Monsters of the Week: The Complete Critical Companion to The X-Files In an exclusive conversation, Darren Mooney talks to authors Zack Handlen & Todd Van Der Werff about their new book all about The X-Files... Host Darren Mooney Guests Todd Van Der Werff & Zack Handlen Production Darren Mooney (Editor/Producer), Tony Black (Executive Producer), Kurt North (Patron), Michelle Milbauer (Patron), Jenn Ferguson (Patron), Astrid Klosterkoetter (Patron), Naomi Miller (Patron), Michael John Pett...
Nov 06, 2018•1 hr 11 min
3x22 'Quagmire' - Episode Analysis Our coverage of Season 3 continues as Carl Sweeney takes the hosting chair alongside returning X-Cast guests Sarah Blair & Zach Moore to discuss this tasty comedy... After the gruesome death of a biologist near a lake in Georgia, Mulder and Scully head to investigate what Scully believes are alligator attacks and Mulder ascribes to Big Blue, the name of a mythical, Loch Ness-esque sea creature legend says lives in the lake... Host Carl Sweeney Guests Sarah ...
Nov 02, 2018•1 hr 32 min
Underappreciated Episodes in Season One Our supplemental episode this week is our first examination of what our X-Cast team consider the underappreciated episodes of the series, starting with Season 1. Sarah Blair hosts, alongside guests Russ Hugo & Paige Schector, to discuss three S1 episodes in particular: The Jersey Devil, Born Again & Roland. Will you end up looking at them differently by the end? Host Sarah Blair Guests Russ Hugo / Paige Schector Production Tony Black (Editor/Execut...
Oct 30, 2018•1 hr 10 min
3x21 'Avatar' - Episode Analysis Our coverage of Season 3 continues as Sarah Blair takes the hosting chair alongside returning X-Cast guest Amy Walker to discuss this Skinner-centric episode... In the midst of a difficult divorce, Assistant Director Walter Skinner is embroiled in an unsavoury murder investigation when a prostitute turns up dead in his bed. Attempting to help protect their boss' reputation, Mulder & Scully are drawn into Skinner's personal life as a supernatural force begins ...
Oct 26, 2018•1 hr
Character Profile: Fox Mulder - Season 1 Our supplemental episode this week is our next in-depth character profile, looking at a particular X-Files character at a point in the show - in this case Mulder in S1. Paige Schector hosts, alongside guest Carl Sweeney, to discuss Mulder's best moments from the season, amongst much more... Host Paige Schector Guest Carl Sweeney Production Carl Sweeney (Editor/Producer), Tony Black (Executive Producer), Kurt North (Patron), Michelle Milbauer (Patron), Jen...
Oct 23, 2018•1 hr
3x20 'Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space'' - Episode Analysis Our coverage of Season 3 continues as Paige Schector takes the hosting chair alongside returning X-Cast guest Kurt North to discuss this legendary Darin Morgan *bleepin* comedy... The mysterious abduction and return of an Air Force Pilot and the unsettling case of a teenage girl are brought to life by Scully when interviewed by celebrated author Jose Chung, but her recollections of a bizarre set of possibly alien encounters may not exactl...
Oct 19, 2018•54 min
Character Profile: Walter Skinner - Seasons 1-3 (Pt 1) Our supplemental episode this week is our first in-depth character profile, looking at a particular X-Files character at a point in the show - in this case Skinner in S1-S3. Sarah Blair hosts, alongside guests Paige Schector & Clara Cook, to discuss Skinner's best moments from these seasons, his loyalty to M&S, and just what did happen to Sharon Skinner? This is the first of a two-part episode filled with Skinman goodness.. Host Sara...
