First shown: 7/16/94
Opening: Preparing for Dr. F.’s big announcement
Intro: Dr. F. unveils the Umbilicus
Host segment 1: Tom “scats” until Mike and Crow have had enough
Host segment 2: Mike explains the “honor system”
Host segment 3: Designing the woman of the future
End: M&TB make good use of the Umbilicus
Stinger: “You tell that boy to go home right now, or I’ll call the police!”
• Happy new year, and off we go on season six!
• For me, this is one of those episodes where the movie, and riffing of the movie, are great fun, but the host segments…meh. Nothing really catches fire. Of course the big news in this episode was the introduction of Umbilicus — the physical link between Deep 13 and the SOL, with its umbuliport, umbilipod and other umbili-names that would come later, which was connected to Gypsy until it wasn’t. The science of the thing is, of course, crazy (and how does he eat and breathe?) but who cares? The Brains said the idea was to create a way for more interaction between the SOL and Deep 13, and that it certainly did, though I don’t really think it got off to an auspicious start with the somewhat lame pie gag.
• I keep meaning to link to annotatedmst.com whenever they’ve done an episode, since they explain the obscure references well, and then I don’t have to. One they missed is the reference to the mostly-forgotten TV show “Father Dowling Mysteries.” They also missed “We’re all bozos on this bus,” a Firesign Theatre reference (and one of the first since Joel’s departure).
• There’s a ladies’ room on the SOL?
• The Power Steves are Mary Jo, Paul and writer David Sussman in, I believe, his only appearance on the show. Sussman joined the writing staff for some season four episodes, worked on a lot of season five (including helping to write a lot of the songs) and the first five episodes of season six, before he dropped off the credits. He remains something of a mystery. If anybody knows David, please let him know we’re trying to find him for an interview. And David, if you’re out there, email us.
• Non-spaghetti ball bumpers: desk calendar, beaker, bulletin board, film canister.
• This episode may have the most Bill Clinton jokes of any show they did, largely because that one guy sort of looked like him.
• Each of the host segments just kind of lays there for me. Segment 1 (”Tom scats”) is pretty much a one-joke bit that goes on too long even though they hurry through it. Segment 2 (”the honor system”) is cute, but Mike’s speech goes on too long, and we can see the punchline coming down Broadway. Segment 3 is just weird.
• Annoying commercial: My copy is from the ‘94 Turkey Day, and featured bumpers featuring Mamie and Adam West. It also features that incredibly irritating (apparently homemade) commercial for a CD featuring comedian Jackie “the Joke Man” Martling.
• Callbacks: “No Lupita!” (Santa Claus) “Radar!” (Radar Secret Service) “He’d never touch you, Terry, you’re dirt,” (Teenage Crime Wave) “Who’s gonna make Daddy-O”?
• I love Tom’s “..and then he died” bit during Kitten’s confession.
• Fave riff: “Do you know ‘White Light, White Heat’?” Honorable mention: “The last call shall be answered first…”
