Movie: (1990) A small-town inventor builds a time machine, only to see it misused by a greedy corporation.
First shown: 11/22/97
Opening: Mike explains what’s happened since the last show, but Tom just needs him to say “Lost in Space”
Intro: Mike & Pearl have a nice chat
Host segment 1: Tom sends Crow back in time to convince Mike the dude to stop taking temp jobs
Host segment 2: Crow succeeds and, returning to the SOL, finds Mike’s big brother Eddie in Mike’s place, and learns that Mike’s new future was worse than the old one
Host segment 3: Having seen the future, Crow returns to the past to keep Crow from performing his mission
End: Mike refuses to say what needs to be said, and, during another nice chat, Pearl points out a troubling detail
Stinger: “Matt, it’s time for you decide if you’re gonna be one of my team players or not”
• Another very strong episode, with great host segments (now that the Roman Times stuff has mercifully ended), a baffling movie, great riffing and a guest star of sorts in the theater.
• Paul’s take is here.
• This episode appeared on Rhino’s (and now Shout’s) “Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 5.”
• Two notable things Mike’s surly, pun-hating older brother Eddie does: most notably he does two theater segments. Also, he pauses to grab a smoke at one point. It’s a very memorable turn for Mike.
• There was something very satisfying about Mike’s two little chats with Pearl.
• This episode got internet fans talking about the number of Crows that are out there — remember you also need to count the one that went back in time in episode 807- TERROR FROM THE YEAR 5000.
• Patrick gives his most powerful performance yet as the cheese factory worker. “Dude!”
• Tom’s “Nicknicknicknicknick” is a Firesign Theatre reference. We don’t hear them as much anymore.
• Nice callback to the old days with Mike’s reference to “chinderwear,” an invention exchange in episode 505- MAGIC VOYAGE OF SINBAD.
• Cast and Crew Roundup: None.
• CreditsWatch: Produced by Kevin. Directed by Mike. An intern named Scott Bowman worked on this and only this episode.
• Fave line: “I’m gonna buy some Liva-snaps and a hosta!” Honorable mention: “Oh, he’s like poo, alright.”
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Okay. Pretty much seriously, I consider this to actually be a good sci-fi (or is that syfy?) movie, especially given that it was made by a bunch of plucky, young cinematographers from Vermont. Oh, and GO CASTLETON!
For purposes of this posting I’ll posit two general kinds of sci fi movies:
a) Those with a story arc, interesting and well photographed locations (real or cgi) and with characters the director attempts to make interesting, and
b) “High Concept” horror movies where some event/evil thing, etc. threatens and kills off one-by-one various generally uninteresting people (for examples check just about any Saturday SyFy channel movie).
There are a few movies that bridge these (Aliens and the original The Thing From Another World, definitely not the remake, and of course there is Pod People…..) but generally a) tells a story whereas b) is little but a body count device. Hey, that’s my view and I’ll stand by it. J
Time Chasers has a plot and, especially given its limited budget, features a number of locations, both present day Vermont and THE FUTURE and the past. Of course, it would be hard to mess up filming much of Vermont- and no, I’m not talking about the supermarket, although that vegetable section…..
Anyway, while Bob Evil is just the teensiest bit Snidely Whiplashish the (romantic?) leads and Matthew Paul try (I didn’t say succeed) in showing some character development and complexity.
Some scenes I think need to be appreciated. I like the way they used just a few old cars, one street, and Mrs. Khruschev sweeping to depict the ‘50s, though why Nick couldn’t buy two sammiches and cokes in the diner while trying to impress Lisa on a date!…but I digress.
Another example is in the scene after the apocalypse where you have crunchy pants guy comment unflatteringly (and IRONICALLY!) about the inventor of time travel, the point here being that he and his mate clearly know of the device and the comment hints at a whole Bob Evil caused alternate history and their wish (and their alluded to ability to use the device) to escape to another time. This glimpse of barely seen vistas adding depth reminds me of Tolkien’s theory on sub-creation and adding depth to an imagined world. No, really, it does! Eh, did I mention the first Tolkien reference in MST3000 I noted was in Final Sacrifice (I saw mostly Mike episodes first).
In conclusion, given the limited finances and cinematographic experiences of these plucky thespians, I think they did a respectable job- and Mike really was too hard on them with his comments on the dvd. Sadly, had they had more financial backing they might have had a big finale with dozens (and not just one) of grandmas skydiving to the tarmac below. Highly informative. Highly entertaining. I think there’s every chance it would have been more successful then Mr. Carlson’s Thanksgiving Day advertising idea at WKRP of having turkeys dropped from a helicopter.
