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matt_zimmerAlso reviews for the latest episodes of Smallville, TMNT: Back to the Sewer and Heroes.
TMNT: Back to the Sewer "Incredible Shrinking Serling"
This wasn't so hot simply because Serling isn't a strong enough character to base an entire episode around. Cool seeing Splinter again though. **1/2.
Heroes "Chapter Seven: Eris Quod Sum"
This episode was kind of a good news, bad news kind of deal. The good: the show is laying on the threat REALLY thick compared to last season but unlike the first season isn't making it seem too hopeless or inevitable. It reminds me of the first half of Buffy: Season Seven. Hopefully this will pay off better than that ultimately did.
The bad: SO many alliance and loyalty shifts have almost gotten me to the point where I've just stopped caring. What's the point in investing emotionally in characters whose personalities which change based on what "surprise" twist Tim Kring decides to throw at the audience at random? With the exception of Matt, I've stopped caring about the characters (even Hiro!) completely.
So: okay. Not great, but the season has done worse. I don't have high hopes for the rest of the season. **1/2.
Smallville "Prey"
Gotta say, they are taking an interesting tack with their Doomsday scenario. Granted, I'm not sure it will ultimately work but at least it's different. The DCAU was EXCELLENT at taking concepts from the original DC Comics and either streamlining them or improving them or both. Smallville has been less successful with this probably because it like the Bryan Singer version slobbers lovingly over the Christopher Reeves version and relies too heavily on that.
So, an interesting episode but I wouldn't call it an outright good one. ***1/2.
The Simpsons: The Eleventh Season
I've heard tell from fans that this is the very worst season of The Simpsons. Bullplop. A lot of mediocrity towards the end of the season (although the season finale is fabulous) but the first half of the season, if not even being CLOSE to up to snuff to the Golden Years is still quite enjoyable.
I prefer the Mike Scully years to the Al Jean years because he produced the occasional great episode despite the fact that he also produced a great deal of stinkers.
The best episodes of the year the still-funny Beyond Blunderdome, the nice Christmas special Grift of the Magi, the woefully underrated and hilarious Little Big Mom, and the outstanding VHI spoof Behind the Laughter.
Worst episodes are Eight Mishavin' (I've had about enough of Apu and Manjula), The Weird rubberneck I-wish-I-could-turn-away-but-I'm afraid-the-world-would-be-destroyed (Saddlesore Galactica), and the least appealing guest character ever in Little Vicki (Last Tap Dance in Springfield). Season overall: ***.
Beyond Blunderdome: This episode is MUCH less appealing for this go-round after knowing Mel Gibson's personal (and mental) problems have wrecked his career and likability factor. But it's still so much fun. Homer and Mel's ending to the Mr. Smith Goes to Washington remake is still a classic and I love that Homer spends the first half of the episode as Gibson's antagonist. ****1/2.
Brother's Little Helper: Bart is hilarious doped up on Focusin and I love that his pupils are tiny and he's ceased blinking. Pretty funny. ****.
Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner: I've always liked this one for some reason. Not many outstanding gags and the plot is only so-so but I think it works. ***1/2.
Treehouse of Horror X: Good first segment, GREAT second segment, and weak last segment. I Know What You Diddly-Iddly Did: A lot of great gags in this. My favorites were Homer channeling that OTHER famous (but much more notorious) Simpson and the Super Sugar Crisp bit at the beginning. ****. Desperately Xeeking Xena: One of those classics Mike Scully could occasionally produce, this was awesome. Lucy Lawless does a GREAT guest turn as Xena and Comic Book Guy is simply brilliant as The Collector. *****. Life's a Glitch, Then You Die: This is SUCH a disappointment on every level. This SHOULD have been a great cartoon by all means but they completely phoned in all of the gags. It didn't help that Family Guy delivered a Millennium episode that same year that blew it out of the water. It's not terrible but considering the wasted potential it just feels like it is. **. Episode Overall: ****.
E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt): I found a lot of this VERY funny. And yes, at this point in the series the first half of the season is always better than the last half. Best line goes to Ralph Wiggum (natch): "This tastes like Grandma!" ****'.
Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder: This first act of this was hilarious (NOT Lenny!) and the second act was good (Ron Howard as the jerkish version of himself is always money in the bank) but the last act was only okay. I like it when the series does cute, touching stuff but the first half of this show was too wild to believably pull it off in the end. ***1/2.
Eight Misbehavin': I loved the surprise twist of Apu marrying Manjula at the end of her debut episode but I think the writers felt boxed in by that twist and unfortunately wrote themselves into a corner in this episode. Aside from the questionable idea of SERIOUSLY shaking up The Simpsons canon the writers have obviously NEVER enjoyed marrying Apu off and basically ruined the character in later seasons by making him despicable. He isn't actually bad in this episode but the writers have pulled SO many unfunny gags and plots (at the expense of his honor) out of this move (that they obviously hated in hindsight) that I just can't enjoy it. Plus, it's not that funny. *.
Take My Wife, Sleaze: MUCH funnier than the concept SHOULD have been, I place all of the credit for that nice surprise with John Goodman and Henry Winkler as the fussy bikers. I enjoyed this a lot. ****.
Grift of the Magi: Hysterical guest turn by Gary Colemon and a very cool plot about an evil toy, I loved this episode. Best line goes to Homer reciting his Christmas Track Record: "So this will be 3 Christmases I saved, versus 8 I ruined; two were kind of a draw") . ****1/2.
Little Big Mom: I am going to say something controversial: this episode (hated by Simpsons fans) contains the funniest and best string of gags of the entire series. Outside of the Gay Steel Mill in Homer's Phobia nothing has ever come CLOSE to topping Bart distracting Homer with the promise of the drummer from Bread (SO funny on SO many levels) and the "Stupid Sexy Flanders!" gag complete with Homer's crotch repeatedly pounding into the snow. NOTHING. Not to mention Homer's grocery list made me laugh out loud. Yes, the ending kind of sucks but the hatred thrown at this near-classic is so infuriating that I'm going to give it a perfect score, not because it deserves it, but on general principle. *****.
Faith Off: Like Little Big Mom this episode starts off near-flawlessly and has a weak ending. However this episode's ending is SO weak that it doesn't recover in my mind like the previous episode. Don Cheadle is hilarious as Brother Faith ("Wow, that's a good angle") and Bart give some truly classic lines (after being told he has been given "The Power" from God by Brother Faith Bart says "I would think he would want to LIMIT my power".). But the football ending is SO sucky that it detracts completely from the larger picture. ***1/2.
The Mansion Family: Lots of funny gags disguise a REALLY weak story. Best bits were with Mr. Burns at the Mayo Clinic. ***.
Saddlesore Galactica: Bewildering episode that contains the single worst original song the show has ever done. Bart horseracing was cool (and the Comic Book Guy gags were funny) but this outing is SO bizarre and unfunny at points that I'm not sure what to make of it. It's like watching a train-wreck and wondering where to get the same drugs the writers were obviously on. 1/2.
