I strive to admit when I am wrong. A long time ago, I wrote an article about Mystery Science Theater 3000 in which I said that I didn’t like Pearl Forrester, Observer, and Professor Bobo. I preferred Dr. Clayton Forrester and TV’s Frank. However, over the years I’ve realized the brilliance of those three baddies that came to prominence starting in season 8, and I now think they’re all great.

Another funny thing happened as I rewatched season 8 of MST3K. I began to be awed by its overarching storyline. No other season of this TV show had such a sprawling, epic adventure like that one did. Even Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie didn’t feel as big and bold as that season. Of course, movies and TV shows are two different beasts. It’s just amazing to see what the folks at Best Brains managed to accomplish on a shoestring budget.

Why Season 8 Is My Favorite

I would like to share what makes season 8 so special. It’s unlike anything else ever attempted in the show’s history, and I appreciate such a dramatic departure from the norm. It offers the following things, which I’ll discuss in detail below:

• New villains
• Unique situations
• Satisfying story
• Memorable movies

New Villains

Season 8 had the unenviable task of following what was essentially the end of the show in season 7. Mike Nelson and the Bots turned into beings of pure energy, and Dr. Forrester turned into a space baby a la 2001: A Space Odyssey. TV’s Frank and Joel Robinson had left the show in previous seasons, and everything could have come to an abrupt end right there. Thankfully, the Sci-Fi Channel picked up the show from Comedy Central, and suddenly it had new life breathed into it.

Season 8 pulled off a miracle by replacing the memorable duo of Mads with equally entertaining villains. It’s funny that the show started off with the same actors torturing poor Joel also being the ones who were helping him riff movies as his adorable robot sidekicks. That changed in season 2 when J. Elvis Weinstein was replaced by Frank Coniff, and Kevin Murphy took over for him under Tom Servo. It’s somehow fitting that the show would return to its roots in season 8 by having the actors who play Tom Servo and Crow also play Bobo and Observer, respectively.

Those two villains are hilarious in their own ways. Bobo is both superstrong and a complete doofus. Observer is mentally powerful, yet he’s vulnerable because of his cranial outsourcing. And then there’s Pearl. She’s hilariously pompous and full of herself. And she’s kind of right in a lot of what she thinks. A compulsive liar, overbearing boss, pitiable complainer, and kindhearted caretaker at odd times, she’s a perfect contradiction. Which makes her one of the funniest villains of all time.

Unique Situations

This season has it all. It tries new things and goes in all sorts of directions you’d never expect. Let’s see. Pearl ruling Bobo’s planet full of apes, Observers pitting Pearl and Bobo against each other, Nanites running the Satellite of Love, tense intergalactic chase scenes, a dangerous alien infestation of the Satellite of Love, an all-powerful trio of petulant children, a wormhole turning Mike into a robot and messing with both time and space, time travel to Ancient Rome, Mike’s habit of accidentally blowing up planets and being put on trial for it, and the presence of Ortega and Phantom of Krankor. Those two men can do no wrong.

I can’t even do it justice. The crazy things that happen in season 8 are outrageous in the best way.

Satisfying Story

Never before in any season of MST3K had the main characters been attempting to flee from their captors. Sure, Joel and Mike had made a few escape attempts over the years, and they even succeeded on two occasions. Season 8 is unique in that it breaks free from Earth’s orbit and hurtles our heroes across the universe.

Each episode tells a nice self-contained story, but it also contributes to a much larger story. The host segments have always been quite silly, but this time around they’re often purposeful and intriguing. There are so many setups and payoffs throughout the season and some that are even continued in later seasons, like when the other Observers show up again in season 9.

The interesting thing is that it kind of ends on a cliffhanger that isn’t resolved until the start of season 9. After Pearl, Observer, and Bobo successfully escape from Ancient Rome, the final two episodes take a much-needed break from all the dramatic storytelling and have a little fun with the contradiction of time travel and greedy telethons for charity.

After season 8, the characters finally end up right where they started on Earth (but in the present day instead of a dystopian future), having gained new friends and experiences along the way. And Pearl discovers her ancestral home, which turns out to be a medieval castle. It’s both satisfying and hilarious.

Memorable Movies

Season 8 has a lot of my favorite movies to rewatch in the whole series, some of which are legitimately entertaining or at least interesting:

• Agent for H.A.R.M.
• The Giant Spider Invasion
• The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies
• Invasion of the Neptune Men
• Jack Frost
• Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
• Parts: The Clonus Horror
• Prince of Space
• Riding with Death
• Space Mutiny
• Time Chasers
• The Undead

Each one of these films is a masterpiece of either misplaced ambition or cringe. In the hands of Mike and the Bots, they are absolute comedy gold. Invasion of the Neptune Men has the distinction of actually breaking Mike, Crow, and Tom Servo. The movie is so devoid of characters and anything worthwhile that it makes them pine for the good old days of Prince of Space.

If you haven’t seen these movies (or you haven’t seen them in a while), I highly recommend giving them a watch. The episodes are all available on YouTube.

An Epic Season

Season 8 has it all. Seasoned veterans, fresh faces, great storylines, and amazing jokes at the expense of old movies. I can’t recommend it enough. It’s my favorite season of Mystery Science Theater 3000 for a reason.

Here’s a video compilation of every host segment in the season if you want to skip the movies and just see how the story plays out. Prepare to be amazed.

This is the Deja Reviewer bidding you farewell until we meet again.

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