I’ll close by giving kudos to the real heroes of this film project: The citizens and officials of Rutland, Vermont, without whose support and encouragement this movie could not have been made.
And GO CASTLETON SPARTANS!
P.S. Also, don’t forget the invaluable information embedded in this film, such as never to wear two different kinds of plaid and that a lot of our ancestors (and not just Henry Knox and Ben Franklin) were really dumpy. Oh yeah, and if you do go back in time take along lots of extra ammo for your Uzi. Won’t you?
What do you think, sirs? And don’t you dare quote from Pod People. Stop that right now. I mean it! Oh, we can’t have nice postings.
The premise of the movie itself, while cliché, is actually also a little ambitious. But the execution on all fronts from acting (which is good natured and well meant) to some of the ridiculous dialogue (“I thought you said you were part of the team” Crow: That doesn’t mean I’m a good shot) and really, really ridiculous scenes (the guy forgot that he doesn’t know how to drive and steels a car) makes it perfect for riffing.
“Hi, I’m Bob Evil” is a regular part of my lexicon whenever I watch a movie or TV show with a very obvious villain who’s not portrayed as such right away.
The host segments are all great and Mike’s turn as Eddie is fantastic and a nice turn. Plus it’s good to know that since I live in Wisconsin, I can drive a few hours and hang out with the second Crow.
It also contains one of the many great adult jokes that are innocent enough to go over the heads of kids:
(while flying the main characters are making out as they time travel)
Lisa: Nick, what is that?
Crow: That means I like you.
Favorite riff/joke though:
Crow: I shaved this morning and got a nick.
(sound of Crow being struck violently by Eddy and falling to the floor)
I love bad puns and I especially love how when M&tB use them typically one of them acts revolted, here Eddy just gets violent.
If you’ve never seen the promo poster for the movie, check out the wiki entry. It’s 31 flavors of 90’s awesometude.
This movie hurts me. Not just in a gut-wrenching physical sort of way, but my very soul. It’s one of the few MST3Ks I just have a hard time getting through. On a lighter note though, I always figured this extra Crow might account for the whole Pearl/Crow/Art thing. Anywho, that is my $.02. PS – I also enjoy the 30 second “10 second-countdown” at the end of the movie. The true high point for me and my friends is counting down along with it….
Next time you’re shopping at the Martin’s in downtown Rutland, be sure to pack your “Castleton” t-shirt: http://www.castleton.edu/collegestore/bp0486.htm.
And by the way, even though it’s full of sevens, July 7, 1777, is actually an important date in Revolutionary history: http://www.historicvermont.org/hubbardton/.
I really love this episode. The movie is very painful, but the riffs are amazing. I love the one at the end, “I got me all over me!” I laughed my head off after that one. The other that got me rolling was (paraphrasing), “I can kill me, hollow myself out and live in me.”
Probably even more than the riffs is the fact that the pink jacket guy loved MST3K. They threw a cast party to watch the episode, then he was all mad that Mike and the Bots ripped it apart. What did he think they were going to do?!?! Priceless!
God i love this episode… the Crow vs Crow scene at the 3rd break is priceless, and the movie is almost a perfect blend of entertaining-but-cheaply-done. Many favorite riffs: “…You hear that squirrels and bunnies?” and “Who’m I kidding, I never went to Castleton.”
In the words of Crow: “Great scenery, crappy movie.” Vermont looks absolutely GORGEOUS in this film; it almost makes me want to move there.
Bonnie Pritchard’s performance is painful (“Nick, these guys are gonna BURY you with their corporate CRAAAAP”) and the lack of a budget is hideously obvious (“Looks like there was a war” “You’ll have to take my word for it, we can’t afford to show it”). They should never have made such an ambitious time travel film if they couldn’t really fulfill its promise. On top of it, I still don’t get how the “transport will be a weapon” causing the future to become a Ben and Jerry’s dystopia.
The worst line in the film? “Correction. They are PISSED Minutemen.” They thought that line was funny. They were wrong.
I like the casual Mike/Pearl conversations. The Brains really wanted to capture the concept of a fall evening in a suburban neighborhood, and they succeeded. I have to say I thought Eddie was funny once, but his presence during the riffing kind of grates on me now, especially when he gets up to have a smoke.
Also, let’s not forget how the “new” version of Mike’s past negates the whole “sailor suit actor” Mike of Season Five. I know, it’s just a TV show, blah blah blah….
