In the episode guide we have come to the end of season seven, and that means the departure of one Trace Beaulieu. I have said in the past that Trace was the heart of MST3K (Mike was the brain, Kevin the soul). I said in that post: “It really is hard to imagine that the show could have become the classic it was without him, and while it did manage to find its footing again after his departure, his absence was keenly felt for a long time.”

So this week’s thread is a tribute to Mr. Trace Beaulieu. We did a “favorite Trace moments” thread WAY WAY back, but this is about more than just his huge contribution to our favorite cowtown puppet show. If you have a story about a real-life interaction with Trace, we’d love to hear it too.

One great moment I remember was at the second convention, where, in the middle of the panel with Kim Catrall, he slipped in by a side door, snuck up to in front of where she was sitting, threw a bouquet of flowers onto the table in front of her and dashed out. Great stuff.

(Keep those discussion thread ideas coming!)