You have never seen such a high-stakes game of telephone tag like you see in this episode in your life. Colony introduces the audience to a slew of new characters in the X-Files universe. For the first time we see Mulder's mom and dad, the alien bounty hunter(ABH), and the grown-up clone of Samantha. The introduction of the ABH commands your attention because you've never seen anything like him before on the show. He reminds me of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator. Coincidentally , Brian Thompson, who plays the ABH, had a brief appearance in the first Terminator movie. He uses the mysterious stiletto to silence his victims. His ability to morph into anyone he chooses, makes him a frightening adversary. Like I said at the beginning, Mulder and Scully start the common game of phone tag, each leaving the other "vitally" important information on each other's answering machine. A couple of times, they miss each other by mere seconds. This game of phone tag leads up to a very suspenseful cliffhanger at the end of the episode, leaving you wanting to view the second part immediately.
13 Reviews
I have lived with a fragile faith built on the ether of vague memories from an experience that I could neither prove nor explain.
Sanpaco1319 September 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Colony the Limerick:
Look alike alien men
And Samantha comes home again
Scully tracks down
The group in a town
But then a look alike Mulder comes in.
Colony is the beginning of another mythology two-parter in which we are introduced to the idea of alien clones and the alien bounty hunter. It all begins when Mulder and Scully find three obituaries of three men who are completely identical. The Gregor's. There are more of them, situated strategically throughout the states, and it turns out that ABH is routinely assassinating them. The episode begins with an interesting teaser that cuts off very abruptly. But not to worry, we will later find out what happens as this is only a glimpse of the beginning of the next episode. In the episode we are also introduced to the grown up Samantha clone, introduced as Samantha having been returned/recovered her memory from being kidnapped and raised by aliens, an obvious decoy to get Mulder to look in another direction. One interesting this about the episode is the appearance of Agent Weiss, who is killed by ABH and left in the trunk of his car in his underwear. The interesting thing about this is that this poor actor seems to always appear on the X-Files half naked (remember his role in Deep Throat). Anyway, the episode is good. In fact it deserves a full 10 out of 10.
Look alike alien men
And Samantha comes home again
Scully tracks down
The group in a town
But then a look alike Mulder comes in.
Colony is the beginning of another mythology two-parter in which we are introduced to the idea of alien clones and the alien bounty hunter. It all begins when Mulder and Scully find three obituaries of three men who are completely identical. The Gregor's. There are more of them, situated strategically throughout the states, and it turns out that ABH is routinely assassinating them. The episode begins with an interesting teaser that cuts off very abruptly. But not to worry, we will later find out what happens as this is only a glimpse of the beginning of the next episode. In the episode we are also introduced to the grown up Samantha clone, introduced as Samantha having been returned/recovered her memory from being kidnapped and raised by aliens, an obvious decoy to get Mulder to look in another direction. One interesting this about the episode is the appearance of Agent Weiss, who is killed by ABH and left in the trunk of his car in his underwear. The interesting thing about this is that this poor actor seems to always appear on the X-Files half naked (remember his role in Deep Throat). Anyway, the episode is good. In fact it deserves a full 10 out of 10.
Another big episode.
Sleepin_Dragon1 October 2020
Identical Doctors have been killed, and the charismatic duo are on the case.
I was thinking just prior to watching this, how we haven't had an episode with green slime for some time, this episode more than makes up for that, green slime galore.
I loved this episode, it truly did have the creep factor, it had suspense, mystery, intrigue, and even left us with a classic cliffhanger.
I thought Brian Thompson was chilling as the bounty hunter.
I felt it did go off on something of a tangent at the end, but by being a two parter I understand why.
That's a 9/10 for sure.
I was thinking just prior to watching this, how we haven't had an episode with green slime for some time, this episode more than makes up for that, green slime galore.
I loved this episode, it truly did have the creep factor, it had suspense, mystery, intrigue, and even left us with a classic cliffhanger.
I thought Brian Thompson was chilling as the bounty hunter.
I felt it did go off on something of a tangent at the end, but by being a two parter I understand why.
That's a 9/10 for sure.
