X-Files fans I want your opinion (1 Viewer)

[Tommy Ceez]

I watched the show for about 5 solid years and I'm Netflixing the whole set to see what I missed. I just want to know what you real fans think about what I think is the most origional episode of any series I'v ever seen.

"Jose Chung's from Outer Space" (yes it was on FX today)
The bleeping, the narrative, the plot twists, the lonliness of the ending, the shock beginning ...I think it represents everything that TV could be, and got me hating the mythology episodes wishing for another Jose Chung. The concept of the 'high concept' episode was repeated again with dismal results in subsiquent X-Files such as the "cops" tie-in.


So now that you know what wacky episode I liked the best what did the 'rest of America' think?

 

[Craig S]

No doubt, "Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space'" was one of the series' high points. The first time I saw it, it pretty much made no sense to me, but I knew I wanted to see it again! Each viewing reveals something new.

One of the best hours of television of the past decade, IMO.

 

[Michael Martin]

The Jose Chung was definitely one of the high points of the show. It also, IMNSHO, helped the eventual downfall.

A now-defunct site, The Eleventh Hour, gave a great, long story about the show - and once Chris Carter saw how warmly the "lite" episodes were received, he tried to steer the show in that direction.

Trouble is that Darin Morgan wrote most of the "lite" episodes from the first few seasons (including Chung). Morgan is a far better writer than Carter, and was masterfully able to write comedy, horror and self-satire without ruining the show.

I think the third season of the X-Files was the best in overall terms - writing, mythology, character development. Seasons 4 and 5 are good, but not as consistent. Season 6 I am buying solely for Triangle, though there are certainly some other good eps from that season. I would not bother with anything past Season 6, but's that my opinion. Since you're renting, it won't hurt your pocketbook. My guess is that Season 7 will result in a lot of stopping and going to the next episode for you, vainly hoping for something of quality. Only the very last episode showed any promise, and they screwed that up with seasons 8 and 9.

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Perhaps my favorite episode. It was not only a mind-blower, but it also had a solid mythology/series continuity element since at the time it aired, they had never established clearly that the government conspiracy types were involved in staged abductions.

re: Michael's assessment. I think Vince Gilligan was capable of making episodes deftly blending comedy, horror and self-parody almost as well as Darin Morgan, but in the later seasons, the show stepping over its own continuity made it more difficult. Certainly his episodes were the highlights of the later seasons. "Je Souhaite" from season 7 being one of my personal favorites.

Regards,

 

[Mike Graham]

Michael Martin -

A now-defunct site, The Eleventh Hour, gave a great, long story about the show - and once Chris Carter saw how warmly the "lite" episodes were received, he tried to steer the show in that direction.

Having been a member of the same X-Files fan forum as the the web master of that site, let me tell you he was absolutely fanatic about bringing down the myth of Chris Carter. Granted, Carter's writing was weak near the end of the show's run, but this guy absolutely detests him. Just be sure to take his thoughts with a grain of salt (although some of the site did contain a small nugget of truth here and there).
Concerning the episode we're discussing, its easily one of the best hours of American commercial television ever produced, period. Darin Morgan's episodes were always fantastic, but here he does an amazing send off for himself from the show (although Vince Gillian's Small Potatoes is also a wonderful self parody that ranks up there with some of the series' best). The best light hearted episode that Carter ever did was definitely the epic Triangle which still proved the show had energy after 6 years.

 

[Sean Moon]

If I remember correctly there was another Jose Chung episode...on Chris Carters MilleniunIf I remembe correctly Jose was killed at the end by some guy with an axe.


The From Outer Space episode is a great one, but my personal favorite is Musings of a Cigarrette Smoking Man. This episode is so cool on so many levels. I especially love the one moment in life that ultimately makes CSM give up on being goodwhen his story was altered by the magazine. he takes up smoking again and becomes bitter.
FUNNY STUFF! Also like how he was directly responsible for the US Hockey team winning the gold and Buffalo never winning a super bowl!

 

[Dave Barth]

This is easily one of the show's best episodes.

If you missed season 3 you are in for a real treat. Seasons 1, 2, and 4 aren't quite up to its standards (IMHO) but that's not damning: they are excellent, just not as consistently superb.

Let us know what you think of Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose. (I don't want to name any other episodes, for fear of inflating your expectations to the point they can't be met. But you have a LOT to look forward to!)

 

[Sean Moon]

OOOOhhhh....forgot about Clyde Bruckmans! That is a classic!

 

[DaveF]

The "Jose Chung" episode is also one of my favorites (although I never new that was its name. How do people know and memorize epsiode names?)

I watched X-Files from S2 - S6 (I think). I lost interest when it was the gov't conspiracy was formally revealed. and fully quit when Mulder left/didn't-leave/really-left/sorta-came-back/no-he's-gone-now/maybe-not.

My own theory of the show's demise: The essence of The X-Files -- its tension and suspense -- was that the conpiracies were not truly acknowledged and revealed. But once they were shown, the suspense was destroyed. This is a corollary to the law of romantic comedies: once the romantic tension between leads is acknowledged (and they get married) the tension is lost and the show dies.

 

[Tommy Ceez]

How do people know and memorize epsiode names?)

Dishnetwork posts episode names when you hit the INFO button

 

[Michael Martin]

The best light hearted episode that Carter ever did was definitely the epic Triangle which still proved the show had energy after 6 years.

That episode is just about the only reason I need to buy the Season 6 DVD pack - we are a house without cable or satellite dish, so I have only viewed Triangle via rabbit-ear reception.

And I agree that Season 6 showed some vitality. I personally think the biggest mistake of Season 6 was the execution of the Dreamland 2 parter - I think Carter & Co. passed up some priceless comedic and character bits by having the audience see Mulder as Mulder when he was in the other guy's body. Having Michael McClean (name?) and Duchovny pretend to be someone else pretending to be their characters would have been fantastic.