Episode 60: The X-Files

but your boys back. Yes. Actually, if you and I went to a party this weekend and he texted me and said, I'm going to drink, but I'm going on to cleanse tomorrow, And I thought it was so funny that you had to You had a validate with me. Why you Because I was definitely going to be drinking. I didn't care. It was just funny that you had to let me know. Hey, by the way, like I'm

going back on my cleanse tomorrow. Well, because you know certain friends, um more specifically Ronnie Adrian likes to tease me about how like keyto online, but like when I'm having my cheap moments, that's never online. So you know, I'm just saying thank you okay, thanks, thank you. Um we're joined today by writer podcaster Aaron Mallory Long. Hi. Yeah, how are you doing. I mean I'm doing great. Look to be quite honest, I just got back from Japan, and I'm a little confused about what day it is.

I know, I'm so sorry. I like texted you to come on, and like she got all my text at once because she was on the airplane, and I'm like, listen, we're doing spoiler. We're talking about X files, and you have to be on because you're the person that I know knows the most about X files. I mean, it's just it's one of those things that has been such a part of my life. Yeah, that's files and then

also being sleep deprived. Both of those things those interchangeably. Um. Well, we have been starting out our show by asking people what they're speaking out about. I have been thinking about this and I'm going to keep mentioning it because I

was just on a trip. Um No, I watched um the whole season of Dead to Me on Netflix, like on my flight over to Japan, and so it's like one of those things where it's like the altitude and then also like watching something in one sitting and stuff where I felt like I got so like cued into it and was like so emotionally invested in everything that was happening. So that's the first thing that came to my mind, what I'm getting out of what is the

show about. It's like, you can't even describe what the show is about, but it's Christine Applegate and Linda Cardlini, who I love both of them. And then I just feel like Linda Cardlini doesn't get enough like roles like this, Like she's always like the wife in a movie that gets nominated for an oscar and I'm like, and she has like three lines and specifically about green Book specifically,

but it's happened a lot of times. She's also the wife in you know, like where she's just like hey hawki, like it's just like and then she disappears, you know. Like so I just was sort of like, oh, it's so nice that she's like back on this thing. Like I've loved her. I love her because of freaks and geeks, so it's like nice that she's like around is a

thing James Marsden, isn't it? I love um? But it was really it's really good It's like one of those like you know, twist grief, right, they like Christine Applegate's husband has just died at the start of the start of the series. Um, but it just goes a million places I wasn't expecting and I really liked it. It's like adult search party kind of, if that makes sense. I've seen a ton of people tweeting about it. Yeah, I really really, really really enjoyed it. But if you

what are you speaking out about. Oh man, I'm still on my funal Fantasy fourteen grind. You know, they had

a huge event. I think I might have talked about this last episode, but they had a huge event where you can win the regalia, just the car they drive in Final Fantasy fifteen, but you can only get it through winning uh like fake money within the game because there's a gold saucer in the which is like a prominent Final Fantasy casino, and so you had to like grind up to like two hundred thousand um M g P, which is the fake currency. And uh yeah, I spent all Sunday going in and I did get my car.

I have the regalia, and I'm geeking out about how cool I look driving around town. So when you're because were you streaming during that time? Some everyone got to watch you do it? Oh no, this was it was like private, intimate, private because it was so mind numbingly

like I was just bouncing from one thing. Because the way the casino works is there's these group events every twenty minutes, and that that gives you the opportunity to win about four thousand mg P. Then I would do choke a boat racing in between, which would only give me about three hundred. But there was challenges that if you did X amount of chokea Boat racings you would get like a bonus eight thousand. So it was like very just mind numbing, like grinding. Now. I was like,

this isn't gonna be entertaining. Check. I bet somebody still would. I bet he'll get a tweet like I still would have been there and watched you. You know. Um the thing I'm geeking out. I'm geeking out about two movies, UM Book Smart and Aladdin. UM one. I was gone for two weeks because I was hosting with Disney. If he went to the premiere with me, which I got to host at. I want to just say, if you

haven't been following me on Twitter. Will Smith is the kindest, nicest man, like just he has every It was so crazy because I was sitting there and he was like giving a pep talk to everyone. He's like such a hype man, like he just is. He exudes positivity. He's the same person on camera z is off camera. He's just such a nice, nice guy, which you know, being in Hollywood, we don't always run into that, and he has every reason to act egotistical or whatever because he

is such a huge star and he's not. Like he was just such a dream to work with. Um. But what I wanted to say is book Smart is um hilarious. It's a female lead, female directed film that everyone should go out and see. It's coming of age story, just really funny. I know if he and I both loved it, Oh yeah, that was gonna be my pick, and then

I backed out at the last second. The way I've been pigeon it to people is is just super bad with girls, and I think it's I'm really I'm more excited for the like teens of this generation like watch that and be like charged up on that. Yeah. Yeah, I had great queer representation in it as well. Um so that and then also Aladdin was number one in the box office and it has to POC lead, I mean three POC leads. I mean it was super awesome.

