In the X-Files season 7 episode "Je Souhaite" ("I wish" in French), a listless employee at a self-storage facility in suburban St. Louis finds a Genie in a rug. But far from being a blessing, this Genie has become completely cynical after 500 years of granting wishes to the selfish and greedy. As a result, she grants people's wishes using the most negative interpretation possible, (ie., a man wishing for a yacht has it dumped unceremoniously on his front lawn, miles away from the nearest water). This is one of the wishes Jenn the Genie (Paula Sorge) grants to brothers Anson and Leslie Stokes (Kevin Weisman and Will Sasso). These wishes result great misfortune, due in no small part to their own stupidity. Agents Mulder and Scully, already investigating strange events surrounding the 2 brothers, question the Genie. Mulder experiences her cynical attitude firsthand, and learns of her wish to be released from the responsibility of granting wishes to undeserving simpletons. The story ends with Mulder having to choose between fulfilling his own wish, or granting the Genie with hers.
Review of Je Souhaite
