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TIL that Jack Black and Giovanni Ribisi were in the same episode ofThe X Files.

Burrito of Peace wrote on Dec 30, 2021, 21:32:
TIL that Jack Black and Giovanni Ribisi were in the same episode ofThe X Files.

I never watched the x files. X-Files Appearances by Stars Before They Were Famous
you won't believe #12

Wait what? Broken elbow? How the hell did I miss that in June? Wow, guess I had something going on, though I can't imagine what. Although reading the old posts I do have a vague recollection of you totaling the car in an accident. So it could just be another example of my early onset Alzheimer's kicking in... (although these days, a lot less early ) Glad to hear things are good.

Dude, Red...you really ought to get on that xfiles binge. 10 seasons and what, 2 or 3 movies? That is like a made for a pandemic amount of entertainment material right there. I graduated high school in 92, lived in Denmark by 1994, and had been doing college and 3 jobs simultaneously in the middle of all of that. I had no time for tv when the show was airing. When my wife and stepdaugher offered up a full franchise binge while I recovered from my first back surgery I jumped at the chance. My step-daughter REALLY wanted to watch it because she never saw it on TV either, she was too young. My wife, perhaps the least hyped to start the binge....well she ended up being perhaps the biggest fan of the three of us.

Is it really any good? Always looked so goofy to me. I've never even watched 5 minutes of it.

I always enjoyed the self contained single episodes of The X-files. Not so much, the Alien invasion backstory that went on throughout the course of the show's life. It was okay but rarely had satisfying endings.
I thought the introduction of Robert Patrick's John Doggett character breathed some fresh life into the show toward the end and gave Gillian Anderson the odd position of being the "believer".

Mr. Tact wrote on Dec 30, 2021, 22:06:
Is it really any good? Always looked so goofy to me. I've never even watched 5 minutes of it.

At the time, I really liked the X-Files. Like any good series, it had very good characters with great chemistry and good stories.

Not that every episode was great (there was a "virtual gamer" episode that was legendarily bad), but I gladly stayed with the series until the end. To me there were basically two types of episodes, the ones that continued the overarching story that weaved through the entire series - these were the best - and "monster of the week" stories - which were a lot more hit and miss, as in, this week we're looking for a chupacabra! The thing was, even when the story was dumb as hell, the humor and chemistry between the two leads would usually make it watchable. Plus, many of the "monster of the week" stories had elements that would tie back into the "The Truth is Out There" story-line.

fakespyder wrote on Dec 30, 2021, 22:21:
I always enjoyed the self contained single episodes of The X-files. Not so much, the Alien invasion backstory that went on throughout the course of the show's life. It was okay but rarely had satisfying endings.
I thought the introduction of Robert Patrick's John Doggett character breathed some fresh life into the show toward the end and gave Gillian Anderson the odd position of being the "believer".

Ha! So it looks like we both enjoyed the series for different reasons. I'll admit though, a lot of the self contained episodes were great - and a lot of them were pretty scary too.

Mr. Tact wrote on Dec 30, 2021, 22:06:
Is it really any good? Always looked so goofy to me. I've never even watched 5 minutes of it.

it's phenomenal up to season... six i think. but a real slow burner. the overarching storyline is mostly background stuff; most of the eps are monster of the week type dealies, but some of those are the finest television ever aired. GREAT popcorn stuff if you have an hour to kill and want to experience some of the best thriller tv ever written. ironically i'm not a fan of the movies cuz they lose the subtlety of the writing of the show and just focus on stupid plot stuff.

Dreyerdaughter became addicted to the show over the summer. It holds up, even the kids dig it. The truth is out there!

WarPig wrote on Dec 30, 2021, 22:29:
Ha! So it looks like we both enjoyed the series for different reasons. I'll admit though, a lot of the self contained episodes were great - and a lot of them were pretty scary too.