Thanks to the Trek franchise, I can’t abide time travel stories unless they have a comic twist (as is the case with the Back to the Future trilogy or Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure). Even so, I thought Mike and the Bots were needlessly harsh regarding this movie. The way they ragged it, you’d think it was another Manos. While Time Chasers can hardly be described as good, it didn’t come anywhere near to being that horrible.
You know I agree with CK and Colossus Prime, this movie really isn’t that bad from a storytelling point of view. It’s your basic time travel adventure story, and as “Back to the Future” shows us, you can make that into a really fun movie.
But as they also pointed out, to do the story justice in a movie you need to have the cash to back it up. Money is needed to create convincing time periods, otherwise it looks cheap and pulls the viewer out of the story. This movie is really too ambitious for it’s own good. But there are plenty of good points about the story – and with a bit more money and a little bit more work on the script (making Bob Evil a little less obvious, come up with a valid reason why the future is screwed up, etc.) this could have been a cult classic in a positive way.
Instead it becomes one of my favorite episodes of season 8. Everything works for me on this one. Great riffing during the movie. The bad dialogue, low budget effects and scenery, weak acting, and bizarre outfits just provides fuel to Mike, Eddie and the bots. The movie also moves at a pretty brisk pace so it never gets overly dull and painful. The movie is bad enough to riff on and yet not so horrible that it sucks out my soul (like “Terror from the year 5000”.
And the host segments are just as good. I usually defend the Roman Times sketches, but you know coming into this set of classic host segments makes me realize how un-even the Roman Times stuff was. Nearly every host segment is funny and just a little off – perfect for MST3K. I love the visits to Pearl as well as our brief and painful interlude with Eddie.
“Time Chasers” is a great episode, one of my favorites when I caught it back in the 90’s and one that I have no trouble popping in the player now. No need to travel back in time to change my mind – 5 stars out of 5.
A favorite episode of mine or at least in the Top 10 coming from the sci-fi era.I think M&TB were having fun with the movie and not ragging on it.It’s fun when it’s fun!
Great episode. The movie was hilarious and the riffing was spot-on.
I liked how the unspoiled future of 2041 looked like earth circa the early 90s with cell phones larger than what is in use today. And in the past soldiers in the American Revolutionary War looked like overweight war reenactors. Putting the villain’s office inside the stairway landing at a library (or a mall) was a great touch.
The riffing hit its mark every time. The host segments were actually all good this time out as well. I especially enjoy Mike and Pearl’s chit-chat at her van at the beginning and end. Those are also my favorite Pearl moments. The time travel segments were also some of the best of the sci-fi era.
My only complaint about this episode is Rhino’s DVD treatment of it. Its dark and not at all what I should have gotten when shelling out my $40 for it in Volume 5. Its certainly not as bad as Merlin’s Shop of Mystical Wonders, but it does take a little away from my enjoyment. My only hope is that one day Shout Factory issues a correction.
I want more of the old lady in the grocery store!! Nick should really listen to her motherly concern regarding a girlfriend…. :razz:
Our family’s favorite riff is “He’s looking for honey, like Pooh!” “He’s like poo all right”
Oh and “No monologues with poopy pants!” Yes, I have preteens in the house who love poop jokes.
An all-time classic episode, and one of my rotating absolute favorites. I’ve seen somebody say the actual movie itself has a certain charm, and I agree. When you consider the $100 million mega-bombs that Hollywood churns out on a regular basis, this little backyard indie film actually isn’t so bad. I even bought the DVD of ‘Time Chasers’ not to long ago(for a $1 if I remember correctly:)
The riffs are consistently good and some of the best of any episode. From “I’ve always wanted a tan Yugo” to “I want you to buy me an Orange Julius”, and all the riffs when Nick & J.K. Robertson get back from their first time travel together, there are way too many to list.
The worst performances have to go to Peter J. Harrington & Bonnie Pritchard. Pink Boy(love it, kinda like Fly Boy from ‘Dawn of the Dead’, etc.) sounds like he’s about to stroke out with every sentence forced out, and he’s such a weenie(“There’s goes a good weenie!”). Pritchard is simply amazing in her badosity(needed to make up a word to describe her acting skills, lol). My favorite part of her wretched acting is when she so clearly places the wrong emphasis on “GenCorp”, pronouncing it as “gen-CORP” when everybody else in the movie goes with the obviously proper emphasis of “GEN-corp”, lol. Add to that the rest of her performance which sounds like she was on a good dose of valium, and she rivals Alice Lyon’s corpse-like acting skills in ‘The Horror of Party Beach’. I actually though Matt Bruch’s acting improved as the film went on, and he’s still better than Keanu Reeves. George Woodard is the hammiest of the hammy this side of Jeremy Irons & William Shatner, even though I’m still trying to figure out where his accent comes from. Sounds like he’s trying to mix Canadian with a mid-west chaser(pun intended), lol.
