First X-Files Experience

[4th Horseman]

I wanted to post my memories of my first X-Files episodes in the X-Files Help topic... but the thread has had enough off-topic discussions that I thought I would make this one myself.

So, I have distant memories of watching The X-Files each friday at nine on a French network here. As far as I know it was the original airtime of The X-Files. So I unknowingly watched The X-Files at the very same time as millions of people... only I was a season late and in the wrong language.

Anyway, I remember being scared to death by quite a few episodes and strangely the ones I remember are usually quite forgettable episode. The ones I remember that made me go hide behind my couch (I know it's a bizarre habit but remember I was quite young) were:

The Calusari

The Walk (God... I was frightened to go alone in a pool for almost 5 years after this one! The idea of an invisible monster, or spirit, in the water with me still bring shivers down my spine.)

Teso Dos Bichos (The rat in the toilet scene crossed my mind more than just a few times while I was on a toilet)

The Host (At least this one is really a memorable episode and just added to my fear of the toilet! hahaha)

Now it's your turn. What do you remember of you're first X-Files experience? Or since most members are a bit older than me.. Who here was a fan from the very beginning (10 September 1993)?

Laran...what season was The Walk in?....also, i posted earlier today that The Calusari was one of my favorites and i thought one of the more darker episodes, yet you responded that you have knocked it down a few notches on your favorite list....what gives my friend?????..you know, some of the episodes i guess have to be rewatched...i just got done with "Syzygy" and i dont get it...what was the premise??? Gee, maybe i am trying to cram too many episodes in at once...so now i am watching "Grotesque" and its good to see Levan Uchaneishvili (Yaponchick in Maranatha).......

Hey ZF, isnt S3 one of your favorites???? which epis did you like the most? And this goes out to everyone, do you re-watch the episodes over and over????

4th Horseman

[Guest ZeusFaber]

what season was The Walk in?

"The Walk" was in the first third of Season 3. You must have watched it pretty recently, 4th!

you know, some of the episodes i guess have to be rewatched...i just got done with "Syzygy" and i dont get it...what was the premise???

"Syzygy" was one of my favourites from Season 3. The premise rests on the planetary allignment reffered to by the astrologer character. The idea is that it has a very specific affect on this particular town, as she says, "relationships are gonna suck" etc. As such, this causes Mulder and Scully to behave somewhat erratically, falling out with each other, Mulder drinking, Scully smoking, Detective White feeling an overpowering lust for Mulder etc., which all creates some of the great comedy of the episode. Meanwhile, because it is Sherri and Teri's birthday, all the forces of the cosmos are focused on them, giving them otherworldly powers to act out and get their own way.

Hey ZF, isnt S3 one of your favorites???? which epis did you like the most?

I think all the mythology episodes that form the backbone of the season are excellent in S3 (so, "The Blessing Way"/"Paper Clip", "Nisei"/"731", "Piper Maru"/"Apocrypha", "Talitha Cumi"), and there are some excellent comedy episode, including the aforementioned "Syzygy" as well as Darin Morgan's best work, "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose", "War of the Coprophages", "Jose Chung's From Outer Space", and his uncredited contribution to "Quagmire". There are also a number of great standalone stories, such as "2Shy", "Grotesque", and "Pusher". It has that balance of all three episode types, and lots of them, leaving very few sub-par entries (perhaps "Hell Money" and "Teso dos Bichos"). So, it's my favourite season, followed by Season 5.

[Guest MillenniumIsBliss]

"The Walk" was in the first third of Season 3. You must have watched it pretty recently, 4th!

"Syzygy" was one of my favourites from Season 3. The premise rests on the planetary allignment reffered to by the astrologer character. The idea is that it has a very specific affect on this particular town, as she says, "relationships are gonna suck" etc. As such, this causes Mulder and Scully to behave somewhat erratically, falling out with each other, Mulder drinking, Scully smoking, Detective White feeling an overpowering lust for Mulder etc., which all creates some of the great comedy of the episode. Meanwhile, because it is Sherri and Teri's birthday, all the forces of the cosmos are focused on them, giving them otherworldly powers to act out and get their own way.

