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

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.)

“Revelations”:

While I’m a lot more hit/miss on religious episodes, this one was majorly helped by a great performance by (a teeny tiny) Kevin Zegers.

One of the best parts of the more religion-based episodes is Mulder and Scully swapping their belief positions. Mulder, who is so quick to believe anything, is suddenly a skeptic; Scully, who is more wary, still pauses, but is open to things that are outside of what fits into a scientific box.

Scully being so desperate to save Kevin, and him so fiercely hoping she’s the one who will do it, is bittersweet. It’s lovely within the episode, but knowing Scully’s future path with children…

• Mulder tasting the blood is unhinged. Like, yes, you think it’s fake, but DON’T PUT IT IN YOUR MOUTH. I swear, this grown man is a full-on child.
• (Okay, but Scully asking Mulder to smell the body isn’t that much better.)
• “Kevin was abducted by Homer Simpson’s evil twin.”
• Scully being “afraid that God is speaking, but that no one is listening” makes sense, but…yeah, there are just a lot of people who would weaponize that line now.

“War of the Coprophages”:

Again, not someone who minds bugs, so I just find this episode amusing. I imagine if you dislike insects, it’s probably hell? (Also, the cockroach crawling across the screen will never not amuse me. Absolutely a deranged choice, no notes. I would have freaked out if I watched this live on TV.)

As much as I’ll always prefer Mulder and Scully actively working a case together, the writers utilized their time apart here very well. Scully is just trying to have a relaxing night at home (wine, dog bath, dinner in front of the TV), and Mulder’s off working a case, coming up with crazy theories…that she can calmly, and instantly, debunk from home. Until it becomes clear more is going on. (And Mulder gets distracted by Bambi.) It’s funny to see them so out of sync, but still working together so seamlessly.

• I know this was 1996 and was very high-tech at the time, but OMG SCULLY’S BULKY LAPTOP.
• “Her name is Bambi?” This show is a comedy.

“Syzygy”:

Oh, I love this episode an unhealthy amount. (Apologies to my friends who got texts while I was rewatching it/these episodes. I don’t know why you put up with me.)

On paper, it’s ridiculous. Honestly, a lot of it shouldn’t work. It’s Satanic panic, combined with astrological theories, plus Mulder and Scully at their absolute worst. And it’s not even gradual that Mulder and Scully are sniping—though if you tuned in for the first time, I suppose it’s fair that you may have assumed some of it carried over from the previous episode.)

But, to be fair, how well Mulder and Scully work together frequently doesn’t make sense. There’s respect and love, but they have fundamentally different approaches. If they didn’t want to scream at the other one every once in a while, that wouldn’t be realistic. And add in the extra gasoline of Detective White—given how well Scully has reacted to every single woman around Mulder—yeah, things were going to get messy. They acted like tweens, grumpy about their best friend/crush. Again, ridiculous. And, somehow, it still works.

Margi and Terri are absolute terrors, but—as weird as it sounds—in the best way. Yes, they’re miserable. Yes, they’re killers. Yes, they’re absolutely bratty. But they’re also wildly organized at this whole “evil plan”…and teen girls at their worst, with Wendy Benson and Lisa Robin Kelly giving great performances. Of course their only undoing could be an internal fracture. 

• Hello to baby Ryan Reynolds!
• “Rigid in a wonderful way, not like she was today.” Why is this weirdly charming?
• “Hate her.” “Hate her, wouldn’t want to date her.”
• “I didn’t expect you to ditch me,” Oh, Scully, since when?
• “Sure. Fine. Whatever.” may be the most perfect piece of TV dialogue. Or at least the one most utilized in my life.
• “I know how much you like snapping on the latex.”
• “Someone is wearing my favorite perfume.” Mulder, you absolute dumbass. And then he amped it up 100000x by SNIFFING SCULLY. He’s lucky this planetary alignment won’t happen again for another 50-ish years.
• As a kid, this never really registered with me, but oh, it’s depressing as hell to see Mulder drinking vodka with OJ concentrate? That has to be absolutely gross.
• Also, Scully losing her mind about Detective White and smoking…WHAT?
• I also don’t think I appreciated how much Mulder tried to snap back to himself when Detective White was propositioning him when I was younger. There are some great subtle acting choices by David Duchovny as he is piecing together something is not right, and he tries to get her a room of her own and then tries to stop her from, well, jumping him. We know Mulder can be a dummy around attractive women (see: Bambi, Phoebe, like a quarter of his interactions around Scully), but he’s also, fundamentally, a good guy who isn’t trying to take advantage when something feels wrong. 
• It’s been probably 25 years since I first saw this episode, and I still think of it every time I see or hear anything related to the Keystone Kops.

“Grotesque”:

An episode that its definitely better than I remembered, in part because it serves as such a warning for what could have happened to Mulder if he hadn’t embraced the X-Files. (I’m sorry, Mulder with his apartment walls papered with research on this case was terrifying. Even for Mulder and his obsessive ways!)

And Kurtwood Smith!! You can’t go wrong with Kurtwood Smith! (And he appeared an episode after his former on-screen daughter was on the show. That I forgot.)

Not a top 10 episode, but certainly one I’d be more willing to revisit in the future.

“You turned your phone off? Why do you even bother carrying it?” Lolol, oh Scully. It’s a good question, but…

“Piper Maru”:

For as great as the myth arcs were earlier in the season, this just wasn’t as engaging. The most important thing here, long-term, is the introduction of black oil. 

As I noted above, I’m still watching these on my very old DVD sets and it’s been curious to see how many of the photo backgrounds for the menu options are SO spoiler-y. Like, with this episode, the image is the reveal of Krycek’s infection with the black oil…which is the final scene of the episode. I know there’s modern-day versions of that with the screencap utilized on streaming sites, but what a choice.

“Apocrypha”:

Not new, not a surprise, but my God, Scully deserves like a year vacation after this mess. Dealing with Skinner being shot, Mulder in the hospital, and also contending with how to handle the man who killed her sister? VERY STRESSFUL. Sigh.

• “Anger is a luxury you cannot afford right now.” Relatable. 
• The Lone Gunmen on skates?! Genuinely LOL-worthy.
• CSM saying “you saw nothing,” like a scolding father…perfect line read, but also he’s lucky Mulder and Scully didn’t demolish him. They saw things!!! You can at least have a better line to lie to them about it.
• Cannot imagine how much Luis’ death haunts/haunted Scully. She was so close to some real justice for her sister’s murder, and yet…

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

RELATED:

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