Oct 16, 2018•54 min
3x19 'Hell Money' - Episode Analysis Our coverage of Season 3 continues as Carl Sweeney takes the hosting chair alongside returning X-Cast guest Darren Mooney to discuss this creepy Chinese mystery... When a man is burned alive inside a San Francisco crematorium, Mulder & Scully find themselves embroiled in an investigation deep in the Chinatown district of the city, and a deadly secret lottery being ran by the Triads which may involve the harvesting of human organs... Host Carl Sweeney Gues...
Oct 12, 2018•1 hr 13 min
3x18 'Teso Dos Bichos' - Episode Analysis Our coverage of Season 3 continues as Zach Moore takes the hosting chair alongside returning X-Cast guest Brandon Shea-Mutala to discuss this much maligned tale... Following an archaeological dig on sacred Indian ground, and the removal of Indian burial remains, Mulder & Scully investigate the strange death of the lead archaeologist who may have been killed in a cat-like animal attack... Host Zach Moore Guest Brandon Shea-Mutala Production Tony Black...
Oct 05, 2018•1 hr 5 min
Patron Roundtable #5 In our fifth Roundtable, inviting our illustrious Patrons on the show to discuss The X-Files, Tony Black hosts a discussion talking 25 of the greatest X-Files moments over 25 years. Joined by Deana Ferreri, Katie Doe & Joselyn Rojas, all making their X-Cast debuts, Tony and his guests chew through some legendary scenes - Pusher's Russian Roulette climax, Skinner's 'pucker up and kiss my ass!' and Mulder singing Shaft, among many more! Host Tony Black Guests Deana Ferreri...
Oct 02, 2018•1 hr 35 min
3x17 'Pusher' - Episode Analysis Our coverage of Season 3 continues as Tony Black takes the hosting chair alongside returning X-Cast guest Darren Mooney to discuss this legendary game of cat and mouse... Following the capture of a notorious criminal named 'Pusher', which leads to the death of a cop during his escape, Mulder & Scully are drafted in by local police to help catch a killer who Mulder swiftly comes to believe can 'push' his will onto others, and who quickly comes to consider Muld...
Sep 28, 2018•1 hr 44 min
3x16 'Apocrypha' - Episode Analysis Our coverage of Season 3 continues as Darren Mooney takes the hosting chair alongside brand new X-Cast guest Christopher Irish, one of the brains behind The X-Files Lexicon, to discuss the second of this two-parter... With Alex Krycek now possessed by an alien entity, and partnered with Mulder on the search for the digital tape containing the Navajo alien intelligence files, they are drawn into the search for the same UFO the alien wants to get back to. Meanwh...
Sep 21, 2018•1 hr
The X-Cast pays tribute to Burt Reynolds - 1936-2018 Following the sad passing of Burt Reynolds, aka 'Mr. Burt' from Chris Carter's bizarre Season 9 episode 'Improbable', Paige Schector & Marlene Stemme join forces to pay tribute to his long & varied career, and his contribution to The X-Files. Host Paige Schector Guest Marlene Stemme Production Tony Black (Editor/Executive Producer), Kurt North (Patron), Michelle Milbauer (Patron), Jenn Ferguson (Patron), Astrid Klosterkoetter (Patron),...
Sep 18, 2018•52 min
3x15 'Piper Maru' - Episode Analysis Our coverage of Season 3 continues as Darren Mooney takes the hosting chair alongside brand new X-Cast guest Christopher Irish, one of the brains behind The X-Files Lexicon, to discuss the first of this two-parter... When a French diving team uncovers the wreck of a WW2 fighter plane, Mulder is placed on the hunt for a UFO as it becomes apparent an alien lifeform may have also been pulled to the surface. Meanwhile, Scully's anger at how the FBI are investigat...
Sep 14, 2018•52 min
3x14 'Grotesque' - Episode Analysis Our coverage of Season 3 continues as Tony Black takes the hosting chair alongside returning X-Cast guest Zach Moore to discuss this dark look into the human psyche... Following the murder of an artists model, Mulder & Scully are drawn into a series of dark murders apparently committed by a demonic force. As Mulder faces a reunion with old Violent Crimes mentor Bill Paterson, Scully begins to worry her partner is growing too obsessed with catching the kill...
