While "The X-Files" didn't veer into comedy as much as, say, "Supernatural"; every once in a while, the show would take a step back from the aliens and the spookiness to give viewers something more humorous. In keeping with this miniseries bringing a little bit of everything, this episode follows that pattern and lampoons most of the tropes commonly seen in the show.
The results are nothing short of amazing. The script was incredibly well put together and it led to one of the most enjoyable hours of television in recent history. I can say without exaggeration that this was funnier than "Deadpool". It really was, I laughed harder and more frequently here than I ever did in the theater. It's amazing. You wouldn't think that an attempted suicide by cop could be played for laughs, but this episode pulled it off. Of course, that's just the tip of the iceberg.
It was kind of sad to see Mulder in an existential crisis. He's doubted before, but it comes off as more genuine here as he notes that most of the things he used to pursue have been debunked. You'd think that the stuff he's already seen would lend some credence to his beliefs, but no dice, apparently. While Scully doesn't play "the believer", she is clearly trying to lift his spirits and its subtly adorable.
At the very least, Mulder's malaise does give the episode a bit more weight, as well as a small character arc, as Mulder's passion is re-awakened.
A lot of the episode thrives on the viewer not knowing just where the episode is going, as such, I'm reluctant to go into too great a detail about the nature of what's happening. As noted, it subverts and plays with a lot of the ideas that most episodes normally showcase. It gets to the point where Mulder is able to recite Scully's dialogue in a hypothetical conversation about the investigation almost to a tee.
There is a "humans are the real monsters" theme throughout. Normally in horror and science fiction, this is a concept invoked solely for preachy pretentiousness, but the episode is so goofy that you can't really take any of it to heart. It does, however, allow for some rather amusing observations about the way we live.
This episode was a gem. Honestly, this alone justifies the show's revival. Every joke lands. The cast was clearly having fun with it and it paid off. I wouldn't be surprised if this goes down as the best of the six.
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