By comparison, here's Bruce Willis's arc from 12 Monkeys:

There's a basic storytelling problem in this episode, even aside from the poor execution.

It makes Einstein come across as really insecure.

I feel like this is X-Files 101:

I have to admit, I did not get this episode. The X Files is about using rational methods to investigate the uncanny, not using mystical methods to investigate everyday mysteries. Usually when they go off-format, it's for a comedy episode. Despite the younger Mulder and Scully, there's nothing very funny going on.

Something I noticed during Mulder's interview with Agent Einstein — Einstein is much more confrontational than Scully ever was. Even when Scully scoffs, she's more ascerbic and amused than anything.

It's my own individual reaction, so I can't claim it's true for everyone. But I was reminded of the time I saw a commercial for SeaQuest DSV talking about an alien invasion, and I was like "They put aliens on that submarine show?"

Ok, here's my problem with William.

Was Lost the first show to realize that "Downtown" is a great track for an unsettling scene? For a suppodedly cheerful song, it's great for building tension.

Your line about justifying the existence of this season is right. This was the first episode this season I would come back to rewatch.

Not peak X-Files, but not terrible like yesterday. Mulder's voice is weird now.

For me, the best episodes were a kind of gothic Americana.

The mythology episodes were always the worst.

A very frustrating show. It just could not, would not give any oxygen to any character besides House. The first few seasons had enjoyable mysteries, and developed some of the underlings almost by default (although what did the blond doctor ever do?). Then they spent a season casting a new crew of nonentities, and…

Darkness Falls was the very first episode that my brother and I saw, back when it was originally aired (my mom watched an episode or two before clueing us in).

A friend bought me the Zahn series as a birthday present when I was 10 or so. I liked them at the time, although I'm happy to live with my delusions rather than checking to see if they hold up.

The remix of "Bad Blood" makes obvious something I hadn't noticed about the original — it's a country song which has been pop-ified. Swift sings it with a lot of stops and starts, which makes it aggressive and kind of grating, but it would sound better with a traditional country arrangement.

The original ending of The Horse Whisperer is possibly the worst ending I have ever read to what is about 3/4 of a good book. Hollywood grafted a perfectly obvious ending in its place and improved the story immeasurably.

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser and Chris Pine.

Expose is a red herring episode most of all, which is why so many people hate it and I kind of love it. The writers carefully dropped hints throughout the season that these characters were going to be important, and then pulled the rug out underneath the audience. Not a trick you can pull twice, but very fun the…