"We all draw our own lines."
classicsoncall31 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The X-Files makes it's greatest commitment yet to the existence of extraterrestrials with this episode, and by the looks of it, there's no turning back. Mulder's sister (Megan Leitch) returns to the family fold after twenty two years with a tale of alien abduction and terrible experiments, and you can't blame Mulder for being the slightest bit skeptical. But what really gets the mythology arc going here is the discovery of a cloned cohort of medical doctors operating in various parts of the Northeast who entered the medical profession in order to perform sabotage at a designated time if it ever became necessary. Adding to the suspense is the appearance of the character we'll come to know as the Alien Bounty Hunter (Brian Thompson), a shapeshifter who's tracking the clones in order to eliminate them one by one. The episode ends on a tense note, as Scully's investigation on her end leads to suspenseful game of phone tag with her partner. She'll finally get him on the line just as he walks through her front door. Sound confusing? Stick around for part two.
I have lived with a fragile faith built on the ether of vague memories from an experience that I can neither prove nor explain.
alexandercappelli12 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"I have lived with a fragile faith built on the ether of vague memories from an experience that I can neither prove nor explain." – Fox Mulder.
Episode 16, 'Colony', original air date February 10th, 1995. Written by David Duchovny and Chris Carter, directed by Nick Marck. Mythology episode count, 11. Duchovny's first contribution as a c0-writer is for an episode that introduces us to some major players in the X-Files ongoing mythology. This first installment of a two part thriller is directed by another series one-timer, Nick Marck, and ends with a cliffhanger that makes us eager for the story's conclusion. Mulder's sister, or a version of her as we'll later discover, makes her first appearance as portrayed by actress Megan Leitch, along with Mulder's mother and father and of course the infamous Alien Bounty Hunter, all being introduced to audiences for the first time. Deception runs thick as Mulder and Scully inadvertently aid the opposition and are led astray by people they thought they could trust. Proving once again that Deep Throat had it right when he warned Mulder to "Trust no one." The prologue to this two-part mythology begins with a short wistful monologue that sounds almost melancholy in its realisation that Mulder's life's work may finally have been justified by a revelatory experience that may also end his life. This dialogue is spoken over the visuals of Mulder being rushed to emergency in a life threatening condition, however the events which led to this dire situation won't be revealed until the following episode. An engaging prologue, or 'cold opening' in TV speak, has a huge impact on the audiences interaction with the show. If we're drawn in by an enticing sequence that leaves us with questions begging to be answered we're more primed to enjoy what follows. Just as an explosive opening to an action film will get our blood pumping and edged forward on our seats or a well presented trailer will get us excited about the upcoming experience, first impressions count for a lot. In the format of a television show the opening prologue that runs before the title sequence is designed to stop us changing channels, to hook us in and say, 'you're in for a treat with this one.' Certainly the X-Files did not always hit the mark with these sequences but Colony's captivating opening scene does it's job in grabbing out attention.
Part one of this story revolves around the extermination of non-human doctors who share identical appearances by a mysterious figure we'll come to know as the Alien Bounty Hunter. Played by Brian Thompson, who could have worked as Schwarzenegger's stand-in, and coincidentally had a bit part in the first Terminator movie, portrays the Alien Bounty Hunter who is able to shape-shift in to anyone. He is systematically dispatching these doctors, who we're told are clones, and destroying their work. There's a lot of grey areas and half truths in this unfinished story as we're not quite sure whether we're dealing with clones or aliens or even alien human hybrids. Patience is a virtue however and throughout the series we'll slowly unravel the pieces that form this complex web of mythology. Samantha turns up unexpectedly and no one is quite sure what to make of it. As mentioned we have the first appearance of Mulder's parents played by Peter Donat and Rebecca Toolan. Interesting side note, Toolan, despite playing Mulder's mother, is only one year older than Duchovny himself. With all this talk of clones throughout this episode first time viewers may make some predictions about the true nature of Samantha. Mulder senior remains very quiet on the subject and appears to be the least taken by her story. Later on in the series we'll learn why he appears so skeptical at this juncture. The Bounty Hunter appears as a man named Ambrose Chapel at one point, which I would like to think is a reference to Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much" in which they are searching for a mysterious man named Ambrose Chapel who turns out to be not who they thought.
