MST3K, RiffTrax, and Beyond: MST3K Season 5

Mystery Science Theater 3000's fifth season was a symbolically transitional one. It was the big question mark about the show's longevity: Can it survive a host change? The series already had gone through a cast shake-up when Josh Weinstein left after the first season, but the difference here is that as talented a performer as Josh was, he left while the series was in the middle of growing pains. The show was still experimenting with itself even after he left and still needed another season to fully find its groove. By season five, the show was fully firing on all cylinders. Joel Hodgson, Kevin Murphy, and Trace Beaulieu were proving to be a force to be reckoned with in the theater while Trace and Frank Conniff were stealing scenes with minimal screentime in Deep 13.

Then the big blow to the status quo comes: Joel Hodgson is leaving the series. And let's be frank, even today knowing that the show survived in several incarnations down the road, the Joel/Kevin/Trace/Frank onscreen line-up is the longest status quo run that the series ever had, so even if you prefer another era of the show, there is no questioning just how iconic and important these episodes are to the franchise. Now one of the pieces will be missing.

Enter one Mike Nelson, head writer of the show, as the new host. He slips into the dynamic mostly with ease, as he was already ingrained into the show's DNA through his writing contributions and cameo roles, though his expanded role in the series does feel awkward to start. Joel was the face of the show for so long that it can be tough to accept a new one, especially one that brings a new voice and attitude to his surroundings. His relationship with the bots is different, his relationship with the Mads is different, his comic delivery is different...but the core of the show is the same. That's why even if it takes a while to warm up to the switch, it's ultimately a rewarding experience to do so. Mike is a funny guy, he opens just as many comedic doors as Joel, and there are undoubtedly many more great episodes on the way with him in the driver's seat.

You know how it's hard to warm up to Shemp after so many years of watching Curly as the third Stooge? Same principle. Shemp is hilarious, and if you can't get past the fact that he's not Curly you're missing out on a lot of quality comedy.

Of course, this analogy implies Jonah is Joe Besser and Emily is Curly Joe. This is definitive proof that I suck at analogies.

Episode quality for the fifth season rides pretty high. This is one of the best seasons of the series. While Joel has a clunker in Secret Agent Super Dragon and a few lowlights in Operation Double 007 and The Painted Hills, a lot of Joel's best episodes came from his half of the fifth season. The Magic Voyage of Sinbad, Eegah, I Accuse My Parents, Mitchell, and my personal favorite of his era, The Girl in Lovers Lane, all grace this world with their presence. If Joel left the series, he left while making us want more. That's something every great entertainer does.

Mike's half of the season isn't quite as memorable, but there is a pulse there. He starts with a string of pretty good episodes, before hitting a higher note with Beginning of the End and hitting a low with The Atomic Brain. Things tend to get stronger after that, with two of my favorites of the season like Teen-Age Crime Wave and 12 to the Moon, and he also hits some early home runs with his shorts with Cheating, What About Juvenile Delinquency, Design for Dreaming, and my personal favorite, Last Clear Chance. One of his earliest is actually the episode that won the show a Peabody Award, the excellent episode Outlaw.

Film-wise, this is probably one of the most diverse seasons of the series, with movies that run across different eras and different genres at every turn. Films mostly feel different from each other with a space adventure in 12 to the Moon, giant radioactive bugs in Beginning of the End, cop drama action in Mitchell, teen drama nonsense in I Accuse My Parents and The Girl in Lovers Lane, a couple of spy movies in Secret Agent Super Dragon and Operation Double 007, "epic" novel-based fantasy in Outlaw, trashy dystopia in Warrior of the Lost World, and whatever the hell Eegah and Village of the Giants are supposed to be. And that's just a taste of what this season has to offer.

Best episode? It gets overlooked in a lot of fan circles but I honestly believe The Girl in Lovers Lane is the best episode of the Comedy Central run, and didn't see a challenger to the "Best Episode" title until Prince of Space in season eight. Mitchell is also not just a great sendoff for the first host of the series but is just a great episode in general. For Mike it's a tough choice between Outlaw, Teen-Age Crime Wave, and 12 to the Moon. The short might just be enough for the latter to win that battle. Weakest episode is very cut and dry Secret Agent Super Dragon, but there are so many great episodes I can excuse that dry slipup. With seasons this large (and this good), a bottom five list might have to be plumped out with an episode that is actually pretty good but not as good as the others. ::closes eyes and points to random episode::

I think most MSTies will agree that starting the series from the beginning is not the right move for beginners. If you were to ask me "What season do you recommend as a starter pack for beginners?" the fifth season would be my answer in a heartbeat. You get some of the best Joel episodes as well as the big transition, followed by some solid Mike fare. It's a great example of everything the show is from top to bottom and offers some of the biggest heavy hitters of the series. This is a season for the ages.

Top Five Episodes

1. The Girl in Lovers Lane

2. Eegah

3. Mitchell

4. 12 to the Moon

5. Outlaw

Bottom Five Episodes
1. Secret Agent Super Dragon
2. The Atomic Brain
3. Operation Double 007
4. The Painted Hills
5. Village of the Giants

MST3K, RiffTrax, and Beyond

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MST3K Season 5

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