Case 04, File 21: Zero Sum

AKA: DIY Cover Ups With Walter Skinner

Skinner is a difficult character for the series to handle. He's unquestionably one of the most important characters, appearing in more episodes than any other non-Mulder/Scully character, but the first attempt to center an episode around him failed miserably. So, I suppose the thought process went, since one of the more interesting aspects of him is his combative relationship with the Conspiracy and his sparring with the Cigarette Smoking Man, why not center an episode around that?

Case 04, File 20: Small Potatoes

AKA: The Ballad of Eddie van Blundht

After Darin Morgan stopped writing episodes for the show, the series would make several attempts to recreate what he did for the show, to varying degrees of success. It would lean heavier on the funny episodes as the series wore on and it started to get stretched for content, but even in the golden age, it would bring back come comedic episodes, some good, some bad, some involving Mulder singing the Shaft theme song and therefore amazing. But for my money, I think that the smartest decision one could make is, if you can't have Darin Morgan writing, have him acting.

Case 04, File 19: Synchrony

AKA: This Villain Is A Dumb Name Away From Being A Batman Villain

One of the reasons I wanted to do this project was to interrogate my own opinions, something I do a lot. The X-Files is my favorite show, yes, and that is very unlikely to change, but I wanted to examine that feeling. What is it about The X-Files that I love, what episodes speak the most to me and, perhaps just as importantly, what episodes don't work for me and why. And while the answer to that question is usually pretty straightforward, sometimes it can be more complex.