Alone Again Natura-Diddly: This episode is notable for being the tenth anniversary episode where the producers promised to kill off a character for good. It was truly shocking that it was Maude Flanders when it first aired (it jeopardized Ned's entire perfect family shtick) and I still think it was even ballsier than if they had killed off Ned himself. I LOVE Shawn Colvin as Rachel Jordan who is one of the best guest stars EVER and am furious that they only brought the character back once. She would have been a perfect foil for Ned especially since she was set-up as one. Grrrr. ***1/2.
Missionary: Impossible: I'm torn. On the one hand this episode has a lot of great gags at the expense of PBS. But once Homer becomes a missionary the episode literally falls apart. So much so in fact that they couldn't think of an ending and resorted to Fox interrupting the broadcast to beg for pledges. I laughed at the audacity but it was still stupid. This episode is notable for taking the first (but definitely not last) shot against Family Guy. **1/2.
Pygmoelian: All-right but I think the show is just throwing up every possible scenario at this point and seeing what sticks. **1/2.
Bart to the Future: Entertainment Weekly branded this as the absolute "Worst episode EVER" but that's hyperbole. I can think of quite a few episodes that sucked harder. It just seems worse than it actually is because it is literally inviting comparisons to Lisa's Wedding which is an undisputed classic. *1/2.
Days of Wine and D'Oh'es: I though it was a gutsy move to put Barney in rehab (his entire shtick is being a drunk) but they retconned it in later seasons which I think was probably for the best. **1/2.
Kill the Alligator and Run: I think this episode gets a MUCH worse rap than it actually deserves. It at least proves the saying that even the worst episodes of the show are better than 99% of television. I'd truthfully put that ratio at 85% but I still enjoyed it somewhat. **1/2.
Last Tap Dance in Springfield: This was awful. I'm trying to think of a saving grace for this episode but I can't. Miss Vicki is truly unpleasant. Maybe that was the point, but I didn't feel like spending half an hour with her. *.
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge: I was enjoying this up until the very last scene. This episode was funny enough to have deserved a better resolution than what we were given. ***1/2.
Behind the Laughter: This was wild and funny. I love it when the show does experimental shows like this one (and Springfield Up) and wish they took more chances in the later seasons. This was awesome and a dead-on parody of Behind the Music. Greatness: ****1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Beyond Blunderdome:
That Engine Sure is Quiet: I can see why they cut this. Ned sobbing over someone's tomb (presumably Maude's) wrecks continuity and presumably spoils whose death is coming in the tenth anniversary episode. Fascinating find though. ***1/2.
Mel Relax: I liked this. Funny Jack Burns run. ***1/2.
Alternate Ending: Truly funny and almost a shame they didn't use it. It certainly was a happier ending for Homer. ****1/2.
Easter Egg 1: Brief scene featuring gorillas and Micheal Jackson (!). ***.
Easter Egg 2: This scene was almost prophetic in the idea of Mel getting in trouble with the law only it was MUCH more charitable on what the fall-out would be than was warranted. ****.
Deleted Scene: Brother's Little Helper:
Security Breach: Cute army answering machine. ***.
Deleted Scenes: Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner:
Can Someone Scratch It?: Eeeewwww! **1/2.
Cable Guy All Over My Hands: Funny but too brief to recommend. And the Kit Kat gag was weird. **1/2.
No Lesson To Be Learned Here: GREAT alternate ending and a shot at the fans. I wish they had actually used this one in the episode. ****1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Treehouse of Horror X:
Poor Lenny / Carl: Lots of continuity problems in this one so I see why it was cut. **.
Fire And Blood Squishy: Funny. ***.
Deleted Scenes: Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder:
The Pin Boys Escape: This made no sense. **.
Homer Simpson Blvd.: Lame but the pay-off would have been funnier. **1/2.
Hey, Are Those Hookers?: Excellent pay-off to the first part of the joke. ***1/2.
You're Not Cashew Material: Boring. *1/2.
Cootie Catcher: Kind of gross. *1/2.
Easter Egg: They should have left this in. It would have been the show's first ever reference to Family Guy along with shout-outs to Futurama, King of the Hill and The PJs. *****.
Deleted Scenes: Eight Misbehavin':
Baby Tagging: Hilarious Garry Marshall riff. This should have been in the episode. *****.
Easter Egg: Kind of funny, kind of gross. ***.
Deleted Scenes: Take My Wife, Sleaze:
My Old 53 Chevy: More Grandpa! Hooray! ***1/2.
I'm Gonna Gouge My Eyes Out: This made me laugh. ****.
Easter Egg: Most of the Easter Eggs are wicked brief and this is no exception. **1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Grift of the Magi:
Narnia Is For Wussies: I kind of hate Narnia too. ***1/2.
In The Penthouse: I love singin' dogs. ***.
Deleted Scenes: Little Big Mom:
Baby Luge: Too quick to be funny. **1/2.
A Tip For Lisa: I love it when Marge gives Lisa advice. ***1/2.
Easter Egg 1: No insurance=instantanious cure. SPOT-FREAKING-ON. ***1/2.
Easter Egg 2: This confused me. **.
Deleted Scenes: Faith Off:
Diet Snapple!: Funniest. Product Placement. EVER! ****1/2.
Wedgie: Good joke at Martin's expense. ***1/2.
Easter Egg: I couldn't stop laughing. Hilarious. ****1/2.
Deleted Scenes: The Mansion Family:
Oldest Man In Town?: Poor Jasper. Funny dig at Sandra Berhard too. ***1/2.
Smudge!: These deleted scenes are a cute bit of running gags featuring Marge and Lisa breaking a huge window. ***1/2.
My Windowla!: REALLY brief continuation of the running Windowla gag. ***.
Run For It!: I personally think the episode had the Simpsons leave in a better manner than this alternate ending. Too cartoony for it's own good. **.
Easter Egg 1: This starts off funny but the jokes ends weakly. **1/2.
Easter Egg 2: You mean it's all right to desecrate the sacred McDonald's flag? ***.
Deleted Scenes: Saddlesore Galactica:
Chocolate Stream!: This was another weird gag from a weird episode. But it made me laugh. ***.
No Cheering: Oh, my lord this gag was hilarious. This episode could have used better jokes and they cut out a winner. It's a classic Simpsons gag. *****.
Easter Egg: What's a moon bounce? **1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Alone Again Natura-Diddly:
Clean Sinuses: You're right, Dr. Hibbert. It WASN'T funny. *1/2.
Better Than Hope Floats: Good dig at a bad movie. ***.
Easter Egg 1: Homer's butt is drawn weird here. At least we get one last glimpse of Maude though. ***.
Easter Egg 2: Funny Homer and Marge interplay. ***1/2.
Deleted Scene: Missionary: Impossible:
Where's My Show?: Great gag. ****.
