Discovering The X-Files

Weren't we just talking about Mulder's sex life? Or lack thereof?

In any case, maybe this episode is aptly named...since it's so HOT.

No, not really. But the lovely Amanda Pays is on hand as Mulder's former FLAME...a flame that is reignited, only to once again be extinguished. 

Daniel and I get into the particulars of this solid monster-of-the-week episode, which has good guest stars and terrific special effects.

It's a fun talk.

Dig in.

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Although they pull a very weird bait and switch with this episode, it's still a very good and compelling adventure nonetheless. And so, Daniel and I get into the ins and outs of this particular episode, which was a spec script by freelancers inspired by The Boys From Brazil.

How does the concept work for an X-Files episode? Why would the murderous little girls try to pass off their crime as the work of alien vampires? Did Mulder have to slap the soda out of Scully's hand so harshly? And what is it with Harriet Sansom Harris and her tendency to play doomed women who perish after receiving a high dose of a toxic chemical substance?

(Yes, that one is a reach.)

Daniel and I discuss all this and more.

Dig in.

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Daniel and I discuss "Fallen Angel," which is a mythology episode and that means that of course it's all about shady conspiracies and at some point there is a shouting match between Mulder and some authority figure.

Nothing new under the sun, except for the introduction of Max Fenig - gamely played by Scott Bellis.

It occurs to us that maybe all 45 minutes should've just focused on him...would've resulted in a more compelling episode.

In any case, this is still worthwhile and, yes, essential. Daniel and I get into why.

Dig in.

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If you'd like to be invited to the Discord chatroom, send an email, with your discord handle to: [email protected]

Natalia sits down with me again to talk about "Space," which is a very intriguing episode with good performances...and terrible special effects.

Basically: Was the concept too ambitious for what the meager first season budget could accommodate? Why do this episode now? Why not do it later? What was the urgency for Chris Carter in telling this story, this way, right now?

Does it matter?

It probably doesn't. And, in any case, Natalia and I decided to focus on the episode's good qualities - and highlight how often distractingly bad production issues are not dealbreakers if the story is compelling enough to grab your attention.

It's a good talk.

Dig in.

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Jim Laczkowski of The Director's Club joins me this week to discuss "Ice," which is a classic X-Files episode that owes more than a tip of the hat to John Carpenter's The Thing.

Are those establishing shots of the research base actually from The Thing? Did it have to be Kenny Banya that greeted Mulder & Scully at the hangar in Alaska? Think Xander Berkley is the bad guy? Think again. 

Anyway... There's a lot of great stuff going on in this episode: a genuinely tense atmosphere throughout, accentuated by Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny doing some of their best acting to date in the series.

Jim and I discuss all that and it's a good talk.

Dig in.

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Also check out the Now Playing podcast network - http://www.nowplayingnetwork.net/

And, if you only listen to one podcast out of their selection, make it The Director's Club - http://www.directorsclubpodcast.com/

My dear friend Natalia Castro calls in this week from Colombia and we talk about "Ghost in the Machine," which is a kind of X-Files techno thriller, with a familiar concept, familiar plot beats and familiar faces...even if we can't remember the names.

In any case, the episode on a whole is solid enough that it allowed Natalia and I to discuss its strengths, as well as the strengths of The X-Files as a whole. We also ponder an odd tendency by Fox to take a chance on "risky" sci-fi properties only to eventually abandon them mid stream.

X-Files fans are lucky that wasn't the case here.

It's a cool talk.

Dig in.

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There's a lot going on in "Shadows," that's for sure. As it's a convoluted mess with enough plot ideas for three episodes all crammed into 45 minutes!

You have the super duper ghost haunting his former secretary, you have a conspiracy involving a defense contractor having covert dealings with Middle Eastern extremists, you have a murdered guy trying to avenge his death from beyond the grave... You have assassins busting into people's houses with switchblades only to get choked out by super ghosts!

As I said, there's a lot going on in this thing.

Daniel and I try our best to make sense of all this mess and, well... We try our best is what I'll say and leave it at that. 

It's a fun talk.

Dig in.

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It's nice to see Mulder kick back and have some fun in Atlantic City. It's nice to see Scully try and have a "normal" life for a change, even if this is dramatized through an excruciatingly boring date with some divorced dad that hits on her at a kiddie party. And maybe that explains why, when all is said and done, Scully would rather go off with Mulder chasing after an X-File.

The Jersey Devil is a kind of middle-of-the-road episode, but it's reasonably enjoyable nonetheless and it gave Daniel and I a couple of things to talk about.

Sit back and enjoy our spirited discussion over some coffee and donuts.

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If you'd like to be invited to the Discord chatroom, send an email, with your discord handle to: [email protected]

Daniel and I discuss "Conduit," maybe not the best episode of Season 1, but nonetheless an important one - as it delves into a very important aspect of Mulder's backstory. Namely, the childhood trauma (his sister's abduction) that has been the driving force of his FBI career.

It's an engaging episode with some intriguing scenes. But why is Duchovny so wooden? In an episode that requires him to go to some emotional places, he unfortunately falls a bit short.

In any case, the episode may not be a "mythology" episode in the traditional sense but it's still worth watching even with its hiccups.

Daniel and I spend a neat half hour talking about why.

Dig in.

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Daniel and I discuss "Squeeze," which is the third episode of the series - eschewing the mythology for a more standard "monster of the week" formula and, as such, it functions very well as a kind of self-contained 45-minute horror movie. 

This is mainly due to the series' customary minimalist approach and a very creepy performance by Doug Hutchison as Victor Tooms.

Daniel and I get into all the aspects that make this episode work so well and we also discuss the key elements that have kept the series from really dating itself, at least at this point - allowing it to fall in like with the classic sci-fi series that inspired it, such as The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits.

It's a good talk. Dig in.

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If you'd like to be invited to the Discord chatroom, send an email, with your discord handle to: [email protected]