User reviews

It's amazing how you can feel differently toward an episode by viewing it at a different time in your life. Upon viewing this episode again, I remembered liking this less than Jose Chung's "From Outer Space", another Darin Morgan written episode from later in this season. However, after seeing Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose and the other mentioned episode, I can say I like this one more, both of them being great episodes. What makes this episode a 10 is Peter Boyle's guest performance. This is the best guest star performance I have seen in the x-files. Peter Boyle plays the reluctant seer. There is just such a believability to his character that makes you feel sorry for him. And now to other parts that I like about the episode. At the beginning, the police talking about a man helping them. You think they are describing Mulder, when it turns out to be the Stupendous Yappi, whom they are describing. Yappi is a hilarious character. I love how he uses his eyebrows in his expressions. I like how the killer is seen in the background of all the crime scenes. There is a cheesy deleted scene towards the beginning. You'll understand why it was deleted. They throw in a 'Beyond the Sea' inside joke when Clyde Bruckman says a blue piece of cloth is from Mulder's New York Knicks t-shirt. If, for anything, just watch this episode for Peter Boyle's excellent portrayal of Clyde Bruckman. It's a "can't miss" performance.

Peter Boyle is absolutely sensational as Clyde Bruckman, it really is a masterclass in sincere, down to Earth, honest acting, he adds so much to this already brilliant episode.

It is a unique episode, I can think of no other episode, indeed no other show along the same lines, it's dark, witty, thrilling, engaging, but is of course well known for its stern faced standout.

Despite giving you so much certainty, it really does deliver the thrills, you're told what's coming, but you don't quite know when.

Make up your own minds about the stupendous Yappi, I find he helps balance out the episode, he's very funny, those eye brows are great.

I loved the dialogue at the start when you think The Detectives are describing Mulder (that's not a name.)

It's great, 10/10.

... along with "Home" from Season 4, and I guess that's strange because it does nothing to advance any of the story arcs on X-Files, it is just a very smartly done episode.

In this episode Scully and Mulder run across Clyde Bruckman (Peter Boyle) who can see how everyone dies, but can't seem to do anything about it. He has no where and when and how details that will stop things. Even Mulder mentions that Bruckman's gift is a rather useless one when he and Scully are alone.

One particular poignant moment is when Scully is alone with Bruckman and he tells her of one premonition that involve the two of them. He says the two are in bed together and she is gently wiping a tear from his eye. Scully smiles, and tries to diplomatically tell him that's just not going to happen. But you know it does happen, but not the way that you think and not the way that Scully thinks. Check it out, I think you'll like this standalone episode of X-Files. When the X-Files came up with inventive episodes, nobody could beat them.

Just a note, and maybe somebody else mentioned it - Clyde Bruckman was an actual person. In his prime he was a writer for Buster Keaton and spent many a night making hamburgers in Keaton's mansion in the 20's coming up with ideas for his films when Keaton was still an independent artist. After Keaton went to MGM, Bruckman wrote for Harold Lloyd and then other comedy teams including the Three Stooges. Problem is, Bruckman's ideas began to dry up and he began to recycle material. No problem until he recycled Lloyd's material who sued Bruckman and his studio ... every...single...time. The end result? In 1955 Bruckman had a bad rep in Hollywood for being a lawsuit magnet, he was 60 years old, and nobody would hire him. He borrowed his old friend Buster Keaton's gun saying he was going on a hunting trip to Montana, went to his favorite restaurant down the street, ate his last meal for which he could not pay - he was that broke, and shot himself in the men's room, leaving a note apologizing for the mess. So to me, just say the name "Clyde Bruckman" in an episode title and I know you are not going to have a happy ending.

This is a tremendous story and absolutely one of if not the BEST X-Files episode ever made. Witty wordplay, macabre plot twists, complex threads in a non-linear time sequence that challenges the idea of cause and effect, yet somehow rendered in a simple story which is easy to follow. There are many, many humorous and ironic moments, more than in a 'normal' X-Files episode. Particularly: Mulder stepping in the banana creme pie while pursuing the killer through a kitchen. In my opinion, this is also the best role/performance of Peter Boyle's career: he plays the principal character Clyde Bruckman. Don't miss it! X-Files Season Three, Disk One, fourth item.

Mulder and Scully playing "straightmen" to Peter Boyle is priceless. The quote above about auto-erotic asphyxiation after Mulder has asked the psychic Peter Boyle how he will die is worthy of a T-shirt slogan. Are these quotes copyright protected?

I love the X-Files, but sometimes they can be a bit Poe-faced. This episode added just the right amount of humour, plus a bitter-sweet ending.

Young Frankenstein is one of my favourite films, and Peter Boyle's role here equals the one he had in that film and also acts as a model for his role in Everybody Loves Raymond. Mulder and Scully quite rightly just kept in the background acting as Peter's foils.

If you haven't seen this episode do yourself a favor and watch it now. The writing is perfect, and the depth is nearly immeasurable. After reading about this episode on the internet, I found considerable amazing touches I had not seen the first few times I watched it. Yes, I've watched it several times, and I'm not usually the type to watch something over and over again. But, this one's different it's just perfect in its own little way. One thing I will say, and maybe it will drive some people away, but I would be negligent to leave it out, is that it is very dialogue driven. If you're looking for more of an action based episode look elsewhere.

Peter Boyle was amazing in this episode and the way Moulder was almost like a little kid absolutely amazed. It was adorable. A very fun episode to watch.

Peter Boyle is always amazing in everything he does but in this episode in particular he gets to act in a very unusual role while maintaining his crazy old man who's adorable in an annoying way and of course just a little bit creepy.

