No joke, the first quarter of 2019 is over and done with. It's pure madness. As many other bloggers do, I thought I'd take the chance to look and see how I'm progressing through the goals that I set back at the beginning of the year.
General Content
While I was fired up at the beginning of the year, I did find myself falling back into old habits. It may be anticlimactic, but I take comfort in the fact that I'm hardly the first person to fall victim to this.
Still, I did manage to knock both "The X-Files" and the first season of "Castle Rock" off the to do list. The latter was just under the wire, but done is done; and I'm done...until season 2 hits.
Reading
I knocked two books off the list. The first was "Elevation" and the second was "America the Edible" by Adam Richman. I'm behind schedule, but my reading is up from last year; so that's a plus. I'm also currently working my way through "Path of the Assassin" by Brad Thor so I am starting to get back into the groove, as it were.
I also read "The Infinity Gauntlet" knocking one item off of my graphic novel goal as well.
Savings and Dividend Challenges
The first quarter's finances were focused on the acquisition of a car. As the down payment is often hefty, I wasn't able to make much in the way of stock purchases or transfers.
My forward income is about where it was at the start of the year. I'm also a bit behind on the savings challenges. Well, a bit behind on the online account. My primary savings account took a hefty hit, so I have to re-do portions of last year's challenge and get back up to speed on this year's.
Car
Speaking of, I did achieve this goal! I'll go into more detail in tomorrow's post, but it's nice to get that out of the way. I do have some new bills each month, but with the down payment out of the way, I was able to re-set my weekly transfers to my brokerage and online checking accounts, so we should be getting back on track in the months to come.
Side Hustle
Thus far, I've made $12 in side hustle. Given how Apptrailers and Epoll work, this is about where I expected it to be at this point. As noted in the docket, Reviewstream is going to by the make or break factor in achieving this goal. Until I can shift my attention to that, the number won't be that impressive.
Swagbucks
I have put some points into charities, but I definitely need to do more. I didn't have a specific goal on this one, so whether I'm ahead or behind schedule is hard to determine. I just know that more needs to be done.
Retirement
The head start is done. With my birthday having passed by earlier in March, the five year race to have three times my salary saved has begun. I'm 2% of the way there so we'll see how things go. Five years is a long time, but it is still kind of sad to no longer be in "head start" territory anymore.
Goal Revision
I had set a 3 year goal of creating dividend income that surpassed Spoony's Patreon income. At the time, it was about $500 a month, but now it's down to $461. That brings my forward income goal from $6000 to $5,532. Granted, 6K is a rounder number, so I might still try to unofficially shoot for that, but as of now, the goal will drop to the latter number as that is really the crux of the goal.
Conclusion
It may not have been the year opener that I was hoping for, but I did manage to put some dents in the list. Knocking one of the big ones off was certainly nice, but I am looking forward to focusing my attention to the smaller scale goals.
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Showing posts with label The X-Files. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The X-Files. Show all posts
Monday, April 1, 2019
Friday, February 22, 2019
'The X-Files' Season 11, Episode 10: 'My Struggle IV"
Alright, it's been long enough. It's time to finally wrap this up and close the book on "The X-Files". Up until now, the "My Struggle" episodes have all been bad. When I brought up the idea of a fourth entry, I was largely kidding, yet here we are.
Credit where it's due, this is the best of the bunch. It's not god-awful like its predecessors. There aren't any mind-bogglingly stupid plot twists (well, one, but I'll get to that). While the "end of the world" aspect is brought up again, the episode is largely a race to find William. It's simplicity works in the episode's favor. Unfortunately, the fact that the ongoing story has been largely ignored means that any sense of tension is gone. To be fair, the stand alones have been quite solid, so it worked for the season as a whole, but it doesn't stop the fact that this whole thing feels rushed and underdeveloped.
Unlike "The Truth", this episode doesn't spend a lot of time just summarizing and explaining the plot of the show. It does, however, recycle some elements. This isn't unsurprising as they are both series finales of sorts. Once again, the X-Files are closed and once again Smoking Man is killed. Normally, three gunshots to the chest of an old man would be fatal, but we did see him take a sidewinder to the face and come back unscathed, so I'm guessing the finality of this death depends on whether the show comes back or not. Same goes for the closing of the agents' branch. It's been done before, but given that this is supposed to wrap things up, it really can't be avoided.
Oddly enough, it does leave some loose ends. Skinner's fate is never determined and the last shot of the episode shows that things may not be as in the clear as one would have hoped. Honestly, I could have done without that. If you're going to wrap things up, do it. That sequel hook was kind of pointless.
Before that, though we have to talk about the ending. Long story short, William lets himself get offed by Smoking Man to stop the impending apocalypse (I'm pretty sure spoilers are no longer an issue at this point, yes?) While the character was underdeveloped, it did let him die a noble and somewhat sad death. Even the two agents are rather devastated. Unlike the season opener, actual effort is put into making this a sad scene. Credit especially goes to Anderson, she was acting her ass off here.
Sadly, it's undercut the the aforementioned stupid plot development. The two agents are reeling from not only the death of their son, but the revelation that he wasn't theirs. Smoking Man cooked him up in a lab and used Scully as a surrogate of sorts.
It's now, seconds after William's death that Scully decides to reveal that she is really pregnant with their actual child. This is just stupid on so many levels. Sure it gives the two agents a more uplifting note to go out on, but really?
Overall, this episode was...adequate? It had some structural problems, but the last few minutes are really the only cringe-worthy parts. Some of the dialogue is clunky, but again, it's been much worse.
One last thing, and this is something of a nitpick, but don't the agents know Reyes? They worked with her a while back, right? She doesn't do much here, but when she does contact them to give them a warning/lead, they talk as if they have no idea who she is. I feel like this is another thing that the show did before, but I might be remembering it wrong. Maybe it was a meta-jab at the character, nobody remembers her because she really hasn't done anything important as of late. It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, but it's still strange.
I'm kind of hoping that this is it. The relaunch did ultimately validate it's own existence, but I'd hate to see the show try to wrap itself up for a third time. Let's just call it a job done (or a case closed, eh?) and move on to other things.
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Credit where it's due, this is the best of the bunch. It's not god-awful like its predecessors. There aren't any mind-bogglingly stupid plot twists (well, one, but I'll get to that). While the "end of the world" aspect is brought up again, the episode is largely a race to find William. It's simplicity works in the episode's favor. Unfortunately, the fact that the ongoing story has been largely ignored means that any sense of tension is gone. To be fair, the stand alones have been quite solid, so it worked for the season as a whole, but it doesn't stop the fact that this whole thing feels rushed and underdeveloped.
Unlike "The Truth", this episode doesn't spend a lot of time just summarizing and explaining the plot of the show. It does, however, recycle some elements. This isn't unsurprising as they are both series finales of sorts. Once again, the X-Files are closed and once again Smoking Man is killed. Normally, three gunshots to the chest of an old man would be fatal, but we did see him take a sidewinder to the face and come back unscathed, so I'm guessing the finality of this death depends on whether the show comes back or not. Same goes for the closing of the agents' branch. It's been done before, but given that this is supposed to wrap things up, it really can't be avoided.
Oddly enough, it does leave some loose ends. Skinner's fate is never determined and the last shot of the episode shows that things may not be as in the clear as one would have hoped. Honestly, I could have done without that. If you're going to wrap things up, do it. That sequel hook was kind of pointless.
Before that, though we have to talk about the ending. Long story short, William lets himself get offed by Smoking Man to stop the impending apocalypse (I'm pretty sure spoilers are no longer an issue at this point, yes?) While the character was underdeveloped, it did let him die a noble and somewhat sad death. Even the two agents are rather devastated. Unlike the season opener, actual effort is put into making this a sad scene. Credit especially goes to Anderson, she was acting her ass off here.
Sadly, it's undercut the the aforementioned stupid plot development. The two agents are reeling from not only the death of their son, but the revelation that he wasn't theirs. Smoking Man cooked him up in a lab and used Scully as a surrogate of sorts.
It's now, seconds after William's death that Scully decides to reveal that she is really pregnant with their actual child. This is just stupid on so many levels. Sure it gives the two agents a more uplifting note to go out on, but really?
Overall, this episode was...adequate? It had some structural problems, but the last few minutes are really the only cringe-worthy parts. Some of the dialogue is clunky, but again, it's been much worse.
One last thing, and this is something of a nitpick, but don't the agents know Reyes? They worked with her a while back, right? She doesn't do much here, but when she does contact them to give them a warning/lead, they talk as if they have no idea who she is. I feel like this is another thing that the show did before, but I might be remembering it wrong. Maybe it was a meta-jab at the character, nobody remembers her because she really hasn't done anything important as of late. It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, but it's still strange.
I'm kind of hoping that this is it. The relaunch did ultimately validate it's own existence, but I'd hate to see the show try to wrap itself up for a third time. Let's just call it a job done (or a case closed, eh?) and move on to other things.
