Here's part three. Keep in mind some of these are in serious need of a rewrite. I think I wrote a lot of these while I was trying to catch up on like 60 episodes or something like that so they get really short and to the point.
Week 21: Memento Mori
Memento Mori is one of my favorite episodes and is among the better mythology episodes. In this episode we find out for certain that Scully has cancer. It has been hinted and teased at for the past few seasons and finally confirmed. We learn some very important things about the mythology in this episode although if you don't pay attention a lot of it may fly right over your head. I know I still have that problem sometimes. We learn that Scully's cancer is caused by the alien DNA causing genetic mutations in her body. Most likely this is what the implant was meant to stop at least in part and when it was removed the alien DNA was free to work its evil and cause cancer. This is why all the women who had the implants die the same way. We also learn that the women who were abducted are barren because their ova are taken from them in order to create alien/human hybrid clones which we met in the episode Herrenvolk. The little boys in that episode appear again in this one but now as man. These are the ones trying to help Mulder and fight against the conspiracy because they have found out what is happening to their mothers. Great episode with a lot of good explanation and many touching moments between Mulder and Scully and between Scully and her mom. I give it another 10 out of 10.
Week 22: The Post-Modern Prometheus
This is one of the better Chris Carter episodes. After this one it seems like he tries to recreate it. The main things I love about this episode are the scenes with the monster dancing to cher, all the animal people, and the mad scientist. The casting is very interesting on this episode. Originally Chris wanted to have Rosanne Bar play the mom and Cher play herself. Can't remember why Rosanne couldn't be in it but I watched some of the Season 9 Special Features discs recently and on one disc there is a guest star retrospective documentary where they talk to a number of the guest stars. Interestingly they interview Cher even though she declined appearing in the episode of "The Post-Modern Prometheus" and she basically says that she didn't do it because she thought the script seemed corny and she wasn't thrilled about playing herself rather than acting but after she saw it she regretted it and wishes she had done it. That's what you get I say. You don't turn down an opportunity to be on the X-Files unless you are a total moron. Anyway the other interesting thing about casting is how many extras they have in this episode playing the animal people. I would love to be on an episode of X-Files. Anyway, I like this episode and I give it 9/10.
Week 23: Requiem
Requiem is a good ending to season 7 with a few things I wuld have preferred a little different. I like the idea of returning to the case of Billy Miles and reminiscing a little on the Pilot episode. As I watch the episode I can't help but think about all the things that Mulder and Scully have learned in the past seven years about the alien race. It especially hit when they began talking about having seen the toxic blood before as if it were old news and Scully explains it to Billy. I put myself in Billy's shoes and wonder if they knew that last time I saw them or if they've learned about it since then. I also was very glad to see Marita Covarubias and Alex Krycek again. I love that scene when Mulder, Skinner and these two are in Mulder's office and he tries to attack Krycek and then they are standing around talking when Scully walks in. Her face says "what the hey is going on here Mulder?" Anyway probably the one thing that I don't really like is how they put the whole thing in one episode. I wish they could have done it as a two parter. But oh well. Chris Carter mentions in the special features that he didn't even write the end of the episode until they were almost done filming to avoid letting out any spoilers. I respect him for that. I give this episode a 8/10.
Week 24: Kaddish
Kaddish is not one of my favorite episodes. I'm not sure why as there isn't necessarily anything wrong with it. I think the premise of the episode just doesn't really grab my attention or interest. The episode is simple enough. A hasidic jewish man is killed by a group of kids who have been reading anti-semitic Nazi propaganda. The man who is killed was about to be married and his fiance overcome with grief brings to life a golem who then takes revenge on those responsible for the man's death. Mulder and Scully investigate and through a number of twists and turns find out the truth and are able to save the girl's father and get her to stop the golem from hurting anyone else. There are some interesting and entertaining parts to the episode. I do enjoy learning about hebrew culture and have wanted to learn hebrew for a while. I found it very interesting that the word for truth and the word for death are so close to each other in hebrew. I love the scene when Mulder finds the book in the man's grave and it bursts into flames. Its one of those WTF moments similar to when the frogs fall out of the sky in Die Hand Die Verletzt. I also enjoy the philosophy about marriage that is explained by the daughter about becoming kings and queens. All in all I give this episode a 7 out of 10.
