The File Room

Ed and Michaela discuss one of the coolest and most fun episodes of the X Files so far featuring a young Jack Black and Giovanni Ribisi. 

The thrilling finale of The X-Files' first three-parter has everything: bright lights, a mine in British Columbia pretending to be West Virginia, old men in rooms. Michaela and Ed discuss all this as well as the bits of real-life history that make this episode one of the best Mythology episodes the show ever did.

We're back to dive right into the action for this season 3 opener. 

As they wrap up their first full year of the podcast, Michaela and Ed look back on the year, then go over the spreadsheet and try to assess how good season 2 of The X-Files was. Thank you to everyone who has listened to the show this year! Happy holidays, and see you in 2025!

Spider Divination, aliens (?), all the bad stuff America has done and much more, in this thrilling, explosive season finale chat.

Michaela and Ed reconvene after a month away from recording to talk about their trip to New York, before delving into an episode that is packed with literary allusions and chicken bits.

Michaela and Ed get a break from so-so formulaic episodes this week thanks to one Vince Gilligan, who makes his X-Files writing debut with a strange and inventive science gone wrong story.   Also, apologies for all the US politics talk at the beginning, this episode was recorded the Sunday after the election.

Things get extremely gross this week as Mulder and Scully try to stop a deadly virus from spreading. Apologies in advance for the number of times the word "pustule" is said in this one.

Michaela and Ed reminisce over the bad old days, Mulder and Scully get the run around by a creepy dead kid, and we discuss the true nature of The Călușari.

Mulder and Scully go to Florida to investigate a killing in a community of sideshow performers, most of whom are more normal than most Floridians. Michaela and Ed talk about why this is one of the best episodes of the whole series, as well as dead squirrels.

Michaela gets existential and Ed has a fine time as Mulder and Scully go on a less than exciting cruise in the Norwegian Sea.

Mulder and Scully go in search of invisible animals, and Michaela and Ed wish the episode was as fun as that sounds.

The alien plot is revealed, we reflect on youth, and how the Carter-Spotnitz collab works.

Michaela and Ed try to determine if the mythology still makes sense as the recurring cast of The X-Files gets notably fuller in this episode.

Ed and Michaela are in the same place to discuss voodoo, zombies and long train journeys.

Mulder and Scully meet some mild-mannered satanists in this episode, and Michaela and Ed enjoy the ride while reminiscing about dissecting different animal organs in biology classes.

You know what's not irresistible? Rifling through peoples' bins. Anyway, besides that, there's plenty to love and loathe about this episode.

The conspiracy crashes into this episode like a small plane into a field. Michaela and Ed talk about an extremely disjointed episode that started out life as a crossover with Picket Fences, and probably would have been better off if it had stayed that way. They also prove that this podcast canonically takes place inside the mind of Tommy Westphall.

Homesickness, impressive strength and sci-fi's obsession with things popping out of peoples' bodies are all part of this week's discussion.

We discuss this beautiful, emotional episode, plus the artistic merits of obsolete video technology. Edit: The original version of this episode was missing the synopsis, please re-download for the updated file!

What can go wrong when you have sexy vampires on a religious rampage across Los Angeles?

What podcast about the X Files being recorded in July 2024 would be complete without a bit of football chat? Ed declares his love for Nick Cave (not for the first time), Michaela's house move is in sight, PLUS we big up David Duchovny's performance, and note that all the important men are in the room.

We discuss an incredibly intense and consequentlial episode.