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Friday, January 11, 2019
'The X-Files' Season 11, Episode 9: 'Nothing Lasts Forever'
The season (series?) reaches its penultimate episode and it's...an odd one. It tries to throw a lot in. A good chunk of it works, but there's still some shortcomings to be found.
You'd think that the episode would fall into the trap of trying too hard to tie up loose ends, but as this is a stand alone, it (surprisingly) doesn't.
Instead, we have a plot that features an organ harvesting ring that serves a cult that worships an over the hill actress who feeds on the organs/cultists in pursuit of eternal youth. There's also a devoutly religious vigilante who is targeting the cult for her own reasons. It all connects decently enough, but it still feels like a bit much and some elements seem needlessly over-convoluted.
Aspects also come off as undeveloped. I don't know if this plot warranted a two-parter, but at the same time, it would have been nice to get more details about both the cult and the vigilante.
To its credit, it does manage to provide a nice balance of genuinely funny and creepy moments. The banter between the two agents is on point and Fiona Vroom looks like she's having fun in the role of the aforementioned actress.
I also got a kick out of Mulder's trolling tactic of using his reputation and knowledge of the abnormal to get the other FBI agents to leave.
Between the heavy focus on religion, celebrity, and appearance; I get the impression that the episode had some kind of intended message. For the life of me, I can't figure out what it is. With the celebrity obsessed culture, the episode certainly has relevance, but I don't know if there is a core takeaway to be had. Of course, that helps keep the episode from becoming too preachy or heavy-handed, so that's a plus, I suppose.
I don't know if this will go down as one of the more memorable episodes of the season, but it will pass the time well enough. As mentioned, parts of it do work and do work well, but it does come off a bit jumbled.
Next episode will be what I assume is the last episode of the series. Will it provide a satisfying conclusion to not only this "event", but the franchise as a whole? Judging by the title, my hopes aren't high, but hope springs eternal.
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You'd think that the episode would fall into the trap of trying too hard to tie up loose ends, but as this is a stand alone, it (surprisingly) doesn't.
Instead, we have a plot that features an organ harvesting ring that serves a cult that worships an over the hill actress who feeds on the organs/cultists in pursuit of eternal youth. There's also a devoutly religious vigilante who is targeting the cult for her own reasons. It all connects decently enough, but it still feels like a bit much and some elements seem needlessly over-convoluted.
Aspects also come off as undeveloped. I don't know if this plot warranted a two-parter, but at the same time, it would have been nice to get more details about both the cult and the vigilante.
To its credit, it does manage to provide a nice balance of genuinely funny and creepy moments. The banter between the two agents is on point and Fiona Vroom looks like she's having fun in the role of the aforementioned actress.
I also got a kick out of Mulder's trolling tactic of using his reputation and knowledge of the abnormal to get the other FBI agents to leave.
Between the heavy focus on religion, celebrity, and appearance; I get the impression that the episode had some kind of intended message. For the life of me, I can't figure out what it is. With the celebrity obsessed culture, the episode certainly has relevance, but I don't know if there is a core takeaway to be had. Of course, that helps keep the episode from becoming too preachy or heavy-handed, so that's a plus, I suppose.
I don't know if this will go down as one of the more memorable episodes of the season, but it will pass the time well enough. As mentioned, parts of it do work and do work well, but it does come off a bit jumbled.
Next episode will be what I assume is the last episode of the series. Will it provide a satisfying conclusion to not only this "event", but the franchise as a whole? Judging by the title, my hopes aren't high, but hope springs eternal.
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Wednesday, September 12, 2018
'The X-Files' Season 11, Episode 8: 'Familiar'
After the last episode broke the mold and went the avant-garde route, this episode brings viewers back to the well, with an episode focusing on two FBI agents investigating the death of a young child in a small town.
Not surprisingly, Mulder thinks supernatural forces are at work, while Scully thinks that the monster in question is all too human. Unlike a lot of their cases, both seemed equally plausible. In fact, I was convinced that this would be an episode where the monster did turn out to just be a run of the mill human. Not knowing which way the plot was going to go was a pretty welcome addition. It made it more engaging for the viewer.
Ultimately, this episode gets to have its cake and eat it too. It does showcase the horrors of mob mentality and rushes to judgment, but we also get some creepiness of the more supernatural variety, as witchcraft and demonic entities are at play. The fact that the episode pulls off both as well as it does is one of its major strengths.
That being said, I'm torn on Mr. Chuckleteeth, the children's show character that acts as the primary form of the titular familiar. It's effective enough, but it does fall in to that "Annabelle" trap of being so creepy that you wonder why any parent would want their kid anywhere near it. For that matter, how are the kids themselves not weirded out? Even those Teletubbie expies were freakish.
The climax itself was exciting and tense, but it in hindsight it did seem a little anticlimactic. With all the talk of a door to Hell being opened, you'd expect something bigger than what we got. As complex as things seemed, it all wrapped up very quickly. The fact that the agents didn't really do anything also ends up being a negative as ultimately, they were just along for the ride.
By and large, the script and acting are solid. Characters act in a believable fashion. Even when one of the cops goes off the rails and attempts a roaring rampage of revenge, you get why he's doing it. The scenes of family members (and the town as a whole) being distraught over the deaths adds a bit of poignancy to the episode as well.
This episode is not as strong as its predecessor, but it works well for what it is. With only a handful of episodes remaining, seeing some forward momentum on the ongoing story would have been nice, but I'm not going to complain about getting a solid stand alone monster of the week episode.
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Not surprisingly, Mulder thinks supernatural forces are at work, while Scully thinks that the monster in question is all too human. Unlike a lot of their cases, both seemed equally plausible. In fact, I was convinced that this would be an episode where the monster did turn out to just be a run of the mill human. Not knowing which way the plot was going to go was a pretty welcome addition. It made it more engaging for the viewer.
Ultimately, this episode gets to have its cake and eat it too. It does showcase the horrors of mob mentality and rushes to judgment, but we also get some creepiness of the more supernatural variety, as witchcraft and demonic entities are at play. The fact that the episode pulls off both as well as it does is one of its major strengths.
That being said, I'm torn on Mr. Chuckleteeth, the children's show character that acts as the primary form of the titular familiar. It's effective enough, but it does fall in to that "Annabelle" trap of being so creepy that you wonder why any parent would want their kid anywhere near it. For that matter, how are the kids themselves not weirded out? Even those Teletubbie expies were freakish.
The climax itself was exciting and tense, but it in hindsight it did seem a little anticlimactic. With all the talk of a door to Hell being opened, you'd expect something bigger than what we got. As complex as things seemed, it all wrapped up very quickly. The fact that the agents didn't really do anything also ends up being a negative as ultimately, they were just along for the ride.
By and large, the script and acting are solid. Characters act in a believable fashion. Even when one of the cops goes off the rails and attempts a roaring rampage of revenge, you get why he's doing it. The scenes of family members (and the town as a whole) being distraught over the deaths adds a bit of poignancy to the episode as well.
This episode is not as strong as its predecessor, but it works well for what it is. With only a handful of episodes remaining, seeing some forward momentum on the ongoing story would have been nice, but I'm not going to complain about getting a solid stand alone monster of the week episode.
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Tuesday, August 14, 2018
'The X-Files' Season 11, Episode 7: 'Rm9sbG94ZXJz'
A date at a high tech sushi restaurant turns into a nightmare as the two agents incur the wrath of the robotic staff.
The show (and sci-fi in general) have tackled the "rogue artificial intelligence" plot line before, but this manages to make the concept feel fresh. This isn't like Brainiac or Skynet. The tech isn't omnicidal, just really peeved and persistent.
This artificial intelligence is also more frightening because it's more realistic. Tech is having a bigger impact on the world and this episode showcases that quite well. Some of it is exaggerated for both comedic and horrific effect, but a lot of it rings true. Seeing the agents struggle with various apps and devices mirrors a lot of what happens in our own lives.
A part of me would have liked to see the whole episode take place within the confines of the restaurant, but having the reign of terror expand beyond those walls did pay off in many respects.
"Minimalist" is still very much an apt descriptor for this episode. There's very little dialogue and the plot is contained to a handful of locations. It works really well and makes it more memorable. That opening scene with Mulder and Scully in the empty restaurant sitting next to each other, saying nothing and just looking at their phones managed to speak volumes.
I'm not sure what robots need with a tip, but I suppose it reinforces that old adage about not ticking off the people who serve you your food. To some extent, though, the disproportionate retribution aspect only adds to the aforementioned comedy/horror aspect.
That balance really adds to the episode's enjoyment factor. You'll find yourself simultaneously laughing at how absurd the whole thing gets, but still find yourself creeped out by it. It's a tough thing to do, and this episode succeeds in spades.
This is an episode that could have easily dragged, but I didn't find pacing to be a problem at all. I was pretty much hooked from the intro and I never found myself checking the clock.
