The X-Files: Humbug

[ChiggyvonRichthofen]

The X-Files is one of my favorite shows, and I'm one of those fans who will defend some of the questionable moments and try to make sense of the mythology arc (up to a certain point). But you only have to watch a few mythology episodes and hear just one or two Chris Carter-penned monologues to realize that the show is often very self-serious. It reaches a point where it feels pretty pretentious and self-righteous, and Mulder comes across as a holy martyr who is always right and never gets called out on his bs. Morgan and Wong made this same point in "Never Again", when Mulder couldn't understand why Scully would want her own desk or anything else that isn't a part of his unending, personal quest.

So the show itself, and Mulder specifically, really needed a dressing down. Darin Morgan delivered that in spades. Humbug is the first real comedy of the show, and it and other Darin Morgan episodes inspired the other writers to take things a little less seriously sometimes. The show wouldn't have been good for nearly as long without this, imo.

Some fans don't like the idea that he hates Mulder, but like Charles said I don't think it's so much that as it is leveling the playing field by bringing things back to basics and questioning the premise of the show. To a certain extent, I don't think The X-Files is the target of Morgan's more biting satire so much as it is a vehicle to deliver his larger ideas about "truth" and life in general. Which is why I mentioned that he doesn't feel like a tv writer; he has a literary sensibility.

[Linkara]

Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose is one of the episodes I remember most back when I watched the show as a kid. I think what made it stick out to me even that young was his simple response to the murderer: "You do the things you do because you're a homicidal maniac." Sometimes there isn't some vast conspiracy or divine plan or some giant, elaborate explanation; dude's just crazy.

[CharlesPhipps]

I also like how the murderer is like, "Huh. That explains a lot. Thanks man."

But the thing about the show is one of the weakest elements of the X-Files is you have the Skeptic and the Believer with 99% of the episodes being on the side of the Believer. It makes Scully seem more like a sidekick than an equal partner as she's supposed to be. Having Mulder need to be reigned back and often wrong is always a good choice, IMHO, as they require balance to function. I always felt we needed the occassional serial killer on the show or hoax because it would have made things more interesting.

[Deledrius]

It also creates a situation that conflates skepticism with denialism, as the show clearly and solidly exists in a world following very different rules than our own, but pretends otherwise. I don't think it's remotely intentional, but it's an unfortunate side-effect of any work which uses this construction of the token "skeptic" in a supernatural world.

[CharlesPhipps]

It also creates a situation that conflates skepticism with denialism, as the show clearly and solidly exists in a world following very different rules than our own, but pretends otherwise.

Mind you, you're going to run into any of that with a "Secret World" universe.

I don't think it's remotely intentional, but it's an unfortunate side-effect of any work which uses this construction of the token "skeptic" in a supernatural world.

So it's why I do love Morgan's episodes and also where Mulder is right there's something weird but wrong about the substance.

Like when he's investigating an alien pregnancy and she says the baby is Luke Skywalker's.

[Rocketboy1313]

I've said it before and I will say it again:

The show needed more episodes in which it was just some asshole.

There was just too much magic and too many mutants and when it is ALWAYS something insane then the idea of being a skeptic becomes the laughable side of things.

I recall one episode involves them looking for Mulder's sister at a Christmas roadside attraction and ends with a MASS CHILD GRAVEYARD that the "Santa" had killed. A case that would have made Mulder a national celebrity... But it is part one of a two part episode about how Mulders sister was taken away by space pixies.

It was jarring to have this great plot about missing children turn suddenly into mumbo-jumbo.

ANOTHER ONE, Skinner is haunted by a night hag or something. Total non-sequiter as the episode is really about shadowy goons trying to kill Skinner. Take out the Night Hag/witch/ghost/whatever and just have GOONS!! You don't need Skinner to have been haunted by a Ghost Hag since Nam. That is stupid and is NEVER brought up before or since.

[Zefram Mann]

We have an episode where Judith Hoag guest stars with a teenage mutant, and not one joke about the Ninja Turtles? For shaaaaame!