"The X Files" Jump the Shark (2002)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Cliff Bole

Writers:

Chris Carter (creator)
Vince Gilligan (written by) ...

TV Series:

"The X Files" (1993)

Original Air Date:

21 April 2002 (Season 9, Episode 15)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

The Lone Gunmen, with the (unwanted) aide of Morris Fletcher, must stop a destructive virus from entering the populace. |

Plot Keywords:

Returning Character Killed Off | FBI | FBI Agent | Alien | X Files

Cast

Gillian Anderson	...	Dana Scully
Robert Patrick	...	John Doggett
Annabeth Gish	...	Monica Reyes
Mitch Pileggi	...	Walter Skinner
Bruce Harwood	...	John Fitzgerald Byers
Tom Braidwood	...	Melvin Frohike
Dean Haglund	...	Richard 'Ringo' Langly
Michael McKean	...	Morris Fletcher
Stephen Snedden	...	Jimmy Bond
Zuleikha Robinson	...	Yves Adele Harlow / Lois Runce
Jim Fyfe	...	Kimmy the Geek
Marcus Giamatti	...	John Gillnitz
John Prosky	...	Medical Examiner
Timothy Landfield	...	Professor Douglas Houghton
Michael Craven Wells	...	Leonard Southall

Runtime:

Argentina:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Certification:

Argentina:13

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Quotes:

Morris Fletcher: Once upon a time, there were three... how should I put this... geeks. Three more unlikely heroes... there never were. It wasn't long before their naiveté nearly got them killed. Until they hooked up with an FBI agent... And began publishing a - what shall I call it? "rag" called "The Lone Gunmen". From their cramped basement office they pointed fingers at powerful, evil forces...

Movie Connections:

References "Lost in Space" (1965)

Soundtrack:

Farewell

Good but I'm still somewhat torn...

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Jump the Shark Jump The Shark is to The Lone Gunmen as Millennium (episode) is to Millennium (show). It is also a play on words. The title is a play on words of sorts. The episode deals with biological terrorists smuggling a virus in a packet of shark cartilage. Jump the shark is also a term used for the point in a show where the writer's have pretty much gone beyond the threshold of acceptance by the viewing audience. That threshold in this episode is of course the death of the three great heroes Byers, Langley, and Frohike. There is a lot of speculation as to just what was going through Chris Carter's brain when he decided to kill of The Lone Gunmen. I've heard that it was a sort of slap in the face to the network/fans who support the X-Files but wouldn't support any of Chris' other endeavors such as Harsh Realm, Millennium, or The Lone Gunmen. As far as the episode is concerned, there are better Lone Gunmen centered epsiodes and the fact that this one ends with three coffins kind of puts a damper on it all. The most frustrating part: Mulder doesn't get to come to the funeral. It is good to see Jimmy again as he was one of the better characters from TLG. I guess the episode is a good tribute to what they guys stood for and they did go out as heroes. They get to reach a status of legend equal to that of Joey Ramone as Langley puts it so eloquently in the episode. If you can't tell I'm torn on this episode. I'm gonna give it a… 7 out of 10.