Another year, another Turkey Day. This is the first Turkey Day since 1997 that aired while Mystery Science Theater 3000 was up-and-running on television, to which we are rewarded with bumpers that are less skits and more colorful discussions with series creator Joel Hodgson and new-stars Jonah Ray and Felicia Day. They talk about the making of the new series with animated flavor, with some interesting tidbits being tossed in it.
To be perfectly honest, this is one of my favorite Turkey Days. I love that it's a break from pre-scripted comedy bits and it's just Joel, Jonah, and Felicia discussing the show's return on Netflix. It's a very satisfying celebration of what the MSTies and the show achieved that year, and I like the casualness to the bumpers. It's like they're sitting down and relaxing after such a hectic attempt to bring the show back, and reminiscing on what they felt the highlights are. They discuss Jonah's song "Every Country Has a Monster" (songwriter Paul Sabourin sits in on this discussion), Felicia's chemistry with Patton Oswalt, and the 2017 Live Tour, which quickly turns into a warning that you should never poo in a bus bathroom.
They also discuss their love for the episodes featured. Joel expresses fondness for The Day the Earth Froze as well as, the Invention Exchange in particular, The Girl in Lovers Lane, while Felicia gushes over Night of the Blood Beast and shudders at Raul Julia's sexual harassment in Overdrawn at the Memory Bank. I also have a lot to gush about, because this year's episode selection is quite fantastic. It's a constant stream of good-to-great episodes that kept me watching from beginning to end. Highlight of the night would be Girl in Lovers Lane for me, though Day the Earth Froze and Blood Beast give it a run for its money. Weakest episode is unfortunately the closer, Santa Claus, but it's still funny enough to leave the experience on a high.
Night of the Blood Beast - Both versions on different streams (2nd Turkey Day)
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
Warrior of the Lost World
The Girl in Lovers Lane
Santa Claus
Average Rating (out of 4): 3.5
The episode selection is both outstanding and a non-traditional and non-boring repeat of "Mitchell...AGAIN, Pod People...AGAIN" that can plague a Turkey Day marathon. These episodes are both great and a few of them are even overlooked in the grand scheme of the show. The bumpers themselves are a can't miss experience for people who enjoyed the Netflix series, and Joel closes the Turkey Day on a high by suddenly revealing that a twelfth season is in the works. Thank you for the greatest gift of all, Turkey Claus!
No comments:
Post a Comment