The best thing X Files did was realise their comedy episodes were amazing and just lean into that every now and then. This episode, Jose Chung's From Outer Space, The War of the Copraphages, they're just all amazing episodes.
I wish I had a Mulder to take me on ridiculous trips to extremely bizarre supernatural crap. I would have so much fun hunting for aliens and ghosts and cryptids.
Not only that, but I rewatched a couple of episodes a couple of years ago, and was absolutely STUNNED with the work of her make up artist on the show! Seriously, that's an absolute master at work. It's perfectly tailored for Scully as a character, timeless, and highlights her beauty without distorting.
very funny episode, using the old different viewpoint trope, Scully sees the local deputy Luke Wilson as dashing & handsome, but when Mulder tells the story, he is a goofy looking shitkicker hick. & Wilson platys both in a very amusing xfiles.
This was easily the funniest Xfiles episode (although in a different episode, Mulder using the presence of a broom on the porch of a suspected witch as “probable cause” to break in was pretty good.)
I’ve seen myself make promises, I might follow through for others but low intrinsic motivation means that I’m not gonna trust a thing out of my own mouth.
Never watched the show as a kid, it was either on past my bed time, or its vibes creeped me out. Seriously, that magician turning his head 360 did not sit well with younger me. Should I give it another go?
The one that stopped me watching as a kid was the episode where the kids imagination becomes real and their solution was basically brainwashing the kid so he could not imagine things anymore.
i watched it for the first time recently as an adult. highly recommend, the creature of the week is typically very tame. they do a good job balancing the overall story arc for the season amidst weekly "here is a weird thing" episodes
I’m in the same boat as you. I started watching it about 2 weeks ago with the wife and we love it. We needed another series after we finished Brooklyn 99. Definitely give it a go.
Yes. Just be aware walking in that any time it seems like the over-arching plot or larger narrative is making any kind of sense, the writers were just as surprised as you about it. There was never a plan, there was never even a coherent setting.
Personal opinion: some of the best dialogue and philosophical discussion in television while keeping a pretty good story ad sense of humor up. This episode is a perfect example of the developed hunor (a little lighter on the philosophical side). And many of the episodes are based on real controveraies and conspiracies, both past and present.
It's absolutely a product of its time and the visuals didn't always age well, but it's a good watch, really. Scully's early shoulderpads are a sight to behold, lemme tell you. I think that jacket was eating Anderson. But, the show captured the creepy side of humanity quite well and that still holds up amazingly, that window into a black soul is a timeless story. So yeah, give it a go, and be prepared to be morally disgusted by a few episodes.
Same as a kid I would watch some scenes w/ my parents but was too scared a lot of times. I started watching it as an adult like 4 yrs ago. Became a huge fan! Scully is an amazing character. I'm not too much into the "conspiracy" storyline but their "monster of the week" episodes are great. The show and characters evolve, so many deep episodes, so many funny ones. Hope you try it.
Overall, really good show. I've been on a rewatch of the series for a while now... I jump around a lot with my media. I don't know about the new stuff though; haven't watched. So if you're in any way interested in that type of stuff, go for it! It's a lot of fun.
I never watched it while growing up, but I just started it about 2 weeks ago and I'm approaching the end of season one. I'm really enjoying it and it holds up now.
I watched it as a late teen as I was too young for it at the time and it absolutely holds up. Its freakin awesome. There is no vibe like a Mulder voice over of a tragic situation vibe.
I rewatched them aaall not so many months back, and the good stuff after about season 3 is few and far between. I also just couldn't understand why nobody ever took a camera, or a video recorder with them on investigations. It was always, "Oh no, all the evidence was here yesterday, but in the time it took for me to come get you and return, it's all gone! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I found the big series long story about Mulder's sister didn't really go anywhere or pay off. I actually preferred the monster of the week episodes in the back half of the series because the arc story lost my interest. Maybe I missed something.
you're not alone, it's clear the writers really didn't want Samantha's plotline resolved because it'd kill much of Mulder's motivation and also they didn't know what the answer really was.
There's an episode "Home" about 3 brothers (the Peacocks) and their mother having an inbred child that they buried on a little league field after it died of complications of degraded genome. It's the only episode to receive a TV-MA rating. I found that one disturbing, riveting but disturbing. Episodes written by Vince Gilligan are especially good
It was a good show, and holds up reasonably well, especially the dark government conspiracy threads. After a few seasons they lean on the monster-a-week format a bit heavily (no continuity just a random monster for an episode that never links to anything else) but even many of those are fun or interesting. Other shows with similar vibes you may enjoy if you haven't already: The Twilight Zone and Sherlock.
No continuity was the norm for shows at the time. In fact X-Files was a trailblazer in adding continuity. So they weren't "leaning on" monster of the week. That was the core conception of the show and met the expectation of the audience.
