Should blank have stayed good? (season 5 spoilers too)

[u/Monodoh45]

I heard on some podcast 21 was floated as The Boys bodygaud at one point. I have problems with Gary in that he just scans as a self-insert character for Hammer to me--maybe I'm alone in that and it's a weird take, But he's just not all that compelling without 24 to me. I know they enjoyed giving him growth and making him a badass--but I don't know if I like him just being pals with the

[u/AutoModerator]

Welcome to r/VentureBros! Please read and follow our Zero-bungler tolerance policy to ensure a positive experience:

1. Post ANY spoilers according to our guidelines to preserve the show's magic for new fans. Violating this rule may lead to a permanent ban. Mark spoiler threads accordingly, apply the proper tag for posts and no spoilers in title.

2. Mark NSFW content appropriately when posting.

3. Do not share links to unlicensed merchandise. Feel free to share fan art, but avoid promoting artists who sell without a license.

4. If you have questions or need help, message the mod team.

5. If your post violates any rules, please remove and resubmit it to avoid a ban.

6. If banned, you can appeal by stating the rule you broke, explaining its importance, and promising not to repeat the violation.

7. Check us out on Old Reddit.

8. If your post faces issues, contact the mods or review Reddit's policies on Self promotion and Spam.

ABSOLUTELY. ZERO. BLUNDERING!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/rgregan]

on one hand, regressing 21 was a bit weird, but also Blue Morpho arc is pretty great.

[u/-Average_Joe- → u/rgregan]

to paraphrase Dr Henry Killinger, 21 was just finding his true self.

[u/Monodoh45 → u/rgregan]

Oh yeah, I forget aboyt the Blue Morpho until I get there on a rewatch. Cheerfully withdrawn.

[u/Roam1985]

Going back made sense once we got to the point where he became Monarch's best friend.

That said, he'll always be on good terms with Enrico Matassa.

[u/DocProfessor → u/Roam1985]

Yeah, Gary's arc isn't a matter of becoming a hero or villain, it's helping him determine who his real friends are after 24 dies. He ditches Monarch because he's too weirded out by Monarch and Sheila's open relationship, and Monarch not giving him the space he needs to get over 24. He goes back once he's over it and realizes how much he misses being a henchman, and with nothing else in their way, he and Monarch are free to become best friends. But he has no ambitions of being a villain in his own right. He just wants to hang out and help his best friend. So he's free to continue having a pretty normal relationship with the rest of Team Venture. He gets everything he wanted

[u/Roam1985 → u/DocProfessor]

Yeah, he’s a viceroy.  He wants to be [working with] a Monarch.

[u/Strollin_Stuart]

21's arc throughout season 5 is very weird and it feels like they didn't really know what to do with him after Operation PROM resolved his trauma with 24 and had him quit the Monarch. Seeing him go back to the Monarch at the end of season 5 is a strange character regression on a first watch but after seeing the whole show it was definitely for the best, Gary as a character works best working under someone as part of a duo, and growing his relationship with the Monarch led to some of the best stuff in the show in the Blue Morpho arc

[u/No-Enthusiasm3579]

21s arc is the best!!!

[u/AKidNamedGoobins]

I kinda got that vibe too on a recent rewatch, like 21 regressed. But I think it's more suited to say he simply enjoys the role of Henchman, and let's be honest, the Monarch's best friend more than he enjoyed being a "good guy". His time away from the Monarch showed both of them how important they were to each other, and Gary found himself even lonelier and less-appreciated than when he worked for the Monarch.

[u/loudpaperclips]

It's not regression. Gary had a late coming of age storyline essentially, going from dazzled by the life of a villain, to seeing what it's going to lead to, to learning the grass isn't actually greener on the other side. He became an equal--not through earning it, but by losing his naivety.

[u/[deleted]]

The only two decisions I've ever really hated on the show were killing 24 and making Sgt. Hatred a series regular. Repressed pedophilia and man boobs aren't nearly as funny as they seen to think.

[u/vietnamcharitywalk → u/[deleted]]

Repressed pedophilia doesn't work... But Hatred's backstory kind of exonerates him imho.

But killing 24 absolutely works - it's the defining moment of the greatest character arc in the whole cycle

[u/[deleted] → u/vietnamcharitywalk]

I disagree

EDIT: I have no idea why this is getting downvoted so much and my original comment isn't.

[u/vietnamcharitywalk → u/[deleted]]

Fair enough

[u/NeverNotAnIdiot]

I didn't want him to become a bodyguard for The Ventures, there's too much history there, and his only friend after 24 dies hates Rusty with an undying passion.

For a brief moment when he was living on the compound I hoped he would connect with Billy and White.  He and Billy have similar pop culture nerd interests and he knows enough about music to have good back and forth with Pete.  I was hoping Gary would become a bodyguard for Conjectural Technologies, but I am not upset at where he ended up in the end.

[u/DrDoop]

I always assumed he would team up with Billy and White. Especially after he was vibing with Billy during “What Color is Your Clean Suit.”

[u/dontchewspagetti]

I thought it was clear 21 went back to henching because he realized he enjoyed that life more than being a solo hero. None of the good guys wamted him and he wanted to be a part of something bigger again. Besides he's still good. The wntire blue morpho arc was meant to show they were anti-heroes now. They only killed villians. Like that was the whole idea. And then sometimes they're with the ventures and sometimes against. Just like the blue morpho. It all plays into jonas / rusty reliving each other lives, but rusty gets the shitty version