I know our friend Malcolm Barrett, who is on Our Shark our Street Sharks episode, was talking about how, you know, another director a couple of decades ago said oh, I can't, Um, I can't have someone whose name is Mohammed as my lead character. You know whatever, Yeah, you can go and I know, uh, and now we have something that made like a hundred what hundred million like opening that has Minima sud who plays Aladdin, who's relatively you know, um, he's been in a couple of things, but this was

definitely a breakout for him. And Naly Scott who plays Jasmine, who, um, they really updated her character I think for this for nineteen. So those are my thoughts. Those are the things that I'm geeking out about. It was really cool to see, um, a POC lead film do so well. And then I hope that everyone goes out and go see this female directed, uh, female led film in book smart am I too. I can't wait to see both of the Lost Man So excited too. Um. So we are talking about X Files. Yes,

I guess I remember. The first thing I think of is is the theme song, Yeah, yeah, and the nineties. I mean that's what I think of, is like staying it is it's so nineties, and like also like something about like aliens is so nineties to me. I mean obviously just like alien iconography, like that little face. I feel like it was everywhere when we were kids and stuff, but like something, I feel like we were all collectively

obsessed with aliens in the nineties. Like I remember Fox having that like Alien Autopsy show too, which I love. Also unsolved mysteries and unsolved mysteries in general, scariest thing I've ever seen, you know. So it's like X Files was kind of like this culmination of like everything that was happening, and like when when I started falling in love with it, it was like from coming out of like me being like, oh, this is a show my

dad really likes. Therefore it's an adult show. Therefore I'm smart if I like it, Like, I'm like smart, I can handle scary, Like even though at the time, like are You Afraid of the Dark used to terrify me, Like I was like I'm going to watch the X Files, like this is going to be this is like my thing. Yeah, it was just a little too smart for me. That's so funny to say. It was just a little bit like yeah I was. I mean at that time that you watching, I was watching, Um, are you Afraid of

the Dark? Goose Bumps? Like those were more on my level. And I always thought that that X Files was creepy, but it was just a little too old for me where I didn't always know what was going on. Yeah, um, if you do, you remember the first time that you watched X Files, Yeah, I remember. You did, like watch it a lot, mostly because my like auntsome mom really into it, so I had no choice but to sit

there and watch it with him, but I did. I'll never The episode that I'll never forget is the crossover they had what Cops Cops, because it was like this great level because like it was almost like like you, even though it was a narrative show, there was almost this like light suspension of like this could be real because it's like the truth is out there. So when they did that, it was like oh wait, what yes,

like is this all real? What's going on? Well? And I'm coming at it from like being like I think I probably started watching it when I was eight, which I would say is too young, but that is when I started watching and it was like coming off of me, like being an elementary school kid who had a notebook entitled Strange Things that Have Happened to Me. Oh wow, and so I was like, oh my god, there's a show where adults are talking about this. I'm in wait,

what was in your book? It was everything. It was like I would be like on the playground, like at my elementary school, and I like saw someone like walking over a hill and I would like jot it down and be like like stranger spotted like three PM, like what's happening? Oh my gosh, you were Oh shoot, what's her name? Michelle Trakenberg's Harry At another favorite of mine.

I think I think that came from me loving the book Harry at the Spy and then the movie Harry at the Spy, and then it like merged into me loving the XP like it was just for people that don't know you, this is so on brand for you as a person. It was just like I was just like, yep, this is like suspicious activity, Like was basically what I would write down or like even if I saw like a mirage like on the street, you know, like it like looks like water, I'd be like, I saw a mirage.

I don't know why, like investigate later. I just think that a notebook with that title would alarm any adult, your daughter having like some oh my gosh. I don't think I told my parents about it, Like, I don't think it was something that I actively like, because it was it was meant for me to have a log of weird things so that I could track what was going on. So I think it was in my understanding. I didn't show it to them. I don't think. I don't.

I think they would be surprised to know about that. Well. So the X Files was inspired by earlier series that were similar to it, like the Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, Tales from the Dark Side, Twin Peaks, um And it is interesting because I used to watch We were talking about Twin Peaks before we started recording, and I used to watch that and also Dark Shadows. Dark Shadows. I

did used to watch Dark Shadows. The thing about the thing that I loved about that was that because it was it's known as an American Gothic soap opera because they of the way that they recorded it. If they messed up, they just left it in there because it's kind of like Days of Our Lives. Yeah, like and so just be you can like watch like if they would flobb a line, they just had to keep going.

That's amazing. Um. But it's fascinating to me that I loved Dark Shadows and Night Gallery and Twilight Zone and didn't think that those were like two adults. But I think it's because there are elements of X Files were it seemed like nothing I don't wanna say nothing happened, but it was more do you know what I'm talking about? It was like, here's a monster. It was like a

lot of adult dialogue, and it's a lot of sexual tension. Well, so the show I was thinking about was the Outer Limits, the Outer Limits, to the Outer Limits as well, maybe I'm getting yeah, all of those essentially, Yeah, the outer Limits too. Well that's the X Files is basically broken into Monster of the Week episodes, which are my personal favorite and I love, and then like the episodes that

actually followed the story plot line, which get dry. I mean they just do like they get kind of hetty and like weird, and especially as a kid, Like I was like, well, I don't really care about these, but like, let me get back to monsters, let me get to the sexual attention. Like The X Files is where I learned about sexual attention, and I was like, oh, I'm into this. Like I was like, I'm in love with

everyone on the show. I'm in love with David Duchovney even though I'm a child, Like I was like, this is everything I mean still to this day, Like if you ask me my favorite X Files episodes, it's like Arcadia where they have to pretend to be a husband wife and they keep making jokes about like he keeps making jokes to her about like like making a porn video or like being like playing house, and I was like, yep, I'm into this way before you up into all of

your favorites, because we will get into those. Um, we should probably tell people that have never watched it a little bit about, um, you know how it came to be, so you know the basics are this. The X Files is an American science fiction drama TV series created by Chris Carter, and the original television series was airing from September tenth to May nineteenth of two thousand two on Fox, and the program went for nine seasons with two hundred

two episodes. A short tenth season consisting of six episodes. Yeah, A short tenth season consisting of six episodes, premiered on the January twenty four of two thousand sixteen and concluded on the twenty two of February, and following the ratings success of this revival, Fox announced that in April of two thousand seventeen that The X Files would be returning for an eleventh season of ten episodes, and that season premiered on January three of two thousand eighteen and ended

