Not only was this episode a terrific parody of the entire concept of the X-Files, but also a perfect metaphor for the era. With the entire nation riveted by a scandal involving a sitting President of the United States and his secretary, it wouldn't be long before that same President would challenge a grand jury, and by association, the American public, to define what the definition of 'is' is. Ah, I remember it like it was yesterday.
I almost can't begin to explain how brilliant this story is. It references classic sci-fi films that have gone before, like "Star Wars" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", and is built around the theme of alien abductions in such a way as to both affirm and deny the existence of extraterrestrials. And who better to perform in the role of the protagonist than Charles Nelson Reilly, a ubiquitous presence on TV programs of the era, with celebrity guest spots on game shows like The Match Game and Hollywood Squares. Which made the appearance of Alex Trebek as one of the Men in Black all that more of a hoot.
Reilly's character is novelist Jose Chung, who sets the tone for his latest project with Agent Scully, who he's interviewing for her insight on a case involving an alien abduction. Or was it an 'experience'? - "Truth is as subjective as reality." By laying the groundwork in this manner, the entire episode winds up taking a dialectical approach to determining what may or may not have happened to a pair of teenage lovers who share a missing time moment, thereby confounding an entire investigative team trying to come up with answers.
The casting here was excellent, with Jesse Ventura as the main Man in Black; his take down of Blaine Faulkner (Allan Zynik) with a knee drop back-breaker was a blast heralding back to his pro wrestling days. Another brilliant move was bringing back the Stupendous Yappi (Jaap Broeker) from the 'Clyde Bruckman" episode for another comic touch. The capper for all this had me roaring when Jose Chung described his novel's character Raynard Muldrake as a 'ticking time bomb of insanity'. That was at least as good as Blaine Faulkner's description of Scully in her feeble attempt to impersonate a woman FBI agent. Look, you have to trust me on this, if you're an X-Files fan, this one's a keeper and definitely a Top Ten candidate. Watch it!
I almost can't begin to explain how brilliant this story is. It references classic sci-fi films that have gone before, like "Star Wars" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", and is built around the theme of alien abductions in such a way as to both affirm and deny the existence of extraterrestrials. And who better to perform in the role of the protagonist than Charles Nelson Reilly, a ubiquitous presence on TV programs of the era, with celebrity guest spots on game shows like The Match Game and Hollywood Squares. Which made the appearance of Alex Trebek as one of the Men in Black all that more of a hoot.
Reilly's character is novelist Jose Chung, who sets the tone for his latest project with Agent Scully, who he's interviewing for her insight on a case involving an alien abduction. Or was it an 'experience'? - "Truth is as subjective as reality." By laying the groundwork in this manner, the entire episode winds up taking a dialectical approach to determining what may or may not have happened to a pair of teenage lovers who share a missing time moment, thereby confounding an entire investigative team trying to come up with answers.
The casting here was excellent, with Jesse Ventura as the main Man in Black; his take down of Blaine Faulkner (Allan Zynik) with a knee drop back-breaker was a blast heralding back to his pro wrestling days. Another brilliant move was bringing back the Stupendous Yappi (Jaap Broeker) from the 'Clyde Bruckman" episode for another comic touch. The capper for all this had me roaring when Jose Chung described his novel's character Raynard Muldrake as a 'ticking time bomb of insanity'. That was at least as good as Blaine Faulkner's description of Scully in her feeble attempt to impersonate a woman FBI agent. Look, you have to trust me on this, if you're an X-Files fan, this one's a keeper and definitely a Top Ten candidate. Watch it!