So often it feels like there are only two kinds of episodes of TV: the really, really good ones, or the terrible ones. Sadly, that is not the case, because both those options make for easier reviews than the one I’m writing now.
Because this episode of The X-Files was, precisely a middle of the ground hour, and that’s really the kind of episode you don’t want.
Not that you want the awful ones, of course, but at least those give you something to talk about. Those are easier to shade. This was just …eh, okay? I’ve seen way better episodes of this show, and I’ve seen way worse. Nothing about the hour stood out, and though there were a few nice Mulder/Scully interactions, after eleven seasons, this show needs to do a lot more to get us really hyped.
THEY HAD A BABY TOGETHER, REMEMBER? A FEW GLANCES AREN’T ENOUGH. WE’RE NOT IN SEASONS 2.
So, let’s take a different approach to this review, as we try to examine what worked and what didn’t in “Familiar”:
WHAT WORKED
- I guess Mulder and Scully were okay? They had a few good interactions, and their whole believer/skeptic thing was alive and well. It just didn’t have the usual spark. Was this the episode everyone took off or what?
- The ONE cop that had common sense was good, I guess.
- I guess it was nice to see them sort of touch upon the idea of what mob mentality can do – even if they didn’t really go into it.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK
- The not so subtle misogynistic tone to the whole WOMEN ARE THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL message that you can’t tell me this show wasn’t trying to send, because CC has shown time and time again that he really, really likes those messages.
- Predictable plot. Did they fool anyone? No, seriously, if they fooled you, please, let me know.
- The “scary element.” Sure, it was creepy, especially at first, but they never crossed over into being actively scary, and that’s supposed to be this show’s strong point.
- Mulder defending the convicted sex offender with such vehemence.
- The “innocent” man getting murdered like nothing. If this is social commentary, you need to actually DO social commentary. I know it’s 2018, but viewers don’t have to fill in ALL the blanks.
WHAT WE WANTED
- Mulder and Scully having sex.
- No, seriously, that’s what we wanted.
- Or, in the absence of that, like, at least serious conversations, some commitment, some continuity, some mention of the fact that surely at this point Scully has to be living with Mulder because that creepy ass house kind of exploded, not that it should have existed anyway.
- SOME MENTION OF WILLIAM WHEN IT’S A CASE WITH KIDS, I SWEAR TO GOD IT’S LIKE YOU PEOPLE WRITE AGAINST COMMON SENSE.
- Sex.
Other things to note:
- YOU’RE MY HOMIE!
- “As we’ve discussed before, people don’t spontaneously combust.”
- It feels like the two of you have probably have had a lot of these conversations.
- Those Teletubies wannabes were the scariest shit I’ve ever seen.
- Kids need to watch stuff that doesn’t scare adults, I swear to God.
- Even Mulder’s one liners were lacking in this episode.
- And DD and GA sure looked like they were phoning it in.
- They barely spoke last week and I liked that so much better than this thing.
- Take me back.
- God, only two episodes left. At this point I’m kinda glad.
- I’d almost rather be watching My Struggle Part 734375 than rewatch this crap.
- Almost.
The X-Files airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on FOX.