This show was my everything as a kid, so I may be slightly biased…but I think you should give it another chance. I’ll note, however, that episodes that were creepy to me when I was 11, are downright terrifying to me as an adult. Some of the stories and monsters hit differently when you’ve experienced a bit more life.
The real life Prometheus one is supposed to be funny but I'm pretty certain the dude fumagates and rapes all those women? And everyone laughs it off like "even monsters deserve love!" Or something?
The one I have the problem with Is the one where the EMT eats cancer he literally was not harming anyone infact he was helping them by diagnosing their cancer and knew how to treat them better on the way to the hospital. He was only eating cancer that was already surgically removed until Scully and Mulder revealed him.
Talahar
One of the best episodes in the show. I used to have such a crush on Gillian Anderson. I still do, but I used to, too.
DarkfireDragon
One of my favorite episodes! It's so funny!
stephenmayhem
top 25 episodes of television, easily
dodgese
my fav episode
goflyblind
bluerazzgummy
The best thing X Files did was realise their comedy episodes were amazing and just lean into that every now and then. This episode, Jose Chung's From Outer Space, The War of the Copraphages, they're just all amazing episodes.
Baskerville84
Dirtypillows
MabooCraboo
@DirtyPillows
otakon17
My family and I would make sure to catch the new episodes every Sunday back in the day.
keys79
One of the funniest episodes! Excellent choice @op
MabooCraboo
@Keys79
vincentleeprice
I live in Dallas and I don't see Cheney on the map. There is a Chaney Southwest from here but I don't think it's the same one.
takemetotill
“And it isn’t that Mexican goat sucker either!”
FentuckyCriedKhicken
I put this show in background, when I do anything. It’s very good background choice. Also lotr is always another background.
circlebreaker
Do you also whip pencils into your ceiling?
ralphie84
PupRunner
You can still get a pizza for $12.98 25 years later
secondgoaround
Wasn’t a regular watcher but saw the episode Home and it is quite disturbing and memorable.
tenthousandwinters
One of my faves. A pretty great examination of vampire folk lore as opposed to media portrayals. A delight.
gyrum
I just went: 'Hey, I've driven Houston to Dallas dozens of times and never heard of Cheney." Looked it up. Does not exist. Which makes sense.
NunyuhBusiness
best episode
Thorketil
BarkingBlackbird
Don’t say you love synth pop if you can’t name this band.
like20bears
Agents Mully and Skulder
DalDK
The stretchy liver eating man from season 1, has completed another hibernation cycle and is out there again, this year :)
BuckIndy
FoxPesdassi
Roswell! Roswell!
BuckIndy
NonOptimalMulticlass
Tonight? I just put money in the Magic Fingers!
bothers
I wish I had a Mulder to take me on ridiculous trips to extremely bizarre supernatural crap. I would have so much fun hunting for aliens and ghosts and cryptids.
oilypenguintoo
Don't need Mulder for that. Get on out there.
bothers
Haha! I want him to pay for it and do all the work of sorting it out, though :D
Imalwaysready
I bet it's just Venus.
shackman
One of my favorite episodes!
goflyblind
sure thing, trebek.
Imalwaysready
To be fair…Mulder didn't say that it WAS Alex Trebek. It was just someone that looked incredibly like him.
sms001
Always nice to be reminded that above and beyond being a "sci-fi crush," Anderson is a stunning classic beauty.
mouthfullofpebbles
Not only that, but I rewatched a couple of episodes a couple of years ago, and was absolutely STUNNED with the work of her make up artist on the show! Seriously, that's an absolute master at work. It's perfectly tailored for Scully as a character, timeless, and highlights her beauty without distorting.
Kakhtus
And she ages so well too.
xizar
Saw photos of her in a british rag that referred to her as "the thinking man's crumpet".
staceyjorgenson31415
Watch some of her current stuff at home in Britain 🥰
4vie
She could probably do a pretty decent live-action Elastigirl, if one was ever made, going by that voice.
Bricklemeyer
The local owl council would like to remind you to not forget the time she played David Bowie in American Gods.
SharkDoctor
and marilyn monroe and lucielle ball. she was awesome in that show.
MaxIn
It wasn't just David Bowie, she was the new media God, of which Bowie was an icon, ergo how she appeared
joechristo
very funny episode, using the old different viewpoint trope, Scully sees the local deputy Luke Wilson as dashing & handsome, but when Mulder tells the story, he is a goofy looking shitkicker hick. & Wilson platys both in a very amusing xfiles.
joechristo
Wow most upvotes probably ever had for a error ridden response, Luke Wilson excellently plays both versions of the character
MaxIn
José Chung's From Outer Space is one of my favorites. That and the Pine Bluff Variant.
