This editorial contains spoilers for this MST3K episode and the film Time Chasers.
Context for those unfamiliar with ‘MST3K’
Mike Nelson is a standard guy trapped in a spaceship called “The Satellite of Love” with a few sentient robots; Crow, Tom Servo, Gypsy, and Cambot. Mike is forced to watch bad movies by the evil scientist, Dr. Forrester.
In this episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, Crow goes back in time to tell Mike to pursue his career in music, so he won’t get stuck on the SOL. He goes back to the present and discovers that Mike died as a rock star. Crow then goes back in time to tell his past self to not tell Mike to be a musician. The Crow that told the past Crow that Mike died then goes to the present. The episode then claims that the Crow that was informed by the other Crow is still in the 80s and is seemingly stuck there.
However, Crow isn’t stuck there or at least he shouldn’t be. Wouldn’t past Crow just do nothing, then return to the future and become present Crow? That Crow is following the same timeline as the other Crow. To those that would say that Time Chasers, which MST features in this episode, has the same plot hole; let me point out that in that movie, the protagonist, Nick, sees a dark future and goes to the past. He runs into his past self and they prevent the bad future. However, the future Nick dies. This isn’t a problem as past Nick changes and lives in the main timeline while future Nick dies with the future timeline. The loose ends tie up. Crow’s past self is in the 80s, even though there was no reason not to keep going on his merry way. If he did stay there in the 80s, he wouldn’t be able to learn about Mike’s death and then prevent it, thus starting a whole new paradox! What seems most likely is that past Crow at some point decided to go to the present and do his business.
The Filme Diary 