Well, of course, MST3K changed quite a bit at the start of season 8, and the host segments did too. I’m going to allow 15 for this season (and some of you are ignoring my dictates anyway):

• Mike searches for something good on the radio…and fails–804- THE DEADLY MANTIS: The show takes on the state of radio. Great performances and very observant.
• An irritating Observer arrives and observes–805- THE THING THAT COULDN’T DIE: Paul really shines in this sketch.
• Mike plays his Digger Smolken album–806- THE UNDEAD: A great vocal performance by Kevin.
• The Observers croon “When I Held Your Brain in My Arms”–807- TERROR FROM THE YEAR 5000: One of the great songs of any season.
• Crow’s proximity detector detects a lot of humidity–809- I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF: The show takes riffs “Alien” with some funny stuff.
• Pearl, Bobo and Observer have “that” chat with the kids–811- “PARTS”: THE CLONUS HORROR: Mary Jo, Kevin and Bill show how really comfortable they are with these characters. Each one is a riot.
• Mike Nelson IS Lord of the Dance!–813- JACK FROST: Mike deflates the Broadway phenomenon.
• Tom sings about the 70s (and the 50s, too)–814- RIDING WITH DEATH: Yes, we get the essence of the joke quickly, but the underlying idea sustains it.
• Crow is Turkey Volume Guessing Man!–814- RIDING WITH DEATH: a classic host segment, responding to the movie but taking that response in a witty direction.
• Pearl and Bobo give their opening statements–815- AGENT FOR H.A.R.M.: I have to include at least one of “trial” segments, all of which are great. The cultural references fly fast and furious.
• M&TB are unstuck in time–816- PRINCE OF SPACE: Some really impressive writing here. I could never keep it all straight, but they do.
• M&TB sing “Sodium;” meanwhile as Callipygeas and Brainguyus bond, Apearlo and Flavia trade…er…pleasantries—817- HORROR OF PARTY BEACH: Another wonderful song. I love the credit at the end that says “lyric by.”
• Mike’s love of Noh theater causes confusion–819- INVASION OF THE NEPTUNE MEN: Yes, it’s an update of the Abbott & Costello, but it’s a great upate.
• Crow finds Mike’s surly big brother Eddie in Mike’s place–821- TIME CHASERS: Just when I thought they had given Mike every sort of character to play, they give him Eddie, and once again he knocks it out of the park.
• While Mike continues to struggle with Henry the monkey, PPTV presents a preview of “Pearl! Pearl! Pearl! Pearl! Pearl!”–822- OVERDRAWN AT THE MEMORY BANK: If you wonder what’s going on with Bill and Mary Jo in the blogs right now, you can get a good idea by watching these two here. Here’s two performers working brilliantly together.

What are yours?