I think all the mythology episodes that form the backbone of the season are excellent in S3 (so, "The Blessing Way"/"Paper Clip", "Nisei"/"731", "Piper Maru"/"Apocrypha", "Talitha Cumi"), and there are some excellent comedy episode, including the aforementioned "Syzygy" as well as Darin Morgan's best work, "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose", "War of the Coprophages", "Jose Chung's From Outer Space", and his uncredited contribution to "Quagmire". There are also a number of great standalone stories, such as "2Shy", "Grotesque", and "Pusher". It has that balance of all three episode types, and lots of them, leaving very few sub-par entries (perhaps "Hell Money" and "Teso dos Bichos"). So, it's my favourite season, followed by Season 5.

Yes, we are in rare agreement on Syzygy. For some reason, it just worked for me, and the funny stuff WAS funny, especially the hotel scenes with Mulder, Scully and White. Actually, speaking of being in agreement, Zeus and I seem to see eye to eye on the X-files a lot more than with Millennium. I think I actually settled on season 3 as being my overall favorite in a recent post, and the episodes you mention are X-files at its peak, as is season 3. I also agree on your stinker picks, Hell Money and Teso... which are actually not that terrible as stinkers go. I don't know if I would add it to the list of sub-per episodes, and I would have to watch it again to really give it a fair ranking but, from what I remember, War of the Coprophages wasn't a favorite of mine.

[Guest Laurent.]

I agree with both of your opinion on season 3... definitely one of the best (maybe season 4 or 2....)! Yet I can't believe you guys enjoyed Syzygy so much. I thought it was one of the worst of the season! It felt like Carter was trying to do something in the vein of Darin Morgan and failed! Anyway.. the majority of the season is excellent, especially Grotesque and the mythology!

I posted earlier today that The Calusari was one of my favorites and i thought one of the more darker episodes, yet you responded that you have knocked it down a few notches on your favorite list....what gives my friend?????

Nothing to say against The Calusari... it went down mostly because the others went up (Grotesque, Blessing Way/Paper Clip, Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose, Oubliette, Piper Maru/Apocrypha, Jose Chung's "From Outer Space)!

I think as the years passed I saw the show from a very different angle. At the beginning I was just a kid who enjoyed being scared, which explained my early favorites such as The Host and The Calusari. Then I became a teenager and got into the political and spiritual aspects of the show, mainly the mythology. And now I feel like I'm more critical and more able to evaluate other characteristics of the show, the atmosphere, the writing (my English got better), the directing... and that's why episodes like Grotesque and Jose Chung (to stay in the 3rd season) are now among my all-times favorites.

[Guest ZeusFaber]

War of the Coprophages wasn't a favorite of mine.

Really? I'm surprised to hear that. I thought it was another witty, amusing episode from the pen of Darin Morgan.

[Guest ZeusFaber]

I agree with both of your opinion on season 3... definitely one of the best (maybe season 4 or 2....)! Yet I can't believe you guys enjoyed Syzygy so much. I thought it was one of the worst of the season! It felt like Carter was trying to do something in the vein of Darin Morgan and failed!

Very much disagree. It's a (dark) comedy in places, yes, but it's a very different kind of humour to what Darin Morgan was doing. Very successful though, in my opinion. Great use of Mulder and Scully acting up, and plenty of great lines.

Also, I wouldn't put S4 anywhere near the heights of S3 myself.

[Guest Moriarty]

Season 3 was one of the best seasons according to me also. However, it had also some bad episodes in my opinion like "D.P.O." and indeed "Tesso Dos Bichos" and "Hell Money". Those 3 episodes were really awfull according to me. Anyway, when I read all the episode titles here I am eager to rewatch my x-files DVD's again.

Probably this summer