Chances are, if you are on Team Liquid you weren't quite of the age to appreciate the X-Files when they aired. In fact, I would be willing to bet you, like me, popped downstairs one night to the TV room only to see your parents watching it, and catching the single most scary moment of a given episode.
Admit it this still gives you chills, as 90s as the original title sequence is.
If you read my blog, a long while back about Mystery Science Theater 3000, it should come as no surprise that I love campy science fiction. The X-Files, especially in its earlier seasons, definitely falls under this category. I last watched the X-Files in its entirety, including movies, in 2009 that being said I thought it was time to come back and pay it a visit.
Now as with most shows, not all episodes of the X-Files are created equal; from my poking around the internet, more dedicated fans than myself break the show into two key categories of episodes: mythos and monster of the week (MoW). The former referring to episodes which pertain to the main plot line, while the latter are investigations pertaining to an X-File that isn't necessarily related to Aliens.
Though I am just getting into the middle portion of season two, there are somethings that you just don't pick up on the first time around. The first of which is Chris Carter's nigh Tommy Wiseau class. method of starting phone conversations.
Oh hai Mulder
Sometimes it isn't the writing that does it, but sets and seeing some actors that hadn't quite made their proper debut yet. After all great, campy writing and some stiff delivery has helped to make some of the best science fiction has to offer, think Star Trek, and The Twilight Zone.
Dusk ever look like that where you are from?
For those who may not be familiar with the geography of Iowa, mountains like that are not a part of it.
Anyone recognize this gentleman from Supernatural, or maybe Firefly?
To be fair most, if not all of these are from the first season, I assume before the show got some proper funding or even a green light for the second season. The X-Files is one of those shows, that despite you being able to pick apart the make up, special effect, and the occasional, mack truck sized plot hole, can still scare the ever loving shit out of you.
This time around I am taking a wide berth of certain MoW episodes( Like Space in season one, which of course involves space ghosts), and sticking to a widely cast mythos net. I am using this one Here.
Unfortunately not this one.
The most interesting part of going back over this, is the amount of influence that the X-Files have had on subsequent paranormal, broadcast television. Looking over episodes of Fringe, Supernatural (going beyond the casting overlap, they share a fair few MoW subjects), and even Lost if memory serves.
If you count yourself a sci fi fan, but never got around to the X-Files, I can't recommend highly enough that you give the X-Files a try. It isn't for everyone but if you got some time, and room in your Netflix streaming schedule, tune in and trust no one. You'll be pleasantly surprised how many connections you can draw between some of your favorite series.
People don't understand mulder is fucking hilarious and awesome.
So many good episodes and Xfiles was great. I tried to show a friend episodes to at least give him a feel of the series. I think i showed him blood (the sniper one maybe it was a different name), Small potatoes, dreamland, the vampire one, clyde bruckman final repose (sp), monday, war of the copraphoges (sp but maybe that wasn't the title), maybe paper hearts
None of those episodes are part of the alien saga in a spoilery way (there are a few other humorous alien ones) but paper hearts is a little spoilery
I watched this show growing up, and some episodes would keep me up for hours at night. It's funny that hardcore fans of the show break it down into those two categories, because that is what I did on my own as a kid. If I saw the smoking man, I would be like "oh it is one of those about aliens and Mulder's sister" or if it started with some killing, I knew I was in for a monster that didn't involve the overall plot. I liked the monster episodes a lot more.
A few random episodes that have stuck with me over the years:
-Where there is some insect swarm that burrows into people and kills them or something. There is a scene where Mulder has to check Skully in a semi-naked scenario if she has bugs. They end up both getting attacked at the end where they come through the vents of the car (amazing special fx ) and are found like cacooned or something. (I think this is earlier in the series)
-The hurricane monster one. There is a hurricane in Florida, which somehow awakens some sort of swamp/sewer monster. Of course the team has to track it down.
-Some sort of vampire serial killer. I can't remember that much about it.
This series gave me a fear of alien abduction for years.
On August 15 2013 03:47 HardlyNever wrote: I liked the monster episodes a lot more.
yeah I was not old enough to watch the series as it came out (my parents were big fans though), but hardcore fans did split it into different types of episodes ^.^
came to say that for bw fans that played iccup, these were Monster Of The Week episodes (the true Motw!)
edit: oh and the movies are garbage, please do not watch them
I remember people going apeshit when the new season came out on VHS at the Costco. haha
I was talking about Fringe the other with one of my buddies who had recommended it and I was '' dude this is a total X-files rip off w/o Mulder '' ( nostalgia I guess)
they have the whole thing on Netflix ( in Canada so I guess 'muricah has it too ). And when you watch the old episodes its kinda shocking to see them looking for a phone to call someone cause they _dont_have_a_fucking_cellphone_yet lolllll
It really is a uniquely appealing and impressive series. I've been trying to watch the whole series through and in doing so I realize that I still remember episodes that I saw a decade ago as a grade schooler when I was idly flipping through channels.
I'm currently starting season 3--I have to admit that the arc at the end of season 2/beginning of season 3 was not my favorite (took me like two months before I got the motivation to get through all of it). Season 3 episode 3 made up for all of that pretty much instantly because I had actually read (and thoroughly enjoyed) the short story adaptation of that episode in 5th/6th grade.
