venture clan gone. They're bringing bad luck to the site.

Ginnie: I don't like him.
Dr. Quymn: That's unfortunate, because I plan to ask Dr. Venture to be my... lab assistant.
Ginnie: Awww, nooo, not that!
Dr. Quymn: Oh Ginnie, if I didn't know better I'd think you were jealous. Don't you worry, I could never replace you. But I have needs you just aren't capable of fulfilling, Ginnie.
Ginnie: Aww, just give it a chance, Tara-bear. I can be ge-
Dr. Quymn: Dr. Venture is a trained scientist. He can help me in ways you never could.
Ginnie: Yeah, like out of your shorts!
Dr. Quymn: Virginia! You forget your place!
Ginnie: My place? My place is watching our for your asses.
Dr. Quymn: Kindly remove your things from this hut and find lodging elsewhere.
Ginnie: No. You kindly remember this, little miss fancy britches. Just 'cause mommy and daddy didn't love you enough doesn't mean I'm gonna clean up after you every time you let a man make a mess of your life!
Dr. Quymn: Get out! Get out, you monster!
[the shot is from Dean's tent now, he can hear them argument as Ginnie storms out of the hut]
Ginnie: I know what you really are, Tara!!

Ginnie leaves the campsite (after yelling at Brock for no reason, who does not respond at all) and Dean peeks into Tara's cabin. She is rocking back and forth and telling herself not to let the demon out. Dean strokes his chin and writes some notes in his notebook about what he just heard (reciting it to himself out loud in classic mystery solving fashion). He concludes that someone, or someones in this camp is the wereodile. He walks into his tent, where Hank is playing an unplugged electric guitar.

Dean: Hank, are you listening to me?
Hank: Actually, uh, can you keep it down? I'm trying to write a song for the girls.
Dean: Would you get with the program? We've got a mystery to solve!
Hank: Well then we should team up. With the girls!
Dean: We can't! They're- they're suspects.
Hank: Then solve it tomorrow or something. Man, what's your hurry?
Dean: What's your slowy?! You've gone soft on me, Henry Allen So-Called-Venture! You used to be all 'Go Team Venture!' but now? Now you're all 'Go Team... b- Boobies!' Gosh!!

Dean leaves the tent, exaspirated.

We're treated to another flashback of the same night. Rusty and Tara are in a cardboard hut, about to be killed by vicious pretend natives. Tara tells Rusty to kiss him, and they are about to when Jonas and Ms. Quymn stumble into the room, making out. They fall over on top of the cardboard hut, crushing Rusty (and presumably Tara, though she remains silent) as Jonas shouts about having the time of his life. Behind them in the pool (they are in the mystery guest room with the window that looks into the pool) two naked men dive in and swirl about.

In his tent Dr. Venture is awoken by Dr. Quymn. She offers to let Dr. Venture... play in her jungle fort.

Brock is keeping lookout in some sort of tree-based platform above the campsite. He hears rustling behind him.

Brock: [sighs] Hey, Hank. You're supposed to stay in-
Dean: Hey, Brock.
Brock: Hey, it's Dean.
Dean: Welp, looks like it's up to me and you to solve the mystery of the wereodile. Everyone else has dumb girls on the brain.
Ginnie: Alllright ya big Nebraskan oak. Don't make me regret this.
Dean: You too Brock? You too?!
[Dean runs away, pushing past Ginnie, who is holding a six pack]
Dean: The both of yous got jungle fever! The both of yous!
Ginnie: Screw this! [she reaches into her shirt and pulls out a bra, handing it to Brock] The mood's totally blown.

In his tent Hank is still playing guitar (badly) when a pink note drops into the tent. It says 'meet me in the clearing in ten minutes' and has a lipstick kiss signature. Hank gloats to himself briefly when Dean shows up, telling him to get some dynamite and a big cargo net and meet him behind the tent in ten minutes. Hank protests but Dean refuses to let him, telling him that the mystery is afoot. He then walks backwards into the jungle.

Once in the jungle he meets Nancy and Drew, who claim to have solved the mystery of the wereodile. They lead him back to their hut to show him 'everything'.

At the camp Hank leaves his tent with a picnic basket and his guitar Ginnie is crouched in front of the fire sharpening her machete and muttering to herself.

In Dr. Quymn's hut, Dr. Venture and Dr. Quymn stumble in, kissing. Dr. Venture notes that he's found a cure for impotence. Now if he could only 'bottle that ass' he'd be a multi-millionaire. Surprisingly smooth for Dr. Thadeus S. Venture.