Sep 07, 2018•1 hr 7 min
Interview with Frank Spotnitz - X-Files Producer (Seasons 2-IWTB) We are delighted to present the X-Cast interview with Frank Spotnitz, X-Files legend, writer & Executive Producer, in conversation with Tony Black. Frank discusses his career, his time working on The X-Files, plans for the movie franchise after Season 9, what he thinks of the revival seasons and where he sees the franchise going next, plus much more... Host Tony Black Guest Frank Spotnitz Production Tony Black (Editor/Executiv...
Sep 04, 2018•1 hr 7 min
Hour 1 of The X-Cast Live On September 1st 2018, Tony Black undertook a 24-hour live marathon podcast celebrating 25 years of The X-Files with a range of fellow podcasters and special celebrity guests, in order to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society and the fight against dementia. In this first hour, Tony is joined by Sarah Blair to talk about how the X-Cast Live will work and their memories of The X-Files over the years. To access the other 23 hours of The X-Cast Live, including exclusive i...
Sep 03, 2018•1 hr
Patron Roundtable #3: When did The X-Files 'Jump the Shark' & what would you change about the show? In this supplemental episode, Paige Schector hosts the third Patron-only Roundtable discussion answering the question - when did the show 'jump the shark'? Alongside new Patrons & guests Naomi Miller, Michael John Petty and Marlene Stemme, Paige talks both this topic and asks what would we change about The X-Files? Host Paige Schector Guests Naomi Miller / Michael John Petty / Marlene Stem...
Aug 31, 2018•1 hr 5 min
X-Files Top 10 Episodes: The Mythology Our supplemental episode this week is the first of our Top 10 episode lists, and for our first one we're going big - covering the X-Files Mythology. Carl Sweeney hosts, alongside guest Kurt North, to discuss what they consider to be the best of the best Mythology episodes of the show... Host Carl Sweeney Guest Kurt North Production Carl Sweeney (Editor/Producer), Tony Black (Executive Producer), Kurt North (Patron), Michelle Milbauer (Patron), Jenn Ferguson...
Aug 28, 2018•1 hr 12 min
3x14 'Syzygy' - Episode Analysis Our coverage of Season 3 continues as Sarah Blair takes the hosting chair alongside returning X-Cast guest Lauren Forry to discuss the mystery of the horny beast... After the bizarre death of a high school student which may have been caused by two high school friends, Mulder & Scully discover a small town in the grip of an unusual cosmic alignment, which begins to alter their behaviour in weird and potentially fatal ways... Host Sarah Blair Guest Lauren Forry...
Aug 24, 2018•54 min
Whirlwind - Book Analysis In this supplemental episode, host Sarah Blair and guest Baz Greenland look at Charles Grant's 1994 tie-in novel, Whirlwind... Serial killers come in all shapes and sizes, but this one is particularly puzzling.There's no pattern to the mutilated bodies that have been showing up in Albuquerque: both sexes, all races, ages, ethnic groups. There is no evidence of rape or ritual. Only one thing connects the victims. They were the victims of a natural disaster. One of the mo...
Aug 21, 2018•46 min
3x12 'War of the Coprophages' - Episode Analysis Our coverage of Season 3 continues as Clara Cook takes the hosting chair alongside returning X-Cast guest Matt Latham to discuss the next Darin Morgan comedy... The strange death of a bug exterminator in the small town of Miller's Grove coincides with Mulder spending his Saturday night UFO hunting in the area. When the local sheriff's department bring him in to consult, Mulder gets Scully on the phone as he begins to steadily uncover a strange cas...
