The File Room

Pizza Birthdays, not aging, and knowing when you’ll die... This week we discuss Scully’s immortality, note actors who hated each other, and manage to link the Final Destination franchise to X-Files origins.
 
 
 

All hot streaks end eventually, and after a season of nothing but great, really good and pretty good episodes, Season 6 hits a hard stop with this one, which squanders a good premise and typically strong technical work with murky plotting and sedate performances. Michaela and Ed dig into it, while also finding time to talk about the World Cup and The Odyssey, which were both extremely fresh topics when they recorded this a month ago.

Every Brit's favourite topic: The Weather. 
PLUS we meditate on taste, high school drama for the middle-aged, and more weather.

It's a real testament to The X-Files writers' command of tone at this point in the show's run that they manage to craft a very entertaining and at times moving episode out of a story which involves a frankly excessive amount of child death. Michaela and Ed talk about that, as well as guest star Bruce Campbell's excellent work as the episode's monster, the best things about America, and some '90s bands with Scottish singers.

Michaela explains how heat delays trains, Ed explains the disgrace of Gijón, and then we discuss the small but perfectly formed cast in this episode, that mashes up Christmas and Halloween for a bit of apparition fun.

Mulder is still trapped in another man's body and The X-Files continues to find fun ways to mess with him. Michaela and Ed round out this very entertaining two-parter, and also find time to talk about their recent trip to London, DIY and waterbeds.

Michaela's living her best middle aged life, Ed shares his bag-flotsam triggered Proustian rush, and then we have some thoughts about this surprisingly divisive episode.

Mulder gets sent back in time to 1939 (or does he?!?) in a technically remarkable episode, which utilizes both long takes and split-screen to dazzling effect. Michaela and Ed delve into the many impressive visual elements of this episode, as well talk about how good the current series of Taskmaster has been.