In the twins' hut they give Dean what they claim is a native potion to ward off the wereodile. Then they tell him to relax as they lay him down on the bed. One of them straddles him.

In Dr. Quymn's:

Dr. Quymn: Oh, Rusty! You have no idea how long it's been!
Dr. Venture: Nineteen years, two months and four days.

In the twins' hut Dean is being licked by one girl as another takes off her dress and her bra (two socks fall out onto Dean). Dean continues to protest the entire time until finally screaming like a girl and accusing them both of being wereodiles.

Ginnie: Get your filthy mitts off of her!
[the girls both gasp] Dean: What was that?
[in Tara's hut]
Dr. Quymn: Ginnie! What are you doin-
Ginnie: I'm not gonna let you break her heart again! I'm not gonna let you put your seed in her and walk out that door again! [she grabs Dr. Venture, who is calling for Brock, and slams him into the wall]

From the observation platform Brock hears Dr. Venture's yells, groans and heads over.

Ginnie: She's not the same liquored-up little teenage rich girl that you just-
Dr. Venture: What liquored-up teenage I haven't seen her since I was ten!
Ginnie: She doesn't need your bills or your booze or your shock therapy any more! I fixed her, not you! I did, me, me, me, me, meeeeeeeee!!!

Just then Brock comes in and tackles Ginnie. They brawl with each commenting that the other is putting up a good fight. They knock over a lantern, causing the hut to catch fire. Dr. Quymn appears to cave under the intensity of the moment and collapses to the floor, convulsing.

Dean: Dr. Quymn is the wereodile!
Dr. Venture: She's- oh my god! I almost fucked a wereodile!
Dean: We have to stop her transformation before she kills us all!
[he picks up a chair and begins to hit Dr. Quymn with it over and over]
Dean: The power of Christ compels you!
[Ginnie springs into action and pushes Dean away]
Ginnie: Stop it you little asshole! She's not a wereodile, she's an epileptic.
Dr. Venture: Ew!

They all exit the burning hut and Ginnie tries to calmly talk Dr. Quymn out of it. Dr. Quymn weakly asks for the amulet. Ginnie pulls apart the crystal on her necklace to reveal a hidden cigarette inside. She asks if anyone has a light.

Oblivious to the events that just transpired, Hank is waiting in the clearing. He hears a noise behind him and gets up to greet the twins, only to be greeted by the wereodile. He runs for his life, only to get caught in the same trap that Dr. Venture tripped at the beginning of the episode. The wereodile approaches Hank when suddenly out of nowhere Clyde does a flying tackle and starts beating on the wereodile. Fade.

It's the next day; the X-1 and Dr. Quymn's private jet are parked next to each other. The charred remains of the campsite surround them. The twins tell Dean to thank Hank for being so brave. Neither of them actually thought the wereodile existed and never wanted him to get hurt. Dean notes that the natives have already made Hank an honorary warrior and gave him a circumcision. The twins both immediately become grossed out and their mother comes over to them to lead them away.

Inside the X-1 Brock greets a very, very, very sad looking Hank, asking if he can get him anything. Hank doesn't respond, but from the front seat Dr. Venture answers for him:

Dr. Venture: I could use a cocoa. Do we have any cocoa? Or something stronger? I just don't wanna feel anything anymore, Brock. Ohhh god. [the jets both take off] Loove hurts!!

Roll end credits.

In the same native village from before a man in a wereodile suit enters a well but affordably furnished hut.

Wereodile #1: I thought those fucking people would never leave. Where the hell were you?
Wereodile #2: Down by the river, putting fake blood on stuff. Where were you?
Wereodile #1: Getting my ass handed to me by a fucking orangutan!!!

Notes

• The first flashback in the episode gives us a little more insight into Jonas Venture's life (along with his cohorts) as well as Rusty's upbringing. Namely that when Jonas wasn't adventuring or inventing things he appeared to have swinger parties. The specific 'type' of party seen in this episode is called a 'key party'. The general idea is all the men put their car keys into a hat (or in this case a fish bowl) and each woman draws a pair of keys randomly. Whoever's keys you pick is the person you have sex with during the party. Note that Jonas slipped Ms. Quymn his keys while nobody was looking. Regardless of the type of party we get some more insight on Jonas not exactly being the greatest role model for Rusty, what with hosting a key party while his ten year old son is still in the house.
  