Aug 17, 2018•1 hr 20 min
3x11 'Revelations' - Episode Analysis Our coverage of Season 3 continues as Carl Sweeney takes the hosting chair alongside comics writer & returning X-Cast guest Wayne Talbot to discuss this religious piece... Following the mysterious death of a church pastor, Mulder & Scully end up on a case of what appears to be stigmata revolving around Kevin, a young boy. While Mulder finds himself in the rare position of sceptic, Scully comes to believe her faith is being tested & she has to pro...
Aug 10, 2018•1 hr 2 min
Character Profile: Dana Scully - Season 1 Our supplemental episode this week is our first in-depth character profile, looking at a particular X-Files character at a point in the show - in this case Scully in S1. Sarah Blair hosts, alongside guests Paige Schector & Jenn Ferguson, one of our illustrious Patrons, to discuss Scully's best moments from the season, why she stays with The X-Files, and some of Season 1's best quotes, amongst much more... Host Sarah Blair Guests Paige Schector / Jenn...
Aug 07, 2018•58 min
3x10 '731' - Episode Analysis Our coverage of Season 3 continues as Clara Cook takes the hosting chair alongside podcaster and X-Cast veteran Andrew Brooker to discuss part two of this memorable mythology episode... Mulder has boarded one of the government's secret railroad trains on the hunt for an alien-human hybrid, while Scully ends up, in her own search for answers, at a hidden leper colony deep in the American wilderness. Together, they face a race against time for truths and dark apologie...
Aug 03, 2018•1 hr 3 min
3x09 'Nisei' - Episode Analysis Our coverage of Season 3 continues as Clara Cook takes the hosting chair alongside podcaster and X-Cast veteran Andrew Brooker to discuss this key mythology episode... After the execution-style murder of a man selling supposedly real alien autopsy videos over mail order, Mulder & Scully are drawn quickly into a conspiracy involving Japanese scientists, a secret government railroads, and sinister government assassins, to cover up what might be a long-standing p...
Jul 27, 2018•1 hr 1 min
'Oubliette' - Deeper Analysis Our supplemental episode this week can be considered an add-on to our coverage of 3x08 'Oubliette'. Carl Sweeney and Chris Knowles explore the deeper themes and mythic symbology of the episode and its broader context within The X-Files... Host Carl Sweeney Guest Chris Knowles Production Carl Sweeney (Editor/Producer) Tony Black (Executive Producer), Kurt North (Patron), Michelle Milbauer (Patron), Jenn Ferguson (Patron), Astrid Klosterkoetter (Patron), Naomi Miller ...
Jul 24, 2018•41 min
3x08 'Oubliette' - Episode Analysis Our coverage of Season 3 continues as Carl Sweeney takes the hosting chair alongside podcaster Brandon Shea-Mutala to discuss this powerful Mulder episode... Following the disappearance of a teenage girl in a small town, Mulder and Scully investigate when a former abduction victim, Lucy Householder, starts exhibiting what appears to be a psychic connection with the missing girl. As Mulder becomes increasingly obsessed with the case, Scully begins to worry he m...
Jul 20, 2018•1 hr 3 min
Interview: Stefan Petrucha In this special episode, Darren Mooney speaks to Stefan Petrucha, writer of The X-Files Topps line of comic tie-ins written in the mid-1990's, to talk about his contribution to the series. They discuss how he came to be involved in The X-Files, details about his process of crafting the stories, his collaborations with 1013, and his work beyond the Topps comics themselves - plus much more! Host Darren Mooney Guest Stefan Petrucha Production Tony Black (Editor/Executive ...
Jul 17, 2018•58 min
3x07 'The Walk' - Episode Analysis Our coverage of Season 3 continues as Sarah Blair takes the hosting chair alongside podcaster Clara Cook to discuss this tale of out of body, embittered soldiers... Mulder & Scully investigate the murder of a military officer on a US Army base which leads them into a conspiratorial web of a tortured colonel, an angry double amputee, and a possible case of astral projection... Host Sarah Blair Guest Clara Cook Production Tony Black (Editor/Executive Producer...
Jul 13, 2018•58 min