Deleted Scene: Pygmoelian:
Tad? Where Are You?: I didn't get this joke. **1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Bart to the Future:
I Can Hear You Winking: I like this because it's shows that in the future Ned Flanders is pretty on-the-ball. ***1/2.
I'd Make You VP: Boring Alternate Ending. **.
Easter Egg: This should have been in the episode. It was GREAT seeing an adult Maggie as an astronaut and I think the episode could have used a little bit more of the whole family to tie it together. Even though she never spoke in Lisa's Wedding Maggie STILL got multiple scenes. ****1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Days of Wine and D'Oh'es:
Your God Is Not On Trial: Homer is a funny drunk. ***.
Easter Egg: Buddha sprinkler. I love it. ***1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Kill the Alligator and Run:
Show Us Your Boobs: I liked this this. I love it when the show acknowledges that Marge is Hot in the Simpsonsverse. ***.
Alligator Funeral: This needed to be in the episode as it explains the gator re-entrance at the end of the episode. ****.
Deleted Scenes: Last Tap Dance In Springfield:
Glasses In An Hour?: So brief (it lasts about a total of three seconds) I have no idea why they included this. **.
We'll Catch That Mall Rat: Funny Chief Wiggum silliness. ****
Work That Wishin' Well: Milhouse in goggles! ***1/2.
Who Needs Tickets?: Not me! I like the idea of a scalper at a kids recital. ***.
Easter Egg: I always loved the "Stan's" jingle from ths episode and I was delighted there was another verse (this time sung to "Bingo"). This would have been even funnier in the episode. *****.
I Cheat Death And Save...: Poor birdies. This made me sad. **1/2.
Drown Her In The Bathtub: Always good to get more Patty and Selma. ***1/2.
It's Our Duty: The Simpsons are a Neilson family? **1/2.
Deleted Scene: Behind the Laughter:
Easter Egg: Yes, there IS a deleted scene from this gem of an episode but you have to look for it. It builds on the hilarious Marge's diaphragm joke. ****.
Season 11 DVD Menus: I loved the circus motif for this year. My favorite gags in the menus are Handsome Moe slamming his face into the railing and Flanders turning into a werewolf on the Ferris Wheel: ****.
The X-Files: The Complete Seventh Season
The Seventh Season of the X-Files is the final Mulder and Scully season before David Duchovny left the show to return only part time for season eight and the series finale in season nine. By the time we get to the end of the season you can tell that the show is making the most of the Mulder/ Scully 'ship while they still can which only makes his absense in the last two seasons hurt that much more.
I personally believe that it was at the very end of the season when Mulder was abducted and Scully turned out to be pregnant when the show jumped the shark. It had been somewhat shaky for a couple of seasons now but that was the point of no return.
The season premiere, The Sixth Extinction made me realize something about this show that has turned out to be it's biggest flaw: all of the really cool stuff that this show promises either hasn't happened yet or always happens off screen. In the second part, Amor Fati you see a nightmare image of aliens destroying the Earth in Armageddon. Why haven't we seen any spaceship battles on the series or even the movies? Why is it that we've only seen the aliens SO briefly that we don't even know what they're called or what planet they're from? The alien rebellion that was mentioned during seasons five and six occurred completely off-screen so we can only take the characters' words that that is what happened. In fact, we've seen SO little action that even though we never quite bought the fourth season finale's premise that the whole alien thing was a hoax we could definitely believe that the characters would because they have usually been left out of most of the action we've seen.
I'm venting now but the season finale to this season is the thing that really soured me on the series as a whole (although season eight's cliffhanger was twenty times worse). I also thought it was a mistake for the series to reveal that Samantha Mulder was dead. She was the Holy Grail of the series and even though it was good for Mulder to get closure before Duchovny left it left a gaping hole in the whole purpose of the series that I don't personally think it ever recovered from.
There are some good things about the season. The first half is relatively strong and has a bunch of cool episodes. My personal pick for best episode of the season is the Millennium crossover which MOST Millennium fans think sucked but I don't. Best episodes of the season are the afformentioned Millennium, the fun The Goldberg Variation, the Sein Und Zeit/ Closure two-parter which despite ruining the series larger themes was never-the-less excellent, William B. Davis's (Cigarette-Smoking Man's) writing debut En Ami (which turned out to be one of his last roles on the series), and the genie episode Je Souhaite which I liked in spite of it's goofiness.
Worst episodes of the year are the cliched and predictable Rush, and possibly the worst episode of the series and definitely the season (Fight Club). Season Overall: ***1/2.
The Sixth Extinction: Cool season premiere which was brilliant in the fact that it brought Micheal Kritschgau back to help Mulder. As I thought, he IS a good guy (even though Krycek killed him the next episode). I love that Mulder knows Skinner is compromised but isn't mad at him since it isn't his fault. ****.
The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati: Amor Fati (Love of Fate). A mixed bag I think. I LOVED seeing Albert Hosteen again in his last role on the series. Likewise I didn't realize how much I missed Jerry Hardin until seeing Deep Throat reunite with Mulder in his dream. But I think the episode was a little too non-linear for it's own good. I didn't mind so much that everything Mulder experienced turned out to be a dream, but... it was kind of hard to follow especially since they were cutting real-world events into the story. This episode also glaringly points out the fact that all of the most exciting things on this show either happen off-screen or are promised but never delivered upon. This is the last episode for Diana Fowley and Kritschgau too (they were also murdered) and the one where it is confirmed, that yes, the Cigarette-Smoking Man is Mulder's father. ***1/2.
Hungry: I think the ending to this episode is superb and completely unexpected. The therapist's suprising empathy for the monster turned what would otherwise be a rote monster-of-the-week outing into something truly touching and memorable. I also like the fact that the entire episode is from the perspective of the monster. ****.
Millennium: I think this episode is completely misunderstood by Millennium fans who wanted air-tight closure to that series. That show had a dense mythology to it that rivaled The X-Files' and it would probably have taken ten episodes to adequately address all of the ideas the show put forth and solve all of the mysteries. No, this episode isn't closure for Millennium. Instead it is closure for the character of Frank Black who is easily the coolest character in ANY Chris Carter series. There is nobody in the Ten-Thirteeniverse who deserved a happy ending more than he did and this episode actually gives him one. Do I hope the rumored Millennium movie happens in the near-future? Of course, but in the meantime while this episode doesn't quite wrap up the series it does right by Frank Black and that's what matters most to me. Oh, and there's something about a kiss of some sort in this episode too. *****.
Rush: Enough with the teenagers tapping into forces that they don't understand already. This episode is notable in that it's practically the only episode of the show in which I figured out the mystery of what was happening before it was revealed to the audience when it originally aired. I've seen enough Star Trek to know super-speed when I see it. **1/2.
