Mike Nelson

Mike Nelson
Played by	Michael J. Nelson
Firstappearance	512 - Mitchell
Latestappearance	1013 - Diabolik
Location	Satellite of Love
Charactertype	Regular

Michael J. "Mike" Nelson is the main character of MST3K's sixth season and beyond. Portrayed by actor/head writer Michael J. Nelson, Mike is an awkward, slightly dim-witted but well-meaning temp worker from Wisconsin who comes to work for the Mads, Dr. Clayton Forrester and TV's Frank, in Deep 13 while they prepare for an evil-scientist audit in ep. 512 Mitchell. Audiences eventually learn that Mike was originally from rural Western Wisconsin before taking a series of temp jobs, including at a cheese factory.

When Joel Robinson escapes from the Satellite of Love at the end of this episode, the Mads knock Mike unconscious and shoot him up to the satellite to replace Joel as their experimental guinea pig instead of killing him for being an oaf. The hapless Mike finds himself forced to watch bad movies with robot companions Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot while interjecting humorous quips and cultural riffs based on the action and dialog of the films. Nelson's first full appearance as a member of the SOL crew was ep. 513 The Brain That Wouldn't Die.

Overview

Mike's relationship with the bots was very different from the one the bots had with Joel. Though the bots occasionally poked fun at Joel, they generally respected him and his authority, often regarding him as a father figure (unsurprising, since he literally created them) who would expound on life-defining lessons that could neither be questioned nor refuted. The bots never felt that way about Mike. Though they came to accept him as their friend and companion, they were often more cynical and merciless with him (particularly during the Sci-Fi Channel era) when he screwed up or failed to pick up on something that was blatantly obvious to them; if Joel was a father figure, Mike was more like an older brother. Mike was also different from Joel in personality and temperament. Joel tended to take his captivity in benign stride, often delivering his riffs deadpan, holding no malice against his captors and affectionately calling them "the Mads". Mike tended to be more aggressive regarding his captivity and making fun of the films, and was forever scheming to escape the Satellite or at least make the Mads look like fools.

Although more aggressive then Joel, Mike comes across as more of a country homebody type who is close-knit and loving to reminiscence about his family. Even trusting his Grandmother more then others Nelsons by her for help first. He also seems to have no problem staying on good terms with ex-girlfriends, one time also calling one for help. Though he does have a dark side, including once "punching a guy from accounting" at one of his temp jobs.

Mike is also notoriously clumsy to a dangerous degree. According to The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Amazing Colossal Guide, Mike is "as intelligent as the average man" and often displays a comic unawareness of his limitations and foibles. In ep. 602 Invasion USA, he builds a robot whose only function appears to be to "destroy...destroy...destroy...". During the eighth season, he manages to contribute accidentally to the destruction of planets in three separate incidents. In ep. 911 Devil Fish, he believes his identity has been stolen by a secret government agency after merely misplacing his wallet.

Mike would later find out, after blowing up the Intelligent Ape inhabited Earth in 2525, the explosion he caused inadvertently sent one of the Professor Bobo's scientists back in time and caused the "Planet of the Apes" inbreeding through his own relative from the past.

Eventually, after many, many adventures through time and space, the Satellite eventually crashed to Earth and Mike and the robots escaped for good.

1980s

Mike, Patrick and Crow

In the 80s, Mike, along with his brother Eddie, would take temp jobs, meeting such enigmatic figures like Patrick and a robot from the future. The robot from the future would convince Mike to continue work with his band Sex Factory, instead of working a temp job that would land him in Dr. Forrester's clutches. This would lead Mike to his death, so another robot had to convince himself not to convince Mike, and since the future was then not revealed to Mike, he still got marooned in space.

Mike had long bleached hair, and was a fan of Journey.

Behind the Scenes

Early in his tenure as the show's host, Nelson terminated the invention exchanges and letter readings that were a staple of the show's first five years, ending a popular tradition but giving the writers much more freedom in creating the opening and closing sketches.

Trivia

• Mike's father is mentioned to be running a mail order burlap store out of Mignon, Wisconsin. Mike described his father as reserved, though Crow's experience (via time-travel) with Elmer "Keg-Drainer" Nelson was apparently quite different.
• Mike also has an uncle, Les, who is retired and lives in McAllen, Texas, and a cousin, Al, who rebuilds carburetors. ("Hamlet"). His Grandmother was still alive as of Teen-Age Strangler.
• Mike mentioned that his favorite movie is Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo during the final host segment of Final Justice.
• Among his previous love interests, Mike has mentioned Carla (who had since had a son), Ginger (with whom a time-traveling Crow also had a dalliance) and Denise (who apparently passed away in a tragic manner).