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Started an X-Files rewatch.
Going to leave thoughts on each episode as I go, so THREAD!
Season 1, Episode 1 - "Pilot"
Great intro to the show. Solid chemistry between Mulder and Scully right off the bat. Suitably unexplained ending. First appearance of Cigarette-Smoking-Man (CSM from now on to save space).
Great intro to the show. Solid chemistry between Mulder and Scully right off the bat. Suitably unexplained ending. First appearance of Cigarette-Smoking-Man (CSM from now on to save space).
Season 1, Episode 2 - "Deep Throat"
A super-young Seth Green appears! Fun first taste of the overarching conspiracy storyline. The guy running the motel looks A LOT like Dan Castellaneta. A lot of reacting to off-screen sound-effects.
A super-young Seth Green appears! Fun first taste of the overarching conspiracy storyline. The guy running the motel looks A LOT like Dan Castellaneta. A lot of reacting to off-screen sound-effects.
Season 1, Episode 3 - "Squeeze"
Super memorable episode - I based part of the plot of the recent PWD Cthulhu storyline on this ep. Genuinely creepy villain/monster plot and motivation. I like how aware Mulder is that everyone finds him 'spooky' and just kinda makes fun of it.
Super memorable episode - I based part of the plot of the recent PWD Cthulhu storyline on this ep. Genuinely creepy villain/monster plot and motivation. I like how aware Mulder is that everyone finds him 'spooky' and just kinda makes fun of it.
Season 1, Episode 4 - "Conduit"
Strong Close Encounters vibes in this one. Good intro to the Mulder's Sister plotline. Otherwise, I think they tried to cram a little too many different elements into this episode, which left it feeling a little unfocused to me.
Strong Close Encounters vibes in this one. Good intro to the Mulder's Sister plotline. Otherwise, I think they tried to cram a little too many different elements into this episode, which left it feeling a little unfocused to me.
Season 1, Episode 5 - "Jersey Devil"
I'm a big fan of the 'Uncooperative Local Law Enforcement' trope. First hint of Mulder's porn consumption as a running joke. Otherwise kind of a forgettable filler episode. I burst out laughing at the camera panning to this drawing.
I'm a big fan of the 'Uncooperative Local Law Enforcement' trope. First hint of Mulder's porn consumption as a running joke. Otherwise kind of a forgettable filler episode. I burst out laughing at the camera panning to this drawing.
Season 1, Episode 6 - "Shadows"
Solid episode that i'd completely forgotten from previous watches. A good ghost story that doesn't try to explain the "how" of the ghost. Some great 'being attacked by something invisible' acting.
Solid episode that i'd completely forgotten from previous watches. A good ghost story that doesn't try to explain the "how" of the ghost. Some great 'being attacked by something invisible' acting.
Season 1, Episode 7 - "Ghost in the Machine"
First episode so far that doesn't really hold up at all to me. Cheesy killer-computer plot that feels super dated. Scully's PC is being hacked at one point so she gets a phone trace run on it
. Good to see Deep-Throat return though.
First episode so far that doesn't really hold up at all to me. Cheesy killer-computer plot that feels super dated. Scully's PC is being hacked at one point so she gets a phone trace run on it
. Good to see Deep-Throat return though.
Season 1, Episode 8 - "Ice"
This is more like it. Solid homage to The Thing. Guest cast is full of great "Oh, I know them!" Actors. The isolation and paranoia of the "Who's infected?" plot is really well done. Plus there's a cool dog in it.
This is more like it. Solid homage to The Thing. Guest cast is full of great "Oh, I know them!" Actors. The isolation and paranoia of the "Who's infected?" plot is really well done. Plus there's a cool dog in it.
Season 1, Episode 9 - "Space"
Not a good episode. Worst of the season (IMDB agrees). An astronaut is haunted by an evil space ghost. Episode leans on a LOT of stock NASA footage. The sabotage of the Space Shuttle plotline feels in really bad taste, given the Challenger disaster.
Not a good episode. Worst of the season (IMDB agrees). An astronaut is haunted by an evil space ghost. Episode leans on a LOT of stock NASA footage. The sabotage of the Space Shuttle plotline feels in really bad taste, given the Challenger disaster.
Season 1, Episode 10 - "Fallen Angel"
I like this episode. It's got it all - Mulder going off on an unauthorised investigation; A weirdo in a campervan; the dude who plays the crazy general hiding in a cupboard in Starship Troopers. Solid government cover-up UFO story.
I like this episode. It's got it all - Mulder going off on an unauthorised investigation; A weirdo in a campervan; the dude who plays the crazy general hiding in a cupboard in Starship Troopers. Solid government cover-up UFO story.
Season 1, Episode 11 - "Eve"
Nothing creepier than evil children. Evil children who murder!
Interesting take on the whole genetic experimentation thing. Good guest cast.
Nothing creepier than evil children. Evil children who murder!
