Take Two: THE X-FILES Season 3 (Part 2)

On Friday, September 10, 1993, Fox debuted THE X-FILES. Now, ahead of the show’s 30th anniversary, Give Me My Remote is looking back at all 11 seasons (and the two feature films) in a new daily series Take Two.

If you’ve read About Last Night, this will be formatted in a similar way: Each episode will get its own subsection/reaction, though in this case there may be slight spoilers or alluding to what comes ahead in the series. In the event a major spoiler is discussed, there will be a warning to be extra safe. Each Take Two will cover approximately 5 episodes and will wrap up the Friday before the show’s 30th birthday.

(I’ll also note how I’m watching the episodes, because some of the streaming platforms have utilized syndicated cuts of this show.)

Today, we’re continuing season 3!

(These were viewed on the original season 3 DVD set—released back in 2001. The episodes are streaming for free on Freevee or with a Hulu subscription.)

“The List”:

As someone who doesn’t even mind bugs, gross, nope, ewwwwwwwww.

Because we’re just going to go full nerdy here—why not?—this reminds me of THE SIMPSONS’ “Treehouse of Horror” segment “Hell Toupee” where Homer is possessed by a recently-executed Snake and enacts revenge.

Probably not the best sign I kept thinking of that while watching this. (That segment came out in ‘98, compared to this airing in ‘95.)

But. Yeah. A fine episode. Most memorable for the gross elements than anything else.

“2Shy”:

One of the interesting things Darin Morgan told me when we did our deep dive into “Clyde Bruckman” was how in a show like this, they often had to lean into the slight differences in supernatural powers/ways to tell an episode. With this episode, there are clear parallels to the fantastic “Irresistible,” but there are enough differences that it doesn’t feel like a carbon copy.

Of course, one of the key differences here—in a way that must have felt extra terrifying in 1995, when our general conversing on the internet was still fairly new—was the killer targeting women online.

If “Irresistible” didn’t exist, I feel like this might be more well-regarded? I could be wrong. It’s absolutely not bad, it’s just hard to top that sheer terror Nick Chinlund brought to “Irresistible.”

• Second episode in a row with a gross, gross, gross body. Ewwww. 
• That is DOCTOR (and Agent) Scully to you, you sexist pig.
• We’re calling these women overweight? JFC.

“The Walk”:

The military episodes just aren’t drawing me in; I’m sorry. The best part, by far, was seeing the much-missed Willie Garson. Alas.

“Oubliette”:

Man, I do love this episode. The case itself is a gut-punch, of course, but it’s really something to see how David Duchovny plays Mulder when he’s faced with a young girl in danger. There’s an instant softening to him, and the scared/vulnerable boy he was comes out. There’s also a natural reckless danger as he tries to prevent another situation like his sister’s playing out, which can be a dangerous combo. But it’s really impressive what Duchovny is able to do with that and how noticeable it really is.

A lot of these cases end terribly for the people involved and this one was hard to watch. Lucy had survived her own kidnapping hell before she formed the psychic connection to Amy. To have to relive some of the torture as Amy was going through it, before ultimately dying for Amy? A gut punch.

• Jewel Staite is great in this episode, as well. I knew she was young when she filmed it, but didn’t realize she was only 13?! That’s absolutely insane.
• Tracey Ellis was so good in this episode, I don’t even mind they brought her back for a later episode, too. (Which, spoiler alert, I also love.)

“Nisei”:

Look, a lot goes on. But watching this, knowing what we know if you’ve seen the series, it’s hard to argue about anything more important in this episode than Scully meeting a group of abductees who claimed they knew her. It’s disorientating for Scully, but an absolute gut-punch if you know what’s coming. Sigh.

• Mulder paying almost $30 for an alien autopsy video is entirely on brand, but, also, good luck trying to write that off. 
• It is surreal to see Skinner out in the field. We’ve seen him out, of course, but him at an investigation site is still much, much more rare.
• “We’re all dying because of what they do to us.” Yeah, my heart is already hurting thinking of this arc.
• Skinner sitting in the dark is creepy AF. I also repeat it’s a miracle he wasn’t killed during this series, because he really does stick himself out there for Mulder and Scully. (Even if they don’t trust him half the time.)
• X is Mulder’s guy, but I do love how often Scully got to interact with him. Primarily to save Mulder’s life, of course, but still.
• Mulder jumping on a moving train..absolutely insane. Somehow, though, still not even in the top 10 insane things he does during this franchise?

“731”:

It’s weird to say an episode feels claustrophobic while meaning it as a compliment, but that’s very much the vibe of this (good!) episode.

Scully coming face-to-face with the human testing would have been horrifying at any point, but in the immediate aftermath of her realizing her abduction may have been a part of a larger, human conspiracy? Ow. And Gillian Anderson is incredible as Scully sees the human remains in the execution pit.

• X playing the Missy card is baaaaad.
• Having a chip like that in me would be terrifying enough, but knowing it could possibly know your every thought? JFC. A terrible, awful violation.
• Pendrell being a simp for Scully will never not be funny.
• Also, fascinating to see how the Elder reached out to Scully. She was already entwined with the conspiracy because of her abduction, but they really utilized reaching out to her for a bit.
• Rob Bowman did a gorgeous job directing this. The framing within the train cars, which could not have been easy, is just stunning. 
• (Also, slightly GMMR-centric spoiler alert, might have something about this episode going up closer to the show’s actual birthday. Hypothetically speaking, of course.)
• Scully saving the day from afar with Mulder’s silly alien autopsy video because the train car’s code was shown? Okay, the video is now officially priceless. 
• X rescuing Mulder from the train right before it explodes? An absolutely iconic image.

What did you think of these THE X-FILES episodes?

RELATED:

• Take Two: THE X-FILES Season 3 (Part 1)
• Take Two: THE X-FILES Season 2 (Part 6)
• Take Two: THE X-FILES Season 2 (Part 5)
• THE X-FILES: David Duchovny and Rob Bowman on the Importance of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strikes
• Take Two: THE X-FILES Season 2 (Part 4)
• Take Two: THE X-FILES Season 2 (Part 3)
• Take Two: THE X-FILES Season 2 (Part 2)
• Take Two: THE X-FILES Season 1 (Part 5) and Season 2 (Part 1)
• Take Two: THE X-FILES Season 1 (Part 4)
• Take Two: THE X-FILES Season 1 (Part 3)
• Take Two: THE X-FILES Season 1 (Part 2)
• Take Two: THE X-FILES Season 1 (Part 1)
• THE X-FILES: Chris Carter Says Ryan Coogler is Developing a New Version with a ‘Diverse Cast’
• Gillian Anderson Plays THE X-FILES Trivia on JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE
• Fox Developing An Animated THE X-FILES Spinoff
• THE X-FILES Cast and Crew Recreate the Theme Song for Charity
• THE X-FILES: Twenty Years Later, ‘How the Ghosts Stole Christmas’ Is Still a Gift
• THE X-FILES’ 20th Anniversary: ALIAS and FRINGE Boss Jeff Pinkner Talks About Its Influence on His Work
• THE X-FILES’ 20th Anniversary: BONES Creator Hart Hanson Talks About Its Influence on His Work

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