If this episode does have a weak spot, it's the fact that it feels very disconnected from what we've seen before. It's a perfectly self contained stand alone (and acts as a prime example of why the fandom prefers those to the mythos based episodes,) but at the same time, it seems like it takes place in a completely different world that Mulder and Scully happen to be in. Maybe they intersected with an alternate timeline? I don't know.
All in all, though, this episode was a blast. It's topical and timely, creepy, funny, and engaging throughout. This will likely go down as one of the season's best and could even act as a contender for one of the show's best.
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The show (and sci-fi in general) have tackled the "rogue artificial intelligence" plot line before, but this manages to make the concept feel fresh. This isn't like Brainiac or Skynet. The tech isn't omnicidal, just really peeved and persistent.
This artificial intelligence is also more frightening because it's more realistic. Tech is having a bigger impact on the world and this episode showcases that quite well. Some of it is exaggerated for both comedic and horrific effect, but a lot of it rings true. Seeing the agents struggle with various apps and devices mirrors a lot of what happens in our own lives.
A part of me would have liked to see the whole episode take place within the confines of the restaurant, but having the reign of terror expand beyond those walls did pay off in many respects.
"Minimalist" is still very much an apt descriptor for this episode. There's very little dialogue and the plot is contained to a handful of locations. It works really well and makes it more memorable. That opening scene with Mulder and Scully in the empty restaurant sitting next to each other, saying nothing and just looking at their phones managed to speak volumes.
I'm not sure what robots need with a tip, but I suppose it reinforces that old adage about not ticking off the people who serve you your food. To some extent, though, the disproportionate retribution aspect only adds to the aforementioned comedy/horror aspect.
That balance really adds to the episode's enjoyment factor. You'll find yourself simultaneously laughing at how absurd the whole thing gets, but still find yourself creeped out by it. It's a tough thing to do, and this episode succeeds in spades.
This is an episode that could have easily dragged, but I didn't find pacing to be a problem at all. I was pretty much hooked from the intro and I never found myself checking the clock.
If this episode does have a weak spot, it's the fact that it feels very disconnected from what we've seen before. It's a perfectly self contained stand alone (and acts as a prime example of why the fandom prefers those to the mythos based episodes,) but at the same time, it seems like it takes place in a completely different world that Mulder and Scully happen to be in. Maybe they intersected with an alternate timeline? I don't know.
All in all, though, this episode was a blast. It's topical and timely, creepy, funny, and engaging throughout. This will likely go down as one of the season's best and could even act as a contender for one of the show's best.
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Wednesday, June 13, 2018
'The X-Files' Season 11, Episode 6: 'Kitten'
Sadly, this episode does not center on Mulder and Scully adopting a cat, then playing and snuggling with it for 45 minutes. No monsters, no cases. Just two FBI agents gushing over an adorable baby cat. That would have been an "X-Files" for the books (and I'm a dog person.)
Instead, it puts the focus on Walter Skinner, as his past comes back to haunt him. It was good to give Skinner some attention, as it seems like he hasn't had much in the way of screen time this season, despite being featured in the opening credits. It's especially strange given the whole falling out. It was paid lip service, but never seemed to go anywhere. It's a moot point as the agents seemed to have mended fences by episode's end.
Pileggi's always an asset and the episode puts him to good use, more so in the episode's second half. His absence early on is understandable given that it's the plot's impetus. It would have been interesting to play with the "did Skinner do it?'" thing, but the show already did that and the plot takes a different turn anyway.
The plot itself is admittedly rather ho-hum. It's a pretty simple outing that doesn't really take any radical turns or pull off any big surprises. Still, it's engaging enough and the character moments are strong enough that you don't mind it.
Really, I think the only real surprise comes when Mulder doesn't even bother with any sort of paranormal theory and instantly acknowledges that the "monster' seen on camera is just a guy in a suit. It's good that he's being smart about his belief in the paranormal, but it's still a shock given the show's formula.
There is one "X-Files" staple that makes its presence known and that is the involvement of nefarious goings on within the country's government. It's more down to earth, but it does make it so that the episode doesn't feel too distant from what viewers come to see.
I wonder if the "government mind control" thing will come back in any way, shape, or form. Normally, I'd leave the episode's ending as a standard "X-Files" wrap up, but this isn't the first time that the idea has come up this season. It's unlikely, but we'll have to see.
Will this go down as one of the season's best? I doubt it. However, it's a decent enough episode. It doesn't do anything too crazy, but I was never bored or annoyed by what I was seeing. It'll pass the time decently enough, but this might not have the staying power of other episodes.
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Instead, it puts the focus on Walter Skinner, as his past comes back to haunt him. It was good to give Skinner some attention, as it seems like he hasn't had much in the way of screen time this season, despite being featured in the opening credits. It's especially strange given the whole falling out. It was paid lip service, but never seemed to go anywhere. It's a moot point as the agents seemed to have mended fences by episode's end.
Pileggi's always an asset and the episode puts him to good use, more so in the episode's second half. His absence early on is understandable given that it's the plot's impetus. It would have been interesting to play with the "did Skinner do it?'" thing, but the show already did that and the plot takes a different turn anyway.
The plot itself is admittedly rather ho-hum. It's a pretty simple outing that doesn't really take any radical turns or pull off any big surprises. Still, it's engaging enough and the character moments are strong enough that you don't mind it.
Really, I think the only real surprise comes when Mulder doesn't even bother with any sort of paranormal theory and instantly acknowledges that the "monster' seen on camera is just a guy in a suit. It's good that he's being smart about his belief in the paranormal, but it's still a shock given the show's formula.
There is one "X-Files" staple that makes its presence known and that is the involvement of nefarious goings on within the country's government. It's more down to earth, but it does make it so that the episode doesn't feel too distant from what viewers come to see.
I wonder if the "government mind control" thing will come back in any way, shape, or form. Normally, I'd leave the episode's ending as a standard "X-Files" wrap up, but this isn't the first time that the idea has come up this season. It's unlikely, but we'll have to see.
Will this go down as one of the season's best? I doubt it. However, it's a decent enough episode. It doesn't do anything too crazy, but I was never bored or annoyed by what I was seeing. It'll pass the time decently enough, but this might not have the staying power of other episodes.
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Sunday, May 27, 2018
'The X-Files' Season 11, Episode 5: 'Ghouli'
As the episode opens, we see two girls playing an odd variation of "hide and seek". They're on a decrepit old ship that seems tailor made for monsters or serial killers to lurk and they inquire as to whether the other is "ghouli".
It instantly gives off a "Slender Man" vibe, somewhat mirroring that tragic incident where a girl was "sacrificed" to the internet phenomenon. The episode's opening scenes further reinforce this, having "Ghouli" be an internet monster meme with plenty of fanfiction behind it. There was an interesting twist in that the girls weren't so much attempting a sacrifice as trying to defend themselves.
While a part of me would have liked to see the investigation into this monster play out, the episode decides to do something different. It could, arguably, be for the better as I could have sworn that this show already did its spin on Slendy. I know that "Supernatural" did, and like that show, this one makes a point to say that, even in worlds inhabited by all sorts of monsters and bizarre occurrences, this thing isn't real.
Instead, the episode decides to build more on emotional connections. It's even somewhat foreshadowed by Mulder's lament that modern monsters don't have any pathos to them.
It turns out that the "monster" in this case has a rather personal connection to our agents, as it is none other than William.
It was a bit strange seeing Scully immediately jump to the conclusion that "Jackson" was William, but she turned out to be right, so good on her. This assumption also gives us one of the episode's highlights, as Dana has a confession of sorts with Jackson's corpse. She apologizes and lets him know that she gave him up, not due to lack of love, but a desire to see him safe. Anderson does a stellar job with the scene.
It's a good thing that the scene is there, because we don't really have a connection to William. He's mentioned occasionally as an afterthought, but while Dana says that she never forgot about him, I have a feeling that viewers certainly have on occasion.
This is William's first real debut into the story proper and it has its problems. In addition to being a somewhat new character, the direction the episode goes with him doesn't exactly elicit sympathy. He has one or two nice scenes, but his "game" is a tough pill to swallow.
The grisly opening scene is explained as a prank gone wrong. William admits that it was an elaborate "Boo!" deal, but even that makes little sense. Why bring his two girlfriends to the same place? If he can make people see or hear what they want, why not just have them think they see the monster with no person in its stead. That way, even if they do grab a knife and start swinging, they only hit thin air. The episode brushes it aside, with even the two girls who were nearly killed as a result not really giving him much grief over it.
Like "This", the episode starts off as a one-off but eventually becomes more connected to the ongoing story. This one is more blatant about it, but it does allow us to touch on the looming apocalypse that both William and Dana had seen. It also follows up on the human/alien hybrid stuff that had been brought up prior but seems largely forgotten about.
Wait a minute, why did Mulder need to be told that by Skinner? Hasn't he known about that for years now? Even the connection to William seems like something he had already figured out back when the kid was first born. Huh...very peculiar.
