The X-Files: Je Souhaite (7.21)

There's a beautiful simplicity to this episode, Vince Gilligan able to maneuver around a potentially destructive idea by casually undermining the very implausibility of it. Mulder eventually comes to realize that there's no such thing as wish fulfillment -- and that no matter how he words his wish, there would always be some gray area that throws the whole thing off. The genie, played with sardonic enthusiasm by Paula Sorge, has always remarked of the holes that appear in people's wishes, but everybody that's come into contact with her in the past fails to listen. It makes for an intriguing moral to the story.

In general, Je Souhaite is about the simple things in life. Despite all the extraordinary circumstances that she's been involved with, Jinniyah pines for a day where she can sit down and enjoy a coffee and watch the world go by. A similar thing occurs with Mulder, too. He tries to fix all the problems in the world, but gradually discovers that real, pure enjoyment can be found by spending a night with Scully, a couple of beers and a VHS of Caddyshack. It's not all about money or protecting the innocent or whatever. That's a really strong message.

Gilligan's script is also full of hilarious comedy. The Stokes brothers are abject morons, so driven by greed that the thought of wishing for something actually important (like giving Leslie back his legs) doesn't even cross their mind. Then there's Scully's unbridled glee at discovering the existence of invisibility, only for it to be dashed by an additional wish. The scene where she pokes at the empty medical table in front of all her excited scientist pals is ridiculously sweet.

Je Souhaite features wacky ideas and absurd humor, but always manages to bring it back to Mulder and Scully as characters. It's something that only Vince Gilligan can do, and puts work like Fight Club to shame. A

Credits
Guest stars Mitch Pileggi (Walter Skinner); Paula Sorge (Jinniyah); Will Sasso (Leslie Stokes); Kevin Weisman (Anson Stokes); Paul Hayes (Jay Gilmore)
Writer Vince Gilligan Director Vince Gilligan