The X-Files (season 11)

[Bazooka]

Got panned that episode but I liked it, very atmospheric

Probably the only episode I have never watched more than twice, just did not like it.

[Bogbrainedmurphy]

Probably the only episode I have never watched more than twice, just did not like it.

You mean you watched the cats one more than (almost) once? And any number of the pale imitations from the later series?!

[Bazooka]

You mean you watched the cats one more than (almost) once? And any number of the pale imitations from the later series?!

Series 1 to 9 only.

[Mister Six]

I dropped off the X-Files somewhere around season 8. Is it worth going full pelt into the revival or should I just cherry-pick the best ones?

[BlodwynPig]

The latest episode is classic old skool X-files featuring The Teletubbies.

[surreal]

That was the best episode in years, really creepy stuff

[JesusAndYourBush]

I dropped off the X-Files somewhere around season 8. Is it worth going full pelt into the revival or should I just cherry-pick the best ones?

I dropped off earlier than that, I got mega pissed off with it but I've watched all of the new ones so far (watching on channel 4 so there's a couple I've not seen yet).  It's worth watching them all, plus season 10 is only short anyway.

[Mister Six]

Thanks, Jesus!

[JesusAndYourBush]

Last nights episode (on Channel 4) with the sushi restaurant was another one I found quite funny.  I assume the 'purists' hate these episodes because they're not taking it seriously, but I like them for that same reason.

[itsfredtitmus]

all the best episodes in the classic era were comedies anyway

[Bogbrainedmurphy]

Last nights episode (on Channel 4) with the sushi restaurant was another one I found quite funny.  I assume the 'purists' hate these episodes because they're not taking it seriously, but I like them for that same reason.

I enjoyed it, was quite cleverly done and they come across as a couple who have aged together and are comfortable with eachother. I'll let the idea that they wouldn't be living together by now, and the ScullyHome being a bit too un-Scullyish for Scully, fly.

I keep saying "yum" to everything though, I'm bored of myself.

[St_Eddie]

I just watched the latest episode on Channel 5 (the one with the satanic dog) and it was reasonably decent towards the end but the blatant rip-off of Stephen King's It was a bit much (kid in a yellow raincoat, being lured by a seemingly friendly "clown"). Then again, The X-Files has always been guilty of that sort of thing (see the first season's episode Ice, which acted as a bad remake of John Carpenter's The Thing.  Antarctic setting and all).

I hated the stupid design of Mr. Chuckles or whatever he was called.  It's so over-designed, in an effort to creep out adults.  Why would any TV production use that design, in a show aimed at toddlers?!  Even the original Bungle from Rainbow got taken off the air and replaced by a less nightmare-inducing version but the original Bungle-with-I'm-gonna-stab-you-eyes, was akin to an adorable puppy, in comparison to Mr. Chuckles.  What kind of fucked up child would even want a doll of Mr. Chuckles?!  More importantly, what sort of sick bastard parents would buy a doll like that for their child?!  Are they actively trying to raise a serial killer?!

It's the same thing that the naff Poltergeist remake did; re-designing the clown from the original film to be ridiculously creepy looking, to the point where you can't suspend your disbelief and buy into a kid owning such a horrific toy, much less any company other than Satan Inc. manufacturing it in the first place.

It was a flawless episode. 10/10

[BlodwynPig]

I just watched the latest episode on Channel 5 (the one with the satanic dog) and it was reasonably decent towards the end but the blatant rip-off of Stephen King's It was a bit much (kid in a yellow raincoat, being lured by a seemingly friendly "clown"). Then again, The X-Files has always been guilty of that sort of thing (see the first season's episode Ice, which acted as a bad remake of John Carpenter's The Thing.  Antarctic setting and all).

I hated the stupid design of Mr. Chuckles or whatever he was called.  It's so over-designed, in an effort to creep out adults.  Why would any TV production use that design, in a show aimed at toddlers?!  Even the original Bungle from Rainbow got taken off the air and replaced by a less nightmare-inducing version but the original Bungle-with-I'm-gonna-stab-you-eyes, was akin to an adorable puppy, in comparison to Mr. Chuckles.  What kind of fucked up child would even want a doll of Mr. Chuckles?!  More importantly, what sort of sick bastard parents would buy a doll like that for their child?!  Are they actively trying to raise a serial killer?!

It's the same thing that the naff Poltergeist remake did; re-designing the clown from the original film to be ridiculously creepy looking, to the point where you can't suspend your disbelief and buy into a kid owning such a horrific toy, much less any company other than Satan Inc. manufacturing it in the first place.

It was a flawless episode. 10/10

Mr. Chuckles is waving at you from the dark corner in your room.

[St_Eddie]

Mr. Chuckles is waving at you from the dark corner in your room.

That's the thing though; other than being naturally freaked out by an intruder being in my room, the mask itself would be entirely incidental.

Over-designed "creepy" masks like that are ten a penny in horror films these days and they don't scare me in the least.  I think that they just look silly and try-hard.  Every time that I see that sort of thing in a film or TV show, I just roll my eyes out of mild irritation.  I can understand a child audience member being scared by such a thing (which is counter to what this X-Files episode was aiming for) but what kind of pansy adult audience member is frightened by that (again, counter to what the episode was aiming for)?  They tried to eat their cake and have it too.

