I don't know, you had him last!
Film watched: Werewolf
Since the episode aired in 1998 and the film was released in 1996, it represents the newest film the show had ever riffed in its original run. For a good couple decades it was either beaten or not by Future War depending on whether you count production period or release date, but the debate was rendered academic with the inclusion of 2013's Atlantic Rim in the revival series, and later with 2019's Demon Squad
The episode is available in the Gizmoplex here
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The Segments:
Prologue- Mike has recently taken a bad hit to the noggin after tripping over Servo's yam collection, and now he thinks he's James Lipton of Inside the Actors Studio, complete with glasses and a fake beard. He also thinks that Crow is Ray Liotta, and is interviewing him about his roles in Operation: Dumbo Drop and The Lonely Lady, driving Crow crazy.
Segment 1
- Crow restores Mike's mind by hitting him with a clown hammer, after which Mike resumes work on his newest escape plan: a chain ladder made by the Nanites that manages to stretch all the way down to Earth. He accidentally ends up dropping into Castle Forrester while the Mads are in the middle of breakfast. They don't even bother to turn and look at him as Pearl nonchalantly has Brain Guy conjure a lit cannon to force Mike into climbing back up to the SOL. Brain Guy also refuses to just zap Mike back onto the ship, meaning that he arrives in the theater just as the opening credits begin.
Segment 2
- Taking note of the fact that Joe Estevez (the brother of Martin Sheen and the uncle of Emilio Estevez) appears in today's film, Mike and the 'Bots play a game where they create their own werewolf movies starring the lesser-known brothers of famous people, like Spike Knotts and Chip Hitler, though all Crow can come up with is Ray Liotta.
Segment 3
- Inspired by the scene where an infected security guard transforms into a werewolf while driving and fatally crashes his car, Mike and the 'Bots become a 1960s girl group to sing a doo-wop ditty they call "Where, Oh Werewolf", about a girl named Suzy mourning her late werewolf boyfriend Steve. After the song, Crow asks Mike, playing Suzy's part, if he actually did go out with a guy named Steve who died, prompting him to go into a story that's interrupted by Movie Sign.
Segment 4
- As he and the 'Bots leave the theater, Mike trips over Crow and scratches himself on his frame, getting his essence inside his body. On the bridge, Mike's hands have turned gold and he's grown a net similar to Crow's, symbolizing that he's turning into a Were-Crow. Servo is horrified and disgusted by this turn of events, but Mike and Crow quickly bond over their new physical similarities, with the 'Bot telling Mike what to expect as the transformation continues further down the line.
Segment 5
- Mike's transformation into a Were-Crow is complete, as he now has Crow's face, voice, claws, gold coloration, and high-and-mighty attitude. Servo has a vial of Mike's essence to use as an antidote when he's ready to be human again, though he spilled a bit of the essence on himself and is now becoming a Were-Mike, complete with blonde hair, calm demeanor, and feeling like he's from Wisconsin. Down in Castle Forrester, Pearl has become inspired by the film to create her own werewolf by injecting a wolf's essence into a human subject. Brain Guy provides the peasant to be transformed, but Bobo ends up bringing an adorable cocker spaniel (played by Kevin Murphy's real-life dog, Humphrey) instead of a wolf. With the plan in shambles, Pearl and Brain Guy storm off to form a "We Hate Bobo" club, while the ape man cheers himself up by cuddling his "wolf".
The Mystery Science Theater 3000 presentation of Werewolf has examples of:
- Actually Pretty Funny: Crow hates Servo's pun on the movie title and threatens to rat him out to Mike for it. Then Mike shows up, and Crow immediately follows through on that threat. But Mike finds the joke pretty funny, at which point Crow immediately backtracks and agrees.Crow: Good one, Servo.
- Adaptational Villainy: "Dictator-for-life, Santa."
- Ambiguously Bi:Crow: So, err, Mike, you didn't actually go out with a guy called Steve who died, did you?Mike: Well, it's funny, there is this story... WE'VE GOT MOVIE SIGN!
- And His Eyes Open: "Aaand she's a werewolf."
- Announcer Chatter: Parodied, in the scene where Natalie is introduced to the concept of "skinwalkers."Servo: Here's the windup... and the pitch!
Natalie: Waerwulf? - Badass Bystander: "Ah, a random citizen that can kick a werewolf's ass, huh?"