  We also get some more insight into Kano's role in the original Team Venture. Namely that when not adventuring he appears to be mostly reduced to babysitter and odd job duty.
  
  
• Col. Gentleman's backstory is revealed a little more. There were already fairly obvious hints at his affinity for other men, but it's pretty much confirmed in this episode. We also see that he had a wife and a step-daughter. Tara Quymn's real father of course remains a mystery (though Jonas is an obvious possibility), though it does not appear to be Col. Gentleman since Tara refers to him as 'Horace' and not 'father'.
  
  
• The fertility idol, while stylized to look like a snake, clearly has a little cock and ball-ish-ness going on:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Dr. Quymn appears to be based on a few existing character and character types. The most obvious is her name (and the name of the episode) is a variant of the television show Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Her similarities to Dr. Quinn are fairly small however, outside of being educated in medicine. She also has a few similarities to Lara Croft, the protagonist from the Tomb Raider series of video games. The obvious is their adventuring nature (Lara Croft is, as the name of the game suggests, a tomb raider; think Indiana Jones) coupled with their similar names (Lara and Tara) as well as both being British. Both also have similar physical abilities and a similar body shape, at least, similar to the current, uh, less pronounced design of Lara Croft.
  
  Reader Katie W also pointed out to my non-British-slag-knowing self that 'quim' is a euphemism for 'vagina' in Dr. Quymn's native land, so there's also that to consider.
  
  There's also the somewhat obvious parallel of Dr. Quymn's life to Dr. Venture's life. Dr. Venture has twin boys and a short-fused, protective male bodyguard. Dr. Quymn has twin girls and a short-fused, protective (possibly more so than Brock) female bodyguard. Dr. Quymn, however, appears to have more of a soul than Dr. Venture, even though she appeared to have a similar upbringing to him (though we don't know the entire story with her mother yet).
  
  
• In case it wasn't obvious, Nancy and Drew's named are a reference to the title character of the popular girl's adolescent detective series of novels, Nancy Drew.
  
  
• Hank's insane reference-o-rama continues with 'by Frith!' who is the rabbit sun god (if you've never experienced Watership Down, all of the characters are rabbits) in the novel (and later film) Watership Down.
  
  
• Dr. Venture's recollection of the last time he had sex is of course another reveal as to exactly how old the boys should be were it not for their numerous deaths. 19 years and 2 months, subtract nine months (assuming they had a natural development the first time they were born) makes them both roughly 18 and a half. The numerous clonings of them, however, appear to have caused roughly two years of time to be lost.
  
  
• When Dean is attempting to stop Dr. Quymn's supposed transformation into the wereodile he shouts 'the power of Christ compels you' which is a reference to the same line in The Exorcist, which is repeated by the exorcist while he is attempting to remove the devil from Linda Blair.
  
  
• Of course it was noted in Are You There God, It's Me, Dean that Hank had already been circumcised (and that Dean had not) so him being circumcised by the natives is either sad and painful or a horrible mutilation. The former being true if we assume Dr. Venture did not recircumcise Hank after he was re-cloned, and the latter being true if he did. Either way Hank's got a pretty good reason to be frowny for a couple of weeks.
  
  Also, someone actually got Jackson to respond on his blog about this, so I'll stick that here as well:

  ...as we all must realize, the Hank of "Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean" was a different Hank body than the one presently running around being Hank. Somehow during the life of that particular Hank, he managed to get himself circumcised, through means never explained. Let's assume now that all fresh clones would emerge from their gooey tanks au natural and uncircumcised, just as a newborn babe would, since you could no more clone a cosmetic surgical procedure than you could a haircut. So, until "Dr. Quymn, Medicine Woman" you had two uncut Venture boys running around. I like to think that, through some twist of fate, Hanks throughout time just seem to have a habit of getting into predicaments which leave them circumcised. And then they like to brag about it.

• I don't know if this has been noted before, but seeing the two jets together reminded me. The X-1 is modeled after a Concorde, whereas Dr. Quymn's has a design similar to the Sr-71 Blackbird. In the case of the Blackbird it's worth noting that during the duration of its active time (they were formerly retired from US military use in 1999) it was the fastest and highest flying aircraft. Obviously neither of those jets are intended to be the real life counterpart (it has been noted on several occasions that the X-1 is powered by 'super-secret atomic jet fuel', whereas Concorde's just use regular jet fuel), but simply share some similarities in their design.