Of all the cult TV shows in the history of television, Mystery Science Theater 3000 is arguably the most influential, most ground-breaking, and certainly one of the funniest. The concept is remarkably simple, yet effective - a terrible movie is shown, while the commentators, usually one human and the two robot wisecrackers, Crow and Tom Servo, goof off and make fun of the movie through a series of pop culture references and quick-witted jokes.
The resulting product is an amazing escapade of jokes that are as funny as they are smart. The show has had quite the run, first kicking off in 1988 and eventually getting a Netflix reboot, which has since rolled over to its own online platform called The Gizmoplex which will continue the show. It’s an amazing series, but curious viewers might be a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of episodes. Never fear though, as there are a few episodes that stand out as highlights.
8 Pod People
A really strange movie is the best ingredient for a great MST3K episode and this is certainly a weird one. An alien egg, a terrible rock band recording in the secluded woods, and a lot of terrible acting make this memorably awful movie mincemeat for Joel and the robots.
A few running gags were started in this episode, including the classic “it stinks” line. The voice Joel and the robots assign to the weird alien, named Trumpy, is equally sidesplitting.
7 Santa Conquers The Martians
With a title like that, it has to be good, or rather, so bad that it’s good. Considered by many movie buffs to be one of the worst Christmas movies of all time, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is an abysmal movie following a Martian plot to kidnap Santa Claus for the purpose of entertaining the children of Mars.
Very strange, but the perfect fuel for the MST3K crew who tear this stinker to shreds. The episode actually catapulted the movie back into the public view, giving it the cult status that it has today.
6 Manos: The Hands Of Fate
Weird movies are one thing, but plain unwatchable movies are a completely different breed. Manos: The Hands of Fate is one such movie; everything about it is atrociously bad, from the wretched acting to the plot hole-laden storyline.
On the flip side, the MST3K episode of this movie is hilarious as the crew has no problem skewering this movie for the entire episode. It’s a lot of fun watching them pick apart all the errors in this horrid movie which revolves around a silly cult out in the desert. This is a classic episode, and one which any curious viewer can easily jump into.
5 Santo Vs. The Vampire Women
Santo is an icon in Mexican luchador wrestling, but he is probably the last guy one would expect to go head-to-head against a gang of ancient vampire women. The plot follows a typical B-movie route: an ancient evil awakens, an innocent girl gets kidnaped, and the hero must save the day.
It’s pretty hilarious watching the MST3K team get into the silliness of a masked wrestler fighting vampire women and there are a lot of self-referential jokes that make this episode a classic.
4 Laserblast
This legendarily bad ’70s movie is a great entry point for folks looking to get into Mystery Science Theater 3000. From the stupid special effects to the hilariously inept cops, this movie is a broken mess, which makes it the perfect target for the crew to make fun of. And make fun of it they do.
The movie loosely follows a teenager who takes revenge against his bullies via a gigantic arm laser. This is a standout episode that covers a lot of great running gags and jokes, making it the perfect jumping-off point for newbies.
3 Mitchell
Perhaps the most underwhelming movie ever, Mitchell follows its titular character, a loose cannon detective, as he breaks every rule in the book and angers his superiors.
Every cop movie cliché in the book is in this movie and the Mystery Science Theater 3000 crew has a lot of fun tearing it apart for their own amusement. The lackluster car chase scene is astoundingly funny and makes for a great comedy bit. This is a stellar first MST3K episode for an easy laugh.
2 The Final Sacrifice
This is a great later season episode from the original run, and it’s a more than fitting way to get into the show. Everything about this movie is silly, from the goofy plot to the ridiculous characters, namely Zap Rowsdower.
The Mystery Science Theater 3000 team has a field day making fun of the set design and weird dialogue. This oddball movie performs much better when Mike and the robots are making fun of it.
1 The Giant Gila Monster
This standard B-movie foray into giant monsters is actually a goldmine for jokes from the MST3K crew. A giant lizard attacks a bunch of teenagers in a rural desert town in what could be the most conventional 1950s plot ever.
Regardless of the movie itself, the Mystery Science Theater 3000 team has a lot of fun poking fun at the stupidity of the special effects, from which the jokes come very smoothly. There are countless great episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000, but for someone looking to jump into the series, this is probably the best one.
