Guess Dr. Z had a little kidney problem.
Film watched: Blood Waters of Dr. Z
The episode is available in the Gizmoplex here
, and on Shout! Factory here.
The Segments:
Prologue- Crow has taken up chewing tobacco and is practicing his juice-spitting in Mike's soda cans. Even the one Mike was drinking.
Segment 1
- Pearl has received her next assignment from the Institute of Mad Science. She is to shower her test subjects with love, then deprive them of it. Her definition of "love" is sketchy, but it works well enough on Crow.
Segment 2
- As Mike polishes his shoes, Crow hides and cackles at how he will soon have his revenge.
Segment 3
- The crew do some bass fishing from high orbit. Their catches would be more impressive if they didn't freeze and explode in the upper atmosphere.
Segment 4
- Servo and Crow argue with Mike that nudity can make any movie scene better, so they get Bobo and Brain Guy to demonstrate with a striptease. Mike suggests that female nudity would likely work a lot better, but he freaks out when the 'Bots try to get Pearl to strip.
Segment 5
- Crow shows his new line of carrying cases for holding food of all shapes and sizes. Pearl turns Bobo into a "Mer-Monkey" who will help her rule the world, but he instead attracts a lonely and rugged sailor man. She then decides that she'll be the sea creature instead and score a sailor man of her own.
Tropes present in the MST3K presentation of Blood Waters of Dr. Z include:
- And Knowing Is Half the Battle: When Leopold watches two people kissing in a house, he turns towards the camera, provoking this riff:Mike: This is Fish Man, reminding you folks at home to enjoy sex, responsibly.
- Berserk Button: Overlapping with Never Say That Again.Mike: Tom, you sing Jerry Reed one more time and I'll crush you into a fine powder.
- Big Damn Heroes: Wished for by Crow: "Suddenly, her Volkswagon comes crashing through the wall, her dog at the wheel…"
- Call-Back:
- Continuity Nod: Once again Servo's singing annoys Mike. This time he does a little Ragin' Cajun Jerry Reed.
- Deep South: Crow sings "I'm glad I'm not in Dixie! Hurray! Hurray!"note after the Sheriff has the unfortunate habit of calling a black man "boy".note
- Fan Disservice:
- Tom and Crow have Prof. Bobo and Brain Guynote perform a scene from Glengarry Glen Ross in the nudenote to prove their point that nudity makes any movie scene better. Mike then points out to the robots that they probably should've specified female nudity. So then the 'Bots suggest asking to see Pearl nude...Mike: No! She'll kill us.
- In-Universe, this is Mike and the 'Bots reaction to seeing Dr. Leopold in his boxer shorts as he prepares the transformation process.
- Tom and Crow have Prof. Bobo and Brain Guynote perform a scene from Glengarry Glen Ross in the nudenote to prove their point that nudity makes any movie scene better. Mike then points out to the robots that they probably should've specified female nudity. So then the 'Bots suggest asking to see Pearl nude...
- Mondegreen Gag: Invoked. Early in the film, Mike and the bots mishear "sargassum" as "sarcasm".
- Noodle Implements: "Pearl's Love Stuff" (that is, items Pearl says represent love to her): a staple remover, a pawn shop receipt for a shotgun, a bottle of lemon-flavored gin, 12 hot pads, and an alternator.
- Noodle Incident: Servo, asking Bobo and Observer to play a scene nude, begins by saying "Sooo... we're having that same problem with Mike again..."
- No Theme Tune: The movie's title card contains no music, prompting Crow to ask: "Uh, theme music? Anything you want to throw in at this point?" The actual credits and theme music ("Sashay Through the Sargassum", AKA "Planning Revenge on my Friends") start up a few minutes later.
- ...Or So I Heard: When two characters kiss:Servo: The music's swinging into porn-style soundtrack now. Not that I've ever seen one, so I don't really know.
- Seinfeldian Conversation: At one point Tom Servo makes a joke about baseball player Catfish Hunter, only for Mike and Crow to claim that the man's name was changed to Catfish Chapstick (based on a Chapstick commercial Hunter did in the 70s). (All while nothing actually happens in the movie.) When Crow makes his own pun, Servo snaps, "Oh, yeah, where the hell do you get off?!"
- Sex Sells: When a woman in a bikini swims in the lake:Servo: I like this film now.
Crow: Goes without saying. - Shout-Out: "Once I get Herbie out of the way, she'll be mine!"
- Take Over the World: One host segment has Crow parody Leopold's opening narration, raspy voice and all,, but focusing on shoes instead of fish (as Mike is trying to polish his shoes). He also turns out to have wedged himself into the bulkhead.Crow: They think I'm insane. They're the ones who are insane! Soon, there will be shoes the size they've never seen before, who... who... like human flesh! And then at just the right moment... ATTACK!
Mike: Crow, come on down from there.
Crow: Sargassum! - The Voice: An off-screen mother briefly talks to her daughter, so a few riffs are devoted to Invisible Cracker Mom.
- What Is This Thing You Call "Love"?: Parodied. Pearl, as part of her Evil Cannot Comprehend Good, Card-Carrying Villain status (quite literally, since she's still trying to join the Institute of Mad Science), can't actually remember what love is.Pearl: Love, love, love... Is that where you find the least common denominator and then add the numerators?
Observer: ...Er, no, that would be adding fractions, I'm afraid. - Withholding the Cure: Pearl has Brain Guy send up "Pearl's Love Stuff" (including, among other things, a staple remover and twelve electric hotpads), which has a powerful immediate effect on Crow... so that she can test the effects of then removing said love.Crow: Ahh! No love! Love is gone! [whimpering] So lost! Feeling panicky! No sense of self! Developing stress disorder and inability to work with others...!
Mike: Pearl! Please, stop torturing Crow! Give us your love back! Please!
Crow: Whe-e-ere is love?! - Yank the Dog's Chain: As Martha walks into the ocean at the end of the movie, the 'bots look forward to seeing a "wet, clingy dress." And then the camera pulls back.Crow: No, movie, don't!