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: After Sam is almost killed:Sam: I'm the good guy!
Crow: Right, folks? - Brick Joke: In the opening segment Mike-as-James-Lipton says he's been told Ray Liotta smells like apples. Later, during the "cast a famous person's little-known brother in your werewolf movie" game, Crow can't think of one and names Ray Liotta. Crow defends his pick, but Tom admonishes him because Liotta smells like apples.
- Butt-Monkey: Let's just say this episode was the beginning of the constant jokes on Joe Estevez.
- Buxom Beauty Standard:Crow: (as Natalie) People say "rack" to me a lot. Why?
- Call-Back:
- In the opening segment, Mike-as-James Lipton mentions that Whoopi Goldberg told him that Ray Liotta smelled like apples. Later, when Crow suggests casting Liotta in a werewolf movie, Mike and Tom shoot the idea down because Liotta smells like apples.
- In the closing segment, Pearl's plan to inject a wolf's blood into a human subject to turn them into a werewolf is reminscent of Dr. Cameron's plot in The Mad Monster, which was riffed all the way back in Season 1.
- Captain Obvious Reveal: In-universe, Mike and the bots all guessed the ending that both Paul and Natalie have become werewolves. Subverted in that Servo declares they didn't really change - they just joined the cast of Cats.
- Celebrity Resemblance: Mike singles out one of the members of the archeology dig as secretly being Marshall Tucker.
- Credits Gag: Mike and the 'bots sing along to the movie's end credits, substituting lyrics from other songs—complete with harmonizing:Mike: Pow Wow the Indian boy
Loved all the animals in the westServo: Well they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the places where a rabbit wouldn't go noteCrow: Gypsies, tramps and thieves
We heard it from the people of the town.Lady-o-da lady-o-da lay-hee-hoo!
Servo: Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa ClausRight down Santa Claus lane.
All: TUSK!Crow: Giveitaway, giveitaway, giveitaway now!
Giveitaway, giveitaway, giveitaway now!Mike: I've got a brand new pair of roller skates
You've got a brand new key noteAll: TUSK!
Servo: Admiral Halsey notified me
He had to have a bath or he couldn't get to sleep note
Crow: And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoonLittle Boy Blue and the Man in the Moon
Mike: In your Easter bonnetCrow: Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry
When I take you out in the surrey'Cause I come from Alabama with a banjo on my knee
TUSK! - Crying Indian: One of the riffs is based on this.Crow: (As a distressed Native American) There's just so much litter on the highway.
- Delayed Reaction: It takes Crow a minute to stop complaining to Mike about the latter falling on him to realize Mike's becoming a Were-Crow. And this is despite looking him square in the face.Crow: (annoyed; as Mike, now adorned with gold hands and a giant fishnet, is dabbing at a cut on him) Well, it's very simple, Mike, just don't fall on me anymore!
- Did You See That Too?: In the bar, the camera pans across the Western-themed mural on the walls, prompting Crow make a riff about a drunk cowboy.Crow: Did I have too much mezcal, or does anyone else see those Indians in the sky over there?
- Dull Surprise:
- Natalie, when she's told about the werewolf legend.
Natalie: Dis is absulootely fashcinatung.- Yuri, after Paul crashes through the front window of the house.
Mike: (As Yuri) Huh. - Epic Failure: Mike winds up tripping over Crow as they leave the theater, and ends up cutting himself on him. This, in turn, turns him into a Were-Crow.
- Establishing Shot: One for the hospital lingers a little too long.Servo: Man, they're establishing the hell out of this building, here!
- Fake American: Which accounts for several other tropes listed here.Yuri: It's the American way.
Servo: Even though we haven't seen an American in this movie yet. - Frequently Full Moon: Joked about, as the movie features the Moon being full for about a solid week just to fit the plot; Mike calls it "the most stubborn [...] in the history of the world".
- Foreshadowing: The opening host segment, where Mike starts thinking that he's someone else after tripping over something, hints at his transformation into a Were-Crow later in the episode.
- Girl Group: Mike and the bots play as one in one of the skits.
- Graceful Loser: The second Brain Guy spawns a cannon towards him, Mike opts to immediately go back up the ladder for the day's experiment (and even pauses to learn what it is from Pearl).Mike: Uh, Brain Guy, you wouldn't mind beaming me back up there, would ya?Brain Guy: (bluntly) No.Mike: Okay. Didn't think so, I'm just checking.