The episode is light on humor, acting as a counter-balance to its predecessor. There was one bit where Mulder used "Bob" as an alias. That in and of itself wasn't that funny, but Mulder's explanation and Scully's later declaration that this was an alternate reality and that "Fox" doesn't exist in this one were both fairly amusing. The latter also made for a nice callback to the preceding episode.
All in all, this episode was a mixed bag. There was potential for more creepiness in regards to the monster, but the emotional moments hit their mark and we got some progression in regards to the overarching story.
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It instantly gives off a "Slender Man" vibe, somewhat mirroring that tragic incident where a girl was "sacrificed" to the internet phenomenon. The episode's opening scenes further reinforce this, having "Ghouli" be an internet monster meme with plenty of fanfiction behind it. There was an interesting twist in that the girls weren't so much attempting a sacrifice as trying to defend themselves.
While a part of me would have liked to see the investigation into this monster play out, the episode decides to do something different. It could, arguably, be for the better as I could have sworn that this show already did its spin on Slendy. I know that "Supernatural" did, and like that show, this one makes a point to say that, even in worlds inhabited by all sorts of monsters and bizarre occurrences, this thing isn't real.
Instead, the episode decides to build more on emotional connections. It's even somewhat foreshadowed by Mulder's lament that modern monsters don't have any pathos to them.
It turns out that the "monster" in this case has a rather personal connection to our agents, as it is none other than William.
It was a bit strange seeing Scully immediately jump to the conclusion that "Jackson" was William, but she turned out to be right, so good on her. This assumption also gives us one of the episode's highlights, as Dana has a confession of sorts with Jackson's corpse. She apologizes and lets him know that she gave him up, not due to lack of love, but a desire to see him safe. Anderson does a stellar job with the scene.
It's a good thing that the scene is there, because we don't really have a connection to William. He's mentioned occasionally as an afterthought, but while Dana says that she never forgot about him, I have a feeling that viewers certainly have on occasion.
This is William's first real debut into the story proper and it has its problems. In addition to being a somewhat new character, the direction the episode goes with him doesn't exactly elicit sympathy. He has one or two nice scenes, but his "game" is a tough pill to swallow.
The grisly opening scene is explained as a prank gone wrong. William admits that it was an elaborate "Boo!" deal, but even that makes little sense. Why bring his two girlfriends to the same place? If he can make people see or hear what they want, why not just have them think they see the monster with no person in its stead. That way, even if they do grab a knife and start swinging, they only hit thin air. The episode brushes it aside, with even the two girls who were nearly killed as a result not really giving him much grief over it.
Like "This", the episode starts off as a one-off but eventually becomes more connected to the ongoing story. This one is more blatant about it, but it does allow us to touch on the looming apocalypse that both William and Dana had seen. It also follows up on the human/alien hybrid stuff that had been brought up prior but seems largely forgotten about.
Wait a minute, why did Mulder need to be told that by Skinner? Hasn't he known about that for years now? Even the connection to William seems like something he had already figured out back when the kid was first born. Huh...very peculiar.
The episode is light on humor, acting as a counter-balance to its predecessor. There was one bit where Mulder used "Bob" as an alias. That in and of itself wasn't that funny, but Mulder's explanation and Scully's later declaration that this was an alternate reality and that "Fox" doesn't exist in this one were both fairly amusing. The latter also made for a nice callback to the preceding episode.
All in all, this episode was a mixed bag. There was potential for more creepiness in regards to the monster, but the emotional moments hit their mark and we got some progression in regards to the overarching story.
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Friday, May 4, 2018
'The X-Files' Season 11, Episode 4: 'The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat'
After the massive success of "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster", it was pretty much a given that Darin Morgan would be brought back to write another episode.
True to form, he gives us an episode that stands out from the rest of the pack. It's goofy, but also incredibly well-written. The dialogue and banter between the characters deliver just as much laughs as the cheap Twilight Zone knock-off and the montage of events where Reggie, an on-the-run conspiracy theorist who thinks he's been mind-wiped and is seeking the agents' aid, is supposedly shoe-horned into the show's past history.
It's a good thing too, because this episode is mostly dialogue driven. A majority of it is just Mulder, Scully, and Reggie in a parking lot talking about a potential plot to gaslight the populace for some potentially nefarious end.
As a result, we get a trippy discussion that incorporates faulty memories, subjective news sources, and a possible overlap of parallel realities. Oh, and there's a mysterious scientist who is actually named "Dr. They", thus answering the question of "who is they?" that inevitably arises whenever conspiracy theories are brought up.
It all culminates with Mulder and Scully (supposedly) meeting an alien who declares that humans are to stay put, that the rest of the universe wants nothing to do with them, and has decided to build a "wall" around our solar system to keep us from "infecting" it.
Granted, the scenario is so goofy (not to mention heavy handed, but I'll get to that) that you can't take it seriously, but it still felt like a pretty valid "the reason you suck" speech. Even just presented as a hypothetical, that's a heavy revelation.
Of course, it's somewhat undercut by the fact that the whole thing is written with sledge-hammer style metaphor. The alien refers to the "wall" as "big and beautiful" and that we're all rapists and drug dealers. Morgan is usually a sharper writer, but these kinds of not so subtle allusions to the president are more eye-roll inducing at this point. Even IGN noted that it robs the episode of any potential timelessness and the AVClub (which would normally eat that sort of thing up with a spoon) calls out the lack of subtlety.
Despite its flaws, this was still a strong entry in a season that seems to be shaping up rather well. As noted, the script was strong for a vast majority of it, the cast seemed to be enjoying themselves, and it had a rather trippy mind-screw vibe that made you tilt your head, but also remain captivated by what was being discussed. It's weaker than "Were-Monster' in my view, but still, this was an entertaining chapter.
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True to form, he gives us an episode that stands out from the rest of the pack. It's goofy, but also incredibly well-written. The dialogue and banter between the characters deliver just as much laughs as the cheap Twilight Zone knock-off and the montage of events where Reggie, an on-the-run conspiracy theorist who thinks he's been mind-wiped and is seeking the agents' aid, is supposedly shoe-horned into the show's past history.
It's a good thing too, because this episode is mostly dialogue driven. A majority of it is just Mulder, Scully, and Reggie in a parking lot talking about a potential plot to gaslight the populace for some potentially nefarious end.
As a result, we get a trippy discussion that incorporates faulty memories, subjective news sources, and a possible overlap of parallel realities. Oh, and there's a mysterious scientist who is actually named "Dr. They", thus answering the question of "who is they?" that inevitably arises whenever conspiracy theories are brought up.
It all culminates with Mulder and Scully (supposedly) meeting an alien who declares that humans are to stay put, that the rest of the universe wants nothing to do with them, and has decided to build a "wall" around our solar system to keep us from "infecting" it.
Granted, the scenario is so goofy (not to mention heavy handed, but I'll get to that) that you can't take it seriously, but it still felt like a pretty valid "the reason you suck" speech. Even just presented as a hypothetical, that's a heavy revelation.
Of course, it's somewhat undercut by the fact that the whole thing is written with sledge-hammer style metaphor. The alien refers to the "wall" as "big and beautiful" and that we're all rapists and drug dealers. Morgan is usually a sharper writer, but these kinds of not so subtle allusions to the president are more eye-roll inducing at this point. Even IGN noted that it robs the episode of any potential timelessness and the AVClub (which would normally eat that sort of thing up with a spoon) calls out the lack of subtlety.
Despite its flaws, this was still a strong entry in a season that seems to be shaping up rather well. As noted, the script was strong for a vast majority of it, the cast seemed to be enjoying themselves, and it had a rather trippy mind-screw vibe that made you tilt your head, but also remain captivated by what was being discussed. It's weaker than "Were-Monster' in my view, but still, this was an entertaining chapter.
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Monday, April 23, 2018
'The X-Files' Season 11, Episode 3: 'Plus One'
Thus far, the 11th season of 'The X-Files' has been wildly inconsistent. It opened terribly, but then recovered with a surprisingly strong second episode.
This episode provides a more stable footing for both the show and the viewer, as it delivers another entertaining outing for the pair of FBI agents.
The writing works well, the cast puts in strong performances, and the episode brings a nice balance. There's some legitimately spooky goings-on this time around, but the episode isn't afraid to throw some levity and humor in there. Rather than detract, it actually adds to the experience. It makes it more entertaining, sure, but it also highlights just how strange Mulder's and Scully's lives get.
I think it's also to the writer's credit, that even though few of the supporting characters are likable here, they're still sympathetic. The first victim is a routine DUI offender and the second is a sleazy attorney. Still, when they're put in life or death situations, you do kind of root for them. When the attorney goes to Mulder and Scully for help, you can't help but feel for the guy, being in a desperate situation that he has no control over. Even his attempt at taking precautionary measures ultimately proves futile.
You'd think that the various plot elements would become jumbled. I mean, we have phantom doppelgangers that drive you to suicide, a pair of schizophrenic twins playing a telepathic game of hangman, and talk of some looming evil presence that could be demonic or just mankind's darker impulses or something. For the most part, it all comes together, though we don't really get any answers on anything.
