Humbug is one of the best episodes of season two. It is the first of four Darin Morgan comedy episodes. Humbug is also the X-Files first foray into comedy. It's not a straight-out comedy like some later episodes, but it has a lot of comedic elements to it. Humbug is littered with great guest star performances, including the late Vincent Schiavelli, The Enigma, and Jim Rose. Humbug is superbly directed by Kim Manners. I love when Scully goes into the museum of curiosities and you never get a straight on shot of the curator's disfigured face. It's either seen in a mirror, a reflection of a pot, his profile, or some other abstract way. I was debating whether to drop this episode to a 9 for the puppet used to play Leonard. It looked a bit fake at times. But I figure it wasn't bad enough to drop this episode a full point. Humbug is so well-rounded with the script, sets, and acting, that you I can't justify knocking off a point. Humbug is a truly excellent episode. When you view it though, be sure to leave an extra five dollar donation.
18 Reviews
Squirmy fun for fans
editorbob10 August 2009
This is probably my favorite non-mythology episode. This series has more than its share of wacky and creepy characters, but this episode's a real showcase. Working my way through the full set on DVD, I'd forgotten that it came so early in the series. Both creepy and very funny, making good use of both David Duchovny's skilled delivery of Mulder's established quirky sense of humor, and letting Gillian Anderson display a few comedy timing chops of her own. And of course the late Vincent Schiavelli is excellent as always -- the world lost a gifted comedian with his passing. But the top honors go to Darin Morgan, for having the kind of strange mind that would think this stuff up in the first place.
Just... wow.
n-town-smash17 June 2008
Warning: Spoilers
When people tell me that they were never that into The X-Files, I show them Humbug. It's definitely among the best episodes of the show's run, and at the time a totally unexpected departure from a show which had no right coming up with anything this good so early on in its life.
In the space of 45 minutes, writer Darin Morgan creates a sense of a quirky but totally plausible and enthralling mini-Twin Peaks (and not just because of the dwarf), and rather than muck about with endless talk of coffee for hour upon hour, the story kicks off immediately with a fantastic curveball - the disfigured man lurking in the bushes by the pool turns out to be far less dangerous than the *other* thing...
Really, you don't want to spoil it. There are so many surprises, strange visuals and genuinely very funny moments through "Humbug", but for all its weirdness and whimsy it is a solid episode plotwise, and also one of the few where neither Mulder nor Scully seem to have a clue what's going on for most of the time.
In terms of the cast and performance, it's a testament to the show that they don't try and get cheap laughs out of the freakier members. While there's a recurring theme about prejudice and what is "normal", it's nice that this theme ultimately has very little to do with the episode's conclusion. All of these things add up to a damn near perfect episode, one of a handful by the same writer which, far from being mere novelties, simply trounce everything around them.
In the space of 45 minutes, writer Darin Morgan creates a sense of a quirky but totally plausible and enthralling mini-Twin Peaks (and not just because of the dwarf), and rather than muck about with endless talk of coffee for hour upon hour, the story kicks off immediately with a fantastic curveball - the disfigured man lurking in the bushes by the pool turns out to be far less dangerous than the *other* thing...
Really, you don't want to spoil it. There are so many surprises, strange visuals and genuinely very funny moments through "Humbug", but for all its weirdness and whimsy it is a solid episode plotwise, and also one of the few where neither Mulder nor Scully seem to have a clue what's going on for most of the time.
In terms of the cast and performance, it's a testament to the show that they don't try and get cheap laughs out of the freakier members. While there's a recurring theme about prejudice and what is "normal", it's nice that this theme ultimately has very little to do with the episode's conclusion. All of these things add up to a damn near perfect episode, one of a handful by the same writer which, far from being mere novelties, simply trounce everything around them.
