Humbug

Humbug is one of the best episodes of season two. It is the first of four Darin Morgan comedy episodes. Humbug is also the X-Files first foray into comedy. It's not a straight-out comedy like some later episodes, but it has a lot of comedic elements to it. Humbug is littered with great guest star performances, including the late Vincent Schiavelli, The Enigma, and Jim Rose. Humbug is superbly directed by Kim Manners. I love when Scully goes into the museum of curiosities and you never get a straight on shot of the curator's disfigured face. It's either seen in a mirror, a reflection of a pot, his profile, or some other abstract way. I was debating whether to drop this episode to a 9 for the puppet used to play Leonard. It looked a bit fake at times. But I figure it wasn't bad enough to drop this episode a full point. Humbug is so well-rounded with the script, sets, and acting, that you I can't justify knocking off a point. Humbug is a truly excellent episode. When you view it though, be sure to leave an extra five dollar donation.

The writing in season 2 is often, surprisingly, weaker than it was in season 1. And yet here with Humbug, we finally see the show find its voice. The X-Files could always do a Men in Black, Alien Mythos episode, Chris Carter always knew what he wanted from those, but everything else was a little bit shaky.

Here is an episode that relies entirely on its writing (admittedly with some pretty good guest actors appearing all the same) to achieve its success. It's funny, it's weird, it's a monster of the week, and it delivers everything you want from The X-Files. Of course it's always easier to note what doesn't work when reviewing a bad episode, than to recognize what does work when reviewing a good episode, but at least I can tell you, it does work.

Unlike the invisible elephant episode, new characters don't pile on pointless sub-plots or miscellaneous information, they're just there to entertain. The mid-episode revelation that the town sheriff was once a popular dog boy merely leads to Mulder and Scully feeling embarrassed about digging up his magical potato. And the real killer reveal is exactly what you were hoping for, ridiculously stupid sure, but so fun and awesome, and in sticking with the episodes theme, that it works perfectly.

Episodes like Beyond the Sea were great by leaning on acting talent, episodes like Young at Heart were good by relying on a police procedural formula competently executed, but this episode is the first episode that really reminded me of the feeling I get when somebody mentions The X-Files.

'Nature abhors normality, maybe some mysteries are never meant to be solved.'

I loved this episode, it was a real change in tone and direction for the series. It was imaginative, it was different, and it was very, very funny.

Sometimes you watch an episode, and yes you're thrilled and entertain, but very rarely do you chuckle, if humour is overused, or is just plain bad it can be a disaster, here it works superbly well.

I loved the guest cast, we had some truly great performances in this episode.

It's very visual, with some great horror moments, I am unable to offer up any criticisms, or find any faults, this has been my favourite of Series two so far. 10/10.

You gotta love it when The X Files steps outside of itself, going beyond the usual to do something different. In the episode "Humbug" we get to see an excellent example of that as it tackles the world of so-called sideshow freaks. Of course it does so with a paranormal slant, but that is patently downplayed here and the absurdity of some condition, of what is perhaps a super-mutant type,yet human, creature, is ran with in a very creative way. And, not that The X Files never injects humor, I mean the whole Lone Gunmen spin off certainly substantiates that, but here we get it at a frequency and at inappropriate times which only makes it more present in a low-key brilliant way.

The whole premise of the story is interesting as there really is a Gibsonton Florida which grew into a home away from the road for countless side show performers. Not only that, but the additions to the cast of town inhabitants and current "freakshow" performers is "spot-on" as far as adding mysterious credibility to an otherwise too outlandish story ( I personally usually like X-Files best when the stories have just enough credibility to be only improbable, not impossible). The performances of true-life "freaks" Jim Rose and The Enigma really nail down "Humbug" catapulting it into one of my top two or three season two episodes. The late, and truly great, character actor Vincent Schiavelli brings what he does best in his limited role here too.

All in all, this is an excellent episode that proves if guest writers, such as Darin Morgan who is credited here, are let to allow their creative juices to flow X-Files doesn't have to be constrained by anything alien related. Recommended.

This is probably my favorite non-mythology episode. This series has more than its share of wacky and creepy characters, but this episode's a real showcase. Working my way through the full set on DVD, I'd forgotten that it came so early in the series. Both creepy and very funny, making good use of both David Duchovny's skilled delivery of Mulder's established quirky sense of humor, and letting Gillian Anderson display a few comedy timing chops of her own. And of course the late Vincent Schiavelli is excellent as always -- the world lost a gifted comedian with his passing. But the top honors go to Darin Morgan, for having the kind of strange mind that would think this stuff up in the first place.