Mulder and Scully spend a lot of time apart in this episode, playing phone tag as they follow separate elements of the investigation. Contrary to regular occurrence, Scully bares witness to many of the more shocking scenes such as the melting corpses of the 'clones' and the secret laboratory that appeared to contain tiny fetuses in water tanks. She still however remains the voice of reason, warning Mulder that his pursuit of the truth may be lead him down a dangerous path. Carter has explained that the series as he sees it is presented mainly through Scully's eyes. She is the voice of the rational audience, questioning the validity of these absurd events, challenging Mulder to justify his wild theories and being the one who is amazed by what she sees, unable to comprehend at times the events that transpire. This is particularly evident in this episode and also simply from a fans perspective I enjoyed seeing her play a more integral role, taking the lead as opposed to being dragged on yet another wild goose chase by her partner. As the episode nears the forty minute mark we can sense the 'To Be Continued ' coming as there's far too much to wrap up in time. We're left with a terrific cliffhanger as Scully realises she may be in mortal danger, unable to trust the one person she has come to depend on.
Episode 16, 'Colony', original air date February 10th, 1995. Written by David Duchovny and Chris Carter, directed by Nick Marck. Mythology episode count, 11. Duchovny's first contribution as a c0-writer is for an episode that introduces us to some major players in the X-Files ongoing mythology. This first installment of a two part thriller is directed by another series one-timer, Nick Marck, and ends with a cliffhanger that makes us eager for the story's conclusion. Mulder's sister, or a version of her as we'll later discover, makes her first appearance as portrayed by actress Megan Leitch, along with Mulder's mother and father and of course the infamous Alien Bounty Hunter, all being introduced to audiences for the first time. Deception runs thick as Mulder and Scully inadvertently aid the opposition and are led astray by people they thought they could trust. Proving once again that Deep Throat had it right when he warned Mulder to "Trust no one." The prologue to this two-part mythology begins with a short wistful monologue that sounds almost melancholy in its realisation that Mulder's life's work may finally have been justified by a revelatory experience that may also end his life. This dialogue is spoken over the visuals of Mulder being rushed to emergency in a life threatening condition, however the events which led to this dire situation won't be revealed until the following episode. An engaging prologue, or 'cold opening' in TV speak, has a huge impact on the audiences interaction with the show. If we're drawn in by an enticing sequence that leaves us with questions begging to be answered we're more primed to enjoy what follows. Just as an explosive opening to an action film will get our blood pumping and edged forward on our seats or a well presented trailer will get us excited about the upcoming experience, first impressions count for a lot. In the format of a television show the opening prologue that runs before the title sequence is designed to stop us changing channels, to hook us in and say, 'you're in for a treat with this one.' Certainly the X-Files did not always hit the mark with these sequences but Colony's captivating opening scene does it's job in grabbing out attention.
Part one of this story revolves around the extermination of non-human doctors who share identical appearances by a mysterious figure we'll come to know as the Alien Bounty Hunter. Played by Brian Thompson, who could have worked as Schwarzenegger's stand-in, and coincidentally had a bit part in the first Terminator movie, portrays the Alien Bounty Hunter who is able to shape-shift in to anyone. He is systematically dispatching these doctors, who we're told are clones, and destroying their work. There's a lot of grey areas and half truths in this unfinished story as we're not quite sure whether we're dealing with clones or aliens or even alien human hybrids. Patience is a virtue however and throughout the series we'll slowly unravel the pieces that form this complex web of mythology. Samantha turns up unexpectedly and no one is quite sure what to make of it. As mentioned we have the first appearance of Mulder's parents played by Peter Donat and Rebecca Toolan. Interesting side note, Toolan, despite playing Mulder's mother, is only one year older than Duchovny himself. With all this talk of clones throughout this episode first time viewers may make some predictions about the true nature of Samantha. Mulder senior remains very quiet on the subject and appears to be the least taken by her story. Later on in the series we'll learn why he appears so skeptical at this juncture. The Bounty Hunter appears as a man named Ambrose Chapel at one point, which I would like to think is a reference to Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much" in which they are searching for a mysterious man named Ambrose Chapel who turns out to be not who they thought.
