▁and ▁Dave ▁Allen . ▁ ▁H od g son ▁surprised ▁many ▁fans ▁when ▁he ▁left ▁M ST 3 K ▁after ▁its ▁ 1 0 7 th ▁episode , ▁Mitchell ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁H od g son ' s ▁departure ▁was ▁script ed ▁into ▁the ▁episode ▁with ▁the ▁robot , ▁Gy ps y , ▁e ject ing ▁Jo el ▁from ▁the ▁Sat ellite ▁of ▁Love ▁in ▁an ▁escape ▁pod ▁after ▁incorrectly ▁bel ieving ▁Jo el ' s ▁capt ors ▁were ▁plot ting ▁to ▁kill ▁him . ▁Michael ▁J . ▁Nelson ▁replaced ▁H od g son ▁as ▁host ▁for ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁the ▁series ' ▁run . ▁In ▁contemporary ▁inter views , ▁H od g son ▁stated ▁he ▁was ▁un com fort able ▁with ▁acting ▁and ▁being ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁camera . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁he ▁added ▁that ▁he ▁and ▁producer ▁Jim ▁Mall on ▁had ▁been ▁fighting ▁over ▁cre ative ▁control ▁of ▁M ST 3 K . ▁His ▁departure ▁allowed ▁the ▁show ▁to ▁continue ▁and ▁gave ▁him ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁his ▁preferred ▁creation ▁and ▁production ▁work ▁rather ▁than ▁on ▁performing , ▁which ▁he ▁did ▁only ▁rel uct antly . ▁ ▁H od g son ▁later ▁made ▁a ▁surprise ▁guest ▁appearance ▁in ▁the ▁season ▁premi ere ▁for ▁the ▁final ▁season ▁of ▁M ST 3 K ▁(" S ou lt aker ", ▁episode ▁ 1 0 0 1 ). ▁The ▁original ▁M ST 3 K ▁ended ▁its ▁run ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