YMMV / Mystery Science Theater 3000 S12 E01: Mac and Me

• Even Better Sequel: Season 11 was well received critically (the show has 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), and overall went well with fans. Most reviewers agree Mac and Me kicks off an even better follow up season, and the crew worked out a few of the growing pains season 11 aired with.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: Christine Ebersole and Joel Hodgson both lend their voices to Steven Universe.
• Older Than They Think: People upset that Jonah's escape wasn't explained seem to forget that it's never explained how Mike and the bots return to physical form in the beginning of season 8, despite that being arguably even more confusing. Then there is Mike becoming a bot and then inexplicably "getting better" in Prince of Space, the unexplained reappearance of Crow, Servo and Gypsy back on the SoL after escaping at the end of Season 10, or Frank's numerous recoveries from being killed. It helps to take the theme-song in stride.
• Padding: Called out in several places, notably during the scene on the Mac's planet with the probe repetitively picking up rock samples.
  Crow: There's no way this movie is gonna show us the exact same thing we just saw. (exact same thing is shown) Oh, kill me!
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot:
  • Despite both being low-budget ripoffs of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, there was only a single riff referencing Pod People.^note A reference to the "Chief?" "McCloud!" Running Gag. Even though most of the earlier film actually was a low-grade horror, with a cutesy subplot only added in because of Executive Meddling, it's nonetheless surprising not to have a riff comparing Mac to Trumpy.
  • Jonah surviving the Season 11 cliffhanger goes unexplained. He's eager to tell what happened, but Crow and Tom aren't interested and Kinga snaps "There's no time to tie up loose ends!" If there's no resolution to this story arc, why have it at all?
  • Around the same time the season was being made, a clip was discovered of the film's original ending in which Eric is accidentally shot in the chest by a tripping cop, which would have probably made Jonah's Freak Out a lot funnier.

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