User reviews

All I have to say is wow. Ive never written a review before but after watching this episode I had to. I can confidently say that this was the best X Files episodes I have seen in a VERY long time. Maybe a top 10 episode. This was a return to form from a show that has been seriously lacking (although last weeks episode was pretty good as well) since its return. It was absolutely bizarre and hilarious and even a little emotional near the the end.

What a joy to watch. Below are some highlights:

Bizarre opening Child Mulder with Older Mulders head lol "Do you know who I am? Im Fox freakin Mulder punks" Compilation of earlier X Files episodes with Reggie superimposed (or was he?) Reggies forehead sweat The telepathic alien

Theres probaly more that im forgetting but man what a great episode.

Well done, X Files.

After the three heavy preceding episodes I found this one a welcome change in terms of pace and tone. The first comic episode I have enjoyed for quite some time. The X Files is at its best when it's creepy as hell and dramatic, this was neither but it served as a reminder that lighter, frivolous episodes have their place too. I loved those black and white opening sequences, they truly did capture the sixties horror vibe. Loaded with clever ideas, and the one part that resonated with me was Scully's refusal to eat that jelly, choosing instead to remember it fondly, then be disappointed, I'm sure we can all relate to that.

Out of left field definitely, but amusing and enjoyable. 8/10

I'm really confused why nearly every review of this episode is 10/10 apart from a few which are 1/10. A lot of people apparently don't understand how scales work.

Is this the best episode ever? No. Not by a long way. Is it the worst episode ever? No. It's very enjoyable.

But it's enjoyable for what it is: a bit of light relief and conspiracy theory silliness. We get to laugh at Mulder and Scully a bit, and play with the idea of the Mandela effect. Overall it takes it a bit too far in terms of how unbelievable and ridiculous it is, but I can accept that as it is a wacky episode. It's meant to be over the top.

Given that the X-Files should (and always has been) an escape, I haven't been thrilled with the political and social commentary that's been so prominent in this season's writing, but this episode goes there, and blends it in a nostalgic way which is just hilarious.

Possibly the best episode of this season - nay, of the whole show! Starting like one of those old 'Twilight Zone' episodes, the rest of the episode is a mockery of mistery and sci-fi shows - and a parody of X-Files itself. Nothing should be taken seriously and I still don't believe how David and Gillian accepted the part on this episode. It's painful to watch these two acting like clown versions of their characters. Yet... I loved the entire story. The idea that, in today's society, we cannot rely on memory because everything we know can and will be altered to satisfy political and economic purposes, hits today's society right where it hurts. And the comical aspects are surrealistically brilliant! Trump's 'real' inauguration, the 'floating alien' who is, in fact, riding a Segway, even the fake cut eliminating part of the episode to hide some company's name - these details hide, behind the façade of a stupid episode, a well thought and written one. I could watch it over and over again without getting tired, and laughed like a madman with most of the jokes. In a few years this may become a cult episode of X-Files - although it is not what anyone would expect from the show. The image of Mulder, standing dumbfounded in the middle of the laughing statues ( Vancouver's 'A-maze-ing Laughter' sculpture by Yue Minjun), is a picture of the spectator dumbfounded at the episode: the writers are laughing at him - and maybe whole society is, because if you can't see the truth about society, you are a clown. The Truth is still out there. RIP Reggie Something.

After Carter and Wong and Darrin's brother write the serious episodes, in walks Darrin with Size 12 Doc Martin Steel Toed Boots to stomp it all down.

Last Year's "Mulder and Skully meet the Weremonster" was more like the fantasy MillenniuM Episodes Darrin had written, where it seems like we are watching from a Dream state.

This episode however, really futzes with our sense of reality. Was it called Kool-Aid or Flavor-Ade? Is it really called The Mandala Effect, or something else?

What is amusing is that there are people in this country that are living in the Mandala effect right now, where things that are happening all around them, are not happening. Where the smallest Inauguration Day crowd ever is translated to the largest ever, even after photographic evidence refutes it. And now, where the State of the Union was watched by the fewest people ever, somehow this translates into the highest Neilson Ratings ever. The Biggest! The Best! In reality the smallest, and worst.

People like to wrap themselves up in whatever fiction they fancy, I know I do. But in my case, I know how to separate my fancies from my facts.

And we either have a record amount of people accepting the "alternate facts", or we have a record number of people who don't exist, whose numbers have been inflated digitally, doing so.