X-Files Gets It's "Freak-On"
AudioFileZ25 June 2012
You gotta love it when The X Files steps outside of itself, going beyond the usual to do something different. In the episode "Humbug" we get to see an excellent example of that as it tackles the world of so-called sideshow freaks. Of course it does so with a paranormal slant, but that is patently downplayed here and the absurdity of some condition, of what is perhaps a super-mutant type,yet human, creature, is ran with in a very creative way. And, not that The X Files never injects humor, I mean the whole Lone Gunmen spin off certainly substantiates that, but here we get it at a frequency and at inappropriate times which only makes it more present in a low-key brilliant way.
The whole premise of the story is interesting as there really is a Gibsonton Florida which grew into a home away from the road for countless side show performers. Not only that, but the additions to the cast of town inhabitants and current "freakshow" performers is "spot-on" as far as adding mysterious credibility to an otherwise too outlandish story ( I personally usually like X-Files best when the stories have just enough credibility to be only improbable, not impossible). The performances of true-life "freaks" Jim Rose and The Enigma really nail down "Humbug" catapulting it into one of my top two or three season two episodes. The late, and truly great, character actor Vincent Schiavelli brings what he does best in his limited role here too.
All in all, this is an excellent episode that proves if guest writers, such as Darin Morgan who is credited here, are let to allow their creative juices to flow X-Files doesn't have to be constrained by anything alien related. Recommended.
The whole premise of the story is interesting as there really is a Gibsonton Florida which grew into a home away from the road for countless side show performers. Not only that, but the additions to the cast of town inhabitants and current "freakshow" performers is "spot-on" as far as adding mysterious credibility to an otherwise too outlandish story ( I personally usually like X-Files best when the stories have just enough credibility to be only improbable, not impossible). The performances of true-life "freaks" Jim Rose and The Enigma really nail down "Humbug" catapulting it into one of my top two or three season two episodes. The late, and truly great, character actor Vincent Schiavelli brings what he does best in his limited role here too.
All in all, this is an excellent episode that proves if guest writers, such as Darin Morgan who is credited here, are let to allow their creative juices to flow X-Files doesn't have to be constrained by anything alien related. Recommended.
Among the very best episodes
ametaphysicalshark29 January 2008
not only on "The X Files", but just generally speaking of television. Rarely has such a twisted plot been so expertly handled and doused with some of the funniest humor you'll find just about anywhere.
The guest stars for this episode are phenomenal, especially Michael J. Anderson as Mr. Nutt (you might recognize him as The Man From Another Place on "Twin Peaks"). I don't want to say too much about the plot in case you haven't seen it yet, but it expertly keeps things under wraps until the final 15 minutes or so.
Direction, writing, sets, and acting combine to make this utter television perfection, one of the finest episodes you could hope to get out of The X Files. Unforgettable.
10/10
The guest stars for this episode are phenomenal, especially Michael J. Anderson as Mr. Nutt (you might recognize him as The Man From Another Place on "Twin Peaks"). I don't want to say too much about the plot in case you haven't seen it yet, but it expertly keeps things under wraps until the final 15 minutes or so.
Direction, writing, sets, and acting combine to make this utter television perfection, one of the finest episodes you could hope to get out of The X Files. Unforgettable.
10/10
Wait, did Mulder just crack a joke.
Sleepin_Dragon3 October 2020
'Nature abhors normality, maybe some mysteries are never meant to be solved.'
I loved this episode, it was a real change in tone and direction for the series. It was imaginative, it was different, and it was very, very funny.
Sometimes you watch an episode, and yes you're thrilled and entertain, but very rarely do you chuckle, if humour is overused, or is just plain bad it can be a disaster, here it works superbly well.
I loved the guest cast, we had some truly great performances in this episode.
It's very visual, with some great horror moments, I am unable to offer up any criticisms, or find any faults, this has been my favourite of Series two so far. 10/10.
I loved this episode, it was a real change in tone and direction for the series. It was imaginative, it was different, and it was very, very funny.