Ryebread91
Was it different viewpoints or was it cause vampires are supposed to be able to charm their prey (usually women) but Mulder sees how he actually is?
joechristo
It also has the Great Hambino as Vampire Pizza Boy
thornlord
Once he finishes counting those seeds Mulder is going to be in so much trouble.
skeetpoodle
Is this the one where Mulder is laying on the floor in the motel room, reciting the Theme from Shaft?
LoitninStroik
It is indeed.
killbrutus
I didn't realize that was going on, as a child, and finally asked my sister what the hell when Molder exclaims all weird.
fedupwithhumanity
This is one of my absolute favorite episodes.
MosquitoHawker
This was easily the funniest Xfiles episode (although in a different episode, Mulder using the presence of a broom on the porch of a suspected witch as “probable cause” to break in was pretty good.)
Rystefn
In the top or three, sure. But the number one slot clearly goes to Jose Chung's From Outer Space.
VenomousFangs
I’ve just had an…. “experience”
MosquitoHawker
Oh I forgot that one. You’re right.
melodywinslotto24
After this description, I may just have to watch.
EMHPicardo
[deleted]
[deleted]
AussieNotNamedBruce
One where we all have been groomed in some way form or manner!
mikeatike
Especially not yourself!
USSBigBooty
awildsforzemon
I’ve seen myself make promises, I might follow through for others but low intrinsic motivation means that I’m not gonna trust a thing out of my own mouth.
Fhant
I've seen myself procastinate, I'm not trusting me with my own life!!
goflyblind
FireSolvesProblems
Never watched the show as a kid, it was either on past my bed time, or its vibes creeped me out. Seriously, that magician turning his head 360 did not sit well with younger me. Should I give it another go?
IMakeLotsOfReferencesAndRemakes
The one that stopped me watching as a kid was the episode where the kids imagination becomes real and their solution was basically brainwashing the kid so he could not imagine things anymore.
staceyjorgenson31415
Yup
EatsBees
i watched it for the first time recently as an adult. highly recommend, the creature of the week is typically very tame. they do a good job balancing the overall story arc for the season amidst weekly "here is a weird thing" episodes
tarnok
I literally put on X-files to fall asleep. It's amazing and has everything and it's great
Acdkatie
The one about the chupacabra scared the shit out of me.
l4ngos
Same thing for me, just the intro song scared me as a kid. I tried watching it as a grown up but turns out I still scare easily...
poobly
I’m in the same boat as you. I started watching it about 2 weeks ago with the wife and we love it. We needed another series after we finished Brooklyn 99. Definitely give it a go.
thelegendofthetwistednavigator
Eugene Tooms...
Asadsadsadclown
Maybe it was just a fluke.... man.
Asadsadsadclown
Boatsntoes
I loved chat episode
Boatsntoes
That
Rystefn
Yes. Just be aware walking in that any time it seems like the over-arching plot or larger narrative is making any kind of sense, the writers were just as surprised as you about it. There was never a plan, there was never even a coherent setting.
rebutters
Personal opinion: some of the best dialogue and philosophical discussion in television while keeping a pretty good story ad sense of humor up. This episode is a perfect example of the developed hunor (a little lighter on the philosophical side). And many of the episodes are based on real controveraies and conspiracies, both past and present.
IHaveGreatKittenRecipes
It's absolutely a product of its time and the visuals didn't always age well, but it's a good watch, really. Scully's early shoulderpads are a sight to behold, lemme tell you. I think that jacket was eating Anderson. But, the show captured the creepy side of humanity quite well and that still holds up amazingly, that window into a black soul is a timeless story. So yeah, give it a go, and be prepared to be morally disgusted by a few episodes.
Psychosdonotexplodewhensunlighthitthem
Same as a kid I would watch some scenes w/ my parents but was too scared a lot of times. I started watching it as an adult like 4 yrs ago. Became a huge fan! Scully is an amazing character. I'm not too much into the "conspiracy" storyline but their "monster of the week" episodes are great. The show and characters evolve, so many deep episodes, so many funny ones. Hope you try it.
Jerzayl
Couldn't watch it as a kid either and revisited it in adulthood. Worth it.
Kekkuli
Absolutely, it is fantastic! Just rewatching it myself.
DaBaDoop
Overall, really good show. I've been on a rewatch of the series for a while now... I jump around a lot with my media. I don't know about the new stuff though; haven't watched. So if you're in any way interested in that type of stuff, go for it! It's a lot of fun.
NotASpeckOfCereal
That magician episode was one of the good ones.
vader200031415
Yes. Watch the episode Je Souhaite. It is about a Genie.
besieged
I never watched it while growing up, but I just started it about 2 weeks ago and I'm approaching the end of season one. I'm really enjoying it and it holds up now.