Yes, the varied plot holes are numerous and enormous. How, exactly, does Lisa know J.K. Robertson really IS Bob Evil? How did J.K. & Pink Boy know the exact proper moment to time-jump Nick & Lisa and kill her just as she proudly exclaimed she liked pie? How can Papa Ginos actually survive 50 years into the future yet Radisson be obliterated?
Still, ya gotta give Giancola and this group some credit. It looks like they had fun, believed in what they were doing, and did manage to create something that isn’t 100% awful in the process. It also brought back fond memories of Orange Julius stands at the mall :)
Another plot hole that’s really huge when you think about it; how did the alternate history Nick and Lisa (the Nick who still had the glasses) know that Bob Evil, Pink Boy, Nick and Marty had gone back to 1777? Mr. Evil practically chose the date when they were on the plane. Perhaps there was a scene cut out that explained it; otherwise, Nick must be some sort of mindreader.
This is a great episode, and just an awful movie. 4 stars for me. Some fave riffs:
“Look! A lesbian….of the FUTURE!”
“And he died as he lived, mud-stained and splaying.”
“Michael MedDEAD.”
“I’ll walk back to the past.”
What is it? “That means I like you!”
And of course…”See you at community theater practice!”
“Great Scott…he’s a Journey fan.” More Journey bashing!
Eddie Nelson reminds me somewhat of TV chef Alton Brown’s fictitious alter ego, B.A. When you think about it it’s kind of a cliched joke in both cases: the nice guy with a boorish brother.
There’s something about this episode that annoys me enough that I don’t like it nearly as much as the other episodes around it. I think it’s because the “hero” of the movie is such a clueless dork.
It’s finally my turn to say it:
This is my favorite episode of all time.
The movie isn’t dreary, so it is fun to watch on its own. The riffing is so great, not relying on too many running gags (unless you count Eddie) and generally being perfect.
The host segments, which I honestly don’t usually enjoy, are phenomenal. Pearl has some great lines and Mary Jo’s delivery, especially in the first segment is amazing. And after watching Lost last year, I like that MST’s treatment of time travel was easy to understand.
Overall, the best MST has to offer and the first show I would show non-fans.
Best Riffs:
Host Segments- “Yeaaaahhhh, it’s supposed to get down to absolute Zero, that’s why I always wear a sweater (complete with awesome shudder).”
Movie- “I’ll walk back to the past.”
“What would MacGyver do?” Crow: “Get cancelled.”
“So, why the big circus mirror?”
“They got off at the second floor, they’re masters of escape!”
And yes, lest I forget. At the time of the MST actors in a movie discussions, I mentioned the greatest MST3K actress of all time, for which Cabbage Patch Elvis alluded to:
“You can always come to my house, but you never do”
Mike: “That’s because I’m scared of you.”
Speaking of Pearl, perhaps her best delivered line:
“Oh Mike, I despise you and all that you stand for, and you’ll never escape…You know the rest. (He’s a good kid).”
Btw, does anyone know another way to put Mike’s observation that they’re
“Just knockin’ about in space.”?
Oh, come on, now, how could it be phrased?
One of my favorite episodes. Riffing was great and the host segments are probably the best overall of one episode.
The robots want to watch Mondo Cane? Intresting choice.
I like the catchphrases from the movie that never caught on.
“Pissed minute men!”
“You wanna fly? Let’s fly!”
Just thought of a couple of things.
“You,you,you SUCK!”
“He has a bucket of crotch flavored popcorn.”
Perfect timing on that one. I about died when I first heard that.
“We could send Bob Saget to meet Charlamagne.”
One of my all-time favorite riffs. Hilarious.
>>>Also, let’s not forget how the “new” version of Mike’s past negates the whole “sailor suit actor” Mike of Season Five.
Well, he became a chronic temp AFTER that…
>>>how did the alternate history Nick and Lisa (the Nick who still had the glasses) know that Bob Evil, Pink Boy, Nick and Marty had gone back to 1777?