- Grammar Nazi:Noel: In due time, you'll know everything.
Natalie: Well, maybe then it's too late!
Mike: Wow. The future conditional pluperfect subjunctive. - Historical Character's Fictional Relative: Mike and Tom Servo's choices for who to cast in their werewolf movies are all lesser-known siblings of famous celebrities, such as Burt Reynolds' brother Tim, Don Knotts' brother Spike... and Chip Hitler.
- Hypocritical Humor: Why Servo is unfamiliar with James Lipton."Hell, I don't watch cable."
- Identity Amnesia: In the first host sequence, Mike trips over Tom's yam collection and hits his head, causing him to think he's James Lipton.
- Implausible Deniability: Variation: Yuri's constantly changing hairstyle becomes indefensible during the bar pool scene:Tom Servo: (as a now grey-haired Yuri appears at the bar) Wait, now he's got grey hair!
- I Resemble That Remark!:Yuri: You calling me a psychopath?!?Crow: (as Yuri) I'll kill your whole family if you say that again!
- And later:
Mike: (as Yuri) I can't believe people call me a psycho— I'm gonna take those people's heads and carve 'em into ashtrays! - Lame Pun Reaction: When Servo sees the title "Werewolf" and reacts, "I don't know! You had him last!", Crow is disgusted by the lameness of the pun and states Mike will punish him for its pure lameness. Fortunately for Servo, Mike sort of likes it.
- Later, Mike makes a joke about the movie The Fan over a shot of Paul's ceiling fan, causing Crow to shout "Oh come on!"
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: Mike trips over something and starts thinking that he's somebody he's not twice in the episode. In the opening, he tripped over Servo's yam collection and started thinking he was James Lipton. Before the fourth host segment starts, he trips over Crow in the theater and scratches himself on the 'Bot's frame, turning him into a Were-Crow that sounds and acts just like the regular Crow.
- Monster Misogyny: Commented on as Werewolf!Paul attacks Carrie:Servo: Oh good, cause it's been a few minutes since a woman was brutalized.
- Moving the Goalposts: After Yuri attacks Paul with the werewolf skull, we see Paul sitting alone in contemplation. Mike spins this as Paul re-examining his fight:Mike: (as Paul; while Paul starts rubbing his chin) ...you know, if you look at it a certain way, I actually won that fight...
- Multiboobage: Crow guesses that Werewolf!Natalie would have three pairs of breasts.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Easily subverted.
- Noodle Incident: This brief exchange following the "Where, Oh, Werewolf" song:Crow: Say, Mike, you didn't really go out with a guy named Steve who died, did you?
Mike: Well, you know, there is this one time- (Movie Sign blares)- To say nothing of how Servo obtained some of Mike's essence.
- No Fourth Wall: In the movie, Yuri has a couple moments where he looks directly at the camera.Servo (as Yuri): Audience, what's your diagnosis?Crow (as Yuri): Well folks, should I follow him? What do you think?
- Not Helping Your Case: As pointed out, Yuri's immediate reaction to Paul calling him a psychopath... is to attack Paul.Yuri: You callin' me a psychopath?[...]Yuri: (as Paul clutches his bleeding shoulder) GET OUT!
- Opinion Flip Flop: When Tom Servo makes a pun on the movie's title, Crow hates it, and tattles on Servo for making the joke at the first available opportunity. But Mike thinks the pun was Actually Pretty Funny, so Crow immediately agrees with him that the joke was really good.
- The Other Darrin: Lampshaded, as Crow (who changed voice actors when the show jumped to Sci-Fi) claims that one symptom of being a Were-Crow is that "Your voice will inexplicably change every seven years".
- Our Werebeasts Are Different: When Mike trips over Crow and gets scratched, he turns into a Were-Crow.
- Then Servo spills some of Mike's essence on himself and becomes a Were-Mike.
- Painful Rhyme: Invoked in Mike and the Bots' performance of "Where O Werewolf"Mike: My mother and pop, they disapprove
But no one can stop us, 'cause it's true loo-ve.
Bots: Huh? "Loove"?
Mike: Well, I had to rhyme the two words. - Ridiculously Cute Critter: Humphrey the "wolf" (played by Kevin Murphy's pet dog).
- Running Gag: Carrie's pantslessness.