Sometimes you watch an episode, and yes you're thrilled and entertain, but very rarely do you chuckle, if humour is overused, or is just plain bad it can be a disaster, here it works superbly well.
I loved the guest cast, we had some truly great performances in this episode.
It's very visual, with some great horror moments, I am unable to offer up any criticisms, or find any faults, this has been my favourite of Series two so far. 10/10.
We're exhuming... your potato.
Sanpaco1316 November 2007
Humbug the Limerick:
A circus attraction gone wrong
Sticks his head where it doesn't belong
Making its killings
Now the Enigma its filling
And the Fiji Mermaid has moved along.
Humbug is the first comedy episode of the series written by Darin Morgan who would later bring us a few other great episodes including my favorite overall of the series "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose". A humbug is another word for a sideshow attraction which is exactly what the entire episode is about. The idea of having a trailer park where a bunch of circus freaks all live allows for all kinds of great comedic opportunities. I think one of the things I like most about this is how Mulder's humor is allowed to come out in this episode. Probably one of the better characters is the Conundrum "big jigsaw tattooed naked guy". In other words, great writing and great actors = great episode. 10/10.
A circus attraction gone wrong
Sticks his head where it doesn't belong
Making its killings
Now the Enigma its filling
And the Fiji Mermaid has moved along.
Humbug is the first comedy episode of the series written by Darin Morgan who would later bring us a few other great episodes including my favorite overall of the series "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose". A humbug is another word for a sideshow attraction which is exactly what the entire episode is about. The idea of having a trailer park where a bunch of circus freaks all live allows for all kinds of great comedic opportunities. I think one of the things I like most about this is how Mulder's humor is allowed to come out in this episode. Probably one of the better characters is the Conundrum "big jigsaw tattooed naked guy". In other words, great writing and great actors = great episode. 10/10.
"I must be mistaken. Maybe it was another bald-headed, jigsaw-puzzle-tattooed naked guy I saw."
classicsoncall3 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
When I was a kid around ten tears old, my Dad would take the family each year to the local county fair, and in those days in the 1950's, they still had sideshow entertainment as seen in this episode of the X-Files. I had to laugh when The Conundrum came up out of the pond eating the raw fish; it was another take on the classic Man-Eating-Chicken those kinds of shows used to promote. The thing is, when you pulled back the curtain, there was a guy sitting there at a table chowing down on some Kentucky Fried.
But Holy Cow! The Conundrum - that was a real guy portrayed by the equally and weirdly nicknamed 'Enigma', who had his body tattooed into a blue patchwork of puzzle pieces for real! Just like one of the characters in the show said - "You never knew where the truth ends and the humbug begins".
I don't know if this episode was intended to be an all out comedy, and there's enough serious stuff like murder going on in the story, but most of it was just hilarious. David Duchovny undoubtedly made the most of his comedic timing to deliver some of the best comic dialog the show had to offer here, and that time Dr. Blockhead (Jim Rose) singled him out as 'looking like the future' was a riot. Come to think of it, the whole show was a riot!
But the best was the ending, I mean, come on, with The Conundrum known to eat anything, I never saw it coming and neither will you if you haven't seen the show yet. Try not to give it too much thought though, it will probably make you hurl.
Hey, if you go for bizarre stuff like this and haven't seen it yet, get hold of a copy of Tod Browning's tribute to the weird with 1932's "Freaks". Just like this program, it's got real live sideshow entertainers from back in the day before twenty first century engineering eliminated the types of mutations that gave rise to Siamese Twins, pinheads, and people without arms and legs. And if that's not enough, go for two whole seasons of these abnormalities with HBO's short lived series from 2003 titled "Carnivale". You'll never be the same again.
But Holy Cow! The Conundrum - that was a real guy portrayed by the equally and weirdly nicknamed 'Enigma', who had his body tattooed into a blue patchwork of puzzle pieces for real! Just like one of the characters in the show said - "You never knew where the truth ends and the humbug begins".