I guess they set their scanners to perceive chroniton particle trails (or something) and just followed the one that wasn’t theirs. :-)
>>>I still don’t get how the “transport will be a weapon” causing the future to become a Ben and Jerry’s dystopia
The introduction of a new weapon prevented the development of a peaceful future (Future #1) and instead resulted in a post-war future (Future #2). It changed the history…OF THE FUTURE.
This is the only episode I’ve kept on VHS tape because it’s just a great episode and not a bad movie either. Using a Commodore 64 as a time travel device is so 80’s. The only drawback is the main charactor (Nick) is always squinting or blinking…I can’t get past that. Best line for me is when the chauffer closes the car door and Mike utters the line “I’m Batman.” Classic!!
Dork:30
So, where’s the star voting thingy that’s usually at the top of Sampo’s review? :?:
I love this episode. It’s another example of why I prefer crappy, newer movies as riffing fodder over old ones. They just somehow seem worse than their counterparts from the ’70s and back.
I’ve considered how the Time Transport could have been used as a weapon and I’m drawing a blank. Aside from espionage, I don’t see how it could be useful. Now, according to the movie, we can infer that GenCorp didn’t do a good job of keeping the Time Transport a secret. By 2041, everyone is familiar with time travel. This suggests that it became quite commonplace.
Host Segments:
I like all of the host segments. Pearl and Mike visiting, time traveling Crow, a dim, young Mike and his surly big brother Eddie are all well done. Eddie becomes the third person who isn’t Joel or Mike to be in the theater. Pearl and Mr. Eggleston, in Quest of the Delta Knights, are the fourth and fifth.
The Movie:
Time Chaser is actually a good movie for what it is. It’s not a cheap piece of crap like Space Mutiny or Warrior of the Lost World. I too like the movie on it’s own. A watchable bad movie and good riffing make for a perfect MST3K experience. I think the worst part of this movie is J. K. Robertson’s “office”. It’s both laughable and sad at the same time. I suppose it’s better than dressing up an empty office space, but I think they could have chosen a better location.
Riffs:
“Two different plaids? Man, I’m a naked robot and even I know that’s a fashion no, no.”
“His office is in a branch library.”
“I left my keys at the Manchu Wok of the future.”
“Vermont! The other, smaller Wisconsin.”
I love this one, even if the movie and the host segments rely on faux paradoxes.
If you don’t get it, just remember two things:
1. Just because you attempt to kill your grandfather, doesn’t mean you succeed.
2. If you go to Jamaica and come back, there isn’t an “extra” you left in Jamaica. Similarly, if you travel to the past and then come back, there isn’t an “extra” you left in the past.
But what really bothered me is this: The main character can ride a bike, ride a horse, drive a boat, and fly a plane, but he can’t drive a car?
</b> :oops:
Another great thing about this movie: Castleton Shirts
Another fave (this is getting redundant, but I do love season 8).
The whole “Movie, this can’t be our hero,” routine was hysterical, mainly because the first time I saw this episode I was thinking the exact same thing at the same time. Unfortunately….
I love that the Edgewood Studios guys had a basically good attitude about it all.
Food Courts — OF THE FUTURE!
#22 Tim S. Turner…
“We could send Bob Saget to meet Charlamagne!”
I second that! This riff even pops into my head at random times, for no reason. (I’m snorting with laughter right now, just thinking about it…) It’s just SO out of left field!
I’m another one who thinks the filmmakers deserve a pat on the back for doing a pretty admirable job, considering the resources they had to work with. (and those shots of the Vermont woods from the plane ARE breathtaking!) I like to think that the little flaws and plot holes are what keep the movie light and fun. I’m really surprised that some big studio hasn’t snatched this story up and made an even WORSE, MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR mess out of it!
One question: Is the “community theater lady” in the supermarket scene the same one who’s pretending to be “skydiving grandmother” in the final scene? I’ve always kind of assumed it was. Not that I’m losing any sleep over it, but I figured someone out there could confirm or deny it.
“Hey, wait a minute, this isn’t our star, is it? I will not accept this as our star. Sorry.”
“C’mon this can’t be the hero of the film. He has a geeky 10-speed.”
“No, no. This can’t be the star. Can it, Movie? Movie, hey Movie, can I see your supervisor, Movie? This will not stand!”
“Maybe he’s going into the house to meet the REAL hero of the film?”
Worst hero ever? Maybe.
One of the best MST3k episodes ever? For sure.
Subtle indication of the show’s growth:
In “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians,” (and maybe some others) Joel uses “What would MacGyver do?” as a riff.