in March twenty one of two thousand eighteen. In addition to the Tell Division series, two feature films came out. There was film The X Files and I remember that one, which took place as part of the TV series continuity. And then they had a stand alone film called The X Files I Want to Believe that was released in two thousand and eight, six years after the original television and I think that was the one No one liked. Yeah, no one liked it. Did that one have? Yeah? They

were both in it. My personal problem with I want to Believe was that they skipped over like Moldern Scully, like getting together, making a life together, like they all of that happened off screen. So you just like, so the thing that all the fans wanted to see you were like, you turn on the movie and you're like what, No, Like it was just it existed in this crazy place where it's like sexual attention is gone, and like everything

that you wanted to happen presumably has happened. Like it's just like whereas the first movie which I made my parents take me to a midnight screening of Um, they were like, we're not okay. Luckily they both like The X Files, but I was like, we have to go immediately when it comes out. I don't know what to tell you. I'm like thirteen. I'm like, sorry, you really like Book Smart because you are literally those girls. That

makes me so nervous. Um. But it's like in that one they had that you know, the big moment for me in that movie is like when they go to almost kiss in the hallway and then like they don't kiss because Scully gets stung by the bee and then she goes down and you know that is the original Jim and Pam yes, truly though, Like that's what I'm like, they are Molder and Scully are my whatever, Sam and Diane,

Jim and Pam, like that's well. I remember the twenty I remember when it came back in because if you remember Luke Crate, like Luke Crate boxes and stuff, they did like a big X Files push, and I remember I was like, oh, I have these shirts Aaron like that they that they had given me. I'm like, I don't I know someone that's going to really care about this a ton, but that was a really big deal.

And then it seemed like when they brought it back in, I don't know if I heard about it or if it was marketed like as much, and maybe I'm just like not in the community, I think it wasn't. It wasn't brought up as much. And I think even my friends, I know a lot of people who are really into the X Files as well, and I think even us, like we kind of weren't necessarily there for it. I think a lot of people are a lot harder on

the first reboot season than I think it deserves. I think it's six episodes and basically two of them are really good. Two of them are kind of terrible, and two were like kind of mediocre, boring like plot ones, and that's like how the series sort of is percentage wise overall. So I felt good about it. I was like, this is okay, Like this this is what we used to I remember being fourteen and watching it week to week, and you know, there'd be an episode that I'd be like, no,

I didn't really care about that. That's fine, Let's get to some sexual tens and then everything will be okay. X Files basically for me as a pre teen and teen was the closest I got to watching porn. Like it was just like this is this is porn. This was on Fox, I know, because it's all about tension.

I mean, I guess it's like I was basically watching Cinemax, like, but you were watching It was like my equivalent of like fan fiction, like it's just so like you know, well, it gets your little heart pitter pattered, very pitter pattered. And it's where I learned about fan fiction, Like I was sure, I'm like on aim, like into the night with my friend who was also obsessed with the X Files in high school, who otherwise we didn't really talk, and then it's like she's sending me like fan fix,

like did you read this one? Did you read this one? And I was like, Okay, I'm like up until six am when I have to be up for school at six thirty because I'm just like I can't stop like reading fan fix of the X Files. Yeah, I mean

it's just porn. Yeah me, it was seat because they always had a hot tub scene them up every every day and they you know, and I will say Buscano More was more diverse than Blind Date because Bustano More was just the hum Telemundo's Blind Date and but like it wouldn't just be like twentysomethings, Like they had straight up like episodes with like sixty year olds and still had them do the hot tub scene. I watched, I mean myself and Hector Navaro, who's been on I've watched.

I watched anime on Telemundo because one it was like not as edited and also they got stuff that like we didn't get onto Namie Interesting or four Kids or whatever, like it was, yeah, they got stuff before we did. I didn't go to Telemundo with any good intentions. I don't know what the Saturday one, there was a Saturday party one where like it was obviously like their soul train, but it always had like bikini ladies dance and I was like, bet like this, I'm here every Saturday. I

forget the name of it. I was going to say, um uh, I definitely saw Goku's bare ass though there's a scene where he bends over in his butt ass naked. Okay, Eric, can you tell people about so we have um, we have Scully and Molder talk me through Fox Molder played by David Company. What is he? What is his role in? What is he? How would you describe his personality and his story arc? He is a believer, so like he's

I mean the whole I think the whole. The whole setup to the show is basically what I like as well, which is just this idea of opposites and stuff. And it's like Scully, who is a doctor who is always like her line that she always goes to was like I was brought into debunk your work, like she was teamed up with Mulder because Mulder was like, I need to open the X files and investigate all these crazy things.

And the FBI is basically like, Okay, Scully is an actual smart normal person, like here you go be with

him and kind of like work on these things. So it's like for most of the season, I mean even in like the later episodes, the later seasons, after she's seen a bunch of stuff for real, she's still always like, Molder, I don't think it could do that, and he's always like I think it is, Yea, even after she's been abducted, after like everything that, like she's still like I don't know, like that's not physically possible, and then it always is.

But so the whole the whole system is him fighting against the man actually, like and investigating the X Files and trying to figure out the truth. He has this whole backstory about his sister Samantha, who disappeared when they were kids, and like there's even an episode with Um called paper Hearts where there's a serial killer, so it

also combined my true crime obsession. There's a serial killer, and then like the serial killer is kind of baiting Molder and like being like maybe I killed your sister, And so it's like everything that Molder does is like to investigate this strange occurrence of like his sister disappearing when he was Like does he have to find that out. I don't think so unless it happens in something that I didn't see, you you would think that that's what the reboot would try to tack totally, and I'm guessing

they didn't. They didn't in I can't really The problem is I don't really remember the second movie now. And that's the thing. It's like, I really I like the Monster of the Week episodes so much. It's like it's also the episodes that um combine like the humor of the show and everything, which is really what I was like drawn to as like a kid and as an adult, Like it's like if you can make me laugh, and also it's like smart and like kind of interesting and scary.