I don't know if this episode was intended to be an all out comedy, and there's enough serious stuff like murder going on in the story, but most of it was just hilarious. David Duchovny undoubtedly made the most of his comedic timing to deliver some of the best comic dialog the show had to offer here, and that time Dr. Blockhead (Jim Rose) singled him out as 'looking like the future' was a riot. Come to think of it, the whole show was a riot!
But the best was the ending, I mean, come on, with The Conundrum known to eat anything, I never saw it coming and neither will you if you haven't seen the show yet. Try not to give it too much thought though, it will probably make you hurl.
Hey, if you go for bizarre stuff like this and haven't seen it yet, get hold of a copy of Tod Browning's tribute to the weird with 1932's "Freaks". Just like this program, it's got real live sideshow entertainers from back in the day before twenty first century engineering eliminated the types of mutations that gave rise to Siamese Twins, pinheads, and people without arms and legs. And if that's not enough, go for two whole seasons of these abnormalities with HBO's short lived series from 2003 titled "Carnivale". You'll never be the same again.
The X-Files Finds Itself
frankelee13 July 2023
The writing in season 2 is often, surprisingly, weaker than it was in season 1. And yet here with Humbug, we finally see the show find its voice. The X-Files could always do a Men in Black, Alien Mythos episode, Chris Carter always knew what he wanted from those, but everything else was a little bit shaky.
Here is an episode that relies entirely on its writing (admittedly with some pretty good guest actors appearing all the same) to achieve its success. It's funny, it's weird, it's a monster of the week, and it delivers everything you want from The X-Files. Of course it's always easier to note what doesn't work when reviewing a bad episode, than to recognize what does work when reviewing a good episode, but at least I can tell you, it does work.
Unlike the invisible elephant episode, new characters don't pile on pointless sub-plots or miscellaneous information, they're just there to entertain. The mid-episode revelation that the town sheriff was once a popular dog boy merely leads to Mulder and Scully feeling embarrassed about digging up his magical potato. And the real killer reveal is exactly what you were hoping for, ridiculously stupid sure, but so fun and awesome, and in sticking with the episodes theme, that it works perfectly.
Episodes like Beyond the Sea were great by leaning on acting talent, episodes like Young at Heart were good by relying on a police procedural formula competently executed, but this episode is the first episode that really reminded me of the feeling I get when somebody mentions The X-Files.
Here is an episode that relies entirely on its writing (admittedly with some pretty good guest actors appearing all the same) to achieve its success. It's funny, it's weird, it's a monster of the week, and it delivers everything you want from The X-Files. Of course it's always easier to note what doesn't work when reviewing a bad episode, than to recognize what does work when reviewing a good episode, but at least I can tell you, it does work.
Unlike the invisible elephant episode, new characters don't pile on pointless sub-plots or miscellaneous information, they're just there to entertain. The mid-episode revelation that the town sheriff was once a popular dog boy merely leads to Mulder and Scully feeling embarrassed about digging up his magical potato. And the real killer reveal is exactly what you were hoping for, ridiculously stupid sure, but so fun and awesome, and in sticking with the episodes theme, that it works perfectly.
Episodes like Beyond the Sea were great by leaning on acting talent, episodes like Young at Heart were good by relying on a police procedural formula competently executed, but this episode is the first episode that really reminded me of the feeling I get when somebody mentions The X-Files.
A bit of brilliance is a nice surprise
JaydoDre2 January 2013
People should try and watch this episode even if they don't like X-Files. It is like a hidden treasure. The X-Files series has had a habit of leaning towards different genres and this time it ventured into black comedy. The series also has had a reputation for occasional poor writing. Humbug, however, is one of the good ones.
Humbug acts a sort of a comical relief episode. It is one of the few episodes that made me want to watch it twice.
The plot centers around gruesome murders in a sideshow community. The jokes are hit and miss, but overall it's quite funny and adorable. And not only is it funny but smart too. There are no obvious plot holes and it is not clear who the killer is until the end.
