X-Files help

[Guest ZeusFaber]

have been busy watching S1 of X-files and i have some assessments...would like your guys input as well....havent quite finished the entire season, but so far, i have come to really like "Space" , "Eve", "Fire", "Beyond the Sea", and "Lazarus"....others, like "Gender Bender" i thought were not so hot...still have a couple of episodes to watch, and i will give you my thoughts later...(as if it means anything)...

Hmm, I think "Eve", "Fire" and "Beyond the Sea" are all pretty good too. "Lazarus" is a bit average to me. "Space" is often regarded as a bit of a sub-par entry, and I can't really disagree too strongly with that. "Genderbedner" has a reasonably fond place in my memory though, despite its flaws. The season finale, "The Erlenmeyer Flask", was far and away my favourite episode of S1 though.

While it's certainly a good idea to start at the beginning, I firmly believe that the series only got better as it went on from S1, so as they say, the best is yet to come.

[Guest Laurent.]

I think Chris Carter himself might have mentioned that Space was one of the worst hour of television the show produced. But I didn't dislike it either, better than some others in season 1.

From wikipedia:

Carter himself wrote "Space", a low-budget affair about the manifestation of an alien "ghost" in the NASA space shuttle program, which was subject to cost overruns and became the most expensive of the first season; he later disavowed as one of the worst hours ever produced for the show.

I also thought that the highlights of the season were: Pilot & Deep Throat (billiant start to the series), Beyond The Sea, and the The Erlenmeyer Flask.

Finally, to 4th Horseman, you definitely can trust ZeusFaber when he says that the best is yet to come.

Edited May 18, 2007 by Laurent.

[Guest ZeusFaber]

Just to expand on some of the background info on "Space":

Chris Carter: "It took a lot of research on my part, and I was under a tremendous amount of pressure to get that script done and do a lot of other things that an executive producer has to do as well. I didn't know if it was going to work, and I'm still not very happy with some of the special effects in it. We were under tremendous time crunch in post production... "Space" was the first time that I thought the effects didn't live up to my expectations, but I think the rest of the episode was very strong."

James Wong: "It was a great script and a pretty good episode. The problem came form the fact that the special effects were farmed out and they just didn't turn out well, so they looked cheesy and made the show less effective."

[Guest MillenniumIsBliss]

have been busy watching S1 of X-files and i have some assessments...would like your guys input as well....havent quite finished the entire season, but so far, i have come to really like "Space" , "Eve", "Fire", "Beyond the Sea", and "Lazarus"....others, like "Gender Bender" i thought were not so hot...still have a couple of episodes to watch, and i will give you my thoughts later...(as if it means anything)...

4th Horseman

OK, here is my input.... remember you asked. First off, my favorites: Deep Throat, Squeeze, Beyond The Sea, E.B.E., Tooms, The Erlenmeyer Flask.

In typical fashion, we disagree on most of the episodes you mention, except that I really loved Beyond The Sea and didn't love Gender Bender (but it wasn't that bad). The others you mention are, for me, in the good but not great category, but, in looking as the episode list, there are a lot of those in S1. As for Eve, that is one of the rare ones from season 1 that I can't really remember. It would be interesting to watch season one now and see how much my opinions have changed (if any).

[4th Horseman]

OK, here is my input.... remember you asked. First off, my favorites: Deep Throat, Squeeze, Beyond The Sea, E.B.E., Tooms, The Erlenmeyer Flask.

In typical fashion, we disagree on most of the episodes you mention, except that I really loved Beyond The Sea and didn't love Gender Bender (but it wasn't that bad). The others you mention are, for me, in the good but not great category, but, in looking as the episode list, there are a lot of those in S1. As for Eve, that is one of the rare ones from season 1 that I can't really remember. It would be interesting to watch season one now and see how much my opinions have changed (if any).

"Ascension" and "One Breath" - FANTASTIC episodes..filled with a lot of emotion...great acting...

have one question though....

who is the black man in both these episodes...the one you see in the shadows, who executes the guy in the underground parking lot who took Scully's blood sample....do i find out later who he is? is he an ally or enemy of Mulder?....