The Goldberg Variation: As "funny" episodes of The X-Files go this wasn't exactly funny. But I was practically grinning ear to ear during it anyways. It's such a cool concept for a "lucky guy" that I feel as if the show got that crossover with Strange Luck after all. The episode also did the smart thing by having the luck make sense because of the universe balancing things out with misfortunes for people who get in the path of Henry Weems' luck. It was also adorable seeing a early role for Shia LaBeouf when he was still a moppet. Good episode. ****.
Orison: They really would have to work hard to top the disturbing and horrifying Irresistable but by gum the second and last Donnie Pfaster episode did it. Granted, it's nowhere near as groundbreaking but seeing Scully punk him repeatedly is worth the price of admission. Dear Lord, if you can't think of an episode this terrifying Don't Look Any Further. ****.
The Amazing Maleeni: A lot of fun but the episode makes the HUGE mistake of not letting the magician con artists get away with it. I was sold on Mulder figuring out how they framed that guy but he shouldn't have seen through their electronic robbery plot. This was the first episode of the show I was rooting for the bad guys and this is one where they should have won. ***1/2.
Signs & Wonders: I have to admit I fell for this episodes' misdirection. I especially like that the fundamentalist nutjob pastor turned out to be a good guy while the moderate one was evil incarnate. Not sure I agree with the message but it was an unexpected twist (although it admittedly comes out of nowhere). ***.
Sein Und Zeit: This was a good episode that puts Mulder through the wringer. This case WAS personal to him and even if you didn't agree with his methods you completely understood his behavior. Bad parts: the Harsh Realm reference was off-putting because it was completely inappropriate in this particular episode. It would have gone down a LOT easier had they stuck it in a funny one. ***1/2.
Closure: Believe to Understand. I think it was a mistake for the writers to make Samantha dead as Mulder's search for her has been the driving force of the series and to take that away lessened the series in ways that it wasn't able to make up for. That said, the episode itself is magnificent. I can fault the show for the direction it ultimately took but the execution here was near-perfect and a real tear-jerker (I was crying by the end). David Duchovny deserved an Emmy for this and guest star Anthony Heald gives a completely wrenching performance as Harold Piller. This isn't quite on par with some of the other best episodes of the series but it's still the best episode of the season. *****.
X-Cops: Yes, this episode is amusing. I don't care. It bungles things BADLY. As an X-Files episode it's good but as an episode of Cops it's completely non-credible. Why? Well, for one thing Cops isn't about investigating crimes and it never has been. It's basically police responding to distress calls, busting down doors and arresting rednecks/ wife-beaters/ crackheads etc. Setting up an hour long episode (already heresy) as a murder mystery just doesn't fly. As an episode of The X-Files: ****1/2. As an episode of Cops: *. Episode average: ***1/2.
First Person Shooter: A lot of fun with probably the best visual effects of the entire series. I love episodes that heavily feature the Lone Gunmen and I especially love episodes where it's obvious Mulder is having a blast (usually to Scully's chagrin). ****.
Theef: Great guest turns by 24's James Morrison and ESPECIALLY Brisco County Jr.'s Billy Drago who is creepy in the VERY best way. Good episode. ***1/2.
En Ami: Cool William B. Davis episode that shows a softer side to the Cigarette-Smoking Man. I love that Mulder and Scully's relationship has progressed to the point that even though he was miffed at her at the end he never let her have it or said "I told you so". Just a couple of seasons back the old Mulder would have been a real jerk about it. I also really dug the Lone Gunmen identity mix-ups. Funny. ****.
Chimera: An decent episode but by all means simply average. The cool concept of ravens was never satisfactorily paid off in my mind. ***.
all things: I enjoyed this but there is NO denying that it plays like fanfic. Which it is, since it's written and directed by Gillian Anderson. I like fanfic a lot (and this is pretty GOOD fanfic) but I'm just not sure an episode of The X-Files should be entirely based on relationships. It was good, don't get me wrong but it just felt weird. ***1/2.
Brand X: Wonderfully gross special effects and a neat idea make this a winner. Tobin Bell is great as the Ashman. ****.
Hollywood A.D.: Everytime I see this I keep thinking someone should have tapped David Duchovny on the shoulder at some point and pointed out how completely over the top this episode is. It's too much. Yeah, I LOVED Garry Shandling playing a version of himself in love with Mulder (he and Duchovny featured the exact opposite dynamic on The Larry Sanders Show) and the idea of a new Jesus was kind of cool. But the episode sucks HARD in the first fifteen minutes and the Tea Leoni stuff is WAAAYYY too in-jokey and Skinner is COMPLETELY out of character. So, yeah I enjoyed it but I feel guilty for doing so. Strangeness. ***1/2.
Fight Club: Kathy Griffin? Seriously? Why didn't they just cast Ted McGinley as the wrestler and make the shark jump complete? This was awful. I can't think of a single thing about this episode to recommend . 0.
Je Souhaite: A lot of fun. I love how delighted Scully was with the invisible body. And I love that Mulder used his last wish to set the genie free. Sweet. Cool guest turns from Will Sasso and Kevin Weisman (Alias) too. ****.
Requiem: As good as this episode is it always makes me a little sad because this is definitely the point where the series jumps the shark and never regains it's footing. Lots of guest stars here including Buffy's Andy Umberger (D'Hoffryn), Prison Break's Leon Rossum (The General) along with the second to last appearances of both Marita Covarubbias and the Cigarette-Smoking Man who weren't seen again until the series finale two years later. ****.
Deleted Scene: The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati: I am SO glad they didn't include this in the episode. There would have been no room for ANY resolution for Skinner falling ill and it would have cheesed me off to see it dropped since it wasn't really raised much again. Still, it's a cool find. ***1/2.
Deleted Scene: Orison: Outside of revealing that everyone in that prison wanted Donnie Pfaster dead this scene didn't add much. **1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Signs & Wonders: More Enoch O'Connor wackiness. ****.
Deleted Scene: Closure: This didn't need to be in the episode and frankly wasn't really relevent to the show's larger themes. **1/2.
Deleted Scene: Theef: More Billy Drago scariness. Excellent. ****.
Deleted Scenes: En Ami: These scenes are pretty cool. More Mulder and Scully sparkage with Mulder being just a LITTLE bit meaner than he was in the actual episode. My favorite deleted scene is CSM discussing with Scully the 118 year-old woman which is something the episode as aired should have made a bit clearer. ****1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Requiem: So much greatness that wasn't able to fit in the episode. As usual Scully never outright admits she's a believer in this extended scene but she comes closer here than she ever has on the series. Also cool to hear Krycek threaten to kill Cancer Man while he's showering and Mulder getting deja vu from returning to his and Scully's first case. *****.
Special Effects: Je Souhaite: "Inserting Genie In Old Film": I loved seeing this. This was talked about in Vince Gilligan's commentary to the episode but the DVD didn't include any deleted scenes for the episode. We at least got to see a BRIEF bit of those 11 minutes here in the form of Jenn watching the classic footage of a man being hit by a cannon ball in the stomach while wearing an expression of disgust. ****.
