This episode had a lot of potential that was horribly wasted. At the centre of it is Mulder and Scully dealing with two young agents who are essentially younger versions of themselves. This is a great concept to work with, and at first it's hilarious. But the initial impact of it very quickly fades, and the writers do very little with it. What they do try to do with it comes out very cringe-worthy. That being said, they did have some pretty good moments with this concept. I did find the drug trip quite funny. Really, this was the strongest part of the episode.
Early on in the episode, it divulges into multiple plots that never really come together and are all suddenly cut off, leaving around seven minutes of philosophical speculation that the writers clearly don't have the chops to pull off. It just reeks of writers who think they are smarter than they actually are.
The episode is also very Islamophobic. There are a couple lines that hint at a deeper understanding of the issues, but the episode mostly just shows us incredibly offencive stereotypes, painting a picture of all Muslims as terrorists. It was incredibly disappointing to see such a massive gaffe in this show.
The real problem with the episode is its pace. That's what kills any potential fun. It just meanders around for a while, never really going anywhere, until the plot is abruptly concluded and we are left with garbage stiff sentimentalized speculation. This is a story that didn't need to be told. I have no idea why the writers thought this would be a good story to tell.
Early on in the episode, it divulges into multiple plots that never really come together and are all suddenly cut off, leaving around seven minutes of philosophical speculation that the writers clearly don't have the chops to pull off. It just reeks of writers who think they are smarter than they actually are.
The episode is also very Islamophobic. There are a couple lines that hint at a deeper understanding of the issues, but the episode mostly just shows us incredibly offencive stereotypes, painting a picture of all Muslims as terrorists. It was incredibly disappointing to see such a massive gaffe in this show.
The real problem with the episode is its pace. That's what kills any potential fun. It just meanders around for a while, never really going anywhere, until the plot is abruptly concluded and we are left with garbage stiff sentimentalized speculation. This is a story that didn't need to be told. I have no idea why the writers thought this would be a good story to tell.