Every so often, even the best or most popular shows have bad episodes. This may be the worst episode in the long history of the show. The reason is that only Joel is in the theater riffing at the original Gamera movie. Trace Beaulieu was out of town when it was filmed, so they had Crow frozen and turned into a Christmas tree. However, Servo was in two of the host segments, but not in the theater. For those who are used to the rapid fire riffing, to watch two minute segements of movie without Joel saying anything is at best, unuusal. This is not to criticize, because Joel did his best. And this is the early stages of the show, where they were experimenting with things. Still, best to avoid this, unless you are a completist.

Knowing that this is one of the local Minneapolis episodes, and that they were working the format out as they went along, it is still a fairly good episode. The Brains would do this movie in season three, so that review comes later. The host segments revolve around phone calls recieved by the show(a precursor to the letters) and one in particular, who said that there should be more slapstick on the show. However, it sounded like he said 'Chapstick,' so Joel pledges to use more. When Crow starts in on different lubricants and not using a pirate to clean out your ears, Joel slaps him. This is the earliest episode seen by fans since the show's initial run in 1988 and 1989. Many have not seen these unless they were acquired in the vast tape and DVD trading network that MISTies have set up. For those who have not, it does take getting used to seeing long stretches of movie where Joel and the 'bots do not riff. When you remember that these were improvised and not scripted, though, it does make a difference. It is also unusual to hear Josh(aka J. Elvis) Weinstein doing the voice of Servo(not called Tom here). He did a higher pitched voice here, he would not do a deeper version until later in the season. Still, though, a good show to see for the completists out there.

When MacArthur wants to visit the camp because of their medical record, everyone goes crazy, except for Hawkeye and Trapper, of course. Frank starts burning books, and Henry has to go through all sorts of special arrangements for his arrival. It gets so bad that there are no orderlies for to take patients to post-op because they are all cleaning up the camp, though there is always time for a tryst with Margaret in the VIP tent. Henry also has to worry about Klinger trying to get Big Mac to discharge him. At the rehersal, Hawk and Trap are their usual selves and Klinger tries to kiss the pipe of the MacArthur stand in, Radar(Hawkeye says he shrank because of all his walking on water). Mac finally arrives, and leaves just as quickly, but not before he salutes Klinger as the Statue of Liberty.

When the movies are really bad, then the SOL crew is at their best, and Werewolf is a good example. The story revolves around the skeleton of a werewolf found at an archaeologist dig and how one of the people involved uses it to turn others into werewolves. The bad accents, terrible dialogue and underwhelming plot make it good fodder for Mike and the 'bots. Mike uses a long ladder to try and escape, but winds up in Castle Forrester. Otherwise, he gets beat up in this episode--he hits his head and thinks he's James Lipton, then gets hit on the head again to snap out of it. Then he runs into Crow and turns into a wereCrow. Inbetween, they sing a song about a werewolf who crashes and dies, and try to figure out which famous person's relative to put in their werewolf movie. A typically great show.

One of the best early episodes of the series, A Smattering Of Intelligence shows the comedic skills of the cast. Col. Flagg returns to camp on some sort of investigation. Tailing him is an old buddy of Trapper's from G2. When they both show up trying to get a big score and more money from Congress, Hawkeye and Trapper set them both up to think that Frank is a Communist and a radical right-winger. They doctor Frank's files to set them both up and also make Frank look foolish. With no OR scenes and little preaching, this is one of the funniest episodes of the series.