Not much else to say other than this is one of the better things I've seen on TV/internet. Looks like the writer Darin Morgan had a stroke of genius, although everyone deserves the credit.
Humbug acts a sort of a comical relief episode. It is one of the few episodes that made me want to watch it twice.
The plot centers around gruesome murders in a sideshow community. The jokes are hit and miss, but overall it's quite funny and adorable. And not only is it funny but smart too. There are no obvious plot holes and it is not clear who the killer is until the end.
Not much else to say other than this is one of the better things I've seen on TV/internet. Looks like the writer Darin Morgan had a stroke of genius, although everyone deserves the credit.
The show's very first comedy episode
SleepTight6664 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
The show's very first comedy episode. It's very entertaining, yet flawed.
For the most part, the casting was good. But the actor for the 'Lenny' character was just terrible. Actually, he and his little 'brother' were the only things I disliked about the episode. The whole disjointed twin thing looked bad.
The comedic parts were great, it was an original story, well written for the most part and just plain insane. Scully eating the cricket was classic. I loved the tattooed guy who ended up eating the little brother. and I have always been a big fan of Michael J. Anderson.
I am going to give this episode *** stars, a strong first comedy, but I think it's overrated.
For the most part, the casting was good. But the actor for the 'Lenny' character was just terrible. Actually, he and his little 'brother' were the only things I disliked about the episode. The whole disjointed twin thing looked bad.
The comedic parts were great, it was an original story, well written for the most part and just plain insane. Scully eating the cricket was classic. I loved the tattooed guy who ended up eating the little brother. and I have always been a big fan of Michael J. Anderson.
I am going to give this episode *** stars, a strong first comedy, but I think it's overrated.
It just never gets old...
philc-227899 February 2019
So... now I carry other people's luggage.
alexandercappelli18 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"Mr Nut, the kindhearted manager here, convinced me that to make a living by publicly displaying my deformity lacked dignity. So... now I carry other people's luggage." - Lanny.
Episode 20, 'Humbug', written by Darin Morgan, directed by Kim Manners. Monster of the week episode count, 30. Darin Morgan's first script for The X-Files, not counting his story credit on 'Blood', was a seminal moment for the series. Morgan weaved his irreverent style of black comedy so seamlessly into the Monster of the Week format that while it represented a significant tonal shift for the series, it was at the same time such a natural fit that it feels like a perfectly logical direction for the writing to take. The absurd nature of the X-File cases that Mulder and Scully investigate often tread a fine line between comical and horrifying, accepting the ridiculousness of the situation and embracing the comedic element was a very smart decision by the writers. Morgan was instrumental in this realisation that the show could weave comedy through the established horror/thriller format that they had developed up to this point. It really shouldn't be so surprising that it works since comedy and horror have always gone hand in hand. Horror films often use comic relief as a reprieve from the scares. Duchovny has always played Mulder with a sense of humour, ever since the Pilot, and here he showed that he was able to utilise his offbeat sensibility to great effect by simply turning up the dial from deadpan to goofy and finding just the right balance. All of Morgan's contributions as a writer used this 'comedy' format and while others followed suit by delivering some fan favorites in this style it's important that we give credit to Morgan for daring to push the envelope so early on in the life of the show.
'Humbug' peers in to the life of circus performers, who all inhabit a town in Florida called Gibsonton. The episode begins with a fun piece of misdirection, where we think two young boys are about to be attacked by some type of creature. It turns out to be the boys father who has a skin condition and works in a freak show as "The Amazing Alligator Man". However, soon after the boys leave their swimming pool the father is attacked and killed by a unseen assailant. Mulder and Scully are investigating this crime while staying in a trailer park. Their investigation leads them to meet a variety of circus performers, some with hideous physical deformities and others like Dr. Blockhead (Jim Rose) and The Conundrum (The Enigma) who consider themselves self-made freaks. The latter two characters were actual circus performers in the Jim Rose Circus Sideshow. A series of gruesome deaths occur and we eventually discover that the killer is the underdeveloped conjoined twin of Lanny (Vincent Shiavelli), who can detach and re-attach from his brother at will. However, the agents are unable to apprehend the twin before he is eaten by The Conundrum, who it's been established will eat anything.