Week 25: Fearful Symmetry
Ok this episode if I was rating on teasers would probably win number one if not being in the top ten. I mean seriously you got the salsa dancing janitors getting totally WTF'ed watching cars randomly crush and then the truck driver in the middle of Fairfield, Idaho playing a game of chicken with an elephant that appears out of nowhere. I have never laughed harder than the first time I saw this teaser and it still brings a hearty chuckle. Whoever came up with the idea of "invisible elephant in Idaho" deserves a raise and a promotion and a special ribbon. The story of this episode, if you haven't already guessed, is about invisible animals. Animals who we learn from Byers have never carried their pregnancy to full term. Why do we have all these barren invisible animals you ask? Well its simple. Aliens. X-Files right? Everything is caused by aliens. I'm sorry but this very thing is what lowers my personal opinion of this episode. If not for this I have a number of things about this episode that entertain me and actually make this episode great for trivia purposes. The first time we ever see Mulder communicate with the lone gunmen over a webcam is in this episode. And what a webcam! $150 an hour! Sheesh. I love how Scully, like everyone else in the world, gets pissed off by the animal rights activists. The awesome elephant autopsy and Mulder's comment about MTV sports. And one of my favorite moments for two reasons, when Mecham shoots the tiger and tells Ambrose, "They don't all talk and draw pictures." and immediately after this the music does this little xooden xylophone *plink* *plink* noise that reminds of a cartoon. Finally some of Sophie's the gorilla's one liners. First the "baby go fly in light" and then the philosophical insight to Mulder's mission in life, "man save man." Does she mean that Mulder is meant to save man? Or is she telling Mulder to save himself as she is already done for? We will never know. Poor poor Sophie. Everybody's got somethin to hide cept for me and my monkey! Sorry just had to throw that one in there. This episode is very entertaining but not for the right reasons. This is the best unintentional comedic episode of the entire series. For that I have to give it a higher rating than the episodes I don't like but I can't rate it higher than the respectable episodes either. Verdict: 6 out of 10.
Week 26: Gender Bender
Gender Bender is another great Season 1 episode. I enjoy this one because the story is the kind where you are never really sure what's gonna happen next. It is entirely original. The teaser is very fun with the close up of the eye and the reflection of the disco lights. I really need to learn my that thumb trick the genderbender heshe does. I really like the atmosphere at the Kindred's little village and Mulder and Scully sneaking around in the middle of the night. Its very exciting. This is one of my favorite Season 1 episodes in fact. I think the thing I like about it so much is how they turn out to be aliens in the end and left crop circles. Many people see this as a non-mythology related alien episode kind of like "The Unnatural" or "Space" but I think this could easily be seen as mythology related. Maybe the genderbender was just like the alien bounty hunter and could appear to look like anyone. Huh? Anyway I give the episode a 9 out of 10.
Week 27: Travelers
Travelers is an interesting episode. Interesting mainly because the story not only takes place in 1990 but the actual story takes place back in the late 40's. The best part about this episode is that we get to learn about the origin of the X-Files. X for unexplained. Why not U? Well there's plenty of room in the X-files for all the many unexplained cases that would fit with all the other U files. Interesting. As for the actual case I don't know that it was all that interesting. Basically its about a guy that has some kind of spider crab thing in his stomach that kills other people. I don't know I didn't really follow it too well. But we still get points for Arthur Dales. Both actors that play him are great. Not much else to say about this episode for me. I give it an 8 out of 10.
Week 28: Humbug
Humbug is the first comedy episode of the series written by Darin Morgan who would later bring us a few other great episodes including my favorite overall of the series "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose". A humbug is another word for a sideshow attraction which is exactly what the entire episode is about. The idea of having a trailer park where a bunch of circus freaks all live allows for all kinds of great comedic opportunities. I think one of the things I like most about this is how Mulder's humor is allowed to come out in this episode. In other words, great writing and great actors = great episode. 10/10.
Week 29: Quagmire
Quagmire didn't used to be one of my favorite episodes until I began to enjoy the humor of the X-Files more. I love this episode for the many in-jokes and the great Mulder and Scully dialogue. Especially when they get stranded on the rock near the end and their conversation runs from cannibalism to Moby Dick to metaphors about Mulder and a peg leg. One of the better in-jokes of the episode is the reappearance of the stoner kids from War of the Coprophages. "Oh... No..." Another in-joke which references back to Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose is that Scully brings along the dog Queequeg who she adopted when the original owner dies in that episode. Unfortunately the dog meets its demise in this episode. Interestingly both of these in-jokes reference back to episodes written by the great comedy episode writer Darrin Morgan however this particular episode is not written by him. It is written by Chris Carter and Kim Newton. Possibly a tribute to a good writer or perhaps he was involved with the Story Editing as he was with so many other episodes. While not necessarily one of the better episodes as far as creepiness or paranormal this is one of the funner episodes to watch. It is tame enough to use as an episode to break others in to the show. I give it a 9 out of 10.
Week 30: Drive
Drive was an enjoyable episode with a dark ending. Basically a man and his wife are infected in their inner ear by a high pitched sound wave being emitted by some military equipment. Some favorite parts of mine from this episode are Mulder's dialogue in the car, and the scene where Scully goes in with the Hazmat team and find the little old deaf lady completely unaffected by what they thought was a virus. The ending of course is tragic in its realism because it leads the viewer to believe that they are going to actually be able to pull off this elaborate plan to save the victim but when Mulder arrives the man is already dead. 8/10
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