Like the guy above me said, i don't have much else to say except that even if you aren't into the X-Files, this episode will make you want to watch at least a few more episodes.

I found this episode great. In some ways it was similar to the Twilight Zone episode, "One for the Angels" where a great salesmen talks death into giving him more time so he can make one great sale before he dies. It's really involving emotionally and the mystery builds and pulls you into more and more which builds the plot well. And of course, it is really that Mr. Bruckman is a life insurance salesman.

The character development is great, the opening with the killer is very creepy and plausible and concise; his lack of vision and frustration contrasts brightly with Mr. Bruckman's reluctant use of his gift.

Some great examples of the subtle character details: - how happy Mr. Bruckman is to conclude that the pie he senses in his vision is banana cream instead of coconut cream or lemon meringue -how the killer compliments the tarot card reader and lets him know he's going to kill him in the same sentence -how Mr. Jappy quickly seizes on Mulder and harasses him 'til he's out of the room -and, as always, Scully's slight reactions. I think it's the eyes or her mouth, but yeah... too cool.

There are great lines in this episode for sure, but there is also quite a bit of talking, which hurts the re-watch value.

There is a good balance of humour and serious story, but after checking another episode I see it's somehow the highest rated episode! Very surprising.

I don't get the praise this episode gets, I enjoyed it and the story, but the highest rated x-files episode? I don't get it at all. I feel it only has this rating because the Bruckman character is played by a known actor. Beyond that it's a normal episode, lesser than many others to this point.

It maintains the feel and essence of the show, in comparison to the sophrages insect episode that throws it all away for an episode that seemed to direct itself towards non-x-files fans.

Peter Boyle died today. That's really all I have to say, but this website requires that I put a certain amount of words, so I will try to fill it up. This was my favorite episode, because I can't imagine having the gift, or curse that Clyde Bruckman had, plus the fact that he acted it out very well. It really touched my heart on the issues of mortality. To fill in more information, I must also say his performance in "Young Frankinstein", was absolutely fantastic, and I recently appreciated his good humor on Mind Of Mencia. I watched him on Everybody Love Raymond occasionally, and I found him to be, probably the funniest part of the show.

This episode is so entertaining, I could watch a 3 hour extented version of it. Peter Boyle, RIP, really did an incredible acting job. This episode deserves an award and reading the other comments, something should be done to honor this episode.

Peter Boyle is a strangely funny guy. I saw him in Everybody Loves Raymond a couple of times, but that wasn't funny or particularly interesting, perhaps because the laughter is enforced in true American sitcom way. But here, in X-Files where he plays a psychic, he makes a great contrast against the serious fabric of the show.

This episode is another black comedy, similar to "Humbug" (though not as good). The story centers around a murderer of fortune tellers and involves several characters who pose as one. The episode manages to be both funny and intense and comes highly recommended from my side. It is mostly a Peter Boyle's episode and the guy doesn't disappoint. He makes the situation comical without having to tell any jokes.

Peter Boyle did the d**n thing in this episode, and it's stuck with me all of these years, since I was a youngin' back in the 90s and finally* being allowed to watch the X-Files, this was one of the first episodes I saw and it's been one of my favorites ever since. I happened to catch it on TV earlier today while getting ready for work, and that prompted me to review it here on IMDB. I agree that if you're not an X-Files watcher, this episode will change your mind, or at least make you want to watch some other episodes ("Emily" and its Part 2 come to mind). This show was way before its time.

Boyle shines in this episode. The humor between him and Mulder brings out the Californication version of David Duchovny, which is a much better version than X-files Duchovny.

Mulder and Scully hunt after a serial murderer who targets psychics and come into contact with a man who can see how people will die. Peter Boyle is the real star of this episode, playing the Willy Loman of fortune telling, a depressed, troubled, and lonely insurance salesman who Mulder is sure can help them locate the killer. Much like with Beyond the Sea, a talented character actor makes the episode what it is, though this time with a better story undergirding the whole thing. Boyle's understated comedic timing makes every scene he's in fun to watch.

The episode opens with a fraudulent psychic called in to help the police by prancing around a murder scene making vague predictions that of course bring them no closer to catching the bad guy. This, I think, is to provide a very strong contrast to the real thing, Clyde Bruckman. What would it do to a human being to see death every time he touches another person's hand or picks up an object? Bruckman denies he even has psychic abilities at first, though he's also seemingly compelled to say them out loud. He can tell Mulder where and when to find the next murder victim, but can't give him any information about the murderer. He can see the future, but plainly tells the two agents that more people will die and nothing he does can prevent their deaths. Mulder mentions that most people would love to have abilities like him, but he wishes he were dead. Most everything about him and his powers is a contradiction.

I enjoy how this episode introduces elements of the weird to tangle up our understanding of this paranormal case. It's smartly written. The ending isn't necessarily rushed, but it is a little strange. Why does Bruckman do what he does, is he bound by fate to not use his agency? Is he just mad from a lifetime of seeing futures he can't really help people escape, all from a power that's beyond any human's ability to comprehend? Ahh, maybe it's just broadcast television shows can be ridiculous sometimes. The good but not great ending keeps this episode from being truly perfect.

I do, however, like that the ending reinforces the weirdness and challenges the assumptions you have. And ultimately this odd man escapes the fate you've already assumed will happen to find one that seemed obvious all along.

Boyle who plays Bruckman did a great job, he's a cynical and somewhat fed up with life character, but has a big presence in this episode. Good acting and a character both relatable and likeable. The writing is great too, it dabbles a lot in psychic reading as mentioned in the episode description, but until the end leaves you guessing. Another movie quality episode from this great show.