The Short
Synopsis
For the first part, see episode 406.
In this thrilling chapter, The Undersea City, Crash and Billy manage to escape being blown up. The crew attempts to escape back to the sub, but are captured by a group of Atlantians, who mistake them for agents of Unga Khan. Unga Khan sends his agents to take the sub crew away from the squad of Atlantans.
Information
Some folks say that Raymond Bernard, a.k.a. “Crash” Corrigan, got his nickname because he had the physical ability and willingness to do his own stunts. Other folks say that the nickname was invented by Republic Pictures’ publicity department, so that it would sound a bit like “Flash Gordon.”
The Movie
Synopsis
A violent criminal called The Butcher (Chaney) is executed and then brought back to life by a scientist using electricity. The Butcher becomes an invulnerable mute and seeks vengeance upon those who caused his execution. [1]
Information
The Episode
Host Segments
Prologue: Crow, Tom, Gypsy and Magic Voice have traded voices and the result is quite surreal.
Segment One (Invention Exchange): The Bots explain their trick. The Mads are supposedly having a party and mention a secret invention that is apparently wearable and has lots of catchphrases. Joel and the Bots show their Cereal Novels.
Segment Two: The Satellite of Love Any-Excuse-For-A-Parade Parade features the Undersea Kingdom! Alas, parade goes horribly awry when Gypsy sneezes, causing the Tom Servo balloon to explode.
Segment Three: Joel explains to the Bots how pain is good. They then discuss what they'd do if they were indestructible. Joel's suggestions are less than inspiring.
Segment Four: Joel mimics the Lon Chaney eye squinch, and receives the ridicule from the Bots. When the Bots take over, Joel ponders what he has wrought on the world.
Segment Five: Joel and the Bots sign the "No Cops & Donuts Joke Accord". In a coincidence, cops visit Deep 13 to deliver a noise citation for the party.
Stinger: The somehow less-than-Indestructible Man pathetically struggles to move a manhole cover
Other Notes
Guest Stars
- Officer Mike: Michael J. Nelson
- Officer Kevin: Kevin Murphy
Miscellanea
- Joel's reference to Crow's "Little Billy" doll from Attack of the Giant Leeches hints at the impending Undersea Kingdom short.
Obscure References
- "Ooooh-ooooh, Monte Blue, that's a game for..."
Joel is parodying the Ozark Mountain Daredevils song "Jackie Blue".
- "Unga Khan, Unga Khan, mad tyrant of Atlantis..."
A parody of the rap from the Chaka Khan song "I Feel For You".
- "He actually looks like Jimmy Carl Black, doesn't he?" "The Indian of the group."
Jimmy Carl Black was the drummer for Frank Zappa's band The Mothers of Invention, and routinely introduced himself as "the Indian of the group" in reference to his Cheyenne heritage.
- "It's The Bishop!"
"The Bishop" was a sketch from episode 17 of Monty Python's Flying Circus.
- "Known for his anthologies!"
A reference to the "Norton Anthologies" published by W. W. Norton & Company.
- "It's Averell Harriman!"
Averell Harriman was an American businessman and diplomat.
- "Billy looks like William Frawley!"
Actor William Frawley is best remembered for playing Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy.
- "Regular Nina Totenberg, isn't she?"
Nina Totenberg is a correspondent for National Public Radio.
- "It's Jim Henson's 'birth of a nation' babies."
D.W. Griffith's silent film Birth Of A Nation is remembered for two things: its innovative camera use, and its appalling racism (the Ku Klux Klan are celebrated as heroes in the post-Reconstruction South).
- "Ben Hecht!"
Ben Hecht was a prolific Hollywood screenwriter, beginning in the 1920s.
- "Any relationship to Dick Cheney?"
Dick Cheney was Secretary of Defense at the time this episode aired. He has since gotten a small promotion.
- "...And the operator says, forty cents more..."
A line from the Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show song, "Sylvia's Mother."
- "Inspector Henderson and Captain Binghamton! Working together for your future!"
The two scientists who reanimate the Butcher had roles in other popular series - "The Adventures of Superman" and "McHale's Navy". As if you didn't know.
Catchphrases
Notes
Lon Chaney Jr. plays Hakur in the short “Undersea Kingdom” and stars in The Indestructible Man as Butcher Benton. This may be the only episode in which the same actor appears in both the short and the feature.
| preceded by: Season 3 | MST3K Season 4 | followed by: Season 5 | ||||||
| 1992 - 1993 | ||||||||
| 401 | Space Travelers | 1992-06-06 | 409 | Indestructible Man | 1992-08-15 | 417 | Crash of Moons | 1992-11-28 |
| 402 | The Giant Gila Monster | 1992-06-13 | 410 | Hercules Against the Moon Men | 1992-08-22 | 418 | Attack of the the Eye Creatures | 1992-12-05 |
| 403 | City Limits | 1992-06-20 | 411 | The Magic Sword | 1992-08-29 | 419 | The Rebel Set | 1992-12-12 |
| 404 | Teenagers from Outer Space | 1992-06-27 | 412 | Hercules and the Captive Women | 1992-09-12 | 420 | The Human Duplicators | 1992-12-26 |
| 405 | Being from Another Planet | 1992-07-04 | 413 | Manhunt in Space | 1992-09-19 | 421 | Monster A-Go Go | 1993-01-09 |
| 406 | Attack of the Giant Leeches | 1992-07-18 | 414 | Tormented | 1992-09-26 | 422 | The Day the Earth Froze | 1993-01-16 |
| 407 | The Killer Shrews | 1992-07-25 | 415 | The Beatniks | 1992-11-25 | 423 | Bride of the Monster | 1993-01-23 |
| 408 | Hercules Unchained | 1992-08-01 | 416 | Fire Maidens of Outer Space | 1992-11-26 | 424 | Manos: The Hands of Fate | 1993-01-30 |