4th Horseman

[Guest MillenniumIsBliss]

"Ascension" and "One Breath" - FANTASTIC episodes..filled with a lot of emotion...great acting...

have one question though....

who is the black man in both these episodes...the one you see in the shadows, who executes the guy in the underground parking lot who took Scully's blood sample....do i find out later who he is? is he an ally or enemy of Mulder?....

4th Horseman

Are you on season 2 now or did you see these episodes previously? Once again my memory is shaky sense I haven't been a regular watcher in quite some time, but the black man, Mr. X if I remember correctly, was pretty much the new version of Deep Throat, after Deep Throat was killed. Mr. X, however, seems to be a little more sinister and a little more self serving than Deep Throat. From what I remember, Mr. X is more of an ally of Mulder and Scully, but at the same time does what he has to do, and is frequently not in agreement with Mulder, as Mulder sees things as write and wrong or legal or illegal, while Mr. X sees things as necessary, and acts accordingly. It kind of reminds me of the relationship between Watts and Emma in Skull and Bones. I'm don't remember off hand what finally happens to Mr. X in the end, but from what I remember he comes closer to ally than enemy.

[Guest Laurent.]

Mr. X was introduced in The Host (only his voice) and we first met him in the episode Sleepless which is a stand alone so some people may skip it and have no clue to who the guy is. By the way, Sleepless is also marked by Mulder's first meeting with Krychek.

Oh and to anyone who could be tempted, try to avoid spoiling any plot development to 4th Horseman (as long as he's not asking for it anyway). I just hate when people spoils The X-Files experience of someone else.

[4th Horseman]

Mr. X was introduced in The Host (only his voice) and we first met him in the episode Sleepless which is a stand alone so some people may skip it and have no clue to who the guy is. By the way, Sleepless is also marked by Mulder's first meeting with Krychek.

Oh and to anyone who could be tempted, try to avoid spoiling any plot development to 4th Horseman (as long as he's not asking for it anyway). I just hate when people spoils The X-Files experience of someone else.

OK, have just started S3 today....man i am getting my x-files fill...too many good episodes to follow up on right now, but does anyone here think "The Calusari" was near the top. I certainly found that epi to be one of my favorites...its exciting to be catching up to all of you X-filers!!!!....CSM is an asshole, but i am a bit unclear, if the FBI is a federal agency, then who does he work for?? and who were all those old and fat guys who stood around in Paper Clip in smoked filled rooms and wanted to do away with Scully and Mulder???

4th Horseman...(excited to be joining the X-files community, hopefully i will be able to spurt intelligent banter soon)

oh yes, on another note, anyone ever heard of this group?? I love this song, catchy yet a bit elegant..

(God, i am drunk with stupidity tonight!!!!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15uo9qGlKKQ

[Guest ZeusFaber]

does anyone here think "The Calusari" was near the top. I certainly found that epi to be one of my favorites

A decent episode, but not quite my favourite from S2. Of the standalones that year, I'd say "Aubrey", "Irresistible", "The Host", and "Die Hand Di Verletzt" are among my favourites.

CSM is an asshole, but i am a bit unclear, if the FBI is a federal agency, then who does he work for??

Well, exactly. He's a figure that just operates outside of all these agencies. He's a man with no name, no title, no position. He is able to walk the halls of the FBI with impunity precisely because he works in the shadows and has such power.

and who were all those old and fat guys who stood around in Paper Clip in smoked filled rooms and wanted to do away with Scully and Mulder???

That would be the Syndicate. You'll see more of them as you progress. You're not really supposed to be certain as to who they are at this stage.

[Guest Laurent.]

Regarding the mythology: I don't think you're supposed to be certain about anything at this point in the series.

Regarding The Calusari: After the first viewing I also thought it was one of the best stand alone episodes. But now I have lowered is rank quite a lot I think. Still, a good frightening episode! I think it was one of the first ones I saw when I was a kid (maybe 9 years old).