We do get some nice character moments between the two agents. The banter is always fun, but the two also get a chance to reflect. Scully, especially, becomes more introspective and wonders about what could have been and what is to come.
Her talk of death would make sense in most cases, though Clyde Bruckman did say that she wouldn't die. I wonder if that will ever come up again. Also her fear about losing their jobs seems a bit shallow. I mean, they've been fired before. She's a doctor, I think she'll be fine. I know it's supposed to be a hint towards the show ending, but it was still a little odd.
In any event, this episode also made some nice (likely unintentional) nods. When the agents talked of "mass hysteria", I couldn't help but think of "Ghostbusters". Given the looming "end of the world" thing going on, it kind of adds to the connection.
We also have people committing murder by writing down names. Sure, it's via hangman, but my brain couldn't help but connect this to "Death Note". Suffice it to say, I smirked when one of the siblings asked if there was an L. Again, I figure it has to be a coincidence, but it did amuse me.
I do wonder how Scully is still skeptical at this point. I'm pretty sure they've confronted ghosts before, so her dismissal of that was weird, but you'd think she'd be more open minded by now. Heck, when Mulder was abducted, she became "the believer". It was odd to see, but the turn kind of made sense. I'm kind of curious what pushed her back to skeptic territory. Yeah, status quo is god, but you'd think they'd at least try to justify the back pedal.
While the episode does have some cons, they are outweighed by the pros. I don't think that this was as strong an outing as its predecessor. The writing was largely on point, the plot hook was solid, it was well paced, and it effectively provided a nice balance of what viewers hope to find in an episode of 'The X-Files'. Hopefully, the positive momentum can continue.
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This episode provides a more stable footing for both the show and the viewer, as it delivers another entertaining outing for the pair of FBI agents.
The writing works well, the cast puts in strong performances, and the episode brings a nice balance. There's some legitimately spooky goings-on this time around, but the episode isn't afraid to throw some levity and humor in there. Rather than detract, it actually adds to the experience. It makes it more entertaining, sure, but it also highlights just how strange Mulder's and Scully's lives get.
I think it's also to the writer's credit, that even though few of the supporting characters are likable here, they're still sympathetic. The first victim is a routine DUI offender and the second is a sleazy attorney. Still, when they're put in life or death situations, you do kind of root for them. When the attorney goes to Mulder and Scully for help, you can't help but feel for the guy, being in a desperate situation that he has no control over. Even his attempt at taking precautionary measures ultimately proves futile.
You'd think that the various plot elements would become jumbled. I mean, we have phantom doppelgangers that drive you to suicide, a pair of schizophrenic twins playing a telepathic game of hangman, and talk of some looming evil presence that could be demonic or just mankind's darker impulses or something. For the most part, it all comes together, though we don't really get any answers on anything.
We do get some nice character moments between the two agents. The banter is always fun, but the two also get a chance to reflect. Scully, especially, becomes more introspective and wonders about what could have been and what is to come.
Her talk of death would make sense in most cases, though Clyde Bruckman did say that she wouldn't die. I wonder if that will ever come up again. Also her fear about losing their jobs seems a bit shallow. I mean, they've been fired before. She's a doctor, I think she'll be fine. I know it's supposed to be a hint towards the show ending, but it was still a little odd.
In any event, this episode also made some nice (likely unintentional) nods. When the agents talked of "mass hysteria", I couldn't help but think of "Ghostbusters". Given the looming "end of the world" thing going on, it kind of adds to the connection.
We also have people committing murder by writing down names. Sure, it's via hangman, but my brain couldn't help but connect this to "Death Note". Suffice it to say, I smirked when one of the siblings asked if there was an L. Again, I figure it has to be a coincidence, but it did amuse me.
I do wonder how Scully is still skeptical at this point. I'm pretty sure they've confronted ghosts before, so her dismissal of that was weird, but you'd think she'd be more open minded by now. Heck, when Mulder was abducted, she became "the believer". It was odd to see, but the turn kind of made sense. I'm kind of curious what pushed her back to skeptic territory. Yeah, status quo is god, but you'd think they'd at least try to justify the back pedal.
While the episode does have some cons, they are outweighed by the pros. I don't think that this was as strong an outing as its predecessor. The writing was largely on point, the plot hook was solid, it was well paced, and it effectively provided a nice balance of what viewers hope to find in an episode of 'The X-Files'. Hopefully, the positive momentum can continue.
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Wednesday, January 31, 2018
'The X-Files' Season 11, Episode 2: 'This'
After the unmitigated disaster that was the season premiere, this episode had an uphill battle to fight. As such, it was rather surprising to find out that this episode actually managed to win me over. The difficulty on that particular saving throw could not have been higher, but the crew managed to pull it off.
For every aspect that failed in the first episode, this one succeeds. The script is better, the plot is more engaging, the characters feel like themselves. There's actual effort here and it pays off big time.
The plot is fairly straight-forward, as Mulder and Scully find themselves under siege and forced on the run, but it gradually becomes more complex as the episode progresses. There is a shadowy group of people involved, but it somehow manages to feel fresh. You'd think after the syndicate, that this wouldn't work anymore, but the episode managed to pull it off.
While this is largely a stand alone, it does make some subtle nods to the show's ongoing plot. The impending apocalypse is a factor to an extent. We also have the return of Langly..sort of. Even Deep Throat gets a mention. It was a nice touch, as I was a big fan of that character. It would have been awesome to see him appear in a similar capacity, but just the mention was appreciated.
Langly's return was pretty well done. They didn't have to back pedal or really retcon anything, which really helped. It's not even really a poltergeist situation either. I won't go too deep into spoilers, but I will say that Ross does bring up the concept on an episode of "Friends". On top of that, the scrambled "voice messages" did add a sort of creepy air to the episode. Mulder and Scully are nonchalant about it (I suppose after all they've seen, it makes sense that they'd shrug it off) but I think it would be rather unnerving.
Where the last episode had Mulder and Scully going through the motions, this episode actually puts them to good use. We get to see some impressive fights and shoot outs and the two exchange some pretty entertaining banter. The muffin bit was kind of classic. It doesn't all land, hearing Mulder refer to Scully as "adorbs" seemed a bit forced, but when you hear why he thought as such, it helps salvage the line a little.
Erika Price, while only appearing in one scene, made a pretty solid impression. She has some gravitas and her pitch to Mulder was one of the highlights of the episode. A part of me isn't sure what else could be done with her, but it seems like she could be a good successor to smoking man. While he's, sadly, over-stayed his welcome; she has a new feel that could bring new energy to the show. She also benefits from having a clear objective. Like most of the more complex villains, she believes her actions are in the right, so the show can play with that if they decide to go further with this.
All in all, the episode was well balanced and quite a bit of fun. It never dragged and it felt like a return to form for the franchise. It managed to strike a balance between telling a small, character driven story, while also touching on some of the bigger, global elements that the show's plot has tried to tackle. It does a much better job of adding scope than any of the "struggles". Hopefully, the season is able to take the momentum from this and run with it. I'm all for more episodes that are as well put together as this one.
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For every aspect that failed in the first episode, this one succeeds. The script is better, the plot is more engaging, the characters feel like themselves. There's actual effort here and it pays off big time.
The plot is fairly straight-forward, as Mulder and Scully find themselves under siege and forced on the run, but it gradually becomes more complex as the episode progresses. There is a shadowy group of people involved, but it somehow manages to feel fresh. You'd think after the syndicate, that this wouldn't work anymore, but the episode managed to pull it off.
While this is largely a stand alone, it does make some subtle nods to the show's ongoing plot. The impending apocalypse is a factor to an extent. We also have the return of Langly..sort of. Even Deep Throat gets a mention. It was a nice touch, as I was a big fan of that character. It would have been awesome to see him appear in a similar capacity, but just the mention was appreciated.
Langly's return was pretty well done. They didn't have to back pedal or really retcon anything, which really helped. It's not even really a poltergeist situation either. I won't go too deep into spoilers, but I will say that Ross does bring up the concept on an episode of "Friends". On top of that, the scrambled "voice messages" did add a sort of creepy air to the episode. Mulder and Scully are nonchalant about it (I suppose after all they've seen, it makes sense that they'd shrug it off) but I think it would be rather unnerving.
Where the last episode had Mulder and Scully going through the motions, this episode actually puts them to good use. We get to see some impressive fights and shoot outs and the two exchange some pretty entertaining banter. The muffin bit was kind of classic. It doesn't all land, hearing Mulder refer to Scully as "adorbs" seemed a bit forced, but when you hear why he thought as such, it helps salvage the line a little.
Erika Price, while only appearing in one scene, made a pretty solid impression. She has some gravitas and her pitch to Mulder was one of the highlights of the episode. A part of me isn't sure what else could be done with her, but it seems like she could be a good successor to smoking man. While he's, sadly, over-stayed his welcome; she has a new feel that could bring new energy to the show. She also benefits from having a clear objective. Like most of the more complex villains, she believes her actions are in the right, so the show can play with that if they decide to go further with this.