Even some of the worst episodes can be really funny just because they're so stuck in the 90s (like the one where they go inside the video game) and the good episodes are usually timeless TV classics.
My brother keeps telling me to watch Fringe but I haven't got around to it yet, but it does look pretty cool from the bits I've seen.
One of the funniest moments in Californication was when Hank puts his suit on for court, looks into the mirror and goes "I look like a fucking FBI agent".
I loved X-Files, watched the entire show no episode missing.
But one episode, which was not "paranormal" or "alien" stuck in my head.
It was somewhere in china or vietnam or idk. People were gambling and when they were selected, they picked a symbol from a hat or something. And if they chose badly they lost eye, kidney or heart.. wtf this was really disturbing for me. And they were even cheating that the person selected could not win what so ever. Very very disturbing.
On August 15 2013 23:37 LastWish wrote: Well it sure gave me the creeps.
But one episode, which was not "paranormal" or "alien" stuck in my head.
It was somewhere in china or vietnam or idk. People were gambling and when they were selected, they picked a symbol from a hat or something. And if they chose badly they lost eye, kidney or heart.. wtf this was really disturbing for me. And they were even cheating that the person selected could not win what so ever. Very very disturbing.
Thread is relevant and timely. Just pulled out my season 1 discs to start re-watching.
The episode you are thinking of is called Hell Money, I believe.
I always thought the best episodes of the show were the sillier ones. The episodes Humbug (the one with the carnival people) and Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space' (with Jessee Ventura piledriving a conspiracy nerd) come to mind. The show definitely influenced me as a person and Mulder and Scully's characters were probably even role models for me, sadly enough.
X files always fascinated me as a kid .... I liked it because I haven't seen a tv series like this before especially episodes where they had a living parasite in a person's stomach and it having a deformed baby face gave me nightmare. X files wish they could re-run it on tv.
Just started watching it for first time. When I was younger I felt too freaked out/scared to watch it and too young to understand parts of it.
Now I understand how great of a show it is.
Mulder is hilarious, as is the general interaction between Scully and Mulder. The "I told you so" comments Mulder gives out, followed by Scully's "Oh here we go again" eyerolls never get old.
Been starting from scratch and almost done season 1.
On August 15 2013 23:37 LastWish wrote: Well it sure gave me the creeps.
But one episode, which was not "paranormal" or "alien" stuck in my head.
It was somewhere in china or vietnam or idk. People were gambling and when they were selected, they picked a symbol from a hat or something. And if they chose badly they lost eye, kidney or heart.. wtf this was really disturbing for me. And they were even cheating that the person selected could not win what so ever. Very very disturbing.
Thread is relevant and timely. Just pulled out my season 1 discs to start re-watching.
The episode you are thinking of is called Hell Money, I believe.
Haha the X files from my childhood I remember was the one with the genie. maulder wishes for world peace and he's the only person left on earth for a bit. He ends up cussing the genie out as everyone reappears around him. Also remember one about some guy with perfect luck.
Also now remembering like you said my dad watching the show mostly and it scaring the shit out of me, but one time I saw skulls or skeletons dancing around or something, it was more weird than scary so I asked my dad what was going on and he said something along the lines of "sometimes they do silly/dumb episodes" or something like that haha, I guess he was categorizing them too.
Definitely might go back and watch all of them hope it's not outdated to prevent enjoyment.
On August 15 2013 23:37 LastWish wrote: Well it sure gave me the creeps.
But one episode, which was not "paranormal" or "alien" stuck in my head.
It was somewhere in china or vietnam or idk. People were gambling and when they were selected, they picked a symbol from a hat or something. And if they chose badly they lost eye, kidney or heart.. wtf this was really disturbing for me. And they were even cheating that the person selected could not win what so ever. Very very disturbing.
Thread is relevant and timely. Just pulled out my season 1 discs to start re-watching.
The episode you are thinking of is called Hell Money, I believe.
Haha the X files from my childhood I remember was the one with the genie. maulder wishes for world peace and he's the only person left on earth for a bit. He ends up cussing the genie out as everyone reappears around him. Also remember one about some guy with perfect luck.
Also now remembering like you said my dad watching the show mostly and it scaring the shit out of me, but one time I saw skulls or skeletons dancing around or something, it was more weird than scary so I asked my dad what was going on and he said something along the lines of "sometimes they do silly/dumb episodes" or something like that haha, I guess he was categorizing them too.
Definitely might go back and watch all of them hope it's not outdated to prevent enjoyment.
One of my favorite characters from the series is the Pusher. I believe he appears in at least two episodes. Ninja for hire, rofl.
EPT![[image loading]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6cy92XbOB1rzdyawo1_500.png)
![[image loading]](http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m692ridNT81rzdyawo1_500.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/OnOiHM0.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.cdn.turner.com/asfix/repository/8a25c3920e3cd4c5010e3d554b530082/space-ghost-coast-to-coast-thats-decaf.jpg)
) and are found like cacooned or something. (I think this is earlier in the series)
