««Articles Index Hardcore X From TV Week (Canada)- May 4-10, 2002 Issue Transcribed by Megan Written by Dave Waldon At the core of The X-Files is an intricate mythology, a scenario that has Mulder, Scully and friends tracking the alien conspiracy that threatens all of mankind, as alien conspiracies are wont to do. But some of the best X episodes have dealt with standalone phenomena. Whether they were chilling, innovative or even just plain wacky, there are shows that will stand the test of time, even if the spacemen do take over. HUMBUG (Season 2): An investigation into several weird deaths leads Mulder and Scully to an even-weirder bunch of suspects: a traveling troupe of freakish performers, played mostly by members of the über-bizarre Jim Rose Circus. Among them is the Enigma, a multi-tattooed individual who delights in things that shouldn't be mentioned in a family publication. Home (Season 4): One of the most creepy and controversial episode in X history revolves around a string of odd genetic mutations that stem from inbreeding within a single family. Leonard Betts (Season 4): The title of this episode refers to an individual (played by ER's Paul McCrane) with the uncanny ability to heal almost any wound - including his own decapitation - so long as he can feast on cancerous tumors. Someone refer this guy to another ER resident, Dr. Mark Greene. Small Potatoes (Season 4): Checking out the oddity of five babies with tails being born in the same town leads to the discovery of a man who can change his appearance and does just that; eventually, he assumes Mulder's look and replaces him, much to Scully's befuddlement. Postmodern Prometheus (Season 5): A complete change of pace that was filmed in black-and-white and offers all sorts of goodies, including a misunderstood monster, Jerry Springer episodes and a possible cameo by Cher. It's also one of the most honoured segments of the series in terms of awards and nominations. Bad Blood (Season 5): A offbeat take on Rashomon results when Mulder and Scully testify about each other's actions in the death of a man thought to be a vampire. Scully sees Mulder as overly enthusiastic about finding a potential bloodsucker; Mulder views his partner not only bored, but also intent on seducing the local sheriff. Triangle (Season 6): An experiment with both widescreen and real time finds Mulder on a cruise ship that disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle during the Second World War. The agent discovers that the boat was in fact commandeered by the Nazis, which can't be good. Monday (Season 6): A women (played by Carol Burnett's late daughter, Carrie Hamilton) tries to prevent a bank robbery that will result in the deaths of Mulder and Scully - and she keeps trying until she gets it right. The Unnatural (Season 6): Mulder learns the story of a black baseball player from the 1940s who was a minority in more ways than one: This member of the Roswell minor-league team was an alien in disguise. Duchovny's first directing job is also note-worthy for the show's finale scene, in which Mulder teaches Scully how to swing a bat. Millennium (Season 7): A crossover episode with Carter's failed series Millennium features an appearance by that show's star, Lance Henriksen, as well as a nice New Year's kiss between the two agents. X-Cops (Season 7): My personal favourite, in which the duo investigate a monstrous figure terrorizing Los Angeles and end up on that favourite of reality shows, Cops - much to Scully's discomfort and Mulder's glee. Hollywood AD (Season 7): Mulder and Scully encounter really strange creatures - show-business types - when one of their cases in turned into a movie starring Téa Leoni (Duchovny's real-life wife) and Garry Shandling (Duchovny's real-life, er... something, on The Larry Sanders Show). "The X-Files" TM and © (or copyright) Fox and its related entities. All rights reserved. Any reproduction, duplication or distribution of these materials in any form is expressly prohibited.; This web site, its operators and any content on this site relating to "The X-Files" are not authorized by Fox. Original content and design © xfmegan 2000-2007