Interesting take on the whole genetic experimentation thing. Good guest cast.
Season 1, Episode 12 - "Fire"
Not as bad as I remembered it being, but still not one of the best. Fairly cheesy script. Everyone British is THE MOST BRITISH. Obvious Firestarter vibes are obvious. Scully's lack of patience for Mulder's ex is pretty great though.
Not as bad as I remembered it being, but still not one of the best. Fairly cheesy script. Everyone British is THE MOST BRITISH. Obvious Firestarter vibes are obvious. Scully's lack of patience for Mulder's ex is pretty great though.
Season 1, Episode 13 - "Beyond the Sea"
Truly a stand-out episode.
Scully's vision of her father (General Hammond!) is genuinely terrifying. Brad Dourif shows us how acting is done, as usual. Interesting flip of usual Mulder/Scully dynamic. Great Scully episode all around.
Truly a stand-out episode.
Scully's vision of her father (General Hammond!) is genuinely terrifying. Brad Dourif shows us how acting is done, as usual. Interesting flip of usual Mulder/Scully dynamic. Great Scully episode all around.
Seriously, I can't stress enough how good that episode is. If you only watch one episode of the show, watch that one.
The same can not be said for...
The same can not be said for...
Season 1, Episode 14 - "Genderbender"
The idea of an isolated religious group performing weird ceremonies is still an interesting concept, but I feel the way the episode's titular antagonist is handled really doesn't hold up. Lots unexplained, but not in a good way. Skippable.
The idea of an isolated religious group performing weird ceremonies is still an interesting concept, but I feel the way the episode's titular antagonist is handled really doesn't hold up. Lots unexplained, but not in a good way. Skippable.
Season 1, Episode 15 - "Lazarus"
Interesting take on a possession ghost story, although feels slightly dated in parts. The guy playing Willis is really good. My favourite character though is the gum-chewing agent who has no time for Mulder and is super blasé at the murder scene.
Interesting take on a possession ghost story, although feels slightly dated in parts. The guy playing Willis is really good. My favourite character though is the gum-chewing agent who has no time for Mulder and is super blasé at the murder scene.
Season 1, Episode 16 - "Young At Heart"
I like the tie-in to Mulder's first case at the FBI. Great worldbuilding, and the events-repeating-themselves nature of the hostage situation is well done. The bad guy has a great bad guy face.
I like the tie-in to Mulder's first case at the FBI. Great worldbuilding, and the events-repeating-themselves nature of the hostage situation is well done. The bad guy has a great bad guy face.
Season 1, Episode 17 - "E.B.E."
Great episode. The UFO episodes are definitely some of the strongest. First appearance of the Lone Gunmen, and Deep Throat pops up again. Some solid clandestine meeting locations too.
Great Scully line - "The truth is out there, but so are lies."
Great episode. The UFO episodes are definitely some of the strongest. First appearance of the Lone Gunmen, and Deep Throat pops up again. Some solid clandestine meeting locations too.
Great Scully line - "The truth is out there, but so are lies."
Season 1, Episode 18 - "Miracle Man"
Interesting take on the evangelical/faith-healing thing, which really isn't something we have over here.
The guy playing Samuel looks like Hayden Christensen.
Fairly solid episode, just not really one of my favourites.
Interesting take on the evangelical/faith-healing thing, which really isn't something we have over here.
The guy playing Samuel looks like Hayden Christensen.
Fairly solid episode, just not really one of my favourites.
Season 1, Episode 19 - "Shapes"
Really great lycanthropy story. The episode holds up pretty well, but some of the twists feel a bit telegraphed, viewed with a modern eye.
Good to see Doc Cottle from Battlestar Galactica in this episode, rocking a big moustache.
Really great lycanthropy story. The episode holds up pretty well, but some of the twists feel a bit telegraphed, viewed with a modern eye.
Good to see Doc Cottle from Battlestar Galactica in this episode, rocking a big moustache.
Season 1, Episode 20 - "Darkness Falls"
A pretty great episode, although noticeably kind of similar, plot-wise, to 'Ice', earlier in the season, in that it's predicated on an ancient microscopic thing being released accidentally by modern man, which ends up affecting M&S.
A pretty great episode, although noticeably kind of similar, plot-wise, to 'Ice', earlier in the season, in that it's predicated on an ancient microscopic thing being released accidentally by modern man, which ends up affecting M&S.
Had an urge to return to this thread this evening, so rewatched Season 1, Episode 3 - "Squeeze", before going straight into its sequel....
Season 1, Episode 21 - "Tooms"
A really great second-part to the Eugene Victor Tooms story. Good to show how outside the context of the original episode, M&S's findings didn't really hold up in court. EVT not quite as scary now that you know what he can do though. Great episode.
A really great second-part to the Eugene Victor Tooms story. Good to show how outside the context of the original episode, M&S's findings didn't really hold up in court. EVT not quite as scary now that you know what he can do though. Great episode.
