the x-files s/d

One episode to go in season 7 before I decide if I'm going to skip 8 & 9 and finally watch the relaunch or just end it and let myself revert to only remembering the first four seasons.

Bunch of bad episodes in a row before the genie episode - but fascinating, the back half of the season has felt like they got word they were being cancelled but had to show up for work anyway. Gillian Anderson looks increasingly over this shit with every close-up.

I’ve been watching the show for the first time since I was a super fan in the 90s, as my partner had never seen it. We’ve been cherry picking 13 episodes or so a season. I’m trying to make up my mind whether to proceed into the later seasons. Back then, I dropped off after the first movie—scanning episode titles, I don’t recognize anything except a few episodes in season 6. I felt obligated to tune into the finale but remember nothing about it. Perhaps I’ll just find a "best of" the last few seasons and condense the entire back half into one "season”.

We’re at mid-season 3 and I’m pining for the alternate version of the mythology that is suggested in episodes like "Paper Clip”—yes, aliens may exist, but they’re uncommon, and the majority of the conspiracy is just a cover for America’s actions during the Cold War. I think that would also let Scully appear less silly in her disbelief: Mulder is right that aliens exist, but wrong that every conspiracy plot can be reduced to "aliens did it".

watched the Chair last night and Duchovny gamely making a fool of himself in it was absolutely hilarious

X-Files reboot with him and Sandra Oh would be fucking amazing

The lines on his face in that scene gave him a bit of a Walter Matthau look.

the scene has a X-Files callback as well! won't spoil it but it's unmissable

Perhaps I’ll just find a "best of" the last few seasons and condense the entire back half into one "season”.

I posted recs in hidden tags a few months ago if that’s helpful

I think “Via Negativa” is very much worth watching, really atmospheric dream-horror episode, but a lot of season 8 is kind of a drag. The first half is at least trying to change things up but there’s a lot of middling, grim MOTW episodes. Also there’s a really dumb and pointless retcon about Mulder at the start of the season that makes no sense in the context of Mulder and Scully’s relationship, which is used to drive the plot of a single MOTW episode and then handwaved away.

Once Duchovny returns it just feels weird, Duchovny’s subdued performance at least works for the character but the whole show seems lost and low on energy.

yeah, plus iirc there's a very weird awkward offness to all of Mulder and Scully's interactions, a bit like Season 6 but worse because of everything that's happened in the meantime. It's hard to find any of their scenes believable when you're just wondering why the hell they don't talk about the fact that Scully is pregnant with a mystery baby that might be an alien or might be Mulder's, and I get the impression the actors feel the same way.

Saw another one for the first time last night and got to say 'The Pine Bluff Variant' episode does seem a bit more topical in 2021 than it probably did in 1998. It has a couple of guest stars that you definitely know from other places too like Lost and Malcolm in the Middle/Seinfeld.

that movie theater scene has really stuck with me over the years

impressive that it's their take on The Spy Who Came in From the Cold and they manage to fit a pretty faithful and coherent adaptation of the plot into 45 minutes.

Season 10 - whoooo boy this is rough. Interesting that it starts with a credible Alex Jones impression but the show still plays it down the middle on right-wing conspiracy seasoned with just enough left-wing criticism to not seem like Alex Jones was in the writer's room.

Special effects looked great, though, Roswell '47 & the cloaking ship.

Episode 2 could have been a great MOTW episode if it had spent more time with the siblings.

Much as I love the Darin Morgan eps, and some of the Gilligan comedies, I think the show actually got a bit too light and comical in general throughout S6 and S7 (with some exceptions). Despite its flaws, I kinda like the dark, gloomy tone of S8 for that reason.

That first S10 episode is such a mess, but I can kinda see what Carter was going for; I find the idea of powerful people experimenting with aliens and their technology scarier than invasion overlords (see Paper Clip, Nisei, etc)

omg Tim Armstrong monologue

My Struggle II is cringe on top of cringe

Cutting between Mulder’s foot stomping on the gas, revs climbing and then zoom-zoom is so funny in this context.

I'm surprised that you have no comment on 'Babylon'. Particularly the shroom trip.

We're verrrrrey slooooowly rewatching, in season two rn, enjoying the casual stroll. I may actually eventually make it through those late season episodes I still haven't seen and I guess even rewatch the reboot, god help me.

Oh, yeah, that whole episode was a mess. I have a soft spot for Lauren Ambrose because of Six Feet Under but the millennial version of Mulder was a void + ripped from the headlines terrorist plot (Garland Muhammed exhibition), Mulder line dancing while tripping balls was the only saving grace.

It's hard to believe this show (by which I mean pretty much anything after S6E1) is from the same team that created "Home" and "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose."

I picked up season 8 from the library cos it was free. Didn't notice it was 8 until after I took it home. Has no outer cover just the sleeve the dvd fit into.
Did wonder if that was too late.
Not tried to watch any yet. Imdb rates individual episodes anyway.

Not seen season 8 but just started in on 9. It's not the fault of the new (to me) leads but yeah the writing sure is a significant step down from where I left it in season 7, jarringly cliched and corny at times. I'm liking the mythology stuff more than the MOTWs so far. Very awkward weird what they're doing with Scully, as much as I love the character and actor.

