The question of whether or not we'd like to know how we die is one that has been thought about many times. It'd be morbidly interesting to know what actually happens to us and how we are to meet our ending someday, but on the other hand, it's the constant fear of death that keeps us going, so the uncertainty is actually the best way to keep living. To know that we're meant to do something big with our lives or to know that we'll go through it without really achieving anything of value; none of those things seems like something I'd like to be sure of, so therefore I don't wish to know how I will eventually leave this world. In "The X-Files," we're introduced to a character who doesn't really get a choice, but is forced to live with the certainty of how everyone will die. This is a character who feels like he has been cursed, and that would honestly be my reaction to it as well. There's not a lot of hope attached to a fate like that, but maybe - just maybe - you will be visited by the FBI and asked to help them with a murder investigation that they can't solve. That makes way for one of the show's very best episodes and introduces a character to the lore of "The X-Files" that has become quite iconic, mostly because of his usage during the episode, but also because of a truly remarkable guest performance from Peter Boyle as Clyde Bruckman.
It's rare that a guest actor can come into a show that just owns every single second they have on screen, but Boyle really manages to do that. He has such a pessimistic attitude, but it just boosts the likability of Clyde because of his bluntness, yet also his desire to help out and find some meaning in his unlucky life. He works so well in the framework of this episode, and it's sad that we'll likely not see him again, but it's also a great episode to have on your resume, even if it's only the one you have.
It's one of the darker episodes of the show, and it's therefore great that Darin Morgan decided to add a goofy aspect to it as well. Dealing with themes like these are tough, but when you add the Stupendous Yappi into the mix, it makes it a little easier to digest. It's just generally a very smartly written episode with a lot of small gags that have very interesting outcomes, and an interesting aspect of navigating something that also deals with the future and events that are to come, yet occurs in ways that we probably didn't entirely expect them to.
The show is set in such a tight atmosphere, and it seems to rarely come up with answers for its strange antagonists, but it always has a great way of playing around with the abilities they possess and tries to make them feel like they're somehow placed in reality. There are fun things done here with Clyde's powers, but the reason behind them provides some of the most heartbreaking material this show has given us in a while, with a very heartfelt speech about the obsession with death and coincidence, which is an interesting piece of social commentary too.
It also doesn't feel like it needs to tie into the mythology of "The X-Files," and is just priding itself on being a good episode. The writing is spectacular and David Nutter's direction is also remarkable as he constantly keeps the audience on their toes and makes them speculate wildly about what will happen. The editing is very smart, especially during the first act where it constantly plays with our idea of what we're seeing, easily turning the episode into a piece of suspense rather than sci-fi. Nonetheless, it provides one of the greatest episodes of the show so far.
"Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" has the distinct honor of being one of the show's funniest episodes, but also one of its darker and more heartbreaking installments. It features note-perfect writing in terms of its structure and its suspense, and features an all-time great guest performance from Peter Boyle, who beautifully brings the titular character to life.
It's rare that a guest actor can come into a show that just owns every single second they have on screen, but Boyle really manages to do that. He has such a pessimistic attitude, but it just boosts the likability of Clyde because of his bluntness, yet also his desire to help out and find some meaning in his unlucky life. He works so well in the framework of this episode, and it's sad that we'll likely not see him again, but it's also a great episode to have on your resume, even if it's only the one you have.
It's one of the darker episodes of the show, and it's therefore great that Darin Morgan decided to add a goofy aspect to it as well. Dealing with themes like these are tough, but when you add the Stupendous Yappi into the mix, it makes it a little easier to digest. It's just generally a very smartly written episode with a lot of small gags that have very interesting outcomes, and an interesting aspect of navigating something that also deals with the future and events that are to come, yet occurs in ways that we probably didn't entirely expect them to.
The show is set in such a tight atmosphere, and it seems to rarely come up with answers for its strange antagonists, but it always has a great way of playing around with the abilities they possess and tries to make them feel like they're somehow placed in reality. There are fun things done here with Clyde's powers, but the reason behind them provides some of the most heartbreaking material this show has given us in a while, with a very heartfelt speech about the obsession with death and coincidence, which is an interesting piece of social commentary too.
It also doesn't feel like it needs to tie into the mythology of "The X-Files," and is just priding itself on being a good episode. The writing is spectacular and David Nutter's direction is also remarkable as he constantly keeps the audience on their toes and makes them speculate wildly about what will happen. The editing is very smart, especially during the first act where it constantly plays with our idea of what we're seeing, easily turning the episode into a piece of suspense rather than sci-fi. Nonetheless, it provides one of the greatest episodes of the show so far.
"Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" has the distinct honor of being one of the show's funniest episodes, but also one of its darker and more heartbreaking installments. It features note-perfect writing in terms of its structure and its suspense, and features an all-time great guest performance from Peter Boyle, who beautifully brings the titular character to life.