Author: Nathan Mattise

Warning: This preview contains minor spoilers to recent events in the show's universe and elements of the upcoming season.

If there has been any constant running through the soon-to-be six seasons of The Venture Bros., it’s expanse. Things are never quite what they seem; they tend to be bigger, vaster, and way more complex.

This all started with the 2003 premiere, an episode any fan should rewatch if they would like to gasp at the advances since. (Creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer told Ars that the slick setting and animation awaiting viewers in this upcoming season has only been possible in the last two years. It’s not a technical evolution, though; “it’s our idiocy that makes it possible,” Hammer insisted.)

The National Park Service announced a bunch of name changes at Yosemite National Park this week. Landmarks such as the Ahwahnee suddenly became The Majestic Yosemite Hotel, and the Curry Village transformed into Half Dome Village. But after some newly-named locations held their previous identities for centuries, this wasn't merely some 21st century re-branding effort.

Instead, DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite, Inc. (DNCY), a subsidiary of the Delaware North Companies, brought to light potential trademark issues with the park after a different concessioner was selected for the park's next contract back in 2014. According to NPS, DNCY "or its predecessor" previously trademarked or service-marked several properties in the park without NPS agreement. And after the concessioner switch, DNCY claimed ownership on the trademarks and IP valued at more than $50 million according to the company. Rather than fight on, the park service and Yosemite opted for new monikers this week "to eliminate potential trademark infringement issues with the current concessioner."

“While it is unfortunate that we must take this action, changing the names of these facilities will help us provide seamless service to the American public during the transition to the new concessioner," Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher said in a press release. "Yosemite National Park belongs to the American people. This action will not affect the historic status of the facilities, as they are still important cultural icons to the National Park Service and the public. Our stewardship of these properties is unwavering.”

Warning: this piece contains minor spoilers to several episodes of the show. 

By now everyone knows Fargo's famous disclaimer—"This is a true story." The Coen Brothers' 1996 classic starts the same way each episode of the TV series it inspired on FX does, but just because something is true doesn't mean it can't get a little fuzzy or downright weird. And the currently-in-progress-season two is playing with pop culture's favorite oddity—aliens. UFOs, technically.

Then again, were there UFOs in this season's penultimate episode last Monday? The cop (Lou Solverson, played by Patrick Wilson), the villain (Angus Sampson as Bear Gerhardt), and everyone in-between sure seemed to stop mid-firefight to stare at something, but only the in-over-her-head beautician (Kirsten Dunst as Peggy Blumquist) said anything: "It's just a flying saucer, hon." This is the same person who hallucinated a Lifespring coach in her basement one week earlier.

Fargo, obviously, is not a true story. The people are made up, the intercity travel times fudged, the Midwest accents exaggerated. But among other things making its current season an all-time great is that its brand of aliens feels different. Rather than having any scientific or nefarious purposes or creature-like appearances, Fargo's aliens are... a mystery. That's what makes this season the most realistic pop culture depiction of extraterrestrial life to date.