All in all, the episode was well balanced and quite a bit of fun. It never dragged and it felt like a return to form for the franchise. It managed to strike a balance between telling a small, character driven story, while also touching on some of the bigger, global elements that the show's plot has tried to tackle. It does a much better job of adding scope than any of the "struggles". Hopefully, the season is able to take the momentum from this and run with it. I'm all for more episodes that are as well put together as this one.
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Monday, January 15, 2018
'The X-Files' Season 11, Episode 1: 'My Struggle III'
When Fox brought "The X-Files" back last year for a six episode mini-series, one would have assumed that the intent was to tie up loose ends and allow the franchise to end on a higher note than the second movie. This assumption would have been proven wrong, as the last batch ended on a cliffhanger. On the plus side, it did well enough in the ratings that we have another go. Whether THIS turns out to be the end, or if there's still enough draw to keep it going remains to be seen.
Like the season before it, this one doesn't get off to the most auspicious start. Actually, that's being generous. This episode's a hot mess. Apparently, when the producers came up with the "My Struggle" episodes, they were talking about the viewer's. Really, these three have been the weakest of the relaunch. I shudder to think of what will come in "My Struggle IV".
Right off the bat, the episode commits two rather egregious sins. It shows that the moon landing was staged. I face palmed at that. I know government conspiracies are this show's thing, but really?
Even worse, it completely negates the preceding episode by making it all a dream. They try to keep it relevant by saying it's a vision of things to come, but it still feels like taking two steps backward to take one step forward.
I thought that the last few "myth-arc" episodes did a disservice by trying to rebrand the whole plot, but that was child's play compared to what this episode does. Inane plot twists abound as everything that was established is tossed aside. Yet at the same time, nothing's changed. Smoking Man wants to release an alien virus. The difference is that, rather than try to salvage some bit of humanity in the wake of alien colonization, he wants to kill them because....eeeevil. Yeah, he's always been a villain, but there was more nuance to him. Now, he's a two-dimensional mustache twirler.
It's not helped by the fact that the dialogue is clunky as all get out. That exchange between Smoking Man and Reyes? Oy.
In addition to clunky dialogue, we have incredibly flat acting. None of the cast seem like they want to be here. They're all clearly phoning it in for a paycheck. Amid all the episode's problems, this one is probably the most damaging. If the cast can't be bothered to care, it makes it really hard for us the viewers to do the same.
Chris Carter directed the episode, and he does what he can on that front to pick up the slack and add some excitement to the proceedings. Mulder engages in a solid car chase and a vulnerable Scully is attacked in a fairly intense scene while she is bed-ridden in a hospital. There's also the noticeable attempt to try to add a "ticking clock" factor to the situation. It helps, but the aforementioned hurdles are way too high for these small perks to jump.
The first two "My Struggle" episodes failed to impress. Following the general pattern of the third entry in any trilogy stinking, this one follows suit. Hopefully, this is the last struggle because it's dead in the water.
Hopefully, the subsequent episodes can help the season save face. I do hope we get another entry in the vein of "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster" this season. Man, that was a fun episode. Go watch that instead.
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Like the season before it, this one doesn't get off to the most auspicious start. Actually, that's being generous. This episode's a hot mess. Apparently, when the producers came up with the "My Struggle" episodes, they were talking about the viewer's. Really, these three have been the weakest of the relaunch. I shudder to think of what will come in "My Struggle IV".
Right off the bat, the episode commits two rather egregious sins. It shows that the moon landing was staged. I face palmed at that. I know government conspiracies are this show's thing, but really?
Even worse, it completely negates the preceding episode by making it all a dream. They try to keep it relevant by saying it's a vision of things to come, but it still feels like taking two steps backward to take one step forward.
I thought that the last few "myth-arc" episodes did a disservice by trying to rebrand the whole plot, but that was child's play compared to what this episode does. Inane plot twists abound as everything that was established is tossed aside. Yet at the same time, nothing's changed. Smoking Man wants to release an alien virus. The difference is that, rather than try to salvage some bit of humanity in the wake of alien colonization, he wants to kill them because....eeeevil. Yeah, he's always been a villain, but there was more nuance to him. Now, he's a two-dimensional mustache twirler.
It's not helped by the fact that the dialogue is clunky as all get out. That exchange between Smoking Man and Reyes? Oy.
In addition to clunky dialogue, we have incredibly flat acting. None of the cast seem like they want to be here. They're all clearly phoning it in for a paycheck. Amid all the episode's problems, this one is probably the most damaging. If the cast can't be bothered to care, it makes it really hard for us the viewers to do the same.
Chris Carter directed the episode, and he does what he can on that front to pick up the slack and add some excitement to the proceedings. Mulder engages in a solid car chase and a vulnerable Scully is attacked in a fairly intense scene while she is bed-ridden in a hospital. There's also the noticeable attempt to try to add a "ticking clock" factor to the situation. It helps, but the aforementioned hurdles are way too high for these small perks to jump.
The first two "My Struggle" episodes failed to impress. Following the general pattern of the third entry in any trilogy stinking, this one follows suit. Hopefully, this is the last struggle because it's dead in the water.
Hopefully, the subsequent episodes can help the season save face. I do hope we get another entry in the vein of "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster" this season. Man, that was a fun episode. Go watch that instead.
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Wednesday, March 30, 2016
The X-Files Season 10, Episode 6: My Struggle II
Given the title, perhaps it's fitting that this episode was something of a struggle. It was sitting on our DVR for some time, just waiting to be watched, but the cable box went all fubar and needed to be replaced, meaning that all the recorded stuff was lost. No big deal, though, it was on Hulu. That's where I watched "Babylon", so no harm done. Oh, Hulu took season 10 down a couple of days ago. There's On-Demand; oh, wait, nope, they only have 1 episode ("Founder's Mutation" of all things, you'd think that "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster" would be the pick if you were going to just keep one up there.) Fox's website wouldn't let me watch it, nor would their app. So, I had to go through Amazon's Instant Video in order to watch the episode so that we can finally put this one to bed.
At first, I wasn't feeling this episode, it seems to take the worst parts of the re-launch (namely the weak plot introduced in the pilot, as well as agents Miller and Einstein) but things do get better as it goes on. Hearing people refer to Einstein by name still sounded bizarre. It would be one thing if she were a one-off joke character, which it really seemed like she was, but suddenly the show is trying to play her straight and it doesn't flow particularly well.
While no direct mention is made of the trumpets, they did seem to be a herald of sorts as people's immune systems are breaking down across the globe, causing all sorts of health catastrophes.
You see in the credits that two doctors helped write the script. On the one hand, it's good as it brings at least some legitimacy to the technobabble, but man, is there a lot of technobabble. A lot of the episode is just exposition explaining the specifics of how and why this is all happening. It's nice to have details and work real world science in, but I think that they could have toned it down a bit.
Once again, this episode completely throws away the established story line to establish new plot points. While the endeavors and motivations of the syndicate were directly stated on more than one occasion, this presents a whole new endgame.
I'll grant you, on second thought, it's close. There are aliens, and the syndicate seemed to be working to keep themselves safe, but instead of spreading the black oil for recolonization and enslavement, they want to wipe out humanity through altered vaccines because of pollution. It just sounds wrong when Smoking Man is revealing to Mulder the elaborate machinations that have been afoot for decades when we know that this wasn't how any of it worked.
By the by, as much flack as the last episode got, I'm surprised that there wasn't more backlash here. Admittedly, Scully fights fire with fire by coming up with her own vaccine to counter-act the bad vaccine, but it does seem to legitimize the "anti-vaxxer" mindset.
On the plus side, the scope of the threat is well on display. You see chaos erupting all around and it does seem like humanity is on its last legs. It really ramps up the tension and backs the heroes into a corner. Not only is saving the world a lofty task for a handful of FBI agents, but they too fall victim to the problem, adding another ticking clock to the proceedings.
It was oddly nice to see Reyes again. Yes, she and Doggett got a lot of grief, but it's still good that they weren't swept completely under the rug.
I knew ahead of time that the episode was going to end on a cliffhanger, but it is still an odd choice. You'd think that with a limited mini-series, that the goal would be to wrap things up. Considering the show already had a 9 season run, the idea that it'll get picked up again seems strange. Fox tried to do the same thing with "24" and it didn't make much sense there either.
I'm not sure people are going to care enough, but we'll see if Fox green lights another season. If it does, at least that gives hope to "Supergirl" and "Young Justice"...maybe? I don't know.
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At first, I wasn't feeling this episode, it seems to take the worst parts of the re-launch (namely the weak plot introduced in the pilot, as well as agents Miller and Einstein) but things do get better as it goes on. Hearing people refer to Einstein by name still sounded bizarre. It would be one thing if she were a one-off joke character, which it really seemed like she was, but suddenly the show is trying to play her straight and it doesn't flow particularly well.
