What do you guys think of having different robot companions for each host? I find the current situation quite confusing. If Emily lived with her own robots, then everything would be more clear. The voice actors would get an opportunity to develop their own characters, which in turn could lead to new riffing styles and other comedic shenanigans. The new bots could be female to have an all-girl team. The community has already mostly accepted the idea of multiple hosts per season, I think we are ready for new regular characters.
It’s time to use those special parts to make new robot friends!
EDIT
I should clarify that I only meant giving new companions to one of the hosts. I did NOT propose removing Tom and Crow from the show. They would still be there for some episodes. MST3K would not be the same without them.
Tom and Crow and Tom and Crow, and it’s not MST3K without them. They may have different voices, and their personalities may change a bit. But their essence is still the same. Tom is always Tom, whether it’s Josh, Kevin, Connor, Baron, or anyone else. Crow is still Crow, whether it’s Trace, Bill, Hampton, Nate, or Kelsey. Each performer has a unique voice and style, but they each understand the soul of the character.
It’s been established for years, since the original run, that there are multiple Toms and Crows.
And yet, for some reason I can’t quite put my finger on no one really seemed to have a problem with that until this season. I don’t recall anyone insisting that Jonah needed his own set of bots…
The show, at its most basic, is a human host with Servo and Crow in the theater. It would make no sense from a branding perspective to change that as you can tell, even from 30 feet away, what show is on when you see the bots and the Shadowrama.
Well, Crow and Tom would still be there for the Jonah episodes. I also can hardly imagine MST3K without them. I just find it unnecessarily confusing to have two different actors voicing the same character within a single season. If a new host is introduced in parallel to the old one, it would be more fun and creative to also give them different companions.
I’m trying to imagine Mike’s seasons with completely different robots. Jonah’s, too. (Crow, GPC, and Tom would be only Joel’s bots.)
(Also trying to imagine fandom not calling these new robots “cheap imitations of the originals”, and either waging a massive “Bring Back Tom and Crow!!” campaign or ragequitting.)
What is so confusing, though? Like we can watch The Muppet Show with Jim and then The Muppets Christmas Carol with Steve and it doesn’t confuse anyone. When Crow’s mouth is moving, Crow is speaking. Same with Servo. Whatever voice comes out of their mouths is the right one for the episode that is airing.
The funny thing is there was more of an uproar when Growler and M Waverly were introduced. You can’t just add new bots!
No matter what you do, when you change things, some people are going to be unhappy. But change is necessary over time.
It’s canon that Crow’s voice changes on a semi-regular basis. If you have a different Crow, he’ll have a different voice. It’s just how it works. But he’s still Crow.
It’s been established for years, since the original run, that there are multiple Toms and Crows.
This is very true and it is part of the show’s charm. However, this was always a case of succession. An old voice had a run and was replaced by someone new. This way one could get used to a specific interpretation of the character. Right now, alternating the actors between episodes creates a chaotic situation and possibly robs the actors from a chance to develop their own memorable take.
I haven’t seen anything like that from the actors. Kelsey’s Crow is different from Hampton’s crow. Baron’s Servo is different from Conor’s Servo. Their takes are unique while staying true to the character. You just have to watch them to see that.
Yeah, I guess you are right about that. But there is one more argument I would have in favor of broadening the cast: more styles of comedy. Crow is wisecracking, Tom is pompous. We know and love them for these characteristics. But we could also have a wistful character or one that is more cynical or paranoid or gloomy and depressive. Possibilities are endless and they could lead to new types of jokes in and out of the theater.