Like then that where I'm on board, Like that's my sweet spot. So there are some episodes of X Files

which are just like that sweet spot. But basically Molder is is called Spooky Molder and like that's his whole, his whole kind of thing, like the X Files gets shut down multiple times and then reopened and they have to go do normal stuff and it's like so it's all this, it's all him fighting for the X Files and like being this kind of like outcast weirdo and Scully is supposed to like normalize him and then they have great chemistry. Yeah, and then they end up together.

I do remember that. Yeah. Well, and it's like it doesn't it doesn't hurt honestly that like David Duchovny and Jelia Anderson like feed into that so much, Like it doesn't hurt that, Like she tweets at like pictures of them and stuff, and like they're always like you know, like that doesn't hurt the situation. Um. So as far as Scully, what is her? Like, what does she have family? Like what exactly? For? Like, God, she has a lot

of weird things that happened. There's a whole now I can't remember anything because it's like episodes that I wouldn't have rewatched a lot. But it's like there's a whole storyline with her sister and family and but she mostly her main thing is she's the skeptic. She is the one who's like approaching it from like a clinical, like scientific way. She's always like going and like looking at the autopsies and stuff and like kind of like approaching

things as a doctor and clinically. And then like he's the one who's like emotional and reactive and like. So that's how they like balance each other out. Um. But she doesn't have that like crazy backstory that he has of like I'm trying to figure out what happened to my sister, Like, she doesn't have that exact thing. Hers is mostly like, Okay, I'm trying. I'm trying to do my job. I didn't expect to be working on The

X Files, but here I am. So A little known fact about David the company when he got this, he had worked in Los Angeles. At first, he wanted to focus on feature films. Um In His manager, Melanie Green, gave him the script for the pilot episode of The X Files and they were both convinced that he should audition for it, and he did a terrific job UM and the casting director of the show was very positive

towards him, but thought he was not particularly intelligent. Um. He asked a company if he could please imagine himself as an FBI agent in future episodes. Um, this is insane. Jillian auditioned for the role of Skoli in UM and she said I couldn't put the script down. The network wanted either a more established or oh god, this is a this is a thing of the times. The network wanted a taller, leggiar, blonder, and breastier actress for FBI stuff, you know, for FBI stuff. First goal. Then oh, she

was only twenty four at the time. I guess, I mean, but she feels perpetually older than me because she is. But I mean, like, I think because I watched it when I was little, But holy corrup, she was twenty four. Chris Carter, who created it, insisted that it Jillian had the kind of no nonsense integrity that the role required.

So apparently they went for a personality as opposed to breast here thank god, I mean yeah, and and so she went on to win the Screen Actors Guild Award in nine nineteen and Emmy in nine in a Golden Globe in n So look what happens when you she's the best. She's great. Also, it's like, man, everyone's in love with Jillian Anderson and thinks she's super hot, especially on the coast. So it's like, I think, you guys are fine, I calm down. I always think it's interesting.

I don't know if there's any like actual stats on this, but I always think it's interesting when I'm watching X Files episodes because it's odd that she has red hair, you know, like not not statistically speaking, not a lot of people have red hair, but there are always other

redheads in episodes, like as side characters. There are always redheads everywhere, and I feel like it must have been an intentional choice, but I like have never looked into that or anything, but it's like, it's weird because in that world there's so many red heads. That's the one that's one of the spooky occurrences. You investigate that we have to take a quick break and then we're hopping back into the X Files right after this, and we're back and yeah, so I wanted to talk about that

iconic music. Yeah, so that was actually composed by Mark Snow. And you got involved with the X Files through one

of the executive producers. And initially Carter didn't have anyone in mind, and a little over a dozen people were considered, but Goodwin continued to press for Snow, which was his buddy who was the co producer, and uh, he had auditioned about three times with no sign from the production staff as to whether they wanted him, and then one day Snow's agent called him and was talking about the pilot episode and hinting that he got the job. I would be like did I get it or not? With

like what are you doing? Three times? I think you know? I think you know. Now. There was a there was a episode of Rosy o'donald Show, which I loved, where Davi Dukovany was on I Think and he said that Mark Snow has said that the theme music, the unheard lyrics to it are the The X Files is a show by Mark Snow. So I always hear that in my brain. That's like me going Star Wars and the Star Wars Star Wars exactly the same thing. It's the

same thing. Well, that theme song apparently the like whistle in it was inspired by the track how Soon is Now from The Smiths. Okay, I hear that that we yeah, yeah, it is kind of creepy. It's really the title sequence with the musicad Alien, the Dead Alien, the like close ups of their badges. Like so. Chris Carter did talk about creating Moldern Schully. He said, Moldern Schully came right out of my head. A dichotomy there the equal parts

of my desire to believe in something. In my inability to believe in something, my skepticism and my faith, and the writing of the characters came very easily to me. I want, like a lot of people do, to have the experience of witnessing a paranormal phenomenon at the same time, I want not to accept it, but to question it. I think those characters and those voices came out of

that duality. Yeah, And I think that's like it's funny because it's like, yeah, that sounds like a normal human reaction, Like, you know, I want to be like, oh, yeah, cool, weird things are happening, but also like the idea of that weird thing happening is terrifying, you know, Like I've had a ton of paranormal things happened to me. Yeah, And I think also just that that combination is just like amazing storytelling and just kind of like a commonly

used trope that's it's just the odd couple. You take two people who are complete opposites and put them in a position where they're forced to be together, and it just makes so much sense. Like like like of course you in the Alien show, you want someone who believes and who doesn't believe, and it is kind of woven together in a beautiful way in the sinse that it's like, Okay, you can look at this weird alien stuff, but we're

gonna put this person in here with you. It's like it's it really is like one of those things that are just right there for you, right totally. It just makes perfect sense. It makes everything work, and it's like it's sort of because then when Scully does believe in something, it's so much more meaningful because Mulder believes everything immediately.