It all sounds pretty silly on paper and if this were played as a straight horror/thriller episode it would have likely been ridiculed for it's bizarre premise. By injecting just the right about of comedy and a certain self-awareness in to the mix, Morgan was able to save his story from being seen as a parody of the show and have it be not only accepted but embraced by fans and critics. It's clear we're not supposed to take things too seriously here, but it's still the X-Files and there's still some genuinely creepy moments throughout. The idea of a conjoined twin detaching itself and attempting to find a new host by gouging out their stomach flesh is admittedly funny in one sense but on the other hand a deeply disturbing image. Unlike some later comedy episodes the actors don't ham up their performances much at all, rather they take a ridiculous situation and play it with dramatic integrity. This stops the episode from being too jokey, and the comedy is more understated than too on-the-nose.
A well known piece of trivia from this episode involves a scene between the agents and Dr. Blockhead. Having been offered a jar of live cockroaches, Scully takes one from the jar and eats it, only to reveal moments later to Mulder that she hid it with a slight of hand. During filming however, Gillian Anderson actually took the live bug and put it in her mouth, she held it there, pretending to chew until Manners yelled cut and then she spit out the still live cockroach. Duchovny apparently stated that he liked the fact that Morgan's scripts almost seemed like he was trying to destroy the show. It's not hard to imagine this attempt at comedy failing dismally. This could have easily earned a place among the worst of the X-Files episodes. However thanks to a willingness of the fans to embrace this new direction, the future of the series was irrevocably altered for the better. Without the tenacity of Morgan's genre bending script writing we would likely never have gotten to experience such gems as 'Bad Blood', 'Small Potatoes' and the season six two-parter 'Dreamland'. Also, without this comedic touch it's entirely possible that the show might not have lasted as long as it did, offering no respite from oftentimes overbearingly gloomy atmosphere. I can only speculate but I would imagine that episodes like this would have drawn in a wider audience or simply a different crowd that were initially not so willing to invest in a dramatic science fiction horror show about aliens and monsters.
Episode 20, 'Humbug', written by Darin Morgan, directed by Kim Manners. Monster of the week episode count, 30. Darin Morgan's first script for The X-Files, not counting his story credit on 'Blood', was a seminal moment for the series. Morgan weaved his irreverent style of black comedy so seamlessly into the Monster of the Week format that while it represented a significant tonal shift for the series, it was at the same time such a natural fit that it feels like a perfectly logical direction for the writing to take. The absurd nature of the X-File cases that Mulder and Scully investigate often tread a fine line between comical and horrifying, accepting the ridiculousness of the situation and embracing the comedic element was a very smart decision by the writers. Morgan was instrumental in this realisation that the show could weave comedy through the established horror/thriller format that they had developed up to this point. It really shouldn't be so surprising that it works since comedy and horror have always gone hand in hand. Horror films often use comic relief as a reprieve from the scares. Duchovny has always played Mulder with a sense of humour, ever since the Pilot, and here he showed that he was able to utilise his offbeat sensibility to great effect by simply turning up the dial from deadpan to goofy and finding just the right balance. All of Morgan's contributions as a writer used this 'comedy' format and while others followed suit by delivering some fan favorites in this style it's important that we give credit to Morgan for daring to push the envelope so early on in the life of the show.
