The Good: "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" is brilliant, Bonus featurette, Acting
The Bad: On this video, "War Of The Coprophages" seems terribly derivative as an X-Files comedy.
The Basics: The extraordinary "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" is paired with another comedic episode of The X-Files, diluting its greatness some.
Every now and then, there comes a piece of television that is both brilliant and clever and also does irreparable damage to a series for its die-hard fans. Darin Morgan, I'm looking at you! Morgan is the writer for The X-Files who seemed to have the best possible occupational philosophy a writer could have; if you want your episodes to get on the air, become the show's script coordinator. Morgan penned three of the most memorable episodes of The X-Files, including the original comedic episode near the end of season two, "Humbug" (reviewed here!) and arguably the best episode of the series, "Jose Chung's 'From Outer Space.'" In between, he had an episode that knocked it out of the park and also ruined The X-Files. That episode was "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose."
On video, "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" is presented with another Morgan comedy, "War Of The Coprophages," which is a good episode that suffers when next to the other episode. After all, there are only so many episodes one can have that essentially play the same note and they work best at greater distances in the season. In other words, after watching the comedic reversals of "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose," "War Of The Coprophages" seems predictable at best.
In "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose," a string of fortune tellers are being killed and Mulder and Scully investigate, only to have their investigation interrupted by the police making use of the alleged psychic the Stupendous Yappi. In the course of finding more bodies, Mulder and Scully encounter Clyde Bruckman an actual psychic whose only ability is to see how people will die and he seems to have a link with the killer of the fortune tellers.
Scully, naturally, is skeptical and she makes a point out of disbelieving Bruckman until his misery becomes compelling to her. Mulder, for his part, becomes frustrated because Bruckman's prognostications are not leading them to anything as concrete as a resolution that would allow the F.B.I. agents to thwart the serial killer. Sadly, though, Bruckman's ability seems to be uncanny and that might mean the end of Agent Mulder!
In "War Of The Coprophages," Mulder escapes to Massachusetts for the weekend while his apartment building is fumigated. While there, he is drawn into a local law enforcement investigation involving deaths that appear to be the result of cockroaches that have more or less taken over the area. Each time there is a death, from an exterminator to kids with a homemade lab trying to get high off methane from dung, Mulder calls Scully, who provides a perfectly rational explanation for the death.
Soon, though, it does appear that Scully is right, despite the rising body count and the panic that is ensuing in Massachusetts. As Scully finally heads up to the infested area, Mulder meets up with a Department of Agriculture doctor named Bambi, who clues him in on possible suspects and puts him in actual danger . . .
Having just finished rewatching "War Of The Coprophages," it is amazing how well-regarded the episode is, considering how it is not a terribly tight episode. Instead, there are long pauses in almost every scene that have the net effect of stretching the episode out to its minimum length. So, there are long pauses whenever Mulder tells Scully anything and it works for comedic timing, but it holds up remarkably poorly over many, many viewings.
"War Of The Coprophages" is something of a one-trick pony and it starts with a clever enough idea that is fun, but it quickly gets old. This is essentially a farce in the style of The X-Files. It's also the episode where Scully is possibly most right using medical science; every "attack" has a rational, scientific reason that has little or nothing to do with the cockroaches. It's funny, but not at all substantial.
On the other hand, "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" is both funny and substantial. Clyde Bruckman is a cranky old man whose obsession with the random laws of chance has allowed him to predict with amazing accuracy how people he meets will die. Set against the foil of the Stupendous Yappi, it is very easy to disregard "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" as a comedy that has little merit in the overall schema of The X-Files. However, the die-hard fans know this is not the case.
Bruckman is able to see how people will die and most people he encounter want to know how they will go (Mulder's is absolutely hilarious). Scully's, though, is one that seems like a throwaway line, but because of the accuracy of every other prediction Bruckman makes, undermines the menace of any other scene Scully is ever in jeopardy with. Like episodes that begin at an end and flash back to a time before that, "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" sets up a scenario where the viewer is simply waiting to see a certain event (and it DOES come) and the threats to Scully from this point on in the series are hard to take seriously. Fortunately, most people treated it as a throwaway line and/or forgot it, but the weakness of rewatching episodes over and over again (which is pretty much the point of videos and DVDs) is that lines like Bruckman's prognostication to Scully shine a bit more brightly.
It's not all serious or bad, though. In fact, "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" is part of the argument that The X-Files hits a perfect season with the third season (if not, it's part of what makes it come close as opposed to detract from it!). A large part of the episode's success comes from the character of Clyde Bruckman and it is virtually impossible to imagine Bruckman played by anyone but Peter Boyle. Boyle won a Support Actor award for his portrayal of Bruckman and it was well-deserved; he is utterly hilarious in the role as the cranky, but deeply kind Bruckman. Unlike his eventual role on Everybody Loves Raymond, Boyle's Bruckman is hugely sympathetic and his humor comes from the situation and the contrasts between him and the Stupendous Yappi, not being cruel.
"Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" and "War Of The Coprophages" work well together in one way, though; they illustrate that The X-Files can work to not take itself so seriously (right before the series goes into a stretch of very dark episodes). As well, the series is still the same series and so the episodes have connections, which keeps the overall concept high and smart. So, for example, in "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" Scully ends up with a dog. In "War Of The Coprophages," one of the many activities Mulder interrupts Scully doing is giving her dog a bath (others are reading a book and cleaning her firearm). As well, writer Darin Morgan does a throwback to a previous psychic with a gag that plays off "Beyond The Sea" (reviewed here!). It's funny and more casual viewers are not missing much by missing the allusion, but for those who DO get it, it holds up real well as a remarkably clever and funny gag.
By this point in the series, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson have the acting down pat and both episodes on this video are remarkably well-acted. Each video features a little behind-the-scenes bit entitled "A Private Conversation With Chris Carter" and it's an enjoyable concept that gives fans a little added value for the tape.
Not that this video needs much in the way of added value; "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" is truly excellent and "War Of The Coprophages" is still better than average television. Anyone who likes science fiction or comedy will enjoy these two episodes.
[Given that VHS is a rapidly dying medium, a far better investment would be The X-Files - The Complete Third Season, reviewed by me here!
As well, those who already love The X-Files will find The X-Files - The Complete Series to be an even better buy, here!
Thanks for reading!]
"Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" - 10/10
"War Of The Coprophages" - 6.5/10
VHS - 7.5/10
For other television program and DVD set reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2011, 2008 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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