So it's like alien sounds like yeah, it's just like okay, like yeah, sure, and Scully always questions and it's like for her to get to the point of believing, like it takes so much grunt work for her that like, you know, it's real Like, as I'm watching The X Files as a documentary, so you have a more expansive knowledge of X follow episodes than I do. What is so is there like a equal amount of episodes where it is an alien versus when it isn't and Scully

is right? Or is it mostly all aliens? Now it's pretty much always well, it's not even it's not even all aliens. It's like all the thing that Mulder is thinking it is, yeah, you know, I do. One thing that I think is very interesting about The X Files is that like the two main characters, like they are not above getting hurt, Like they get hurt by these things constantly, Like they get shot even just by normal guns, Like they get into paranormal things, like bad things happen

to them all the time. I'm like, there are real stakes when you're watching it. It's not this thing where you're like, oh, but I know the main characters are going to be safe, Like they're not safe at all, which I think is it was always interesting to me or like seemed seemed different to me somehow. You know, as you're watching the show, and what I think is like drawing you in is that you're like you literally don't know what's going to happen because you don't know

what what the crazy twist is going to be. You don't know like anything, you know, like they've just they've had so many different kinds of episodes and so many things that it is that it's actually it's funny how infrequent it's aliens. Like I was going to ask about some of the other side characters. There's Walter Skinner, Um, John Douggett, Our dogg It and Monica Reyes. Can you can you talk about some of the other agents. Skinner is great. Skinner is their boss, so he is um

whatever that title is. Is it a d A or am I thinking about lawn Order now? Um? And yeah and a d FBI Yeah a d UM because I also love spu Um. He's like their boss and so he's always It's like Scully is always like talking to Skinner and like he's like rain Molder in like she's always trying to like not get Molder in trouble with Skinner, like to step in, which is kind of her role like throughout the whole thing. Um, but dogg It in Rays,

they they are the replacement for Molder. So it's like after the I guess the is it the seventh season? After the seventh season, like Molder only appears in a few episodes in like eight and nine, and like Dogget and Rays came in. So that was when I'm watching it in high school and I was like what is Yeah, I mean what happened there? Well? I think what was he doing, um weeds or what was he in Californication? Why who was in Weeds and White It. I think

it was him. Never mind California Cacia, you know, six ft under, just all of them. Well, it was a thing where they used to because I unreasonably hated Ta Leoni in the nineties, um, because she was married to David Ducovney. And then also the story was that, like so the production of The X Files used to always be in Vancouver, and then the story is that like she was like, no, you can't be like away all the time, and she like helped David Ducovny force production

to move to Los Angeles. And then after that is when he like left. So I'm not sure if it's like it was like related to that or like because he had to do some weird movies that he was

doing at that time. Um, but it was it really like that was like the first experience I had of like a show I loved, like really being shaken up and like having something change and then being like, oh, well I don't like this anymore, Like yeah, that's a huge change the character, taking away one of the main characters.

It was just it was just like it was such it was such a weird shock to me that it's like I still watched all of those episodes, but I've never rewatched them, Like I've never revisited either of those two seasons because like I just I'm like, it's to the point where even like looking at those actors, it's like Annabeth Gish and I always forget his name, who played dog it Um from The Terminator, Yeah, Robert patrick Um.

Like I see them and I unreasonably get annoyed, like in other stuff because I'm like, you were in my favorite show, like in high school, like like this is terrible, but so I can't even I couldn't even tell you what they're their things are, but they come in as the like replacement people from Molder basically, so the final the three of them. Then, yeah, the final two seasons are like the three of them mainly, Well that is different sexual tension or not or at all? Yeah, it

maybe a little. It was just it was like it would have been the same thing if Scully had left, Like if Scully had left and it was just the Molder show, I wouldn't have liked that either. Like it was just like a lot of the show for me. Besides sexual tension is just like them and their relationship and this you know this, these different aspects, these different ways of viewing things, UM, which is what you need from both of them, and it kind of gets muddied

once you throw other people in my remembrance? Is that then Scully kind of after having years of the X Files, like she then sort of took up the molder roll of like, no, but it is aliens guys kind of thing, which doesn't really work for me. UM. For to me, I get that it seems like that would be normal. Though in her trajectory of like she's seen enough where she's like, yeah, no, you'd probably actually is aliens totally, totally,

it makes sense. It makes more sense for her to finally come to that conclusion rather than in season seven still being like Malder, calm down. I don't think it's anything weird. I'm sure it's normal. There's some like really iconic UM episodes and people are villain not villains but aliens or whatever. Can you talk about some of those UM.

I feel like the episode that everyone always talks about UM, which again it's kind of like a product of the Internet where it's like I thought it was a thing like we were just obsessed with in my family, but it's like, oh no, everyone in the world is obsessed with that, which is this episode home UM where it's basically like the whole thing of it is that Like I guess they never re aired it, but I remember watching it in like those X Files marathons, so I

don't think that that's true. But it's like really alarming, it's really scary. They like basically come upon this farmhouse with a bunch of people that are like inbread and like just like a really scary situation. There's a really horrifying like reveal of a human being under a bed with no legs and stuff like there's just like a lot of really crazy stuff and it's based on that episode.

