The X-Files

Started by MacGuffin, November 23, 2003, 07:42:14 PM

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Sleepless

This longer version is better, more cohesive and indicative of what to expect - at least as far as the first new episode goes:



JB, I was thinking of you and your love for Folie A Deux as we were recording it. Hopefully we didn't do it too bad on an injustice. So glad to hear that (a) you're still listening and (b) you think we're doing a decent job though. It's crazy to think we've been working on this since early April, really, and sad to think we're not that far away from our last show... at least until the inevitable at this point 11th season.

For those who haven't listened to it at all yet, please do! Best place to start is over at xphilestalkxfiles.com but every episode is also available to listen to on too.
He held on. The dolphin and all the rest of its pod turned and swam out to sea, and still he held on. This is it, he thought. Then he remembered that they were air-breathers too. It was going to be all right.

Jeremy Blackman

Oh that is a better trailer. The most shocking part was (SPOILER) Skinner's white goatee.

I wonder if it's a tad misleading, though, knowing there are only 2 mythology episodes. Or do you think they're going to sneak some of that in the middle?

I hope I can get past my familiarity with Joel McHale. I'm picturing it now: Mulder is showing Scully slides of dead cows, and Joel McHale is standing in front of the screen delivering sarcastic wisecracks.

Sleepless

I think it's just going to be the two mythology ones (the first, and the sixth). There's an episode in the middle that's written/directed by Chris Carter too, but it seems highly likely to be a standalone. I'm guessing most people associate X-Files with the alien storyline and so that's the obvious thing to promote - and I'm betting all of what's been shared so far is taken from the first episode. They haven't done a bad job at promoting it so far, so I imagine they'll do promos for each new episode as we get to it, since each one is going to cover very different ground.
He held on. The dolphin and all the rest of its pod turned and swam out to sea, and still he held on. This is it, he thought. Then he remembered that they were air-breathers too. It was going to be all right.

Jeremy Blackman

Kumail said on his latest podcast that he thinks all 3 Chris Carter episodes will be mythology, but he didn't seem sure. Do we know much about "Babylon"?

Sleepless

Not really. I think it's the one where the lone gunmen are back since that announcement came right around when they started shooting Babylon. Chris has said it's unlike anything the show has done before. I speculated that based on the title and the timing on the LGM announcement, maybe that means it's going to be something to do with the afterlife. But who knows? Might just be another CC standalone that does something off the wall (PMP, Triangle) and that the LGM pop up elsewhere.
He held on. The dolphin and all the rest of its pod turned and swam out to sea, and still he held on. This is it, he thought. Then he remembered that they were air-breathers too. It was going to be all right.

RegularKarate

Me and my girlfriend are on this X-Files is back bandwagon now. She seems like it even more than me and I watched the show back when it was on.

I started by watching only mythology and critically acclaimed episodes. I watched the first two seasons like that then, after watching the first two episodes of Season 3, went back and started filling in the gaps.

If I were to fast track Season 3 and 4 (I promise I'll go back later), what would you recommend outside of the mythology stuff? I know that "Home" was really memorable for everyone. What else?

Jeremy Blackman

Sleepless can give you a more thorough answer, but I'll chime in, including mythology episodes.



304 - Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose - Essential, do not skip!

309/310 - Nisei/731 - Fairly important mythology 2-parter.

317 - Pusher - Like Clyde Bruckman, this is one of the all-time best.

320 - Jose Chung's From Outer Space - Strong contender for best episode ever.

324 - Talitha Cumi - Latin title = important mythology ep.



401 - Herrenvolk - Season premier mythology episode.

402 - Home - As you said, another essential one.

408/409 - Tunguska/Terma - Mythology 2-parter.

410 - Paper Hearts - I know Sleepless (and many fans) love this one. I should revisit it.

There are some episodes following this that deal with an important revelation. Sleepless can weigh in on this and maybe explain what order to watch them in.

Season 4 is decidedly lighter on the classic standalones.

424 - Gethsemane - Season finale (mythology of course).

polkablues

I also love War of the Coprophages, as one of the show's first forays into self-aware humor, Wetwired is a often-overlooked personal favorite, and Small Potatoes, from season four, is worth watching for Duchovny's performance alone.
My house, my rules, my coffee

Sleepless

JB's list is a really good one. Polka's S3 eps aren't neccessarily the ones I'd choose to highlight (just my personal taste) though Small Potatoes is brilliant and a good palette cleanser after some of the heavier mid-season stuff.

I HIGHLY recommend adding Grotesque to your S3 list. And, if you have time, Oubliette is pretty solid too.

For S4, JB's list hits the major tentpoles. As for the "major revelation" he spoke of, you can cover that by watching Leonard Betts and Memento Mori back-to-back. Zero Sum is a decent ep that ties together a lot of the mythology aspects, so should probably add that too. Couple other standalones that I'm quite fond of: Sanguinarium and Synchrony.
He held on. The dolphin and all the rest of its pod turned and swam out to sea, and still he held on. This is it, he thought. Then he remembered that they were air-breathers too. It was going to be all right.

RegularKarate

Awesome, thanks so much guys!
I watched "Clyde Bruckman" last night. That's one of the episodes that sticks out in my memory as one of the best and it definitely holds up. Boyle is so good!
Is that episode the first one with an inside joke referencing a previous episode? I don't recall seeing any of those, but it makes sense that they would wait until at least the third season to start doing that.

Jeremy Blackman

I don't know, but have you seen Soderbergh's Full Frontal? (There's a connection.)

RegularKarate

No, does he wear the jersey?

Jeremy Blackman

Major spoiler for Full Frontal, minor spoiler for that X-Files episode:

...

In the episode, Mulder asks Clyde Bruckman how he will die. The response is something like "you don't want to know."

Then later in the episode, while they're driving, Mulder randomly gets his answer:

Clyde Bruckman: You know, there are worse ways to go, but I can't think of a more undignified way than autoerotic asphyxiation.
Mulder: Why are you telling me that?
Clyde Bruckman: Look, forget I mentioned it. It's none of my business.

In Full Frontal, David Duchovny's character is found dead from auto-erotic asphyxiation: NSFW

I had that image as my avatar for a bit (cropped to his head). The American flag plastic bag is a delightful touch.


Jeremy Blackman

The discussion of Milagro was superb. Quite balanced and civil... and enlightening. It's surprising how often a female perspective can shed an unexpected light on The X-Files. This is an obvious strength of your podcast, going back to the very first episodes when Tiffany and someone else were describing how much they looked up to Scully as girls.

Equally fascinating is how an episode written and directed by a bunch of dudes could (apparently) accurately convey Scully's feminine experience.

Field Trip has always been one of my favorites. Probably because of how off-the-wall it is. I'm also a sucker for "which reality is reality?" stories. Especially that sinking feeling when you realize something is wrong, and you're lost in some kind of existential void. (Also basically what Inland Empire is all about.) I understand your criticisms, though. Perhaps I just like being trolled. Like Arcadia, I enjoy it as a fun episode. (I don't really have a weird deep connection with it like I do with Folie A Deux.)

I didn't recall much shippiness in Field Trip, but apparently my memory for that is not the best. I don't even remember when they had that New Year's kiss.