Mulder and Scully spend a lot of time apart in this episode, playing phone tag as they follow separate elements of the investigation. Contrary to regular occurrence, Scully bares witness to many of the more shocking scenes such as the melting corpses of the 'clones' and the secret laboratory that appeared to contain tiny fetuses in water tanks. She still however remains the voice of reason, warning Mulder that his pursuit of the truth may be lead him down a dangerous path. Carter has explained that the series as he sees it is presented mainly through Scully's eyes. She is the voice of the rational audience, questioning the validity of these absurd events, challenging Mulder to justify his wild theories and being the one who is amazed by what she sees, unable to comprehend at times the events that transpire. This is particularly evident in this episode and also simply from a fans perspective I enjoyed seeing her play a more integral role, taking the lead as opposed to being dragged on yet another wild goose chase by her partner. As the episode nears the forty minute mark we can sense the 'To Be Continued ' coming as there's far too much to wrap up in time. We're left with a terrific cliffhanger as Scully realises she may be in mortal danger, unable to trust the one person she has come to depend on.
Aliens after aliens
devonbrown-9064918 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Thrilling episode! A mysterious alien bounty hunter that's after Mulders sisters parent who is apart of some alien clone colony. Wow what a way to continue the storyline.
Big episode in the season, this alien bounty hunter really has his wits about him. He does look a lot like the terminator ironic as he's terminating all alien life.
Scully was bound to get caught despite her best efforts and it was ironic that mulder was always inconveniently missed by her. Nevertheless they both came to the same conclusions in different ways. Kudos to the writers for that.
Overall a great continuation to the series. I hope scully finds a way out of this one.
Big episode in the season, this alien bounty hunter really has his wits about him. He does look a lot like the terminator ironic as he's terminating all alien life.
Scully was bound to get caught despite her best efforts and it was ironic that mulder was always inconveniently missed by her. Nevertheless they both came to the same conclusions in different ways. Kudos to the writers for that.
Overall a great continuation to the series. I hope scully finds a way out of this one.
Learn to use mobile phones!
CursedChico26 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I gave 9 points because it is not making senses! Scully goes to motel and tries to have shower while her life is on danger! Can you believe it? Also she does not take her phone with her inside bathroom.
Mulder does not call her mobile while she was on bus, instead calls her home. Those kind of things make me question series. This must not be so rackless.
I could not get why bounty hunter tries to kill. Were clones exposed so they needed to be killed? Why did not they go to police at first or why did not they leave their lifes and escape?
Anyway, it was good to see aliens after lots of episodes
Mulder does not call her mobile while she was on bus, instead calls her home. Those kind of things make me question series. This must not be so rackless.
I could not get why bounty hunter tries to kill. Were clones exposed so they needed to be killed? Why did not they go to police at first or why did not they leave their lifes and escape?
Anyway, it was good to see aliens after lots of episodes
Vying one with another.
hamidullahgenc11 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
An ability to change the appearance... A different set of internal organs... An "unearthly" program to follow...
Who can prove the fairness of the claim that the Earth is just for people?.. Yes. No one can. As in the idea of conquering the world or dominating its bazaars with the tool of dollar!..
Nowadays, some companies that hold billions are carrying out an operation upon the economy of Turkey and sending the lira to a record low against the US dollar; and on top of that, the President of USA increases metals tariffs on Turkey while imposing some sanctions.
Why?.. For lining up with the resistant countries against the "secret lords?" An American pastor who acts like an alien bounty hunter in Turkey laughs at this, probably...
Or, is it fair?..
Some might feel like Agent Fox Mulder in the light of all these. I, one of them.
In conclusion, the human being appreciates the plainness. That's why a mother suffers most not when her daughter dies, but when there'll be no remains of her afterwards.
As simple as that, even the extraterrestrial beings have a "natural" right exist, as the right to love not one another; but it should be so... professedly.
To be continued with the socond part...
"And many of them dost thou see vying one with another in sin and transgression and their devouring of illicit gain. Verily evil is what they do!"
Allah tells so, in the 62nd Verse of the 5th Chapter (The Table Spread) in the Gracious Koran.
Amen.
Who can prove the fairness of the claim that the Earth is just for people?.. Yes. No one can. As in the idea of conquering the world or dominating its bazaars with the tool of dollar!..
Nowadays, some companies that hold billions are carrying out an operation upon the economy of Turkey and sending the lira to a record low against the US dollar; and on top of that, the President of USA increases metals tariffs on Turkey while imposing some sanctions.
Why?.. For lining up with the resistant countries against the "secret lords?" An American pastor who acts like an alien bounty hunter in Turkey laughs at this, probably...
Or, is it fair?..