Idea is based on this documentary UM that is about event that took place in upstate New York, which is where I'm from, um, and so it didn't take place in my hometown, but it's basically like a family similar to theirs. I don't think they're inbred, but like in a murder of that happened and it was like about whether or not like these guys are responsible. They had very low education, like low I Q all the stuff, and like that's kind of where the idea for that

episode came from is like from this documentary. So what was the supernatural presence in this one? Well, I think it was just kind of that like that they're inbred and like it was like you know, it was like most inbred and yeah, it was mostly that. It was like it was like this weird Yeah, it was mostly that.

It was just kind of the one of these like thing of week episodes where it's like someone is murdered, like they're trying to figure it out, and it's basically like this family where like their mom is like telling them to like do this stuff. So it wasn't yeah that's very Hills have Eyes anyone remembers that. But so

we who is this smoking man? That's the cigarette smoking Man. Yeah, he's like this just like mysterious figure um and the thing he's always smoking a cigarette um and it's like he's kind of Mulder has this history to where like his dad was also like involved in a lot of stuff, so it's like he gets stuff from from his dad

and like cigarette smoking Man. There's an episode that like goes back like as a flashback to like kind of his his starting and things, but it's it's all this this is where this is where it gets as you would think, like to adult, where it's like all these conspiracy things yeah about the government and stuff, which like does get confusing. Um, but that's who that's who he is. Um, the cigarette smoking man is kind of this figure of that. Yeah.

So those were the episodes that I didn't get because they had Monster of the Week episodes and then they had mythology episodes, which essentially dealt with like colonization, hybred super soldiers, like this idea that the government is like, which I get, but like those totally went over my head. And then it was an alien. I'm like, oh, I

get it. That's scary totally. Yeah. Well, and and that's the thing too, It's like the episodes that I've rewatched and that made me love the show are the Monster of the Week episode. So it's like those are the ones that I'm watching all the time, and like, no, everything that happens or like put on when like you know, it's Christmas and I want to watch this one episode.

You know, Like it's these these kind of overarching mythology episodes that like are a little a little too involved to like really track really like be an expert it on for me personally. I know a lot of X Files fans who are like very into those episodes, but like my my relationship to the show is it's about these characters. It's about these weird occurrences rather than like the government is like spying on us and this is

all this crazy stuff that's going on. Okay, I feel that, And that's why I'm excited to ask you this next one because I mnna ask you about an episode and I want to stare at you because I want to see your your facial The title of it, this is on the list and it covers everything you say. But tell us about Memento Mori. Oh man, Memento Mori. Memento Moria. Actually, yes, tell us about it? About it after these messages and welcome back, we are talking about X Files episode. We

have Elementory long here with us. Uh. Danny Fernandez is focused on the laptop right now. Well, yeah, because I have some true to drop after this, but yeah, me mental Moori. The reason it stood out to me is this is the episode that got Jillian Anderson her emmy so uh and uh and and you kind of we kind of sprinkled on you know about the the events that kind of led to this, but I want to let Aaron take it from here. Oh man, um see,

it's funny. It's funny that you said, I understand that this is like one of those ones that people go to, um, but it's like it's not necessarily one that I love. It's fine, Um no, no, no, I do love it. It's just like it's it's one of the things that deals with like this whole this whole thing happens where Scully gets a tumor, and then it's like she has an implant and stuff and it's all these things, and so it's like it's after she's been abducted, which is

obviously like a big deal. Um, and then it's just like trying to figure out like basically what has happened with her, like what is going on, which I mean obviously I care about and I'm interested in, but it's kind of like it's like the start of that. It's like her learning about this tumor trying to like figure

it out from a clinical perspective as she does. I mean, even in the in the movie and the part that I was talking about before with the beasting, when she gets stuck by the be she literally starts going like, oh my airways are closing, and I'm like, as she's passing out, like it's like she is miss doctor, like

to a fall to a fault, you know. Um, but this is kind of like this is one of those things where like Scully is trying to deal with actually what happened to her, which is very interesting obviously, and just kind of like it's sort of her turning point of like, Okay, this is real stuff that's going on. This is a physical thing that has happened to me.

So I think from that perspective and from like a character perspective, it's very very interesting, but it's not necessarily one you like turn on to like have a good time, you know what I mean. I wanted to say something because we were talking about the mythology like the whole government conspiracy type episodes. So Chris Carter, who created it, said that he was a child of the Watergate era and so he you know, would question authority and learned

to mistrust it. That he was largely inspired by all the president's men. Interesting, so that was a part of it. Um And then another thing um on the other side, going back to monsters or I guess not monsters. But um. Going back to how Scully came to be was that he was partly inspired by Clarice from from Silence of the Lambs, and that Jodie Foster actually made a cameo in the fourth season episode called Never Again. She provided the voice of Betty a homicidal tatto. Oh my god,

I didn't realize that. I've never realized that. That's amazing. That's so cool. Um. I feel like if you just at a photo of Scully, you're like, oh, is this Clarice start? They're very similar. It very makes sense, type a like breaking down, you know, why is this happening? Like similar hair. Yeah. Another funny thing is that David Dicovny actually pushed for Jennifer Beale's to play school for people I don't remember. She is the start of flash Dance,

um and many other things. But um, that would be very interesting. She would be just a different type. Like she's so like when I think of her, I always think of her as um like treating Decovany in like that way of being like no it's not aliens, like grow the heck up, um, Like I'm mad at you. Yeah, um. I also, I mean I would be remiss to not bring up The Lone Gunman, which I did. Forget, um, who's these like three guys who like Mulder kind of like goes to and they come up in Memento Maria

as well. UM. But like they then had this like spinoff series, like they're like a bunch of nerds, you know, like a bunch of like he goes to them for computer things and all this stuff. Um, And then they tried to have a spinoff series of them, which is kind of The Lone Gunman. I think it lasted a season,