In today's world, I've seen things happen right in front of me, and then have it denied it ever happened by people who were with me when I watched it happen. In today's world, a whole church congregation has a pandemic Measles outbreak, and their leader then tells them to NOT get Flu Shots.

And I think this kind of behavior is what's being targeted here. People will believe a lie is the truth, if enough people parrot that lie. And then, when challenged, they yell "Fake News".

There are two things happening in this country right now: An unprecedented attack on our first amendment rights and on the news media, and an unprecedented amount of people yelling "Fake News! Fake News".

This is why I respect Darrin more than any other X-Files writer, nothing is sacred to him, all is fair game. And by exposing our idiocies, he causes us to think about it.

This episode is the highest level of satire.

A brilliant examination of what place in the world conspiracies have, and by extension a show about conspiracies, when in the present modern era politicians can rely upon apathy and the misinformation available in the digital age to the point where they never even have cover anything up.

It is also just genuinely hilarious.

The latest season has been hit and miss (the first episode was a disaster) but this one finally hit. Scully and Mulder had great chemistry and brought back the humorous banter that makes the X-Files great.

If it were one week later, this episode wouldn't have aired. It's trying to mock Trump... But after the release of certain facts with sources in a 4 page memo, there's a donkey with pie on it's face. Talking about breakdowns after warrant-less spying (after a fake dossier was used to spy on a Presidential candidate) and more... Oh I was dying! Talking about how they say things over and over, similar things to wear people down (like attacking sources when the source was a huge part of the scandal). Yeah, the definitely would have had second thoughts on something that seemed so tailor made for such a real life scandal. Too funny! Thanks for the unintentional laughs!

Man, I was so so so excited when I heard that Xfiles was coming back especially with original cast. This season has been a total disappointment. Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny are such great actors and their role in the original X-Files are really highlights of their careers. Why would they agree to do such an idiotic episode. They are destroying X-Files. It seems like some kind of parody of the original show and its insulting.

I loved this episode, classic darin's episode. This season eleven is really good. Hope they do more seasons but there are haters everywhere!

Cool episode! I laughed a lot! funny episode! I'm really enjoying this new season. A huge improvment of the previous season!! Thumbs up!

I'm glad I did continue to watch the horrible season, cause it only got better and better. The first episode was just utter trash, the second one was passable, the third one was interesting and carried on great performances, yet this one is just pure gold. Be sure to check this one out if you enjoyed "Jose Chung's From Outer Space", this one surpasses the old one. Incredibly well written, acted, has a satisfying ending and as comes genuinely funny.

The Mandela Effect is real. Whether you consider it a government conspiracy, alien manipulation, mass psychosis, or shared delusion, it doesn't matter. It's a real phenomenon, and because of the disturbing number of people in the tens of thousands who have experienced it, the cause is less important than the effect itself. It is assumed that many many more people have been affected but don't know it yet because they've simply not heard fo the Mandela Effect yet. Search YouTube for Mandela Effect. Check out the list of over 200 very specific memories at alternatememories.com. Once you're convinced, go to mymandela.club to spread the word by whichever means you're comfortable with. Talk about this! It might just be a quirk of human memory, but why are the memories so specific? And why do so many people from around the world share them?

This is just pure joy to watch. After a number of very lacklustre episodes in the last couple of series I really felt like this sort of episode was done and dusted. But it possibly my favourite 45 minutes of television, let alone x files.

Trump supporters, stop being so butthurt. It was a funny episode, don't be so serious!

Easily one of the worst episodes of any show I've ever watched. How it has an 8.3 rating on here is totally ridiculous. The only good part about the episode is that it doesn't fall in line with the main plot of the season so you can spare yourself the 50 minutes and skip it without missing any major plot points.

This episode is up there with the classic episodes in terms of charm and humour, by that I mean it sits comfortably next to the likes of Jose Chung, Bad Blood, The Great Mutato etc as an excellent stand alone comedy episode of the X-Files!

Not funny. Not plausible. Bad acting. I feel bad for Gillian and David.

Don't insult the old X-Files fans.

For me, those rare Darin Morgan episodes are the jewels in the X-Files crown. He has written all of my favorite episodes, and once again he has created something hilarious and strange and sharp.

This time around Morgan combines The Mandela Effect with Trumpian "alternative facts" to look at a world where none of our memories can be trusted. The story is ridiculous, yet in this modern age it's hard to write off anything, no matter how improbable, as an impossibility, and Morgan once again offers a whirlwind of questions with no clearcut answers.

Every time I see something created by Morgan I wonder why there's not more. Why someone this creative and funny so rarely writes anything. This man should be making movies!