TMNT: Back to the Sewer "Incredible Shrinking Serling"
This wasn't so hot simply because Serling isn't a strong enough character to base an entire episode around. Cool seeing Splinter again though. **1/2.
Heroes "Chapter Seven: Eris Quod Sum"
This episode was kind of a good news, bad news kind of deal. The good: the show is laying on the threat REALLY thick compared to last season but unlike the first season isn't making it seem too hopeless or inevitable. It reminds me of the first half of Buffy: Season Seven. Hopefully this will pay off better than that ultimately did.
The bad: SO many alliance and loyalty shifts have almost gotten me to the point where I've just stopped caring. What's the point in investing emotionally in characters whose personalities which change based on what "surprise" twist Tim Kring decides to throw at the audience at random? With the exception of Matt, I've stopped caring about the characters (even Hiro!) completely.
So: okay. Not great, but the season has done worse. I don't have high hopes for the rest of the season. **1/2.
Smallville "Prey"
Gotta say, they are taking an interesting tack with their Doomsday scenario. Granted, I'm not sure it will ultimately work but at least it's different. The DCAU was EXCELLENT at taking concepts from the original DC Comics and either streamlining them or improving them or both. Smallville has been less successful with this probably because it like the Bryan Singer version slobbers lovingly over the Christopher Reeves version and relies too heavily on that.
So, an interesting episode but I wouldn't call it an outright good one. ***1/2.
The Simpsons: The Eleventh Season
I've heard tell from fans that this is the very worst season of The Simpsons. Bullplop. A lot of mediocrity towards the end of the season (although the season finale is fabulous) but the first half of the season, if not even being CLOSE to up to snuff to the Golden Years is still quite enjoyable.
I prefer the Mike Scully years to the Al Jean years because he produced the occasional great episode despite the fact that he also produced a great deal of stinkers.
The best episodes of the year the still-funny Beyond Blunderdome, the nice Christmas special Grift of the Magi, the woefully underrated and hilarious Little Big Mom, and the outstanding VHI spoof Behind the Laughter.
Worst episodes are Eight Mishavin' (I've had about enough of Apu and Manjula), The Weird rubberneck I-wish-I-could-turn-away-but-I'm afraid-the-world-would-be-destroyed (Saddlesore Galactica), and the least appealing guest character ever in Little Vicki (Last Tap Dance in Springfield). Season overall: ***.
Beyond Blunderdome: This episode is MUCH less appealing for this go-round after knowing Mel Gibson's personal (and mental) problems have wrecked his career and likability factor. But it's still so much fun. Homer and Mel's ending to the Mr. Smith Goes to Washington remake is still a classic and I love that Homer spends the first half of the episode as Gibson's antagonist. ****1/2.
Brother's Little Helper: Bart is hilarious doped up on Focusin and I love that his pupils are tiny and he's ceased blinking. Pretty funny. ****.
Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner: I've always liked this one for some reason. Not many outstanding gags and the plot is only so-so but I think it works. ***1/2.
Treehouse of Horror X: Good first segment, GREAT second segment, and weak last segment. I Know What You Diddly-Iddly Did: A lot of great gags in this. My favorites were Homer channeling that OTHER famous (but much more notorious) Simpson and the Super Sugar Crisp bit at the beginning. ****. Desperately Xeeking Xena: One of those classics Mike Scully could occasionally produce, this was awesome. Lucy Lawless does a GREAT guest turn as Xena and Comic Book Guy is simply brilliant as The Collector. *****. Life's a Glitch, Then You Die: This is SUCH a disappointment on every level. This SHOULD have been a great cartoon by all means but they completely phoned in all of the gags. It didn't help that Family Guy delivered a Millennium episode that same year that blew it out of the water. It's not terrible but considering the wasted potential it just feels like it is. **. Episode Overall: ****.
E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt): I found a lot of this VERY funny. And yes, at this point in the series the first half of the season is always better than the last half. Best line goes to Ralph Wiggum (natch): "This tastes like Grandma!" ****'.
Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder: This first act of this was hilarious (NOT Lenny!) and the second act was good (Ron Howard as the jerkish version of himself is always money in the bank) but the last act was only okay. I like it when the series does cute, touching stuff but the first half of this show was too wild to believably pull it off in the end. ***1/2.
Eight Misbehavin': I loved the surprise twist of Apu marrying Manjula at the end of her debut episode but I think the writers felt boxed in by that twist and unfortunately wrote themselves into a corner in this episode. Aside from the questionable idea of SERIOUSLY shaking up The Simpsons canon the writers have obviously NEVER enjoyed marrying Apu off and basically ruined the character in later seasons by making him despicable. He isn't actually bad in this episode but the writers have pulled SO many unfunny gags and plots (at the expense of his honor) out of this move (that they obviously hated in hindsight) that I just can't enjoy it. Plus, it's not that funny. *.
Take My Wife, Sleaze: MUCH funnier than the concept SHOULD have been, I place all of the credit for that nice surprise with John Goodman and Henry Winkler as the fussy bikers. I enjoyed this a lot. ****.
Grift of the Magi: Hysterical guest turn by Gary Colemon and a very cool plot about an evil toy, I loved this episode. Best line goes to Homer reciting his Christmas Track Record: "So this will be 3 Christmases I saved, versus 8 I ruined; two were kind of a draw") . ****1/2.
Little Big Mom: I am going to say something controversial: this episode (hated by Simpsons fans) contains the funniest and best string of gags of the entire series. Outside of the Gay Steel Mill in Homer's Phobia nothing has ever come CLOSE to topping Bart distracting Homer with the promise of the drummer from Bread (SO funny on SO many levels) and the "Stupid Sexy Flanders!" gag complete with Homer's crotch repeatedly pounding into the snow. NOTHING. Not to mention Homer's grocery list made me laugh out loud. Yes, the ending kind of sucks but the hatred thrown at this near-classic is so infuriating that I'm going to give it a perfect score, not because it deserves it, but on general principle. *****.
Faith Off: Like Little Big Mom this episode starts off near-flawlessly and has a weak ending. However this episode's ending is SO weak that it doesn't recover in my mind like the previous episode. Don Cheadle is hilarious as Brother Faith ("Wow, that's a good angle") and Bart give some truly classic lines (after being told he has been given "The Power" from God by Brother Faith Bart says "I would think he would want to LIMIT my power".). But the football ending is SO sucky that it detracts completely from the larger picture. ***1/2.
The Mansion Family: Lots of funny gags disguise a REALLY weak story. Best bits were with Mr. Burns at the Mayo Clinic. ***.
Saddlesore Galactica: Bewildering episode that contains the single worst original song the show has ever done. Bart horseracing was cool (and the Comic Book Guy gags were funny) but this outing is SO bizarre and unfunny at points that I'm not sure what to make of it. It's like watching a train-wreck and wondering where to get the same drugs the writers were obviously on. 1/2.