but I'm not positive. What are some of the other episodes that you've that are like iconic, like episodes that are iconic for me or like, um Bad Blood is this episode with um Luke Wilson and the kid who was like the main character in The Big Green whose name I can't think of, which was like the same era, so he looks exactly the same, this like redheaded kid um. And it's basically they go to this town and there's

like vampires. Is essentially like what's going on. But the good part of this episode is that it's told both

from Molder's perspective and from Scullies. So there's like from Scullies perspective, like Luke Wilson looks like Luke Wilson and his normal and he like flirts with her, And from Molder's perspective, it's like they literally give him like false teeth and like like Skully is like fawning over him and stuff, and it's like them Like so the episode is part like talking about this community of vampires that they this town of vampires they have found and like

what's going on, and part like them like teasing each other and flirting. So obviously like very into that, um, like very into it, um. But those are all I mean, that's what That's what I was going to get into before. It's like the episodes of that that I like like and used to rewatch so much are like ones like that. Like there's an episode um called Detour where they're like

supposed to be on like a community. It's like one of those where like they're not supposed to be investigating something and then they like stumble into it and it's this like a monster that's basically the woods, Like you know, there's like a like a demon like a being that

exists in the trees and stuff that's killing people. And the reason why it sticks out in my child brain is because Mulder gets like hurt and they're in there in the forest and Scully is like holding him, and then he's like, you know, I heard the best way to stay warm is to climb naked into a sleeping bag with someone else who's already naked inside. And I was like, well, I'm twelve. This is the best thing

I've ever seen, you know. So it's like it's like that kind of stuff is what, in a stupid way, sticks out to me. But also great episodes like um Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose, which stars um uh Peter Boyle is that his name and he won an Emmy I thing for it, um, And it's just it's just like these kind of things where they like drop in on a person and like follow this story of what's going on.

There's like, um, there's this great episode called Monday where um, this woman is reliving the same day over and over and as she watches her boy and like go and hold up a bank, and she keeps trying to get in touch with Molder and like get through to him, and like every day time she keeps groundtog day, reliving this day and reliving this day, and like she she's like, every time something goes wrong, I can't figure out what's

going on. And then like you know, so it's like a paranormal in that way where it's like she's literally stuck in the same day, but it's not like aliens, but it's like Molder and Scully keep dying in that episode, like the bank keeps exploding and she's like, this isn't right, Like you guys have to fix this. I'm trapped in hell. And then finally, like the end of the episode spoiler alert is that like she has to die and then

that's what ends it. Um. Something that I think needs to be addressed though, is that there was a pay gap. Gillian Anderson actually revealed even recently that she had to fight to be paid the same amount as de Company twice, first when the show originally aired, then again when it

came back for two seasons. So this is according to The Daily Beast, Anderson found herself fighting just to stand on equal ground literally with her male costar, because the studio initially required her to stand a few feet behind her male partner on camera. Careful never to step side by side with him, and it took three years before Anderson finally closed the wage gap between her pay and

to companies. That is insane to be she was an award winner for this series to be treated like another, to be tweet as a sidekick to David Dicovany and not as an equal. It's Dana, I mean, Scully and Molder. It's like it's not one or the other. That's wild, especially since like she's the one who was sitting around

like holding down the show for two seasons. You know, like it's just as much sorry to clean up because the first thing when she when they came back, they definitely should if anything, Julian should have got paid more than to come. But when they first came on, even though he was in l A for three years, he has already done Working Girl, New Year's Day, denial, bad influenced Julia had to don't tell Mom, the babysitter's death,

the rupture. So he was primarily a feature film actor, so that's why he didn't want to do X Files because he was he was an movie actor. Then well, yeah, he must have then done Twin Peaks, like right when he got to l A. But the thing is is Iel like, if that's the case, they should have equalled out by like season two. Like by season two is like this is a hit show. They're both as important.

It should have equaled out. You can get away with I think your first season if someone has like all this over it, but season two it needs to equal out, especially like they are literally you cannot have Molder without Skully. That show would be insane without her. Yeah, and here's the here's the simple thing that makes it like rough, is like it's hard to get equity in this industry because if we show up to set together, no one's gonna want to talk. Like if I'm on set with

Danny and she's like if how much, what's your rate? Right? No one, no one. But but the fact of the matter is is we should have that combo because that doesn't that so like so what why wouldn't you want to empower your people on set? But I think it's such a touchy thing because people like, well, why should

you get paid the same as me? But it's like if we're on a show like this and we're on the second season, like, sure, get your first season, you have more, but if we are equal importance in the show, we should be equally competent. Absolutely absolutely, Well, it's yeah, I mean there's too many cogs in this, says, I mean,

we can I don't want this to well. I was going to say, Okay, so maybe that article I was reading that said he had only maybe they were just talking about he had only been in l A for three years because um he had been like you said, he had done a couple of things before then. Um, although I would argue you that this is what he's most known for. Um but yeah, so he slapped me one that I was like, oh, I know that one. But he but when I think of that, I think

of Christine Apple. She's the star of Don't Tell Mom. Totally. I think of her too. He's not like, necessarily, in my opinion, the star. She's the star of that. Um but um, okay, yeah, so he Yeah, thank you for clarifying that he had worked in other things. I didn't grow up watching Twin People to be right to be in your well actually, oh my gosh. But to be honest, like we were saying, it shouldn't have it should have

equalled out. And then by the time I mean, she was when she was when she won an Emmy for this role. That should have that should have really changed the pain. That's crazy. So um that's that's why I like it's it's even insane on the on the reboot that that that happens. That's so distance it happened. Yeah, I mean it's all like like I said, I didn't want to turn but that's the it's all just a broken system. And that's what happens when you have like

you know, these package deals and stuff. Is that's all takes of like it really does. I think people think that, oh, it's just the writers, but it affects people because you have agencies as like oh I have this person, I'll have or take a lower rate. So that and that's why, you know, like it's all, it's all just. But I did want to say before someone writes me that m