Some might feel like Agent Fox Mulder in the light of all these. I, one of them.
In conclusion, the human being appreciates the plainness. That's why a mother suffers most not when her daughter dies, but when there'll be no remains of her afterwards.
As simple as that, even the extraterrestrial beings have a "natural" right exist, as the right to love not one another; but it should be so... professedly.
To be continued with the socond part...
"And many of them dost thou see vying one with another in sin and transgression and their devouring of illicit gain. Verily evil is what they do!"
Allah tells so, in the 62nd Verse of the 5th Chapter (The Table Spread) in the Gracious Koran.
Amen.
Is it too late for a game of Stratego?
bombersflyup5 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Colony/EndGame is about Mulder and Scully looking into the obituaries of three identical men, of whom an alien bounty hunter responsible.
A good myth-arc double episode, with some heartfelt characterization amidst a lot of delivered exposition and unnecessary chasing and deception. In the alien Bounty Hunter's first appearance, he's seen using Mulder to find the clones and goes out of his way not to kill him, but then conflictingly leaves him to die. The scene of Mulder with clone Samantha is poignant. His loss and life's pursuit standing before him, elated one moment, then unsure and annoyed the next. The Bounty Hunter tells Mulder that Samantha's alive and so Mulder says he has found the faith he thought he'd lost, to keep looking.
A good myth-arc double episode, with some heartfelt characterization amidst a lot of delivered exposition and unnecessary chasing and deception. In the alien Bounty Hunter's first appearance, he's seen using Mulder to find the clones and goes out of his way not to kill him, but then conflictingly leaves him to die. The scene of Mulder with clone Samantha is poignant. His loss and life's pursuit standing before him, elated one moment, then unsure and annoyed the next. The Bounty Hunter tells Mulder that Samantha's alive and so Mulder says he has found the faith he thought he'd lost, to keep looking.
Colony
lassegalsgaard8 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
This wasn't the first show in the long history of network television to have a "mythology." It wasn't the first show to use its longform medium to provide year-spanning storytelling that would continue to build on itself as it went along. However, there was something quite special about the way that "The X-Files" chose to tell its narrative and how it managed to constantly pull into stories that it had told before and add to it. In the very first episode, we get a very emotional retelling of what happened to Mulder's sister to give the character some motivation. At the beginning of this season, we saw her abduction play out, almost as if Chris Carter was preparing us for the inevitable return of Samantha Mulder. This season has been a little more constant in its inclusion of mythology elements into the storytelling, but it has been a few episodes since we got some real movement on anything. Well, with "Colony," the writers decided to really pull us for a ride and finally provide us with the return that they had been laying the groundwork for since the beginning. And it feels perfect that the story was conceived in a collaboration between Carter and David Duchovny. This episode is a great return to the main storyline and an incredibly emotional episode as Mulder is being pulled at from every side and ends up getting the surprise of his life. It's a beautiful symmetry of great writing and acting, and great direction from first-timer Nick Marck.
The episode starts out with quite the opening as we are thrown forward in time to a moment that any "X-Files" fan would dread. The episode smartly doesn't give us the fallout of this scene, which only ups the hype for the final episode of the two-parter, but it promises a very important pair of episodes for Mulder coming up. It would be foolish to believe that this scene will actually end with Mulder dead in a grave, but the idea of this happening is more scary than it actually happening, which anyone with a brain knows it definitely won't.
The show has been treading very lightly when it comes to extraterrestrial interference and we have yet to see anything actually connected to that world. Well, this episode finally provides us with a link to that, and it's very exciting to have an episode that is actually driven by an extraterrestrial character and its limited interactions with our leads make the final moments of this episode so much more impactful. That scene also plays well off of a thread throughout the entire episode of Mulder and Scully missing each others' calls, which just provided an expert level of high tension.
The big reveal of the episode is a shocking one. Not because of the surprise (it was probably predictable that it would happen sooner or later), but because of the way it's brought back and the revelations it brings about her return. They make it play into the overarching narrative of the episode - and probably the season - and Mulder's overall character development. This is clearly the most on-edge he has been in the entire show, and it may do more bad than good for him in the long run as it will inevitably affect his decision making when it comes to her safety over everyone else's.