When a character uses the exact same line in this movie, Mike/Eddie responds “Get cancelled!”
So apparently it was a witty enough line for Joel to use in the halcyon days of MST 3K but by this time it was only worthy of being mocked. Yes, I’m paying too much attention.
Great episode! A very riffable friendly flick, top notch host segs, very sharp riffing and guest in the theater. Love guests in the theater and Eddys anti Mike persona was very entertaining. So glad the actual folks involved in Time Chasers took the MST3K treatment well. A top ten in my book.
I’m Fido Hitchcock, the director of this film!
(I’m eating a bucket of crotch-flavored popcorn)
Thomas (34): Pretty good point, actually, and a perfect illustration of why I generally find the Sci-Fi era episides way funnier than most of the Joels. Making a bland MacGyver (or Battlestar Galactica ;) ) reference might warm the hearts of some geeks, but it’s not really all that funny. The “get cancelled” riff, on the other hand, is a sharp and witty sucker-punch of funny. The former type of riff characterized the Joel years, and some people get a lot of joy out of them. But personally, I’d much rather pop in a Season 8 episode and bring the house down.
I guess this is a spill-over of the discussion in the Space Mutiny thread regarding the decline in obscure geeky references by this time. Frankly, I don’t miss ’em much, especially given how sublimely funny the riff-writing was by now without those kinds of comments.
Great episode, love the mini Lite FM medley by Servo after the first Host Segment.
Always thought the “hero” of the movie looked like Jim Mallon.
It also helps that MacGyver was actually cancelled by that point. This would have made little sense when the show was actually on.
OMG I forgot – LISA KUDROW! Ah who cares…
“It also helps that MacGyver was actually cancelled by that point. This would have made little sense when the show was actually on.”
I’da still laughed.
So apparently it was a witty enough line for Joel to use in the halcyon days of MST 3K but by this time it was only worthy of being mocked.
Thomas, I watched “MacGyver” as a kid and, remembering it fondly, tried a year or two ago to watch some 1st season episodes.
It was only worthy of being mocked. It was never worthy of anything but being mocked and the only reason I liked it was because I was in junior high. Sorry.
“You could send an egg into the future!”
“Oh, that was a good chicken head!”
42: I meant the line “What would MacGyver do?” was only worthy of being mocked.
Steve K., #29
“I love this one, even if the movie and the host segments rely on faux paradoxes.
If you don’t get it, just remember two things:
1. Just because you attempt to kill your grandfather, doesn’t mean you succeed.
2. If you go to Jamaica and come back, there isn’t an “extra” you left in Jamaica. Similarly, if you travel to the past and then come back, there isn’t an “extra” you left in the past
========================================
But isn’t it more complicated?
Crow goes to the cheese coop and comes back to the SoL(for some reason preferring Mike to his brother :smile: ). He then meets his former self (now Crow 1, and comes back to the SoL as Crow 2. Crow 2 (the one with heightened realization that Mike should forget about becoming a rock star who so advises Mike) cannot be the Crow who comes back to advise himself to tell Mike to stay put since that Crow made the error of telling Mike to get out of his deadend job. A time paradox? Not necessarily. On some science program or other it was suggested that the solution to paradoxes like shooting your grandfather is alternate worlds created in this instance by Crow’s initial advice to Mike to give up his Blue Cross bennies in the temp job and ROCK!
In which case there is a SoL with Mike’s brother there ashing on TS. But then, Tom could always sick his grandma (the evil one) on Eddie. :shock:
Trying to unjumble my jumble above:
Crow 1 is the one who tells Mike to ROCK.
Crow 2 advises Crow 1 to tell Mike to stay put.
Crow 2 returns to the SoL.
The enlightened Crow 1 advises Mike to stay put but is not the same Crow 1 that went back to the SoL and encountered Eddie, since that Crow 1’s time line already went back to the SoL, met Eddie and then went back to meet unenlightened Crow 1.
Hence the need for an alternate universe for enlightened Crow 1.
?????
New Catchphrase T-shirt, “What will become of Gen-Corp?”.
While it’s true that there wouldn’t have been another Crow running around in 1985 Wisconsin, we wouldn’t have the classic line “Well… the cheese isn’t gonna cut itself” if the brains had a grip on time travel.
Easily one of my Top 10 episodes. One of several from Season 8.
Also, Bill’s puppetry skills have improved vastly by this episode (not that I had noticed that they were inferior at the time). Watch Crow’s “expression” after telling Mike to give up the band and keep his temp job.