David Dicovany did. He was nominated for a Golden Globe in ninety six and he finally won one um or x X files but David, um, Well, it's also that thing where it's like I'm like, David dcovany has a flash air role, you know, which also annoys me. Like it's like you know, I love killing E. And like I've heard a lot of people being like, oh, it's weird that Sandra is getting attention when Jody Comber is there and she's so great, and I'm like, yeah, but

like they're both great is the thing? Like they're both great in this show, And like Sandra has like such a difficult that like straight man part in anything, even if it's not a comedy is like that's hard, Like that's tough. You gotta you know, like that's a hard thing. Also, you don't get to do the fun stuff when you're

the fund police. You're always like you know, It's it's so interesting because you'll have that when you're like writing a show where you're like, oh man, you don't want this person to be or like, you know, especially if you're writing a show that people who are going to be in it are in the room, you'll get like personalities being like well, I don't want to be the one who's not fun all the time. It's like, but

we need that. Like it's like as much as you don't want that, we need that because you're the person to balance it out exactly. It's normally what we call it the dumb dad. Trope have Homer Simpson, you have Peter Griffin, you have um Tim the Toolman, Taylor whatever. Like the mom is always the naggy mom because she

has she has to. If he's the dumb dad and he gets to have all, he's the one like lighting his pants on fire and stuff, then you have the mom um like and Mrs Doubt fire and she's the mean mom, the Maaggie mom, the So I'm not taking away from those like iconic roles, it's just that that is often given to with um. Yeah. Do you have final thoughts, Aaron? Are there things that we missed that we need to include. The thing that is now panicking me that I have not talked about is that there's

a Simpsons episode that's a crossover with that. Yeah. I remember them being simpsified the Springfield Files and it's great, and it's like, it's just it's one of those things I used to want. I mean, I love the Simpsons as well, and it's like it was a thing that we watched as a family, and my obsession with it was if my parents were laughing at something and I didn't get it, I needed to know why. I needed to know the reference and like whatever they were referencing.

And that's how I learned lots of pop culture references that I still know and I realized I learned from The Simpsons, But with the Springfield Files, I was like, oh my god, this is a whole episode that I know all the references. Like I get what they're making fun of, I get what's happening and everything like do like, uh, Mulder's badge when he flips down is like him like in a photo shoot, like in just underwear, like animated,

you know. And it's like because there was all these there's all these references in the X Files to him watching porn. He's constantly watching porn like in the background like you'd kind of hear something. And then he has like a water bed that like explodes in this episode Monday. Like he's like he's always like on the edges of

like sex culture stuff. So it's just like all these jokes in that episode that I'm like, oh, I get every reference, And it was like so good for me as a little kid, like to just be like I feel smart, like and I get the jokes and it's funny, like just the best thing that's ever happened. That's funny that they like, your coworker just straight up watching porn while you're at work. It was all it was all.

It was like usually when he was at it was usually to be fair like at his home, and it's like she would call and then he would be like like pausing or turning off the TV and you could kind of hear that. I'm like, you know, like grow things from his real life into this. Yeah. Well and then that when that all happened, I was like, oh, that must have been where this came from. Yeah, I mean really they made him into the character. They were like,

David Comany is straight up watching porn and his trailer. Um, thanks for coming on and talk about X files. Thanks for having me. What a dream just to think about that, and you know it's it's out there. Wow, we're gonna we're gonna edit that down hopefully where you don't see how long it took me to part those like two words three words together. Is there any where can people find you? And is there anything you want to promote? Um,

I'm everywhere at Aaron Mallory Long. That's that's the main promoting I do just myself, Um, I do this video series where I recap episodes of Dawson's Creek. If anyone out there likes Dawson's Creek, one of my favorite shows, also my obsession from So Aaron had an entire friends podcast with our friend Jamie. Would actually still have that friends podcast. Yeah that's yeah, yeah, that's still happening. Lamar

would love that. He's very I don't know when this happened, slowly creeped in, but he had a friend's hat and then he just bought those new I don't know if you've seen the Kyrie's that came out, but there he bought those, and then he bought a friend's hoodie to go with you. So I'm like, you look like a friend's super fan and I don't know. I only know

who Kyrie iring is because he loves friends. Uh. And you know me as always, if you d I F Y n W A d I w E on Twitter and Instagram, if D's on Twitch, drop those Twitch Prime subs every month. You gotta do it manually until you upgrade. I said this last time in a couple of you all upgraded to just the regular monthly tier. One up and it'll just automatically charge you and if that floats your boat, if you never want to come back to my twitch, but you're like, I want to give you

a simple five bucks a month. Uh, you know, uh, thank you, but you can also do that. As far as shows, I really don't have shows, but I'm would definitely be at E three and I'm definitely gonna be at R T X. Uh, so you know, prepare for that. I don't have dates for anything I'm doing just yet, but just go ahead and prepare for that. There you go. Um, I'm at Miss Danny Fernandez M S d A and I I forgot a spell and I'm at Miss Danny Fernandez. It's M S d A and I f E R

n A and D easy. Um. I think we're both going to be at Comic Con though, so to also prepare for that. Get your tickets in line because I think we get to announce our Comic Con schedule coming up pretty soon. I think that's all I have. Check out our tea public site. We have a lot of cool shirts to public dot com slash Nerdificent if you tweet at us or tag us. We've been reposting people that that get a shirt or a mother or whatever

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