It's so difficult not to be impressed with the trajectory of David Duchovny's acting this season. He has always been great as Mulder, but it would be a shame to credit his abilities as a thespian for that. However, this season has put him in very emotional positions and forced him to give it that extra amount of passion, and it has really worked. Gillian Anderson is also quite excellent in this episode, showing that there's still a lot of uncertainty underneath the thick skin, although it doesn't make her any less of a badass.
"Colony" is a classy episode that brilliantly brings us back into the interesting storylines of this show, although the entanglement may be confusing for some. The additions to the episode are brilliant and the character development is at a high in an episode full of tension and great performances, most notably from its two leads.
The episode starts out with quite the opening as we are thrown forward in time to a moment that any "X-Files" fan would dread. The episode smartly doesn't give us the fallout of this scene, which only ups the hype for the final episode of the two-parter, but it promises a very important pair of episodes for Mulder coming up. It would be foolish to believe that this scene will actually end with Mulder dead in a grave, but the idea of this happening is more scary than it actually happening, which anyone with a brain knows it definitely won't.
The show has been treading very lightly when it comes to extraterrestrial interference and we have yet to see anything actually connected to that world. Well, this episode finally provides us with a link to that, and it's very exciting to have an episode that is actually driven by an extraterrestrial character and its limited interactions with our leads make the final moments of this episode so much more impactful. That scene also plays well off of a thread throughout the entire episode of Mulder and Scully missing each others' calls, which just provided an expert level of high tension.
The big reveal of the episode is a shocking one. Not because of the surprise (it was probably predictable that it would happen sooner or later), but because of the way it's brought back and the revelations it brings about her return. They make it play into the overarching narrative of the episode - and probably the season - and Mulder's overall character development. This is clearly the most on-edge he has been in the entire show, and it may do more bad than good for him in the long run as it will inevitably affect his decision making when it comes to her safety over everyone else's.
It's so difficult not to be impressed with the trajectory of David Duchovny's acting this season. He has always been great as Mulder, but it would be a shame to credit his abilities as a thespian for that. However, this season has put him in very emotional positions and forced him to give it that extra amount of passion, and it has really worked. Gillian Anderson is also quite excellent in this episode, showing that there's still a lot of uncertainty underneath the thick skin, although it doesn't make her any less of a badass.
"Colony" is a classy episode that brilliantly brings us back into the interesting storylines of this show, although the entanglement may be confusing for some. The additions to the episode are brilliant and the character development is at a high in an episode full of tension and great performances, most notably from its two leads.
A Thrilling Twisty Turny Episode of Alien Conspiracy!
frankelee12 July 2023
Mulder and Scully incompetently investigate a series of murders where the victim is the same man. Or at least he looks the same because they're all aliens.
I enjoyed this episode because it was very propulsive, really it felt like I must've watched two episodes by the time it was done. There seemed to be quite a bit of action, Mulder even gets hit by a car! Of course, action in the X-Files means a scene that doesn't take place in an office, just running in the street, or snooping around a dangerous place is pretty exciting for our two nerd heroes who naturally don't manage to shoot anyone or outfight anyone during the episode.
Of course we don't get much in the way of answers about what's really going on with all these aliens and government conspiracies and who the murderer is, etc. A fact about these central mythos episodes that eventually wore VERY THIN back when I watched this show as it aired.
I do have to deduct a point or two for too much idiot plotting. For anyone who doesn't know, that's when characters don't act according to what they know or tell people what they know when there's literally no good reason not to. Mulder and Scully both have excellent reason to ask, "So how do you kill an alien?" and the people they're protecting all have excellent reason to say, "Hey, since you never asked, here's how you kill an alien."
Add to that the multiple man's stupid tendency to run away into danger without EVER talking, crying out for help, or shouting some expositional dialogue over his shoulder as he flees, and it's borderline grating. And the ending where Scully manages to make things worse by trying to help, that's just stupid. And I don't mean Scully is being stupid, I mean it makes no sense, whatsoever, at all. Like there's probably over 100 things wrong and nonsensical with the (I think) penultimate scene.
Though the ultimate scene is a nice cliffhanger, the old, person in the room as you also talk to them on the phone is still creepy even if it's been done plenty of times in TV and movies.
