Ah, "Bad Blood." I had been eagerly anticipating re-watching this for the sole purpose of conjuring up a review but words cannot convey just how timelessly funny this episode is. In a season largely full of somber stand-alones and emotional nadirs regarding the loss of Scully's genetically-conceived daughter Emily, it's refreshing to revisit the days of season three when it seemed like every other week offered up a comedy. Much like Darin Morgan's "Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space'," Vince Gilligan's "Bad Blood" tells its story by means of multiple perspectives, but unlike that episode, it is told through the lens of Mulder and Scully. In a way it goes beyond the confined definition of a "standalone" because it is essentially an episode about our two agents and what they bring to the other's ordeals.
The opening sequence is perhaps the funniest of the entire series. You will have to see it to find out why. Equally hilarious is the bucktoothed (or is he?) deputy played by Luke Wilson. Patrick Renna, who I recognized from The Sandlot, plays the pizza guy Ronnie, whose autopsy is as comical as it is predictable. The pinnacle of this episode for me however involves Mulder and an RV. If you've already seen this you know what scene I'm referring to but I don't want to give it away to the newcomers. It's genius.
Without a doubt this is my favorite of the fifth season. Highbrow humor, a great guest cast, and an episode that at its core focuses on the dynamic relationship of Mulder and Scully makes for a superb X-File. Several years ago this ranked #1 on a fan-chosen marathon on the Sci-Fi network and I'm not at all surprised. Gilligan struck gold.
10/10
The opening sequence is perhaps the funniest of the entire series. You will have to see it to find out why. Equally hilarious is the bucktoothed (or is he?) deputy played by Luke Wilson. Patrick Renna, who I recognized from The Sandlot, plays the pizza guy Ronnie, whose autopsy is as comical as it is predictable. The pinnacle of this episode for me however involves Mulder and an RV. If you've already seen this you know what scene I'm referring to but I don't want to give it away to the newcomers. It's genius.
Without a doubt this is my favorite of the fifth season. Highbrow humor, a great guest cast, and an episode that at its core focuses on the dynamic relationship of Mulder and Scully makes for a superb X-File. Several years ago this ranked #1 on a fan-chosen marathon on the Sci-Fi network and I'm not at all surprised. Gilligan struck gold.
10/10