ANYWHO.
Yeah, this is the ugliest, blechiest, grossest, gnarliest episode in the MST3K canon. It’s the trunk scene from Gamera Vs. Jiger but spread out over a whoooooooooooole movie. I get the sense that this came about because Comedy Central neither knew nor cared what the MST3K gang did by this point.
Dr. Ted Nelson is one of my all-time favorite riff targets, hands down. As Nelson, actor Burr DeBenning comes through big-time, which is to say, he doesn’t come through at all. The crackers scene where he diverges from his wife’s conversation about Melto to whine about not having snacks in the house? Pantheon quality. When Crow says “RAGING BULL!”, I damn near lose it.
Then there’s…
[Ted calls his wife long after the crackers discussion]
Mike: “Any crackers yet?”
Servo: “I swiped a MoonPie and they caught me.”
Ted: “Just a minute and I’ll ask (the doctor and the general if they want to come over for dinner).”
Mike, as flatly as possible: “Hey you wanna eat over too bad you can’t sorry.”
And let’s not get into “HOTCHKA!” If MST3K had a future at Comedy Central past Season Seven, I’d like to think we’d hear that often as a “HI-KEEBA”-esque running gag, because it’s so inexplicable and goofy.
Everything involving the elderly lemon thieves? Priceless. It’s gold riff after gold riff after gold riff, and it’s impossible not to howl laughing at the inanity of it all.
Favorite riffs from that?
Mike: “They were broadminded to cast aliens in these roles.”
Servo: “Did someone switch reels on us?!”
[as this scene goes on for eternity]
Harold: “Helen?”
Helen: “Harold?”
Crow: “WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?!!?!”
AND WE DIDN’T EVEN GET INTO MELTO YET
So many great jokes about the indulgent special effects and ickiness of it all:
Mike: “The movie has to mop up after itself now.”
Crow, commenting on all the grossness against a building: “This is what it looks like behind Chili’s.”
God-tier episode. Easily the best of a ridiculously strong Season Seven in my book.