I enjoyed this episode because it was very propulsive, really it felt like I must've watched two episodes by the time it was done. There seemed to be quite a bit of action, Mulder even gets hit by a car! Of course, action in the X-Files means a scene that doesn't take place in an office, just running in the street, or snooping around a dangerous place is pretty exciting for our two nerd heroes who naturally don't manage to shoot anyone or outfight anyone during the episode.
Of course we don't get much in the way of answers about what's really going on with all these aliens and government conspiracies and who the murderer is, etc. A fact about these central mythos episodes that eventually wore VERY THIN back when I watched this show as it aired.
I do have to deduct a point or two for too much idiot plotting. For anyone who doesn't know, that's when characters don't act according to what they know or tell people what they know when there's literally no good reason not to. Mulder and Scully both have excellent reason to ask, "So how do you kill an alien?" and the people they're protecting all have excellent reason to say, "Hey, since you never asked, here's how you kill an alien."
Add to that the multiple man's stupid tendency to run away into danger without EVER talking, crying out for help, or shouting some expositional dialogue over his shoulder as he flees, and it's borderline grating. And the ending where Scully manages to make things worse by trying to help, that's just stupid. And I don't mean Scully is being stupid, I mean it makes no sense, whatsoever, at all. Like there's probably over 100 things wrong and nonsensical with the (I think) penultimate scene.
Though the ultimate scene is a nice cliffhanger, the old, person in the room as you also talk to them on the phone is still creepy even if it's been done plenty of times in TV and movies.
Annoying and confusing
SleepTight66628 July 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I have never been a big fan of this episode, and I still can't seem to care for it. It's one of my least favorite Mythology episodes of the whole series. If not, my least favorite.
Truth to be told, it is a well done episode. and it has one of the best prologues. but besides that, I don't find it enjoyable. The episode seems to drag on forever, though some may call that suspenseful. I just find it slow and boring.
Another thing, Samantha. I just find it cheap that they supposedly bring her back, just to find out in the next episode that she is just a stupid clone. Blagh, what was the point? Maybe it would have been more acceptable if she had appeared in a couple more episodes as a clone. but it was just for two... it didn't seem worth it to me.
talking about the cloning, I never cared about that storyline. just found it annoying and confusing. there are so many mythology story lines, and that one seemed the weakest to me.
I'm giving this ** stars, definitely one of my least favorites of the second season.
Truth to be told, it is a well done episode. and it has one of the best prologues. but besides that, I don't find it enjoyable. The episode seems to drag on forever, though some may call that suspenseful. I just find it slow and boring.
Another thing, Samantha. I just find it cheap that they supposedly bring her back, just to find out in the next episode that she is just a stupid clone. Blagh, what was the point? Maybe it would have been more acceptable if she had appeared in a couple more episodes as a clone. but it was just for two... it didn't seem worth it to me.
talking about the cloning, I never cared about that storyline. just found it annoying and confusing. there are so many mythology story lines, and that one seemed the weakest to me.
I'm giving this ** stars, definitely one of my least favorites of the second season.
Shark, jumped
chaos-rampant20 June 2013
X-Files probably dived off the cliff in the season 1 finale..
It wasn't too late to pull back with Erlenmeyer Flask, but they decided to push on with more and more 'revelatory' stuff, 'truth' is out there after all. So the natural conclusion when we come to this highly touted episode that furthers the long arch, is that the show has no place else to go but deeper into the ridiculous. We get alien dna, an alien colony and shapeshifting bounty hunter from space, all of which apparently will figure prominently in the mythology of coming seasons.
There is no concession made anymore to the noir hoax and hallucinated urges. See, Mulder's long gone sister suddenly shows up, but is it really her? This could undermine our footing in the story in so many delicious ways, Lynch would know how.
But what we learn about her, irrevocably learn as true, is just daft.
It wasn't too late to pull back with Erlenmeyer Flask, but they decided to push on with more and more 'revelatory' stuff, 'truth' is out there after all. So the natural conclusion when we come to this highly touted episode that furthers the long arch, is that the show has no place else to go but deeper into the ridiculous. We get alien dna, an alien colony and shapeshifting bounty hunter from space, all of which apparently will figure prominently in the mythology of coming seasons.
There is no concession made anymore to the noir hoax and hallucinated urges. See, Mulder's long gone sister suddenly shows up, but is it really her? This could undermine our footing in the story in so many delicious ways, Lynch would know how.
But what we learn about her, irrevocably learn as true, is just daft.
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