I dunno, if there's any one overarching flaw in the writing, it's that it's sometimes too clever for its own good, demanding more than one or two viewings (and some research) to fully process subtle, yet crucial details in the plot and accompanying pop-culture references. Take this episode for example: At the risk of sounding like a latter Simpsons era apologist here, I'd argue that the real objective of going through Rusty's psyche from a character development viewpoint was to give hope to/excite his ego, release his superego and get him to confront and deal with his guilt issues concerning Hank and Dean, not necessarily to get rid of the Monarch, who's really just there to push buttons and set up the situation. By the time the tragic memory ducts are mentioned, the ep is pretty much done.
It remains to be seen whether all that will yield permanent dividends, or Dr. Venture's attitude at the end was some one-off thing, but either way, it's hardly the "string of gags" episode you make it out to be. I don't think there's a pacing issue, either; the show has always used the post credits scenes as a safety valve for excess information, and there's substantial filler material that was left in this one.
But yeah, Shoreleave... not his best outing. He's great is small doses, very small doses.