Alone Again Natura-Diddly: This episode is notable for being the tenth anniversary episode where the producers promised to kill off a character for good. It was truly shocking that it was Maude Flanders when it first aired (it jeopardized Ned's entire perfect family shtick) and I still think it was even ballsier than if they had killed off Ned himself. I LOVE Shawn Colvin as Rachel Jordan who is one of the best guest stars EVER and am furious that they only brought the character back once. She would have been a perfect foil for Ned especially since she was set-up as one. Grrrr. ***1/2.
Missionary: Impossible: I'm torn. On the one hand this episode has a lot of great gags at the expense of PBS. But once Homer becomes a missionary the episode literally falls apart. So much so in fact that they couldn't think of an ending and resorted to Fox interrupting the broadcast to beg for pledges. I laughed at the audacity but it was still stupid. This episode is notable for taking the first (but definitely not last) shot against Family Guy. **1/2.
Pygmoelian: All-right but I think the show is just throwing up every possible scenario at this point and seeing what sticks. **1/2.
Bart to the Future: Entertainment Weekly branded this as the absolute "Worst episode EVER" but that's hyperbole. I can think of quite a few episodes that sucked harder. It just seems worse than it actually is because it is literally inviting comparisons to Lisa's Wedding which is an undisputed classic. *1/2.
Days of Wine and D'Oh'es: I though it was a gutsy move to put Barney in rehab (his entire shtick is being a drunk) but they retconned it in later seasons which I think was probably for the best. **1/2.
Kill the Alligator and Run: I think this episode gets a MUCH worse rap than it actually deserves. It at least proves the saying that even the worst episodes of the show are better than 99% of television. I'd truthfully put that ratio at 85% but I still enjoyed it somewhat. **1/2.
Last Tap Dance in Springfield: This was awful. I'm trying to think of a saving grace for this episode but I can't. Miss Vicki is truly unpleasant. Maybe that was the point, but I didn't feel like spending half an hour with her. *.
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge: I was enjoying this up until the very last scene. This episode was funny enough to have deserved a better resolution than what we were given. ***1/2.
Behind the Laughter: This was wild and funny. I love it when the show does experimental shows like this one (and Springfield Up) and wish they took more chances in the later seasons. This was awesome and a dead-on parody of Behind the Music. Greatness: ****1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Beyond Blunderdome:
That Engine Sure is Quiet: I can see why they cut this. Ned sobbing over someone's tomb (presumably Maude's) wrecks continuity and presumably spoils whose death is coming in the tenth anniversary episode. Fascinating find though. ***1/2.
Mel Relax: I liked this. Funny Jack Burns run. ***1/2.
Alternate Ending: Truly funny and almost a shame they didn't use it. It certainly was a happier ending for Homer. ****1/2.
Easter Egg 1: Brief scene featuring gorillas and Micheal Jackson (!). ***.
Easter Egg 2: This scene was almost prophetic in the idea of Mel getting in trouble with the law only it was MUCH more charitable on what the fall-out would be than was warranted. ****.
Deleted Scene: Brother's Little Helper:
Security Breach: Cute army answering machine. ***.
Deleted Scenes: Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner:
Can Someone Scratch It?: Eeeewwww! **1/2.
Cable Guy All Over My Hands: Funny but too brief to recommend. And the Kit Kat gag was weird. **1/2.
No Lesson To Be Learned Here: GREAT alternate ending and a shot at the fans. I wish they had actually used this one in the episode. ****1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Treehouse of Horror X:
Poor Lenny / Carl: Lots of continuity problems in this one so I see why it was cut. **.
Fire And Blood Squishy: Funny. ***.
Deleted Scenes: Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder:
The Pin Boys Escape: This made no sense. **.
Homer Simpson Blvd.: Lame but the pay-off would have been funnier. **1/2.
Hey, Are Those Hookers?: Excellent pay-off to the first part of the joke. ***1/2.
You're Not Cashew Material: Boring. *1/2.
Cootie Catcher: Kind of gross. *1/2.
Easter Egg: They should have left this in. It would have been the show's first ever reference to Family Guy along with shout-outs to Futurama, King of the Hill and The PJs. *****.
Deleted Scenes: Eight Misbehavin':
Baby Tagging: Hilarious Garry Marshall riff. This should have been in the episode. *****.
Easter Egg: Kind of funny, kind of gross. ***.
Deleted Scenes: Take My Wife, Sleaze:
My Old 53 Chevy: More Grandpa! Hooray! ***1/2.
I'm Gonna Gouge My Eyes Out: This made me laugh. ****.
Easter Egg: Most of the Easter Eggs are wicked brief and this is no exception. **1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Grift of the Magi:
Narnia Is For Wussies: I kind of hate Narnia too. ***1/2.
In The Penthouse: I love singin' dogs. ***.
Deleted Scenes: Little Big Mom:
Baby Luge: Too quick to be funny. **1/2.
A Tip For Lisa: I love it when Marge gives Lisa advice. ***1/2.
Easter Egg 1: No insurance=instantanious cure. SPOT-FREAKING-ON. ***1/2.
Easter Egg 2: This confused me. **.
Deleted Scenes: Faith Off:
Diet Snapple!: Funniest. Product Placement. EVER! ****1/2.
Wedgie: Good joke at Martin's expense. ***1/2.
Easter Egg: I couldn't stop laughing. Hilarious. ****1/2.
Deleted Scenes: The Mansion Family:
Oldest Man In Town?: Poor Jasper. Funny dig at Sandra Berhard too. ***1/2.
Smudge!: These deleted scenes are a cute bit of running gags featuring Marge and Lisa breaking a huge window. ***1/2.
My Windowla!: REALLY brief continuation of the running Windowla gag. ***.
Run For It!: I personally think the episode had the Simpsons leave in a better manner than this alternate ending. Too cartoony for it's own good. **.
Easter Egg 1: This starts off funny but the jokes ends weakly. **1/2.
Easter Egg 2: You mean it's all right to desecrate the sacred McDonald's flag? ***.
Deleted Scenes: Saddlesore Galactica:
Chocolate Stream!: This was another weird gag from a weird episode. But it made me laugh. ***.
No Cheering: Oh, my lord this gag was hilarious. This episode could have used better jokes and they cut out a winner. It's a classic Simpsons gag. *****.
Easter Egg: What's a moon bounce? **1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Alone Again Natura-Diddly:
Clean Sinuses: You're right, Dr. Hibbert. It WASN'T funny. *1/2.
Better Than Hope Floats: Good dig at a bad movie. ***.
Easter Egg 1: Homer's butt is drawn weird here. At least we get one last glimpse of Maude though. ***.
Easter Egg 2: Funny Homer and Marge interplay. ***1/2.
Deleted Scene: Missionary: Impossible:
Where's My Show?: Great gag. ****.
