I like how this episode foreshadows Scully’s later cancer, the location creepy german guy points at is the same area that the tumor is in, perhaps he was in fact detecting something and then just doing it wrong.
I so agree. That’s one of the reasons this is one of my favorite episodes. He points right to where the tumor is/is going to be and Scully freaks out a bit like she gets a creepy feeling that something really is wrong with her. Great acting by Gillian.
Wiggly eyes! I’ve seen this actor do the wiggly eye thing in two other shows since. It’s probably on his resume: can do wiggly eyes.
PS. First time commenter here. I love what you’re doing here, Shannon.
One of my favorite episodes aside, I always find it funny that Scully randomly speaks German here, but it’s never brought up again. It’s like when Mulder was randomly afraid of fire for one episode.
Panel 10 is great! One of my fave eps…shows Scully getting creeped out by the lobotomies like a “normal” person would react (similar to how she reacts to Pfaster).
My favorite Expert!Scully moments: recognizing the Navajo code in “Anasazi”, identifying the P-51 Mustang sunken fighter plane in “Piper Maru”, driving a boat in “Quagmire” and delivering a child in “Agua Mala”. She’s so awesome.
This is one of my favorite episodes. Seasons four and five really were the high point of the show, before it got completely lost in its own mythology and forgot that the best episodes were mostly monster-of-the-week ones. People talk about Doug Hutchison putting in the best MOTW performances as Eugene Tooms, but I think Pruitt Vince as Jerry Schnauz overshadows him, both in terms of writing and Vince’s performance.
It’s not my absolute favorite episode of the show, but I’d only put it behind “Kaddish,” “Agua Mala,” and the two Universal horror movie send ups.
Another in the grand tradition of creepy-sounding German titles, which started with “Die Hand die Verltzt” and ended with the terrifying “Der Kartofflepuffer” (in which a potato pancake goes very, very bad).
But creepy in a good way – I like this episode. There’s always something about horrible swirly photos that cuts to the core of creepiness.
Langsam, (insert name of antagonist), langsam!
… to make an allusion that’s probably even darker than this episode is.
What is it with the X-Files and icepicks?
“Schnell! Schnell!” That always makes me laugh. It’s been used in so many movies, but I first heard it in a comedy and I can’t remember which one.
What about “Mach schnell!”?
“Hogan’s Heroes” would be my guess.
XFILES SPOILERS:
I like how this episode foreshadows Scully’s later cancer, the location creepy german guy points at is the same area that the tumor is in, perhaps he was in fact detecting something and then just doing it wrong.
I so agree. That’s one of the reasons this is one of my favorite episodes. He points right to where the tumor is/is going to be and Scully freaks out a bit like she gets a creepy feeling that something really is wrong with her. Great acting by Gillian.
Wiggly eyes! I’ve seen this actor do the wiggly eye thing in two other shows since. It’s probably on his resume: can do wiggly eyes.
PS. First time commenter here. I love what you’re doing here, Shannon.
Actually Pruitt Taylor Vince has pathologic nystagmus. So it’s involuntary.
Didn’t know that and didn’t mean to sound insensitive, but I do think his “condition” was used to some advantage in this and other shows.
My apologies, SHAENON. Gleen.
One of my favorite episodes aside, I always find it funny that Scully randomly speaks German here, but it’s never brought up again. It’s like when Mulder was randomly afraid of fire for one episode.
Scully’s always known German. You just never asked.
Panel 10 is great! One of my fave eps…shows Scully getting creeped out by the lobotomies like a “normal” person would react (similar to how she reacts to Pfaster).
I will always remember this as the episode where they mispronounce Traverse City.
Scully is an expert at EVERYTHING. All the time.
My favorite Expert!Scully moments: recognizing the Navajo code in “Anasazi”, identifying the P-51 Mustang sunken fighter plane in “Piper Maru”, driving a boat in “Quagmire” and delivering a child in “Agua Mala”. She’s so awesome.
Don’t forget she’s a medical doctor who’s awesome at anything remotely medicine related! Er, even if it’s what she didn’t study.
Injury to the nose motif!
This is one of my favorite episodes. Seasons four and five really were the high point of the show, before it got completely lost in its own mythology and forgot that the best episodes were mostly monster-of-the-week ones. People talk about Doug Hutchison putting in the best MOTW performances as Eugene Tooms, but I think Pruitt Vince as Jerry Schnauz overshadows him, both in terms of writing and Vince’s performance.
It’s not my absolute favorite episode of the show, but I’d only put it behind “Kaddish,” “Agua Mala,” and the two Universal horror movie send ups.
Another in the grand tradition of creepy-sounding German titles, which started with “Die Hand die Verltzt” and ended with the terrifying “Der Kartofflepuffer” (in which a potato pancake goes very, very bad).