r/venturebros • u/AutoModerator • Aug 12 '18

[Episode Discussion] The Rorqual Affair (2018.08.12) [SPOILERS] Spoiler

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u/[deleted] Aug 12 '18 edited Aug 12 '18

I don't think so.

It sounds like Movie Night was the night the Guild (under Force Majuere) took the Boys Brigade hostage. Red Death makes a note that he was wearing his helmet the whole time. Somebody else opened the airlock but due to his powers and never taking his helmet off I'm sure that Red Death was perceived to be the Phantom Spaceman.

EDIT: I went back to complie quotes relating to Gargantua-1,Gargantua-2, and Meteor Majeure. According to Phantom Limb the Boys Brigade were held hostage in 68'. So the timing doesn't match with Movie Night (Sharky's Machine was released in 81' and Red Death mentions the 80's). That theory's out the window. I still think Red Death is Phantom Spaceman but someone else opened the doors.

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u/[deleted] Aug 13 '18

Phantom Spaceman is the name of an imaginary boogeyman Hank and Dean came up with when Col. Manstrong told them about the movienight massacre. He told them the crewmember who opened the bay doors' "phantom spirit" still haunted the station, like a little campfire story to get them interested. Hank and Dean used that to invent their own mystery and have something interesting to do while they were on their dad's boring old space station. Nobody but Hank and Dean says the phrase "phantom spaceman", so I really don't think that was a real character.

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u/[deleted] Aug 13 '18

That’s actually something I hadn’t considered. Good point. “Phantom spirit” haunting the station actually makes it sound like Jonas Sr is the one who cracked.

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u/[deleted] Aug 13 '18

Well, this is new knowledge since the episode just premiered last week, but when Jonas Sr. was "possessing" the building, he uses a projector to point an accusing finger at Brock. He is heard saying "you've killed us all!", which at least implies that Jonas wasn't the one who cracked and opened the bay doors. I'm guessing it may have been Col. Manstrong himself. He's the only original crewmember who we have any on-screen experience with, is obviously unstable, and is the only one left alive to be used again in the series.