Discovering The X-Files

Once again, an episode involving resurrection (in one form or another) and with a vaguely biblical sounding or alluding title. And so, once again, Daniel was confused. See...a few episodes ago, when we watched "Lazarus," he had gone into that one thinking it was this one. And maybe he thought "Born Again" actually referred to "Miracle Man," since that one had the very overt religious themes and so, well...

And, not only does it have a confusing title, its plot is basically a remake of "Shadows," and it was written by the same team. Only I suppose they got it "right" this time. As "right" as you can get a weird episode in which a murdered cop is reincarnated as an 8-year-old girl, who now goes on a warpath and kills the hell out of the murderers with the power of telekinesis!

It's weird to infuse something out of CSI or Law and Order with the trappings of a supernatural thriller, but this is what happens when you do that.

For better or worse, the episode is reasonably enjoyable. And so is our talk.

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Daniel and I discuss the first X-Files "sequel," which is not unlike an actual horror sequel - it brings back crowd-pleasing elements and attempts to further the story, while not necessarily bringing anything particularly new to the table.

But it's a fun episode anyway, and an important one - as it introduces Mitch Pileggi as Walter Skinner.

The "B story" elements are ultimately more satisfying in this X-Files adventure, which - for better or worse - provides a definitive sense of closure for one of Mulder and Scully's strangest cases.

As usual, it's a fun talk.

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This episode is, in monster-of-the-week tradition, a tight 45-minute horror movie, with an ecological message. Maybe episodic TV is not quite the place for Chris Carter to indulge absolutely all of his apocalyptic tendencies, as this episode's naturalistic "downer" tendency makes it feel needlessly ambiguous and somewhat unsatisfying...lacking in a particularly effective resolution.

But it does offer pleasures anyway. Mainly through well-executed tension, good atmosphere and excellent performances from a solid guest cast that includes Titus Welliver and Jason Beghe, who Daniel and I are both embarrassed to admit has a name we can't pronounce.

No matter...because the episode still gives us enough to talk about, and it's a good talk.

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Both Daniel and I are enthusiasts of the werewolf subgenre in horror, and so this is an episode that hit our sweet spots.

It provides an authentic-feeling glimpse into Native American culture, with an engaging story that is paced very well. And it features Michael Horse in the role of a Native American law enforcement official. It also has one pretty decent transformation scene, considering this was a prime time sci-fi TV series and not a feature film with effects by Rick Baker or Rob Bottin. So, all things considered, they pulled it off very acceptably.

It's just a fun, enjoyable episode overall. Daniel and I have a bunch of good things to say about it.

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Daniel was at first confused as to which of the "back from the dead" episodes this was. He thought maybe it was "Lazarus," but then we saw "Lazarus" a couple of weeks ago and it wasn't this one... And there's another episode called "Young at Heart," and there's ANOTHER episode coming up called "Born Again," so... the resurrection/biblical allegories are thick in this show, aren't they?

And maybe this episode is even more confusing since its cockamamie story has too many loose ends far as motivations are concerned. And did it need to have more than one villain? Wasn't the creepy guy with the Halloween mask face enough? 

In any case, Daniel and I get into all the details of this episode and why it ultimately doesn't work.

It's a good talk.

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As we delve deeper into the X-Files mythology, at last the backstory and motivations of Deep Throat are made clear. Even if the general conspiracy remains murky - either by design or because the writers have by this point still not come up with any answers themselves.

But that doesn't matter. What matters is that we have a reasonably engaging episode that finds Mulder and Scully playing Cloak & Dagger across America, The Lone Gunmen are introduced; and Jerry Hardin is, as usual excellent in all his typically cryptic scenes.

Daniel and I have a short, sweet discussion about all of this and we ponder whether or not "sweeps" are still or can ever be a thing in the modern age of streaming and binge watching TV that you have stocked up on your DVR.

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Yeah, this is a pretty dreadful episode. The first real stinker of the season, but - as we're more than half way into the season, and the first one at that - it really says something about the series' overall quality that they took this long to cook up a real turkey. For reference, TNG's "planet of black people that want to force Tasha into marriage" episode was, I think, number three! 

In any case, Daniel and I spend most of the time talking about why this particular episode kinda sucks and we focus mainly on the terrible over-the-top performance of the actor I'm too lazy to even look up who plays this week's particular "monster" - a "demon with a salamander hand."

But even the bad X-Files are fun to talk about.

So, dig in.

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On the one hand, it's kind of interesting or at least unusual to just see Mulder and Scully do standard police procedural things. You know, the sorts of things that normal feds do...not the feds on a genre series about aliens and ghouls. Just, like normal feds or normal cops or however you want to look at it.

On the other hand, this episode is kind of silly.

But it gets a lot of mileage out of compelling performances, and the typical X-Files minimalism that keeps things grounded no matter how outlandish.

Daniel and I get into the particulars in a good, fun talk.

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Sure, I suppose the title of this episode creates an unnecessary polemic for what is ultimately just a fun, creepy horror movie of an episode...about Amish aliens from outer space who have the power to fornicate you into oblivion. 

Oh yeah... And they can switch back and forth between the male and female gender. To what end? The episode never really makes that clear or even relevant, really. It's just convenient for a gender-swapping sexual predator/serial killer to be able to cover all their bases I suppose.

Anyway, Daniel and I do touch upon all of this episode's, um, issues... But we also agree that, independent of any sexual politics - yesterday or today - it functions within its own parameters and it is what it is.

It's a good talk.

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Jim Laczkowski of The Director's Club sits down with me again, and we talk about a very dramatic episode...about deep grief and deep possibility.

With a customarily galvanizing guest performance by Brad Dourif as the "Hannibal Lecter" of this particular Silence of the Lambs pastiche.

Jim and I talk about Dourif and we also talk about the "fridging" of Fox Mulder; in an episode that at last gives Gillian Anderson center stage - and she is most definitely up to the task, delivering a strong, poignant performance.

It's an excellent episode, and a very good talk.

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