MaverickEsq
I watched it as a late teen as I was too young for it at the time and it absolutely holds up. Its freakin awesome. There is no vibe like a Mulder voice over of a tragic situation vibe.
Ryebread91
Absolute! Same boat as you but wife and I absolutely love it.
BigPPMothBF
that intro followed by the most random plots threw me off as a youngster and freaked me out until I revisited it after the movie, it's beyond good.
supercalifragilicious
Oh god the theme song would play late at mz grandma's house and give me the fricken creeps
AmbroseWolfinger
The “monster of the week” stand-alone episodes were fun. The whole underlying conspiracy storyline was not for me.
winkyroomba
Seasons 1 and 2 were best. They were stand-alone episodes.
IWasGoingToMakeEspresso
Same. If it was a conspiracy episode, I would just turn it off.
myotheralt
The ones that always scares me are fungus or mind trapped in a made reality types.
sleestacks
(Magician played by real life magician Ricky Jay)
DontCommentWhenDrunk
I rewatched them aaall not so many months back, and the good stuff after about season 3 is few and far between. I also just couldn't understand why nobody ever took a camera, or a video recorder with them on investigations. It was always, "Oh no, all the evidence was here yesterday, but in the time it took for me to come get you and return, it's all gone! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Elnauriel
I found the big series long story about Mulder's sister didn't really go anywhere or pay off. I actually preferred the monster of the week episodes in the back half of the series because the arc story lost my interest. Maybe I missed something.
rshini
you're not alone, it's clear the writers really didn't want Samantha's plotline resolved because it'd kill much of Mulder's motivation and also they didn't know what the answer really was.
wedorecover
There's an episode "Home" about 3 brothers (the Peacocks) and their mother having an inbred child that they buried on a little league field after it died of complications of degraded genome. It's the only episode to receive a TV-MA rating. I found that one disturbing, riveting but disturbing. Episodes written by Vince Gilligan are especially good
Tarkeel
Yeah, that's the episode I skip when rewatching the show.
rockyvanren
“All my boys is good boys”
adjacentengels
It was a good show, and holds up reasonably well, especially the dark government conspiracy threads. After a few seasons they lean on the monster-a-week format a bit heavily (no continuity just a random monster for an episode that never links to anything else) but even many of those are fun or interesting. Other shows with similar vibes you may enjoy if you haven't already: The Twilight Zone and Sherlock.
rshini
UIgh no. Sherlock's *awful* especially if you actually like the books.
InkyBlinkyPinkyAndClyde
No continuity was the norm for shows at the time. In fact X-Files was a trailblazer in adding continuity. So they weren't "leaning on" monster of the week. That was the core conception of the show and met the expectation of the audience.
myotheralt
The mid season monster of the week shows that don't really advance anything are a product of the longer show count in the seasons (vs now)
IWasGoingToMakeEspresso
You forgot Tales from the Crypt.
adjacentengels
Another good one.
IWasGoingToMakeEspresso
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFrAhTAXWwfNsaprn80zvRQ_ekeQ7zwb1
adjacentengels
Thanks. Have some Amazing Stories: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3uz_FMjRKbxZvBmGqAznzL000Ld2buob
kaitco1984
This show was my everything as a kid, so I may be slightly biased…but I think you should give it another chance. I’ll note, however, that episodes that were creepy to me when I was 11, are downright terrifying to me as an adult. Some of the stories and monsters hit differently when you’ve experienced a bit more life.
iLoveItWhenMyFingersSmellLikePussy
Tooms was creepy af. Maybe not the best show for a kid to watch before sleep, lol
factcheckmate
As someone who now lives in Baltimore- even creepier than when I was kid and live half of the world away
kaitco1984
Tooms is exactly the ep that comes to mind when I think of “creepy as a kid, but terrifying as an adult”.
bendaresall
Which ep was that?
kaitco1984
The magician one was The Amazing Maleeni from Season 7.
bendaresall
Thanks for the reply!
tarnok
The real life Prometheus one is supposed to be funny but I'm pretty certain the dude fumagates and rapes all those women? And everyone laughs it off like "even monsters deserve love!" Or something?
DarkBusterBaron
The one I have the problem with Is the one where the EMT eats cancer he literally was not harming anyone infact he was helping them by diagnosing their cancer and knew how to treat them better on the way to the hospital. He was only eating cancer that was already surgically removed until Scully and Mulder revealed him.
wearsPantsOften
First me it was that creepy incest family with mamma on the flat roller dolly. Creepy AF.
eeps
That one did NOT become less creepy/scary as an adult.
Grimmrog
That was salso the first I had in mind when someone said creepy.
tarnok
"home" I think the name is
neverhappytoasterdog
That one. Yikes. Tombs was way creepy but that was worse. And when they all just disappear?
DaveMeowthewz
Oh fuck that episode, thanks. I had forgotten about it