So Meta -- Fanfiction Really

December 5, 2013 9:06 AM

Monster Of The Week (previously), the X-files recap comic by Narbonic creator Shaenon K. Garrity presents a guest-artist filled tribute to one of the strangest episodes of TV ever: Thirteen Ways Of Looking At Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space'.
posted by The Whelk (20 comments total)

I'd ask if we all agree if that was the best episode, but that's like polling opinions on whether or not the sky is blue.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:10 AM on December 5, 2013 [9 favorites]

I love this comic. Its a highlight of my week.
posted by lownote at 9:18 AM on December 5, 2013 [1 favorite]

I'd ask if we all agree if that was the best episode, but that's like polling opinions on whether or not the sky is blue.

Anyone who disagrees might be a man in black. They purposely dress and behave strangely so that if anyone tries to describe an encounter with them, they come off sounding like a lunatic.
posted by entropicamericana at 9:20 AM on December 5, 2013 [1 favorite]

quite possibly the only television show to feature a game show host, Charles Nelson Reiley, and a future governor all in the same episode.
posted by The Whelk at 9:22 AM on December 5, 2013 [2 favorites]

(Holy shit! Narbonic! I remember Narbonic!)
posted by Now there are two. There are two _______. at 9:23 AM on December 5, 2013 [1 favorite]

Nah. It's among the top episodes, but _Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose_ is better, more subtle in its self-referentiality and deeper philosophically and emotionally.
posted by tavella at 9:38 AM on December 5, 2013 [5 favorites]

"Clyde Buckman's Final Repose" edges out Jose Chung for me for the same reasons tavella mentioned, but Mulder's scream is nonetheless my single favorite moment in the series.
posted by invitapriore at 9:42 AM on December 5, 2013 [4 favorites]

I watched this episode again last week and it is still the best thing ever. My favorite thing is that, in the end, I think the most plausible explanation is Roky's, even if it is in screenplay format.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 9:42 AM on December 5, 2013

Neat. I actually chuckled out loud when I saw the panel with the Jeopardy answer screen.
posted by audi alteram partem at 9:43 AM on December 5, 2013 [2 favorites]

If you look at the sky again, robocop, you'll discover that the word for that particular shade is cerulean, actually. Cerulean blue.

Cerulean makes me think of a breeze. A gentle breeze.
posted by adipocere at 9:49 AM on December 5, 2013 [8 favorites]

The other episode that's in strong contention is "bad blood", where we see how annoying Scully and Mulder are to work with from each others' points of view. But "jose chung's 'from outer space' is so good. And so fucked up. And so good.
posted by rmd1023 at 10:02 AM on December 5, 2013 [1 favorite]

One thing I've noticed about Darin Morgan's episodes is how much he likes to show us things usually glossed over in other procedural investigation shows like this - awkward and unsatisfying witness interviews! Eating dinner while talking on the phone with your colleague! Having to order in food from a shitty motel room! Laundry!

And how much Jose Chung's just explodes the central conflict of the show to ask "What the hell do we want from this show and why?"
posted by The Whelk at 10:11 AM on December 5, 2013 [3 favorites]

I prefer Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense, myself.
posted by belarius at 10:20 AM on December 5, 2013 [3 favorites]

Vancouver is not an ideal city in which to take an interest in astronomy, but around the time of the last conjunction I got into the habit of planet-spotting. In the case of Venus it turned out to be surprisingly easy. It's by far the brightest object in the night sky, except for the moon. On a typically cloudy Vancouver night Venus and Jupiter might almost be the only things visible.

In light of that, I'm baffled at the line that "no other object as been misidentified as a flying saucer more often than the planet Venus." It's akin to reporting the blinding light you saw in the sky at noon.

Keep watching the skies!
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 10:21 AM on December 5, 2013

Neat little comic. I was recently rewatching the MOTW episodes in random order on Netflix.

Also, Gillian Anderson's recent BBC cop drama is great. Worth checking out if you're a fan.
posted by codacorolla at 10:25 AM on December 5, 2013

Yes! I really liked that show and am looking forward to the next season.
posted by rmd1023 at 11:40 AM on December 5, 2013

I just watched the alien body discovery scene again and I can confirm that it still makes me want to give Mulder a little kiss on the cheek and muss his hair a little bit.
posted by invitapriore at 1:19 PM on December 5, 2013

Also, Gillian Anderson's recent BBC cop drama is great. Worth checking out if you're a fan.

The Fall. Stunning piece of work.
posted by turbid dahlia at 1:53 PM on December 5, 2013 [1 favorite]

It's not just a a line, justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow. The truth is out there.
posted by BlueJae at 7:00 PM on December 5, 2013

You all are talking about the best episode(s) other than Humbug, right?
posted by madmethods at 8:08 PM on December 5, 2013