I didn't mind the overarching story either. I was just impatient to learn the truth.
I agree that there were some particularly scary episodes. The satanic episode, which the censors here cut to pieces, was frightening stuff.

May I recommend the first season of Millennium if you want more scary stuff. Same creator and a very dark mood. Most of us here have probably seen it already.

Some great stuff in the X-Files. Seriously great episodes sprinkled in there, with mostly good episodes and some mediocre ones. I liked the show back in the 90s but I've attempted to re-watch it recently and it hasn't aged well at all. Not any fault of the show, but there is a lot of stuff in there that would now make me want to strangle Fox Mulder with how stupid it was. I put a lot of blame on the show for the rise of the flat earthers and the other really ridiculous conspiracy nut job theories that a LOT of people believe thesedays, not the least of which is the belief that vaccinations are bad for you. (Or are filled with mind controlling microchips)

I was not able to watch The X Files when it was originally aired. Now I have my mom hooked on it, which would have tickled Mrs. Burrito pink.

fakespyder wrote on Dec 31, 2021, 00:53:

WarPig wrote on Dec 30, 2021, 22:29:
Ha! So it looks like we both enjoyed the series for different reasons. I'll admit though, a lot of the self contained episodes were great - and a lot of them were pretty scary too.

I didn't mind the overarching story either. I was just impatient to learn the truth.
I agree that there were some particularly scary episodes. The satanic episode, which the censors here cut to pieces, was frightening stuff.

May I recommend the first season of Millennium if you want more scary stuff. Same creator and a very dark mood. Most of us here have probably seen it already.

I did watch Millennium. I remember that the very first episode freaked me out.

There are three kinds of episodes in X Files:

1) The main story. It's convoluted and often full of red herrings but the cast and writing keep you engaged instead of pushing the stop button. I think the smoking man is simultaneously the best and worst character in TV history, your mileage may vary.
2) The "x file" episodes. The heart of the show. Some of the best episodes in network TV history are in there. There are some that are just too corny over the years, but the ratio of amazing to suck is pretty good IMHO
3) Side quest episodes. Dotting i's and crossing t's in the season's stories. They feel like filler because they are. Some of them don't even have Gillian or David in them. They were still awesome. The Lone Gunmen could have had their own show.

X-Files shows that aren't the X-Files...
For less scary and more corny, Warehouse 13 was a great show that was intentionally a bit of a XFiles parody. Very fun.
Millenium goes the other way, much darker and less comedic, but I liked it.
Twin Peaks did dark and comedy and was FANTASTIC.
Fringe was AMAZING. Not as dark as Millenium or Xfiles, not quite as comedic as Warehouse 13. Fantastic cast.
Evil was a recent show that Xfiles fans might find interesting. I liked the first season anyway. Haven't seen the second.
Then of course...there is Stranger Things.

"Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain."
'Where the waving pot can sure smell hot"
'When the wind comes right behind the rain."

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Only saw X-File sporadically when it first aired. I didn't care for the overall story arc (might get into it now with a binge watch), but I did love the stand alone episodes.

I remember being blown away by the one with the guy who uploaded himself into a computer AI, located in a trailer in the middle of nowhere. I think William Gibson helped write that one. I do need to binge watch that show sometime. I'm curious to see how it holds up today.

3) Side quest episodes. Dotting i's and crossing t's in the season's stories. They feel like filler because they are. Some of them don't even have Gillian or David in them. They were still awesome. The Lone Gunmen could have had their own show.

They did and it was a flop.

Kudos to the lady who self-isolated in the airplane toilet. I read a more detailed account that when she tested herself, she volunteered to stay in there the whole flight to avoid infecting anyone else, as there were not enough empty seats to isolate her in the main cabin.

The direct opposite of a 'Karen'.

On a funny side note, my first reaction to reading that, was that she was probably more comfortable in the toilet than in tourist class
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So glad they did not make 'M' a traitor in Spectre. Would have ruined it. I still feel betrayed by the first Mission Impossible movie.