- Yuri's constantly changing hairstyle.Mike: *as Yuri is on the phone* "Yeah... yeah, let's make it orange Jheri curls this time."
- Natalie's pidgin English. ("Pole! You iss a warwilf!")
- Lots and lots of dog jokes.
- Yuri's constantly changing hairstyle.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Parodied with this line in response to the sound of a door opening followed by footsteps:Crow: Ah, that was the sound of the director giving up and leaving.
- Shout-Out: Mike refers to one of Yuri's (many) hairstyles as "Bryan Ferry hair".
- As Paul walks into a room, with terrible werewolf makeup making him look like a monkey-man: "Zira, I think we should put Taylor back in his cage."
- "An American werewolf in traffic."
- Skewed Priorities: As the security guard Yuri turned into a werewolf begins to transform mid-drive, Crow decides to voice his thoughts as he begins snarling:Crow: (as the security guard) Aw man, this traffic...
- Sophisticated as Hell: "The cheeseball's got no freakin' class!"
- Soundtrack Dissonance: Lampshaded by Crow when the movie introduces Sam, the creepy groundskeeper:Crow: Does this really warrant the tender music?
- Squick: Servo's reaction to the word "essence". Not to mention how he got some of Mike's.Servo: I'd rather not say.
- Stock Footage: "Same gas station."
- The Stool Pigeon: Crow is one in the first theater segment:Servo: "Werewolf"? I dunno, you had him last! (chuckles)
Crow: You can't say that. You're gonna get in trouble. That's a really stupid joke and I'm gonna tell Mike.
Servo: I don't care, what's Mike gonna do anyway?
Mike: (walks in and sits down) Hey guys.
Crow: Mike, the title came on and it said "Werewolf", and then Servo said "Werewolf"? I dunno, you had him last." And I think that was a really stupid joke. - Take That!: After repeated jokes about Natalie:Servo: Still, she's more emotive than Gillian Anderson.
- Teenage Death Songs: "Where O Werewolf" is one.
- The Thing That Would Not Leave: Not only is it suggested by the crew that Joe Estevez wasn't really wanted on setnote , a throwaway riff from Crow suggests he couldn't take the hint:Crow: (as Joe) Can I be in the movie again?
- Time Marches On: One riff is about how expensive the gas is at the continually passed gas station. Fast forward twenty-five years and people would kill to only have to pay $1.36 a gallon.
- Token Black Friend: LampshadedMike: Elgin's my black friend!
- Unsportsmanlike Gloating:"Y'know, he'd get a lot more done if he didn't revel after each small victory."
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: "Hey, Paul, you're really turnin' into a Werewolf over there. Anyway, three-ball in the corner pocket!"
- Not long after, Paul bursts out of the bar, attacks a few people, and two little old ladies walk right past the bodies to enter the bar:
Tom Servo: "Oh look, it's two-for-one Brain Hammers tonight, Martha!"- Outside of the movie segments, Mike tries to escape, but his ladder ends at Castle Forrester. Despite this being an almost successful escape attempt, Pearl, Brain Guy, and Bobo barely react to Mike's presence; Brain Guy merely materializes a cannon pointed at Mike, who bolts back to the SOL.Pearl: (while still looking at her cereal box; disinterested) Brain Guy?Brain Guy: (likewise) Yeah. (summons the cannon)
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WTH, Costuming Department?: As noted by one riff during the pool hall scene:Crow: Okay, stop; Everybody go UP a shirt size! - What the Hell Is That Accent?: In the film. Lampshaded when Yuri defends his greed by proclaiming "It's the American way!" which prompts the riffers to snidely wonder whether any actual Americans even appeared in the film.Mike: They're the Uzbekistani Tracy and Hepburn!
- With Friends Like These...: When Mike starts off on his escape attempt down to Earth, he all but admits he isn't planning on coming back for the bots:Mike: Well, since we are in high geo-synchronous orbit, I will descend and jump off on some unknown location on present-day planet Earth.Tom Servo: T-then, 'course, you'll alert the authorities, and come rescue us, right?Mike: (unconvincingly) Uh... time permitting, uh, sure. (runs away)Tom Servo: Well, that sounds reasonable-Tom and Crow: HEY!
- They aren't upset for long, though; they take advantage of the poor reception on Mike's headset to repeatedly mock him.
Natalie: "This is epsolutely fescinating."
