The File Room

Mulder and Scully get trapped in hallucinations caused by psychedelic spores, while Michaela and Ed complain about it being a bit wet and windy. Who has worse problems? It's impossible to say.

We discuss part 2 of the Byers-Modeski tragedy while Michaela watches the sun set and Ed shares his hell-raising day out.

Just in time for the World Series, Michaela and Ed discuss an episode which posits that loving baseball is the one thing that makes someone truly human, even if they're an alien.

Michaela and Ed have one of their biggest disagreements in a while.

As the relative doldrums of Season Six continue, Michaela and Ed are once again faced with an episode that mostly seems to be derided, but maybe is a bit better than its reputation? Like, just a smidge? They also talk about vans and Oasis, which is about as middle-aged and British and you can get.

Mulder manages to get a new 'I Want To Believe' Poster.

Mulder and Scully get to live an idyllic* life as a married* couple in this fan-favourite episode, but could the squeaky clean facade of suburbia hide darker forces? Surely not! Michaela and Ed dig into a broadly satirical  episode, while also talking about meatballs with arms, and utterly failing to mention the extremely obvious allusion to The Dick Van Dyke Show that is central to "Arcadia."

Ed and Michaela go around in circles in this one, plus chat about the clepto sea and meta movies. Did we manage to record a perfect podcast episode? You'll have to listen to the very end to find out. Don't skip. We'll know.

The X-Files goes back to Florida as Mulder and Scully battle a...jelly fish? Agua Mala has a reputation for being one of the worst episodes of the entire show, so Michaela and Ed have to ask, is it really that bad? Is it completely without redeeming features? Did they use enough water? All will be answered in this podcast!

Michaela and Ed share stories of controlled explosions, and this episode, which closes the original Mythology Arc. Neatly?

The X-Files finally starts wrapping things up with The Syndicate by having a lot of people talk about how they are wrapping things up with The Syndicate. Michaela and Ed struggle through a very exposition-heavy episode, but also chat about birthdays, camping and Joan of Arc.

Pizza Birthdays, not aging, and knowing when you’ll die... This week we discuss Scully’s immortality, note actors who hated each other, and manage to link the Final Destination franchise to X-Files origins.      

All hot streaks end eventually, and after a season of nothing but great, really good and pretty good episodes, Season 6 hits a hard stop with this one, which squanders a good premise and typically strong technical work with murky plotting and sedate performances. Michaela and Ed dig into it, while also finding time to talk about the World Cup and The Odyssey, which were both extremely fresh topics...

Every Brit's favourite topic: The Weather.  PLUS we meditate on taste, high school drama for the middle-aged, and more weather.

It's a real testament to The X-Files writers' command of tone at this point in the show's run that they manage to craft a very entertaining and at times moving episode out of a story which involves a frankly excessive amount of child death. Michaela and Ed talk about that, as well as guest star Bruce Campbell's excellent work as the episode's monster, the best things about America, and some '90s b...

Michaela explains how heat delays trains, Ed explains the disgrace of Gijón, and then we discuss the small but perfectly formed cast in this episode, that mashes up Christmas and Halloween for a bit of apparition fun.

Mulder is still trapped in another man's body and The X-Files continues to find fun ways to mess with him. Michaela and Ed round out this very entertaining two-parter, and also find time to talk about their recent trip to London, DIY and waterbeds.

Michaela's living her best middle aged life, Ed shares his bag-flotsam triggered Proustian rush, and then we have some thoughts about this surprisingly divisive episode.

Mulder gets sent back in time to 1939 (or does he?!?) in a technically remarkable episode, which utilizes both long takes and split-screen to dazzling effect. Michaela and Ed delve into the many impressive visual elements of this episode, as well talk about how good the current series of Taskmaster has been.

Ed drives almost as much as Mulder in one of the most consequential episode of TV of all time... while Michaela floats with some Jelly fish, and fan-girls.

The X-Files has to deal with the aftermath of the movie and the consequences of moving to Hollywood after five years in Vancouver. Michaela and Ed discuss how the change in location affected the mood of the show, how its moments of self-awareness make the mythology go down a little smoother, and Ed's latest injury. Also, apologies for the slightly rougher audio this week - Ed's microphone did not...

This week, The File Room goes to the cinema to watch Independence Day... Just kidding, it's time to watch The X Files Movie - complete with corn fields, Antarctica, a ticking biological clock for all of humanity, and The Near Kiss. Michaela and Ed discuss whether Fight the Future is a triumphant big-screen reward for five years of loyalty, or just a very expensive mythology episode with a better c...

What a season, what a season. As The X-Files prepares to head to Hollywood - both literally and metaphorically - Michaela and Ed look back on the fifth season and talk about their favourite episodes and guest performances, and try to determine whether the demands of the movie ultimately hurt the season leading up to it.

This week, The X-Files tries to pull off a grand pseudo-series finale involving a mind-reading chess prodigy and a literal fire in the basement, but the real tension might just be Scully's reaction to Mulder's ex. Michaela and Ed discuss whether 'The End' actually works as an ending, while also catching up on expensive car repairs, Morris dancing, Bob Odenkirk's action movie chops, and a Studio Gh...

Mulder's seeing a giant bug man in an episode that is surprisingly tense and paranoiac, even more so when you learn about the troubled production. Michaela and Ed discuss how The X-Files crew managed to turn disaster into victory in post-production, and also talk about the novel Klara and the Sun for arguably too long.