"The X Files" How the Ghosts Stole Christmas (1998)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Chris Carter

Writers:

Chris Carter (creator)
Chris Carter (written by)

TV Series:

"The X Files" (1993)

Original Air Date:

13 December 1998 (Season 6, Episode 6)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

On Christmas Eve, Mulder and Scully stakeout a house that is supposedly haunted by the ghosts of two...

Plot Keywords:

Male Female Relationship | FBI | FBI Agent | Alien | X Files

Cast

David Duchovny	...	Fox Mulder
Gillian Anderson	...	Dana Scully
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Edward Asner	...	Maurice
Lily Tomlin	...	Lydia

Runtime:

Argentina:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Certification:

Argentina:13

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

Maurice ('Ed Asner') tells Mulder that he knows people in the ACLU. Asner has been involved with the ACLU in his real life as an activist in controversial issues.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Just as Mulder begins prying open the floor, the lightning causes a person's shadow to appear behind him and Scully that does not correspond with either of their positions or movements.

Quotes:

Scully: Mulder.
Mulder: [alarmed at a noise] Shhh! What was that?
Scully: [irritably rational] These are tricks that the mind plays. They are ingrained clichés from a thousand different horror films. When we hear a sound, we get a chill, we, we- we see a shadow and we allow ourselves to imagine something that an otherwise rational person would discount out of hand.
[Mulder just continues up the dark staircase. Frustrated, Scully pulls out her flashlight and follows him]
Scully: [continuing to rationalize nervously] The whole, Mulder- the whole idea of a benevolent entity fits perfectly with what I'm saying, that, I mean, that a spirit would materialize or return for no other purpose than to show itself is silly and ridiculous. I mean, what it really shows is how silly and ridiculous we have become in believing such things. I mean that... that we can ignore all natural laws about the corporeal body, that... that we witness these spirits clad in their own, shabby outfits, with the same old haircuts and hairstyles, never aging, never- never in search for more comfortable surroundings... it actually ends up saying more about the living than it does about the dead.
Mulder: [only half-listening] Mmm-huh.
Scully: [clearly rattling on in fear and nervousness] And Mulder, it doesn't take an advanced degree in Psychology to understand the unconscious yearnings that these imaginings satisfy. You know, the... the longing for immortality, the hope that there is something beyond this mortal coil, that we might never be long without our loved-ones... I mean, these are powerful, powerful desires. I mean, they're the very essence of what makes us human... the very essence of Christmas, actually.
[a door nearby suddenly opens on its own with a loud creak]
Mulder: [breathless; whispering] Tell me you're not afraid.
Scully: [breathless also, but stringent] All right, I'm afraid. But it's an irrational fear.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Not Your Typical Christmas Episode

Continuing with the X-files-lite theme of season six, How The Ghosts Stole Christmas takes a funny look into the personalities of Mulder and Scully and their relationship with each other. This is a story more appropriate for Halloween, but told as a Christmas tale. Mark Snow's use of the organ and harpsichord are perfect for this episode, giving it a nice, unique feel. This episode has the smallest cast in the history of the X-Files, with only two guest stars, Ed Asner and Lily Tomlin as the ghosts. The two do a great job as the star-crossed lovers who attempt to get Mulder and Scully to commit a double murder. It is funny to hear all of Mulder and Scully's shortcomings revealed by the ghosts. The set of the haunted house is very cool-looking and perfect. This is definitely not an episode to show to a newcomer to the X-Files. It deals with all the quirky aspects of our favorite agents that we've come to learn and love over the years. A newcomer would just be lost. But, for the long-time x-phile, this is a fun episode that delves more into the relationship between Mulder and Scully. If you're not into that, and just want to see scary monsters and freaks, this is not the episode for you. I enjoyed the episode a lot for those reasons. However, because of the less than x-files feel to it, I don't give it full marks. Still, How The Ghosts Stole Christmas is a good Halloween story for Christmas time.