Original Air Date: December 15, 1995 Episode Grade: B- And we’re back to a monster-of-the-week episode. Not only that, but it’s a Scully-centric episode! Gillian Anderson is awesome in “Revelations,” although the episode itself seems out of place in the larger world of The X-Files. It equates Scully’s belief in God and miracles with Mulder’s […]
Original Air Date: December 1, 1995 Episode Grade: B It’s no secret that the mythology episodes of The X-Files leave me cold. Despite some really excellent work by guest star Stephen McHattie, “731” didn’t have me on the edge of my seat. Maybe it’s because I don’t really care about aliens. Sorry, Mulder. Recap: After a brief […]
Original Air Date: November 24, 1995 Episode Grade: C+ I’ve never really enjoyed the mythology episodes of The X-Files. I don’t find aliens or vast government conspiracies to be that interesting, and I think this show is better when it takes itself less seriously. “Nisei” has a lot of problems—unwieldy action sequences, out-of-character behavior […]
Original Air Date: November 17, 1995 Episode Grade: B A dark and slow-moving episode, “Oubliette” plays out more like Criminal Minds than The X-Files. David Duchovny received a lot of praise for his work in this episode, but I found him to be extra mumblesome. Also, Scully is weirdly bitchy in “Oubliette,” and her insistence that […]
Original Air Date: November 10, 1995 Episode Grade: C “The Walk,” despite some excellent makeup effects and a couple of badass moments from Scully, isn’t exactly classic X-Files material. Recap: A doctor chats with a patient about his repeated suicide attempts, which he describes as cries for help. The patient insists that “He won’t […]
Original Air Date: November 3, 1995 Episode Grade: B I admit that I have a soft spot for “dangers of online dating” stories from the mid-90s. This episode was actually pretty good, though. The killer was very reminiscent of Tooms and the plot wasn’t exactly groundbreaking, but the way it approaches the vulnerability of the […]
Original Air Date: October 20, 1995 Episode Grade: D While interesting from a technical perspective (the green filters on most interior scenes, the complicated set that sent the production wildly over-budget, and the use of REAL MAGGOTS), this episode is both gross and boring. It would be hard for any episode to follow the phenomenal […]
Original Air Date: October 13, 1995 This episode usually makes everyone’s top ten list, and there’s a good reason. It’s phenomenal. Writer Darin Morgan won an Emmy for the script, while guest star Peter Boyle won one for his wonderfully understated performance. It’s a densely plotted, philosophical, and quietly funny episode that only gets better […]
Original Air Date: October 6, 1995 Episode Grade: B After the heavy mythology of the previous episodes, “D.P.O.” is a refreshing change of pace. Guest stars Giovani Ribisi and Jack Black (yes, that Jack Black) are particularly good in their small-town slacker roles. Recap: We begin in an arcade. A hunch-shouldered Giovanni Ribisi picks a […]
Original Air Date: September 29, 1995 Episode Grade: B The second half of the third season opener is better than the first. Highlights include the Lone Gunmen, Nazi scientists, and Skinner being a stone-cold badass. Recap: After a frenetic recap of the past two episodes, we get more voiceovering from Albert Hosteen, in which Mulder […]
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