Alert reader David, playing off Sampo’s Theorem, writes:
Came up with this while reading the recent 904 – Werewolf postings. Most people rated it a 5 in their posts, but a select few rated it as low as a 3, admitting that they “like it but just don’t get all the love for it.” I think we all have that feeling about some episode that everyone else seems to adore.
My response: “OK, if you don’t think THIS is a 5 star episode, then what is?”
Question: What’s an episode you consider overrated, and maybe suggest a neglected favorite that you prefer.
For overrated, I’m going to go with 303- POD PEOPLE. People just swoon over this episode. It puts me to sleep. (Great segments, though.)
For underrated, I have to go with 610- THE VIOLENT YEARS, an all-time fave that I don’t think gets the love it should.
) to help our users cope with "trolls" and other commenters whom they find annoying. Go to our
Overrated:
THis one’s an easy one, the most overrated episode is easily Manos. Sure it had it’s redeeming qualities, (Joel as the master, Mike as Torgo), and was a pretty solid effort, but Comedy Central’s colossal push saying this ws MST3K’s best HAS affected the minds of many fans. Sorry.
Underrated:
Here I stand alone, The Sword and the Dragon, always seen as the lesser of the Finnish efforts, and an episode that never leaves me hanging.
I’m with #135 and #150
I never got the whole Dr. Forrester-Frank thing and the invention exchange deal got old fast. The Bobo, Brain guy,Pearl thing worked much better for me.
Proof that the Brains can’t save everything: “The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies.” I’m sorry, guys, but THAT one was bad on almost every level. That is the only episode that I just cannot watch to the end, with and without the guys’ commentary. :twisted:
Yet a lot of people think it’s a classic. Go figure.
Underrated: “Jack Frost.” Sue me – Nastenka was cute.
#150 and #152, you’re both crazy.
Overrated : The Touch of Satan, Cave Dwellers.
Underrated: The Girl In Lovers Lane, Attack of the the Eye Creatures.
The Results – Final
(update of post #145) Titles new to the list are bold, (Hell yes, they’re bold!). Also I reprised my original intro at the end here for the sake of completeness.
Overrated:
Manos 17
The Final Sacrifice 14
Pod People 12
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians 7
Mitchell 7
Hobgoblins 7
Gamera episodes 6
Cave Dwellers 6
Red Zone Cuba 6
Space Mutiny 6
Time Chasers 6
TISCWSLaBMZ 6
Cave Dwellers 6
Monster a Go-Go 5
Werewolf 5
Hamlet 5
Monster a Go-Go 5
Joel/CC-era host segments 4
Laserblast 4
Godzilla vs. Megalon 4
Coleman Francis films 4
Catalina Caper 3
Future War 3
Santa Claus 3
Prince of Space 3
Eegah! 3
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank 3
Diabolik 3
The Touch of Satan 3
Hercules episodes 3
Russo-Finnish films 3
Underrated:
The Violent Years 11
Hamlet 10
The Sinister Urge 9
The Girl in Lover’s Lane 7
The Leech Woman 7
Danger! Death Ray 6
Catalina Caper 6
San Francisco International 5
Riding With Death 5
Racket Girls 5
Girl’s Town 5
The Starfighters 5
Mike/SciFi-era host segments 4
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank 4
The Screaming Skull 4
Time of the Apes 4
Master Ninja I & II 4
I Accuse My Parents 4
The Painted Hills 4
Final Justice 4
Devil Fish 4
Attack of the (the) Eye Creatures 4
King Dinosaur 3
It Conquered the World 3
Operation Double 007 3
High School Big Shot 3
Robot Monster 3
The Unearthly 3
Being from Another Planet 3
The Brute Man 3
The Deadly Bees 3
Quest of the Delta Knights 3
Legend of Boggy Creek II 3
Alien from L.A. 3
Earth vs. the Spider 3
Sidehackers 3
Track of the Moon Beast 3
The Touch of Satan 3
The Creeping Terror 3
The Atomic Brain 3
Pod People 3
As this was not a proper “poll” I counted each mention as a vote. Some comments featured lists, all of which I counted. Titles that got 2 mentions or fewer I omitted here as the list is long enough already. Note that some appear on both the Over and Under lists (which is pretty amusing). Remember, no one is saying these are the Best or Worst episodes, just that they are not given the proper amount of attention they deserve according to their actual qualities as episodes of the Best Show Ever (unless you argue that MST3K itself is overrated?).
It’s weird that “Overdrawn at the Memory Bank” is on a lot of underrated lists as I’ve always seen it listed as a favourite. For me, I can’t stand it. Very overrated. Same thing with “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” (with the exception of the “. . . with guns a-blazin'” riff).
Underrated: “Hamlet,” “The Touch of Satan”
blah, blah, blah, story, incoherent thought, more blah…can’t twitter, only 140 characters…
There is obviously much more to research about this. I think you made some great points in Features also. Keep working, good writeup! los angeles carpet cleaning
I think I’m the only MSt3k fan in existence who loves every episode (and I mean EVERY) period, season 3 and beyond. There isn’t a single thing I dislike about the show (as long as Crow and Servo were there, I didn’t mind the change of hosts and Mads. I love both Joel and Mike, and only prefer Mike slightly because I saw Final Sacrifice and Beginning of the End before any others). And I own every episode except (of course) the missing KTMA episodes, so I know what I’m talking about. ;)
That said, I don’t think any episodes are overrated. Some underrated? Hmm… I have to go with Soultaker, one of the first I ever saw. It’s not exactly hated or anything, I just don’t see it brought up much.