Mr. Chuckles fails at being something that would appeal to a child and he fails as something which would scare an adult who's even remotely au fait with the horror genre.  Mr. Chuckles is just an all round failure and I spit in his stupid gurning face.  The psychological aspects of The Exorcist and The Blair Witch Project are terrifying.  Mr. Chuckles and his ilk are mere pretenders to the crown of genuinely scary and unnerving horror.

[Straight Faced Customer]

That Teletubby episode was so quintessentially X-Files and '90s that I had to make sure Blair wasn't still PM.

Saying that, the Teletubby things themselves in the epwere definitely of that 2010s trend of creepy kiddy Youtube viddies.

[Bad Ambassador]

"Mr. Chuckleteeth was actually inspired by an old British kids TV show called Jigsaw. There's a character in Jigsaw called Mr. Noseybonk. He kind of looks like Mr. Chuckleteeth a little bit, so that was the inspiration for me when I was writing the character. It was the starting point for the design, but we really made it our own thing."

[St_Eddie]

"Mr. Chuckleteeth was actually inspired by an old British kids TV show called Jigsaw. There's a character in Jigsaw called Mr. Noseybonk. He kind of looks like Mr. Chuckleteeth a little bit, so that was the inspiration for me when I was writing the character. It was the starting point for the design, but we really made it our own thing."

Yes, Mr. Noseybonk is the most infamously creepy looking children's TV character and frequently crops up in clip shows to this day  I still don't buy that Mr. Chuckleteeth would be a big hit with kids though.  How many Mr. Noseybonk toys were kids joyfully clutching back in the 80's?  None, that's how many.  They were too busy hiding behind the sofa, pissing their pants and having nightmares.  I bet that Mr. Noseybonk was a big hit with the ladies though.  The clue's in the name.

[itsfredtitmus]

The X-Files has always been guilty of that sort of thing (see the first season's episode Ice, which acted as a bad remake of John Carpenter's The Thing.  Antarctic setting and all).

The last time I went through X-Files I counted about 4 or 6 The Thing styled episodes in season 1, 2 and 3
they luv it

[St_Eddie]

...they luv it

Don't we all?

[Mister Six]

The last time I went through X-Files I counted about 4 or 6 The Thing styled episodes in season 1, 2 and 3
they luv it

Ice was basically remade as Firewalker - with the icy worm parasites replaced by volcanic fungal parasites - in season two.

[colacentral]

Even in season 1 there was the one in the forest with the bugs that eat you if you go into the dark, meaning the gang get stranded in a cabin and turn on each other as they argue about how best to use the remaining fuel they have.

It was a format that gave Mulder & Scully a bit more direct involvement with the main cast, and created tension between the two of them too, so it's understandable why they returned to that well so many times.

[BlodwynPig]

Finale was crap TV at its worst. Horrendous disservice to the show. Of note, Ted from Season 3 episode Quagmire makes an appearance.

[Straight Faced Customer]

Jesus,

I've been forgiving most of these opening/closing 'My Struggle' eps as they've been fairly zippy, and they've been nowhere near as lifeless as the last episode from the 2000s, or the crap Billy Connolly film. The last finale wasn't rocket science but it really did feel like something that could happen 5 minutes in the future. Plus, it always felt like the show would come back, so I assumed it was all going to lead to a final payoff.

This latest finale, though? Jesus Christ, that was the payoff, Scully's being preg at 54?!

It was a really enjoyable season up until that point. Happy to see it off the air, which I wasn't really thinking a week ago. And I'm a massive X-Phile.

[St_Eddie]

...I'm a massive X-Phile.

Dirty bastard!

[Desirable Industrial Unit]

Yes, Mr. Noseybonk is the most infamously creepy looking children's TV character and frequently crops up in clip shows to this day  I still don't buy that Mr. Chuckleteeth would be a big hit with kids though.

There was a bit of Pee Wee Herman about him too - on paper him and Noseybonk should never have appealed to kids, but kids are idiots.  I don't think Mr. Chuckleteeth is really a deal-breaker in suspension of disbelief, given all the other mad bollocks the series has served up in the past.

That final episode, though.  It's a frantic load of nothing leading to an ending with no meaning whatsoever.  William showing up at the end sums it right up - there are no significant stakes here, everything can be undone.  It's probably not coming back, they'll have known that, and it deserved a better ending.

[Moribunderast]

Finally watched the finale. Man, the gulf in quality between the Chris Carter-penned "arc" episodes and the more episodic stories is quite hilarious. Two episodes into this season I thought it was utter, unforgivable bilge and then I think I've enjoyed every episode since - standouts being the vampires, the robots and the Darin Morgan silly episode - but that finale was back to being horrendous. The X-Files destroyed it's main arc early into the original run and every attempt to "fix" it just makes it sillier and sillier. The direction and tone in these "My Struggle" episodes is so bizarre and non-X-Files too. Someone in this thread nailed it when they said it looks and feels like a car commercial at times. Things move at a stupid pace with logic jumps and coincidences galore and nothing is allowed a moment to emotionally resonate. It's fucking trash. Still, the episodic stories made this season worthwhile, I'd say. If anyone were to belatedly check out this reboot I'd suggest they avoid the My Struggle episodes entirely. I think I'd look on this as a really nice little project if those episodes hadn't bookended the run.

[BlodwynPig]

Entirely Carter's fault. I imagine he collects garish artwork featuring native indians, tigers, and muscle men and women.

[Straight Faced Customer]

The vampire ep was a nice, understated episode that had a far better ending for our FBI duo to go out on. It actually felt like a Vince Gilligan episode, too, with the right mix of humour and horror.