bombs in bottles
Recently I found this mega-list ranking all 201 episodes of (the original ten seasons of) The X-Files:
https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/the-x-files-episodes-all-201-episodes-ranked
So I decided to re-watch the series, but in this list's order, starting with the top-ranked one ("Jose Chung's From Outer Space"). I watched "Beyond the Sea" last night; "Paper Hearts" is next.
(The list puts "Fight Club," "Teso dos Bichos," and "Schizogeny" at the bottom. This is fine. I won't cry about not watching those if I decide not to finish the list.)
Some wee reviews:
I did not like this episode when it first aired. I'm pretty sure I was too young and impatient to understand it. I disagree that it outranks "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose," but I do agree that's a close matchup. Despite my not liking it when it aired, Darin Morgan remains a bloody genius.
I also didn't like this episode when it first aired - I thought it moved too slowly. (Again, I was a tween/teen.) On rewatch, I completely understand why this episode won an Emmy. I'd rank it above Jose Chung, but barely.
Could have been made today, honestly. Some X-Files episodes (like "Kill Switch" and "Ghost in the Machine") aged weirdly; this one, if anything, has gotten *better* now that I'm old enough to understand loss. Also, give me alllll the unhinged Brad Dourif. (I'm assuming he just walked onto the Voyager set and handed them a tape of this to land the role of Suder.)
Unlike the first three on this list, I LOVED this episode as a teen. I think I like watching Mulder suffer. Will return with a grown-up take. **UPDATE: Okay, it's not just teen me enjoying angst. The acting in this one is excellent, and it's a solid reminder of why this show won so many awards for cinematography. I'm not sure I'd rank it in the top four of all 201, but I'll get back to you on that.
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