UNCUT - The X-Files S2E15 - Fresh Bones

very Serpent and the Rainbow, Wes Craven's take on Haitian voodoo. While not the best episode it's saved by the ending and the great direction and cinematography.

The bald base commander of the Haitian refugee camp (Daniel Benzali) also played the artificial-heart surgeon in TNG S2’s “Samaritan Snare.” Pulaski pinch-hits for him on the operating table. Benzali would go on to star, alongside Stanley Tucci, in an incredible TV series called “Murder One,” which followed a single murder trial over the course of a full season. It was fascinating to get into that level of detail (for example, jury selection took multiple episodes) and it inspired me, in part, to get a law degree. This was pre TiVo or video on demand, so the “full season gimmick” wouldn’t be used again on network television until “24,” some five years later. Mike Post also composed the music for “Murder One” and the theme is a banger.

Not a favourite, but it's fine. Great direction and lighting, and some great freaky scenes. C tier. A few years ago another reaction channel was watching X Files, and the actor who played Chester was later in a show in the 2010s that he had already watched, and he spotted him as a kid here almost instantly. I had to double check the IMDB page because I wasn't even sure. Always weird when you end up recognizing someone from their LATER work. As for Mr X, I think the reason his appearance here doesn't work is because there's no reason he would care. He clearly doesn't give a damn about the refugee situation, so why care about Mulder's involvement? If it's going to be covered up and Mulder and Scully recalled, why risk exposure? Like Deepthroat before him, he seems to have an agenda that conflicts with the likes of Cancer Man, or at least isn't aligned with their agenda. He full on called Mulder his tool. They both use Mulder as an agent to one day expose or undermine a lot of the shady crap they can't go after themselves. Now with that in mind, they CAN work in MOTW episodes, as helping Mulder with an investigation could buy loyalty in the future. He didn't help here though, or barely did. He let Mulder know Wharton had a personal stake in the situation, but gave him no info to act on. As such it just felt like a useless cameo.

Regarding Duchovny's acting, he did an interview recently where he revealed he would have his aide who was in his earpiece just read him his lines, which makes his line delivery make a lot more sense. Still I love him

You need to get back to Night Stalker episode 2 now

It's an ok episode. It's amazing how an ok episode of X-Files is still better than 90% of modern tv.

B-tier episode for me. One would assume the directors get the scripts say a week or two ahead of time and can plan they're shooting approach. Bowman and the DP did a great job getting the right atmosphere and vibe in the episode.

Scully rips off a fake face to reveal Vince McMahon: "It was me Mulder! It was me all along!"

The scene where Bouvier is backlit in the prison, did you notice Mulder and Scully's eyes were perfectly in shadow, in a sense blinded? They could not see his innocence. So glad Bowman decided to jump ship to X-Files, he does such a superb job. Humorous ending with the 'he died 6 weeks ago....' otherwise a it's a B-ish level.

Let me put your mind at ease, Josh. If you ever find yourself buried alive in a coffin, you'll lose consciousness in about 45 minutes to an hour and you'd likely die about 30 minutes after that. I wouldn't take days Don't you feel better now? 😁

Decent episode but has some great scenes in it.

See, imagine this lighting and atmosphere in “The Thaw.” #BringBowmanBack

I know how much you guys loved the reboot of Battlestar Galactica and with that in mind did you recognise the Cemetery Keeper? I did forget about the man climbing out of Scully's hand at the end, that was well done and your reaction was super! It's good to hear the positives you've found with this episode. There is a lot to like with camera work, lighting and atmosphere but it doesn't save it from being just a middle of the road entry.

Now here's a TV episode that as a script to me would read as mostly mediocre, but it is elevated by the execution: the directing, cinematography, and acting (especially from Gillian Anderson), and a couple nice gotcha moments at the end. B+ rating from me.

I agree the deep throat character wasn't necessary in this episode. I'm wondering if the contract he had required a certain number of episodes he had to be in, and so they were obligated to fit him in somewhere.

I personally don't mind Deep Throat appearing in non-mythology episodes. "Ghost in the Machine" I could've done without him, but I thought his appearances in "Eve" and "Young at Heart" worked well. "X" was not necessary in this one though, I agree. On the other hand, I keep wondering about a scene that Josh mentioned a long time ago. He said -- if I recall correctly -- that he saw a (scary?) scene of The X-Files a long time ago before starting this journey. For some reason I thought it might be Scully's experience from the episode, but it seems not. :)

I think the ending saves it to some extent. Good 3rd act.

We were all lucky that Twitter didn't exist yet. ;)

You really loved the directing, and so did I. I think in this case the directing really "saves" an otherwise all-over-the-place script. The atmosphere is great. Scully's "experience" is amazingly well pulled off, and quite terrifying. Spekaing of which, the guy who bursts out of her hand is the same guy who comes up to her in the camp shortly before they meet Chester when he sells her the charm.

Do like you guys talking about directing

Oh wow, I never realized the wife in this episode, played by Katya Gardener, played Peggy O'Dell in the pilot! The girl in the hospital in the wheelchair. We love a re-cast!

Fresh Bones is one of those "middling-meh" episodes, but as you've already seen by now, even the blah episodes of the X-Files are still entertaining, and always have some little bit of Mulder/Scully fun to chew on. This one's comforting in the sense that it feels like you flipped on the TV on a random X-Files night in the 90's. Just seeing the oversize trench coats and where we're at in Scully's hairstyle journey are like little hits of cozy 90's endorphins. Thanks for the early upload, guys. Just in time for the edibles to kick in. Target Audience rocks.