It's hard to believe this show (by which I mean pretty much anything after S6E1) is from the same team that created "Home" and "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose."

― papal hotwife (milo z), Friday, September 3, 2021 5:57 AM (five hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Well, the writers chiefly responsible for those episodes had long moved on by then. It was pretty much just Vince Gilligan left delivering the goods, basically any of the handful of worthwhile episodes you can name from seasons 6 - 9 was probably one of his. Drive, X-Cops, Je Souhaite, etc.

xp might have skipped over s7 as well, looking at the episode titles.

What was the season and episode name of that one where it was mainly flashback cuts to previous eps but with the bloke inserted into the scenes, it was a comedy episode pretty much.

Season 11, "The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat." That season's Darin Morgan episode.

Well, the writers chiefly responsible for those episodes had long moved on by then.

I agree that Gilligan is responsible for nearly all the good eps from 6-9, but milo has just watched S10, in which the only writers apart from Carter are the writers of Home and Clyde Bruckman. (The Darin Morgan ep in S10 is great though.)

S11 Black Mirror episode was pretty good. Most of the season feels like they're doing Skinner dirty, though.

They always kind of do Skinner dirty, don't they? He spends his life cleaning up Mulder's messes, and in return Mulder periodically accuses him of murder.

one of the wildest moments in x files pic.twitter.com/OtAqikhnr9

— dangerous man with a gun (@dgahk) December 11, 2021

S2E2 The Host

god what a great monster of the week
that makeup looks SO fucking good even now, they shot it so percectly

Something must have worked because I haven't seen that episode since it aired, and I can still perfectly picture the monster and his disgusting ring mouth

so gross!

yeah that episode was some top tier body horror, everyone barfing up flatworms in the bathroom and shots of them slithering into the drain!

Something must have worked because I haven't seen that episode since it aired, and I can still perfectly picture the monster and his disgusting ring mouth

same, thats one of the first images that comes into my mind when i think 'the x files'

He's definitely one of the better XF monsters. I love Tooms, Flukie, and the critters from "Ice" and "Darkness Falls", as they're vaguely believable in a pseudo-scientific kind of way, and more effective than traditional werewolves, vampires, etc

there’s some great shots where its like Nosferatu yknow, the monster emerges from darkness but only the head is fully lit

from imdb trivia performing the monster sounds like hell, 20 hrs in the suit etc (darin morgan, brother of glenn, also writer of some great eps himseld, was in the suit) & this is wild, the materials of the suit itself were i guess water soluble in some way & it would deteriorate & they had to recraft it every day !? … you like to think its longevity on screen, and how great they made it look on film, kiinda maybe makes up for all the trials & tribulations (somewhat)

fuck that “Duane Barry” S2 E5&6 two parter w Steve Railsback is so fuckin GOOD

i really wish they hadn't given away that Krycek was a villain in his first episode - it would have made that second part even better if he just seemed like a normal agent up to the moment he knocks out the cable car operator.

anyone that handsome is always a villain

watching S6 ep15 "Arcadia" haha love this one

30 years old tonight!

we’re still rewatching - just heading into s3 now

s3e4 clyde buckman’s final repose
Weirdly had no memory of this one despite Peter Boyle, awards, etc but wow, yeah total BANGER

i just realized how old i was when i saw the first airing of "home." i have to assume my folks were on a dinner date that night.

Have a vivid memory of babysitting, putting the kids to bed, watching the episode by myself and being terrified as I waited for their parents to come home. Also wanna say it was a Friday 9-10pm, and I think the local Fox newscast that followed the episode led with something about X-Files and aliens, which was also terrifying. IIRC the show got a lot of hype early on but barely anybody watched it on Friday nights, then maybe they moved it to Sunday nights?

I watched from the beginning, but I was initially fake-annoyed by the show's early marketing that claimed the stories were taken from true tales of the paranormal. I had just graduated from college, but still sharing a house with my college friends so it was the perfect show for us to dig into since Twin Peaks. Somewhere in the middle of season 1 I started taping it so I could get my Friday nights back.

it was on crazy late at night in Australia iirc, started airing in 1994 when i started uni

one of the resident tutors at our dorm was a night owl & her and a couple other students were watching i think the Bigfoot ep? and i was hooked

we always kept all the the lights off in the common room for added vibes

once my friend decided to do a drinking game where he had to drink shot of tequila every time they said “agent”
he was so wasted it took four of us to carry him to bed

unless wiki is b/s they didn't re-air it for a spell. which would make sense, because i remember catching it on tv a few years after and being amazed it was on air again.

there are very few "tough" episodes of a series i would put up against with this, the sheriff's bedroom scene in particular hit me hard.

I was a kid when it premiered - was not allowed to stay up late to watch it during the first season, but did watch pretty regularly from around halfway through s2 onwards (my older brother would tape episodes so we could watch them together in daytime). think i mentioned upthread one of the earliest episodes I remember watching was the one with Tony Shalhoub, that one messed me up for a bit.

also just remembered that when I was about 11-12, I used to go over to our neighbour's house to play with their kids and we would come up with elaborate scenarios involving Mulder, Scully, alien abduction/torture, that would also somehow involve Disney princesses/villains lol