Case 06, File 10: Tithonus

AKA: Do You Really Want To Live Forever

The X-Files' Monster of the Week episodes exists in this weird gray area where they definitely exist and matter, but also kind of don't. With the exception of the rare sequel episode, the elements brought up in one rarely seem to affect the others, and our intrepid heroes almost never seem to remember lessons they've learned in other episodes (you'd think Mulder would remember the incredibly convoluted way to kill a vampire he learned in 3 in Bad Blood). Normally this is fine, but when an episode touches on the same theme or subject as another, it can get...frustrating.

Case 06, File 09: S.R.819

AKA: A Weapon To Surpass Metal Gear

Audience knowledge can be a hindrance to crafting an effective story or creating proper stakes. Knowledge that the massive pile of character deaths at the end of Infinity War would almost certainly be undone turned it from tragic to frustrating. And that's especially true in a TV series or other serialized fiction, where we know instinctively that the hero isn't in any real danger. So this episode's solution: Put a secondary character in danger.

Case 06, File 08: The Rain King

AKA: Storm's Romantic Comedy

I've been referring to certain episodes in Season Six (and throughout the series frankly) as "Funny" episodes, and I suppose it's time I quantified that. While The X-Files is pretty consistently funny, the "Funny episodes" are episodes where the point is less to be scary or exciting and more to make you laugh, where the humor part of the series grows and takes over an entire episode. And while I do stand by my assertion that several of the last few episodes qualify, good lord does this one take the cake.