“The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat” – X-Files Review

Darin Morgan is back behind the camera.

Cast and Crew Information

Gillian Anderson as Dana Scully
David Duchovny as Fox Mulder
Mitch Pileggi as Walter Skinner
Brian Huskey as Reggie
Stuart Margolin as Dr. Thaddeus Q. They
Alex Diakun as Buddy/Devil

Written and directed by Darin Morgan

Premise

Reggie… Something approaches Mulder and Scully about his theory that memories are being rewritten to control the population by rewriting the past.

High Point

“I’m Fox freaking Mulder!”

Low Point

Umm… who was Mulder trying to contact with the X in his window and why?

The Review

This is an original plotline for this series, though Marvel fans may have been thinking of the Sentry the entire time. I give it 4 out of 6.

The effects were nicely done, especially for the “Forrest Gump” style sequence that put Reggie back in past episodes. I give it 5 out of 6.

The story is well structured in the classic comedic episode style. It’s also nice to hear so much about The Twilight Zone. I give it 5 out of 6.

The acting is solid. It’s meant to be campy due to the nature of the script, but the cast finds the right level of campy. I give it 5 out of 6.

The production is great, even referencing other classic genre entries. I give it 5 out of 6.

The emotional response is great. I love being able to laugh during the occasional episode of The X-Files, as long as those episodes really stay occassional. I give it 5 out of 6.

Overall, it’s a solid episode, and the entry from this season that is (so far) the easiest to watch in isolation. I enjoyed it, but fans of the current POTUS may not be happy with some rather blatant comments about him. I give it 5 out of 6.

In total, The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat receives 34 out of 42.