Deleted Scene: Pygmoelian:
Tad? Where Are You?: I didn't get this joke. **1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Bart to the Future:
I Can Hear You Winking: I like this because it's shows that in the future Ned Flanders is pretty on-the-ball. ***1/2.
I'd Make You VP: Boring Alternate Ending. **.
Easter Egg: This should have been in the episode. It was GREAT seeing an adult Maggie as an astronaut and I think the episode could have used a little bit more of the whole family to tie it together. Even though she never spoke in Lisa's Wedding Maggie STILL got multiple scenes. ****1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Days of Wine and D'Oh'es:
Your God Is Not On Trial: Homer is a funny drunk. ***.
Easter Egg: Buddha sprinkler. I love it. ***1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Kill the Alligator and Run:
Show Us Your Boobs: I liked this this. I love it when the show acknowledges that Marge is Hot in the Simpsonsverse. ***.
Alligator Funeral: This needed to be in the episode as it explains the gator re-entrance at the end of the episode. ****.
Deleted Scenes: Last Tap Dance In Springfield:
Glasses In An Hour?: So brief (it lasts about a total of three seconds) I have no idea why they included this. **.
We'll Catch That Mall Rat: Funny Chief Wiggum silliness. ****
Work That Wishin' Well: Milhouse in goggles! ***1/2.
Who Needs Tickets?: Not me! I like the idea of a scalper at a kids recital. ***.
Easter Egg: I always loved the "Stan's" jingle from ths episode and I was delighted there was another verse (this time sung to "Bingo"). This would have been even funnier in the episode. *****.
I Cheat Death And Save...: Poor birdies. This made me sad. **1/2.
Drown Her In The Bathtub: Always good to get more Patty and Selma. ***1/2.
It's Our Duty: The Simpsons are a Neilson family? **1/2.
Deleted Scene: Behind the Laughter:
Easter Egg: Yes, there IS a deleted scene from this gem of an episode but you have to look for it. It builds on the hilarious Marge's diaphragm joke. ****.
Season 11 DVD Menus: I loved the circus motif for this year. My favorite gags in the menus are Handsome Moe slamming his face into the railing and Flanders turning into a werewolf on the Ferris Wheel: ****.
The X-Files: The Complete Seventh Season
The Seventh Season of the X-Files is the final Mulder and Scully season before David Duchovny left the show to return only part time for season eight and the series finale in season nine. By the time we get to the end of the season you can tell that the show is making the most of the Mulder/ Scully 'ship while they still can which only makes his absense in the last two seasons hurt that much more.
I personally believe that it was at the very end of the season when Mulder was abducted and Scully turned out to be pregnant when the show jumped the shark. It had been somewhat shaky for a couple of seasons now but that was the point of no return.
The season premiere, The Sixth Extinction made me realize something about this show that has turned out to be it's biggest flaw: all of the really cool stuff that this show promises either hasn't happened yet or always happens off screen. In the second part, Amor Fati you see a nightmare image of aliens destroying the Earth in Armageddon. Why haven't we seen any spaceship battles on the series or even the movies? Why is it that we've only seen the aliens SO briefly that we don't even know what they're called or what planet they're from? The alien rebellion that was mentioned during seasons five and six occurred completely off-screen so we can only take the characters' words that that is what happened. In fact, we've seen SO little action that even though we never quite bought the fourth season finale's premise that the whole alien thing was a hoax we could definitely believe that the characters would because they have usually been left out of most of the action we've seen.
I'm venting now but the season finale to this season is the thing that really soured me on the series as a whole (although season eight's cliffhanger was twenty times worse). I also thought it was a mistake for the series to reveal that Samantha Mulder was dead. She was the Holy Grail of the series and even though it was good for Mulder to get closure before Duchovny left it left a gaping hole in the whole purpose of the series that I don't personally think it ever recovered from.
There are some good things about the season. The first half is relatively strong and has a bunch of cool episodes. My personal pick for best episode of the season is the Millennium crossover which MOST Millennium fans think sucked but I don't. Best episodes of the season are the afformentioned Millennium, the fun The Goldberg Variation, the Sein Und Zeit/ Closure two-parter which despite ruining the series larger themes was never-the-less excellent, William B. Davis's (Cigarette-Smoking Man's) writing debut En Ami (which turned out to be one of his last roles on the series), and the genie episode Je Souhaite which I liked in spite of it's goofiness.
Worst episodes of the year are the cliched and predictable Rush, and possibly the worst episode of the series and definitely the season (Fight Club). Season Overall: ***1/2.
The Sixth Extinction: Cool season premiere which was brilliant in the fact that it brought Micheal Kritschgau back to help Mulder. As I thought, he IS a good guy (even though Krycek killed him the next episode). I love that Mulder knows Skinner is compromised but isn't mad at him since it isn't his fault. ****.
The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati: Amor Fati (Love of Fate). A mixed bag I think. I LOVED seeing Albert Hosteen again in his last role on the series. Likewise I didn't realize how much I missed Jerry Hardin until seeing Deep Throat reunite with Mulder in his dream. But I think the episode was a little too non-linear for it's own good. I didn't mind so much that everything Mulder experienced turned out to be a dream, but... it was kind of hard to follow especially since they were cutting real-world events into the story. This episode also glaringly points out the fact that all of the most exciting things on this show either happen off-screen or are promised but never delivered upon. This is the last episode for Diana Fowley and Kritschgau too (they were also murdered) and the one where it is confirmed, that yes, the Cigarette-Smoking Man is Mulder's father. ***1/2.
Hungry: I think the ending to this episode is superb and completely unexpected. The therapist's suprising empathy for the monster turned what would otherwise be a rote monster-of-the-week outing into something truly touching and memorable. I also like the fact that the entire episode is from the perspective of the monster. ****.
Millennium: I think this episode is completely misunderstood by Millennium fans who wanted air-tight closure to that series. That show had a dense mythology to it that rivaled The X-Files' and it would probably have taken ten episodes to adequately address all of the ideas the show put forth and solve all of the mysteries. No, this episode isn't closure for Millennium. Instead it is closure for the character of Frank Black who is easily the coolest character in ANY Chris Carter series. There is nobody in the Ten-Thirteeniverse who deserved a happy ending more than he did and this episode actually gives him one. Do I hope the rumored Millennium movie happens in the near-future? Of course, but in the meantime while this episode doesn't quite wrap up the series it does right by Frank Black and that's what matters most to me. Oh, and there's something about a kiss of some sort in this episode too. *****.
Rush: Enough with the teenagers tapping into forces that they don't understand already. This episode is notable in that it's practically the only episode of the show in which I figured out the mystery of what was happening before it was revealed to the audience when it originally aired. I've seen enough Star Trek to know super-speed when I see it. **1/2.