While no direct mention is made of the trumpets, they did seem to be a herald of sorts as people's immune systems are breaking down across the globe, causing all sorts of health catastrophes.
You see in the credits that two doctors helped write the script. On the one hand, it's good as it brings at least some legitimacy to the technobabble, but man, is there a lot of technobabble. A lot of the episode is just exposition explaining the specifics of how and why this is all happening. It's nice to have details and work real world science in, but I think that they could have toned it down a bit.
Once again, this episode completely throws away the established story line to establish new plot points. While the endeavors and motivations of the syndicate were directly stated on more than one occasion, this presents a whole new endgame.
I'll grant you, on second thought, it's close. There are aliens, and the syndicate seemed to be working to keep themselves safe, but instead of spreading the black oil for recolonization and enslavement, they want to wipe out humanity through altered vaccines because of pollution. It just sounds wrong when Smoking Man is revealing to Mulder the elaborate machinations that have been afoot for decades when we know that this wasn't how any of it worked.
By the by, as much flack as the last episode got, I'm surprised that there wasn't more backlash here. Admittedly, Scully fights fire with fire by coming up with her own vaccine to counter-act the bad vaccine, but it does seem to legitimize the "anti-vaxxer" mindset.
On the plus side, the scope of the threat is well on display. You see chaos erupting all around and it does seem like humanity is on its last legs. It really ramps up the tension and backs the heroes into a corner. Not only is saving the world a lofty task for a handful of FBI agents, but they too fall victim to the problem, adding another ticking clock to the proceedings.
It was oddly nice to see Reyes again. Yes, she and Doggett got a lot of grief, but it's still good that they weren't swept completely under the rug.
I knew ahead of time that the episode was going to end on a cliffhanger, but it is still an odd choice. You'd think that with a limited mini-series, that the goal would be to wrap things up. Considering the show already had a 9 season run, the idea that it'll get picked up again seems strange. Fox tried to do the same thing with "24" and it didn't make much sense there either.
I'm not sure people are going to care enough, but we'll see if Fox green lights another season. If it does, at least that gives hope to "Supergirl" and "Young Justice"...maybe? I don't know.
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Tuesday, March 22, 2016
The X-Files Season 10, Episode 5: Babylon
Given the premise of this episode, I'll grant you that the timing on this one is a bit on the circumstantially wonky side. However, these write-ups are long overdue and I'd like to get at least one step closer to putting this one to bed.
Rather than dealing with aliens or monsters, this episode pits the agents against a radical Muslim terrorist cell. It should come as no surprise that there was a bit of backlash about the way the religion is portrayed. Now, Scully does throw in a line about how extremists are hardly indicative of the whole, and the terrorist's mother seemed good-hearted and genuinely sympathetic, but the overall execution was still flawed.
I was kind of disappointed to see the two Muslims in the opening be the ones responsible for the bombing. They were so easy going and every prayer they made was innocuous and positive. It seems like you could have easily had it be the work of others, with both he and his friend being victims of the attack, even if you were to say that it was radical Islamic terrorists who were responsible.
Or, if the episode's plot hinged on it being that guy, the writers could have used the black oil as a way to explain the behavior, especially given the drastic shift from "casually nomming on a PB+J" to suicide bombing. It would also bring back the myth arc, which has been surprisingly absent this series.
Those in the Muslim community shouldn't feel too bad, though. This episode stereotypes everybody. The Texans are all stereotypes, the doctor treating the terrorist spouses heavy handed strawperson dialogue, the Homeland Security agents are walking cliches (though at least nothing seemed to come from the "infiltrator" angle that was implied), and even the two guest FBI agents are stereotypes.
Yes we're introduced to a young male "believer" agent named Miller (Get it? It's similar to Mulder) who is played by Robbie "Firestorm" Amell. He is partnered with a red-headed female scientist and doctor agent (Get it? She's like Scully) named Einstein (because she's smart!)
Yeah, this episode is sorely lacking in subtlety. Both Amell and Ambrose (who plays Einstein) do what they can to give their characters distinct traits, but they are hindered by factors outside their control.
The episode isn't without its plus sides, though. Some of the banter is amusing. We also get to see Mulder trip out on shrooms. It was a fun sequence that led to some amusing cameos. It kind of wasted William B. Davis, but we got to see the Lone Gunmen again in a sensible context.
Also, the episode had a solid soundtrack. More shows need to find ways to incorporate Tom Waits' music into episodes.
Oddly, the episode doesn't really have much in the way of supernatural phenomenon. Mulder's attempt to use psychotropic drugs to communicate with someone who is comatose in order to uncover a future plot is about as close as the episode gets.
There is the thing with the trumpets, but nothing's ever done with it. It's basically an afterthought that is used to bookend the episode. It's a shame too, as it made for a great omen that big things beyond either agent's comprehension are about to happen. It would also follow up on the botched "end of the world" plot that the show tried to do with 2012. If anything, the show should have opened with that and built up something over the course of the season. Instead, you get the feeling that the whole thing is going to get rushed, what with only one episode left. I've heard mumblings that another season might be coming, but that has yet to be determined.
This episode had problems. There are things to like, but the writing makes it something of a mess. It's especially bad as you'd think that they would want momentum going into the big finale. Instead, it's a bit of a dud.
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Rather than dealing with aliens or monsters, this episode pits the agents against a radical Muslim terrorist cell. It should come as no surprise that there was a bit of backlash about the way the religion is portrayed. Now, Scully does throw in a line about how extremists are hardly indicative of the whole, and the terrorist's mother seemed good-hearted and genuinely sympathetic, but the overall execution was still flawed.
I was kind of disappointed to see the two Muslims in the opening be the ones responsible for the bombing. They were so easy going and every prayer they made was innocuous and positive. It seems like you could have easily had it be the work of others, with both he and his friend being victims of the attack, even if you were to say that it was radical Islamic terrorists who were responsible.
Or, if the episode's plot hinged on it being that guy, the writers could have used the black oil as a way to explain the behavior, especially given the drastic shift from "casually nomming on a PB+J" to suicide bombing. It would also bring back the myth arc, which has been surprisingly absent this series.
Those in the Muslim community shouldn't feel too bad, though. This episode stereotypes everybody. The Texans are all stereotypes, the doctor treating the terrorist spouses heavy handed strawperson dialogue, the Homeland Security agents are walking cliches (though at least nothing seemed to come from the "infiltrator" angle that was implied), and even the two guest FBI agents are stereotypes.
Yes we're introduced to a young male "believer" agent named Miller (Get it? It's similar to Mulder) who is played by Robbie "Firestorm" Amell. He is partnered with a red-headed female scientist and doctor agent (Get it? She's like Scully) named Einstein (because she's smart!)
Yeah, this episode is sorely lacking in subtlety. Both Amell and Ambrose (who plays Einstein) do what they can to give their characters distinct traits, but they are hindered by factors outside their control.
The episode isn't without its plus sides, though. Some of the banter is amusing. We also get to see Mulder trip out on shrooms. It was a fun sequence that led to some amusing cameos. It kind of wasted William B. Davis, but we got to see the Lone Gunmen again in a sensible context.
Also, the episode had a solid soundtrack. More shows need to find ways to incorporate Tom Waits' music into episodes.
Oddly, the episode doesn't really have much in the way of supernatural phenomenon. Mulder's attempt to use psychotropic drugs to communicate with someone who is comatose in order to uncover a future plot is about as close as the episode gets.
There is the thing with the trumpets, but nothing's ever done with it. It's basically an afterthought that is used to bookend the episode. It's a shame too, as it made for a great omen that big things beyond either agent's comprehension are about to happen. It would also follow up on the botched "end of the world" plot that the show tried to do with 2012. If anything, the show should have opened with that and built up something over the course of the season. Instead, you get the feeling that the whole thing is going to get rushed, what with only one episode left. I've heard mumblings that another season might be coming, but that has yet to be determined.
This episode had problems. There are things to like, but the writing makes it something of a mess. It's especially bad as you'd think that they would want momentum going into the big finale. Instead, it's a bit of a dud.
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Friday, March 18, 2016
The X-Files Season 10, Episode 4: Home Again
Oh yeah, I was writing about the X-Files mini-series, wasn't I? I should probably get back to that. Seems like a good idea, I think.
Now, contrary to what the title of this one may suggest, this episode does not feature the return of that homicidal inbred family. As fun as it is to have memorable villains come back, this episode focuses on another thing entirely. The closest you get to a callback is another sequence where someone is murdered while a cheery ditty plays over the scene.
While the villain is a mashup of all sorts of things: Vigo the Carpathian, the Golem/Frankenstein, Candy man, and even a hint of Slenderman; it fell flat. Don't get me wrong, the creepy parts were adequately creepy and the monster did kill his victims in a particularly brutal fashion. That being said, there wasn't a whole lot of mystery to it.
Really, circumstances led both Mulder and the viewer by the nose, robbing the episode of some suspense. Also, "band-aid nose man"? You could argue that "Fluke man" wasn't much better, but still. I think the writers could have tried a little harder with that one.
