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15 out of 18 people found the following review useful: One of the better season 7 episodes., 6 June 2007 Author: damienjaymz from United States
Though it could clearly be seen as a propaganda episode for anti-smoking, this was clearly one of the best episodes of season 7. Ifelt as if it really got back more to the moody atmosphere that made the earlier seasons so much better. You also have Tobin Bell, who has been made famous by his character of Jigsaw from the Saw movies. Bell gives one of the best performances that i have seen in any of the episodes. In this episode the agents investigate the global Morley tobacco company. The same company that CSM smokes. The end of the episode closes out similar to the tense unresolved endings of earlier episodes.
9 out of 9 people found the following review useful: E Pluribus uh..., 12 July 2007 Author: Muldernscully from Washington Terrace, Utah
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
So, you see a preview for Brand X and see that it's going to be about cigarettes. The Cigarette Smoking Man will be involved, right? Wrong. It shocked me that good ol' Smokey didn't make an appearance, but it doesn't detract from this episode.Brand X is a fine episode. I'd forgotten how much Skinner is featured in this episode. He carries the episode once Mulder goes down with a bad case of tobacco beetles.Kim Manners shoots this episode masterfully. He does a lot of low shots looking up at actors from below, giving it a different look, almost as if it's the tobacco beetles' perspective.Skinner balks at the idea of killer bugs when Mulder suggests it. He must have forgot about the killer bugs from season three's 'War of the Coprophages. But they turned out not to be killers. Also, it is unfortunate that when Scully mentions an entomologist she knows, it doesn't turn out to be Dr. Bambi Berenbaum. What a shame.Tobin Bell plays the part of Darryl Weaver, the test subject who is immune to the effects of the engineered tobacco. He does so well, just as if the part were written with him in mind. That can be said of so many X-Files guest stars.One thing that bothered me is that after Mulder leaves Dr. Voss' house after telling him of Thomas Gastall's death, Voss receives a phone call from someone watching him and Voss tells him that there was another death - downtown. Mulder didn't tell him where the murder occurred. He couldn't of known where, unless he already suspected it was in Weaver's apartment. Also, when Skinner charges into Morley's headquarters with a search warrant, he only brings two agents with him. That seemed like a pretty big building for only two agents to search. And my final gruff with this episode is when Skinner busts into Darryl Weaver's apartment after being tipped off my Dr. Voss. Skinner's been told that the larvae is in the smoke, yet he enters the apartment of the known smoker without even a mask over his face. Very careless and risky.But each of those are minor inconsistencies and don't detract much from the episode. The acting is great and the story is taut and suspenseful, with Mulder's life hanging in the balance. So, sit back, relax, watch Brand X, and smoke 'em if you got 'em.
3 out of 5 people found the following review useful: How do you feel? Like a dust buster attacked me., 19 October 2007 Author: Sanpaco13 from Sandy, UT, United States
Brand X is a decent episode if not one of my favorites. It is about a tobacco company who does test to reduce the health risks of smoking. In doing this they create a mutant form of tobacco bug which seems to feed off of its victims by laying eggs in the lungs through breath the cigarette smoke and then eating away the flesh. There is one man who seems to be immune to this however. Darryl Weaver. As the mystery of how and why these bugs are killing people thickens suddenly Mulder turns up sick and the man hunt for Darryl Weaver is intensified as understanding his immunity seems to be the only way to save Mulder and others who might become infected. Ironically once the catch Mr. Weaver and are rushing him into surgery to be tested Scully seeing the nicotine residue on his fingers realizes that this is most likely what has kept him alive and is able to poison the bugs in Mulder's lungs by injecting him with nicotine.I love Darryl Weaver's character. He is such a jerk. He very nicely pulls off your typical smoker who doesn't care about being considerate of others in satisfying their addiction and instead has to start smoking in public areas instead of designated smoking areas. I deal with these people everyday at work and can assure you that Darryl Weaver is one of them. I love how Mulder is such a jerk to the attorney's at the tobacco company after they are uncooperative with them. The company is so stereotypical in this episode, believing they are above the law. The receptionist asking Skinner and Mulder if they have an appointment even after they show him their badges. "Maybe you missed this the first time around." Too bad that guy showed up cuz there were gonna be some choice words soon from either party. Anyway. Even though this is an enjoyable episode I don't think I can list it really as a favorite. It just doesn't capture my intrigue as much as others. I give it a 7 out of 10.
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