The Goldberg Variation: As "funny" episodes of The X-Files go this wasn't exactly funny. But I was practically grinning ear to ear during it anyways. It's such a cool concept for a "lucky guy" that I feel as if the show got that crossover with Strange Luck after all. The episode also did the smart thing by having the luck make sense because of the universe balancing things out with misfortunes for people who get in the path of Henry Weems' luck. It was also adorable seeing a early role for Shia LaBeouf when he was still a moppet. Good episode. ****.
Orison: They really would have to work hard to top the disturbing and horrifying Irresistable but by gum the second and last Donnie Pfaster episode did it. Granted, it's nowhere near as groundbreaking but seeing Scully punk him repeatedly is worth the price of admission. Dear Lord, if you can't think of an episode this terrifying Don't Look Any Further. ****.
The Amazing Maleeni: A lot of fun but the episode makes the HUGE mistake of not letting the magician con artists get away with it. I was sold on Mulder figuring out how they framed that guy but he shouldn't have seen through their electronic robbery plot. This was the first episode of the show I was rooting for the bad guys and this is one where they should have won. ***1/2.
Signs & Wonders: I have to admit I fell for this episodes' misdirection. I especially like that the fundamentalist nutjob pastor turned out to be a good guy while the moderate one was evil incarnate. Not sure I agree with the message but it was an unexpected twist (although it admittedly comes out of nowhere). ***.
Sein Und Zeit: This was a good episode that puts Mulder through the wringer. This case WAS personal to him and even if you didn't agree with his methods you completely understood his behavior. Bad parts: the Harsh Realm reference was off-putting because it was completely inappropriate in this particular episode. It would have gone down a LOT easier had they stuck it in a funny one. ***1/2.
Closure: Believe to Understand. I think it was a mistake for the writers to make Samantha dead as Mulder's search for her has been the driving force of the series and to take that away lessened the series in ways that it wasn't able to make up for. That said, the episode itself is magnificent. I can fault the show for the direction it ultimately took but the execution here was near-perfect and a real tear-jerker (I was crying by the end). David Duchovny deserved an Emmy for this and guest star Anthony Heald gives a completely wrenching performance as Harold Piller. This isn't quite on par with some of the other best episodes of the series but it's still the best episode of the season. *****.
X-Cops: Yes, this episode is amusing. I don't care. It bungles things BADLY. As an X-Files episode it's good but as an episode of Cops it's completely non-credible. Why? Well, for one thing Cops isn't about investigating crimes and it never has been. It's basically police responding to distress calls, busting down doors and arresting rednecks/ wife-beaters/ crackheads etc. Setting up an hour long episode (already heresy) as a murder mystery just doesn't fly. As an episode of The X-Files: ****1/2. As an episode of Cops: *. Episode average: ***1/2.
First Person Shooter: A lot of fun with probably the best visual effects of the entire series. I love episodes that heavily feature the Lone Gunmen and I especially love episodes where it's obvious Mulder is having a blast (usually to Scully's chagrin). ****.
Theef: Great guest turns by 24's James Morrison and ESPECIALLY Brisco County Jr.'s Billy Drago who is creepy in the VERY best way. Good episode. ***1/2.
En Ami: Cool William B. Davis episode that shows a softer side to the Cigarette-Smoking Man. I love that Mulder and Scully's relationship has progressed to the point that even though he was miffed at her at the end he never let her have it or said "I told you so". Just a couple of seasons back the old Mulder would have been a real jerk about it. I also really dug the Lone Gunmen identity mix-ups. Funny. ****.
Chimera: An decent episode but by all means simply average. The cool concept of ravens was never satisfactorily paid off in my mind. ***.
all things: I enjoyed this but there is NO denying that it plays like fanfic. Which it is, since it's written and directed by Gillian Anderson. I like fanfic a lot (and this is pretty GOOD fanfic) but I'm just not sure an episode of The X-Files should be entirely based on relationships. It was good, don't get me wrong but it just felt weird. ***1/2.
Brand X: Wonderfully gross special effects and a neat idea make this a winner. Tobin Bell is great as the Ashman. ****.
Hollywood A.D.: Everytime I see this I keep thinking someone should have tapped David Duchovny on the shoulder at some point and pointed out how completely over the top this episode is. It's too much. Yeah, I LOVED Garry Shandling playing a version of himself in love with Mulder (he and Duchovny featured the exact opposite dynamic on The Larry Sanders Show) and the idea of a new Jesus was kind of cool. But the episode sucks HARD in the first fifteen minutes and the Tea Leoni stuff is WAAAYYY too in-jokey and Skinner is COMPLETELY out of character. So, yeah I enjoyed it but I feel guilty for doing so. Strangeness. ***1/2.
Fight Club: Kathy Griffin? Seriously? Why didn't they just cast Ted McGinley as the wrestler and make the shark jump complete? This was awful. I can't think of a single thing about this episode to recommend . 0.
Je Souhaite: A lot of fun. I love how delighted Scully was with the invisible body. And I love that Mulder used his last wish to set the genie free. Sweet. Cool guest turns from Will Sasso and Kevin Weisman (Alias) too. ****.
Requiem: As good as this episode is it always makes me a little sad because this is definitely the point where the series jumps the shark and never regains it's footing. Lots of guest stars here including Buffy's Andy Umberger (D'Hoffryn), Prison Break's Leon Rossum (The General) along with the second to last appearances of both Marita Covarubbias and the Cigarette-Smoking Man who weren't seen again until the series finale two years later. ****.
Deleted Scene: The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati: I am SO glad they didn't include this in the episode. There would have been no room for ANY resolution for Skinner falling ill and it would have cheesed me off to see it dropped since it wasn't really raised much again. Still, it's a cool find. ***1/2.
Deleted Scene: Orison: Outside of revealing that everyone in that prison wanted Donnie Pfaster dead this scene didn't add much. **1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Signs & Wonders: More Enoch O'Connor wackiness. ****.
Deleted Scene: Closure: This didn't need to be in the episode and frankly wasn't really relevent to the show's larger themes. **1/2.
Deleted Scene: Theef: More Billy Drago scariness. Excellent. ****.
Deleted Scenes: En Ami: These scenes are pretty cool. More Mulder and Scully sparkage with Mulder being just a LITTLE bit meaner than he was in the actual episode. My favorite deleted scene is CSM discussing with Scully the 118 year-old woman which is something the episode as aired should have made a bit clearer. ****1/2.
Deleted Scenes: Requiem: So much greatness that wasn't able to fit in the episode. As usual Scully never outright admits she's a believer in this extended scene but she comes closer here than she ever has on the series. Also cool to hear Krycek threaten to kill Cancer Man while he's showering and Mulder getting deja vu from returning to his and Scully's first case. *****.
Special Effects: Je Souhaite: "Inserting Genie In Old Film": I loved seeing this. This was talked about in Vince Gilligan's commentary to the episode but the DVD didn't include any deleted scenes for the episode. We at least got to see a BRIEF bit of those 11 minutes here in the form of Jenn watching the classic footage of a man being hit by a cannon ball in the stomach while wearing an expression of disgust. ****.
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