Where was Scully? You ask, well she gets a call saying that her mother is in the hospital and is at death's door. On the one hand, it sidelines her for a majority of the episode, which can be vexing. On the other, it gives the episode some emotional weight as Scully gets sent into a tailspin.
It actually ends up being the more memorable part of the episode, in no small part due to Gillian Anderson's performance. Scully's fairly stoic by nature and it isn't often that Anderson gets to flex her acting muscles, this gave her that chance and she performed admirably.
While the attempt to tie her tragedy into both the mystery of the week, as well as their son's fate was a little on the wonky side, it still managed to resonate for the most part.
I do have to say, though, taking the break might have worked for the best. If you're binge watching this, going from the amazing goofiness of "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster" to seeing Scully wrestle with the idea of taking her mother off life support is going to cause some pretty serious mood whiplash.
By and large, though, the episode was decent. Even the social commentary worked. I can't say that it was subtle, but it didn't bend over backwards and send characters on pointless side quests or have them act like idiots in order to hammer the point across. It was just an aspect of the case and the setting. That's a lot more than you'd get in most instances of writer's choosing to get up on a soapbox.
Now the next episode, from what I read, is fairly controversial, so that should be interesting. The promo looked harmless enough, though. Also, Robbie Amell is in it, so seeing the original Firestorm again should be fun.
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Now, contrary to what the title of this one may suggest, this episode does not feature the return of that homicidal inbred family. As fun as it is to have memorable villains come back, this episode focuses on another thing entirely. The closest you get to a callback is another sequence where someone is murdered while a cheery ditty plays over the scene.
While the villain is a mashup of all sorts of things: Vigo the Carpathian, the Golem/Frankenstein, Candy man, and even a hint of Slenderman; it fell flat. Don't get me wrong, the creepy parts were adequately creepy and the monster did kill his victims in a particularly brutal fashion. That being said, there wasn't a whole lot of mystery to it.
Really, circumstances led both Mulder and the viewer by the nose, robbing the episode of some suspense. Also, "band-aid nose man"? You could argue that "Fluke man" wasn't much better, but still. I think the writers could have tried a little harder with that one.
Where was Scully? You ask, well she gets a call saying that her mother is in the hospital and is at death's door. On the one hand, it sidelines her for a majority of the episode, which can be vexing. On the other, it gives the episode some emotional weight as Scully gets sent into a tailspin.
It actually ends up being the more memorable part of the episode, in no small part due to Gillian Anderson's performance. Scully's fairly stoic by nature and it isn't often that Anderson gets to flex her acting muscles, this gave her that chance and she performed admirably.
While the attempt to tie her tragedy into both the mystery of the week, as well as their son's fate was a little on the wonky side, it still managed to resonate for the most part.
I do have to say, though, taking the break might have worked for the best. If you're binge watching this, going from the amazing goofiness of "Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster" to seeing Scully wrestle with the idea of taking her mother off life support is going to cause some pretty serious mood whiplash.
By and large, though, the episode was decent. Even the social commentary worked. I can't say that it was subtle, but it didn't bend over backwards and send characters on pointless side quests or have them act like idiots in order to hammer the point across. It was just an aspect of the case and the setting. That's a lot more than you'd get in most instances of writer's choosing to get up on a soapbox.
Now the next episode, from what I read, is fairly controversial, so that should be interesting. The promo looked harmless enough, though. Also, Robbie Amell is in it, so seeing the original Firestorm again should be fun.
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Tuesday, January 26, 2016
The X-Files Season 10, Episode 1: My Struggle
You might recall some time ago, I wrote episode write ups for "The X-Files" on Reviewstream. Much like with "Breaking Bad", the plan was to go through and do the whole series, but said plan was brought to a halt around the time I hit the middle of season 3, when the site stopped taking episode reviews. Unlike "Breaking Bad", however, I likely won't go back and write up the remaining episodes. I hadn't seen "Breaking Bad" yet, so it was on my to-watch list anyway. It also took a lot less time. While I could potentially give the show a re-watch once my Netflix queue and to-read piles clear out, that's years off in the distance.
However, this 6 episode relaunch presented me with a chance to revisit the franchise while still covering something more current. As such, I figured, what the heck?
Truth be told, this series was fighting an uphill battle. As any X-Files fan would tell you, the last two seasons were less than stellar. They later tried to revive interest in the franchise with another cinematic outing, which SUUUCKED. Add to that the amount of time that has passed, and you have to wonder if people would even care.
Still, hope springs eternal and I wanted to believe that the series would reclaim its former glory. So far, though, it hasn't.
You'd think that the show would come out swinging, but it doesn't really bring a whole lot to the table. The big mystery that brings the two agents back together is really flat and there isn't much in the way of tension.
It isn't helped by the acting, which is really lackluster. The actress who plays Sveta, a young woman who claims to have been abducted and impregnated by aliens like Scully, is the only one who seems to put any effort into it. Everyone else is just kind of there with no feeling behind it. Even when emotions do try to come into it, it doesn't work. That "argument" between Mulder and Scully on the porch was groan inducing. It suffers from stilted performances and another problem: the dialogue itself.
The writing here doesn't fare much better. It's clear that Carter has no idea where he wanted the story to go as the episode tosses its own myth arc under the bus to try to pitch the inane idea that it was all an elaborate hoax. This came up back in the original show and it didn't stick, so one wonders why they thought it would be a good idea to rehash it.
Attempts are made to "modernize" the franchise by injecting current event based social commentary into the equation. This might shock you, but it doesn't work. I'm sorry, I don't buy that we had free energy since the 50's, but the mean ol' oil companies buried it. Mulder's theory about how the government is trying to take over the world is an even tougher pill to swallow. Credit to Scully for listing all the reasons his idea is stupid. Considering how most X-Files episodes ended up having Mulder be right, it was nice to see her put one in her win column.
Of course, it all turns out to be moot as the original story seems to reassert itself at the episode's end, both with Sveta's death and the return of (SPOILER ALERT!) the smoking man.
I'm sorry, this reveal was meh. He was a great character and William B. Davis was always fun to watch, but the guy took a sidewinder missile point blank to the face. I know he's cheated death before, but that seemed pretty definitive.
There are still 5 episodes left, so the return might still prove worthwhile. I'm not sure how much the myth arc will advance since I hear that half of the episodes will be stand alone "monster of the week" episodes. Honestly, that's not a bad thing since both have their place in the series and both have their supporters. Nevertheless, if this episode is any indicator, it seems like "The X-Files" is going to be a franchise best left in the past.
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However, this 6 episode relaunch presented me with a chance to revisit the franchise while still covering something more current. As such, I figured, what the heck?
Truth be told, this series was fighting an uphill battle. As any X-Files fan would tell you, the last two seasons were less than stellar. They later tried to revive interest in the franchise with another cinematic outing, which SUUUCKED. Add to that the amount of time that has passed, and you have to wonder if people would even care.
Still, hope springs eternal and I wanted to believe that the series would reclaim its former glory. So far, though, it hasn't.
You'd think that the show would come out swinging, but it doesn't really bring a whole lot to the table. The big mystery that brings the two agents back together is really flat and there isn't much in the way of tension.
It isn't helped by the acting, which is really lackluster. The actress who plays Sveta, a young woman who claims to have been abducted and impregnated by aliens like Scully, is the only one who seems to put any effort into it. Everyone else is just kind of there with no feeling behind it. Even when emotions do try to come into it, it doesn't work. That "argument" between Mulder and Scully on the porch was groan inducing. It suffers from stilted performances and another problem: the dialogue itself.
The writing here doesn't fare much better. It's clear that Carter has no idea where he wanted the story to go as the episode tosses its own myth arc under the bus to try to pitch the inane idea that it was all an elaborate hoax. This came up back in the original show and it didn't stick, so one wonders why they thought it would be a good idea to rehash it.
Attempts are made to "modernize" the franchise by injecting current event based social commentary into the equation. This might shock you, but it doesn't work. I'm sorry, I don't buy that we had free energy since the 50's, but the mean ol' oil companies buried it. Mulder's theory about how the government is trying to take over the world is an even tougher pill to swallow. Credit to Scully for listing all the reasons his idea is stupid. Considering how most X-Files episodes ended up having Mulder be right, it was nice to see her put one in her win column.
Of course, it all turns out to be moot as the original story seems to reassert itself at the episode's end, both with Sveta's death and the return of (SPOILER ALERT!) the smoking man.
I'm sorry, this reveal was meh. He was a great character and William B. Davis was always fun to watch, but the guy took a sidewinder missile point blank to the face. I know he's cheated death before, but that seemed pretty definitive.
There are still 5 episodes left, so the return might still prove worthwhile. I'm not sure how much the myth arc will advance since I hear that half of the episodes will be stand alone "monster of the week" episodes. Honestly, that's not a bad thing since both have their place in the series and both have their supporters. Nevertheless, if this episode is any indicator, it seems like "The X-Files" is going to be a franchise best left in the past.
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