'Humbug' peers in to the life of circus performers, who all inhabit a town in Florida called Gibsonton. The episode begins with a fun piece of misdirection, where we think two young boys are about to be attacked by some type of creature. It turns out to be the boys father who has a skin condition and works in a freak show as "The Amazing Alligator Man". However, soon after the boys leave their swimming pool the father is attacked and killed by a unseen assailant. Mulder and Scully are investigating this crime while staying in a trailer park. Their investigation leads them to meet a variety of circus performers, some with hideous physical deformities and others like Dr. Blockhead (Jim Rose) and The Conundrum (The Enigma) who consider themselves self-made freaks. The latter two characters were actual circus performers in the Jim Rose Circus Sideshow. A series of gruesome deaths occur and we eventually discover that the killer is the underdeveloped conjoined twin of Lanny (Vincent Shiavelli), who can detach and re-attach from his brother at will. However, the agents are unable to apprehend the twin before he is eaten by The Conundrum, who it's been established will eat anything.
It all sounds pretty silly on paper and if this were played as a straight horror/thriller episode it would have likely been ridiculed for it's bizarre premise. By injecting just the right about of comedy and a certain self-awareness in to the mix, Morgan was able to save his story from being seen as a parody of the show and have it be not only accepted but embraced by fans and critics. It's clear we're not supposed to take things too seriously here, but it's still the X-Files and there's still some genuinely creepy moments throughout. The idea of a conjoined twin detaching itself and attempting to find a new host by gouging out their stomach flesh is admittedly funny in one sense but on the other hand a deeply disturbing image. Unlike some later comedy episodes the actors don't ham up their performances much at all, rather they take a ridiculous situation and play it with dramatic integrity. This stops the episode from being too jokey, and the comedy is more understated than too on-the-nose.
A well known piece of trivia from this episode involves a scene between the agents and Dr. Blockhead. Having been offered a jar of live cockroaches, Scully takes one from the jar and eats it, only to reveal moments later to Mulder that she hid it with a slight of hand. During filming however, Gillian Anderson actually took the live bug and put it in her mouth, she held it there, pretending to chew until Manners yelled cut and then she spit out the still live cockroach. Duchovny apparently stated that he liked the fact that Morgan's scripts almost seemed like he was trying to destroy the show. It's not hard to imagine this attempt at comedy failing dismally. This could have easily earned a place among the worst of the X-Files episodes. However thanks to a willingness of the fans to embrace this new direction, the future of the series was irrevocably altered for the better. Without the tenacity of Morgan's genre bending script writing we would likely never have gotten to experience such gems as 'Bad Blood', 'Small Potatoes' and the season six two-parter 'Dreamland'. Also, without this comedic touch it's entirely possible that the show might not have lasted as long as it did, offering no respite from oftentimes overbearingly gloomy atmosphere. I can only speculate but I would imagine that episodes like this would have drawn in a wider audience or simply a different crowd that were initially not so willing to invest in a dramatic science fiction horror show about aliens and monsters.
"The twin extracted itself..."
Foreverisacastironmess12316 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Wow, 20 years old! Now how'd the hell that happen.. watching it now it really doesn't feel that old to me. It's still one of my(many) foremost series favourites because it's scary, darkly comical, even a little moving, and just plain twistedly charming and a lot of fun. I'm so glad that Humbug had the honour of being the first episode to try out a more wryly humorous approach to the storytelling, and that the lighter-toned quirkier episodes became a little staple of the show in their own right because the varied tones enriched it all so splendidly. It's so cleverly written the way it turns about what the situation and roles are supposed to be, like in the prologue how it subverts what you think you're seeing and expecting to happen, with the 'hideous monster' being a loving and unfortunate father who is soon brutally set upon by a much more frightening little beast! I love all the interesting and well-rounded witty folks that Mulder and Scully meet in their investigations, and I think that's perhaps what I most enjoy about this one, how they ingratiate themselves into a community of human oddities where they themselves are very much the freaks and how well the stoic agents play off against the classic background of mock cheerful carny ambiance and funfair grotesquerie. Did you ever seriously see a carnival in any movie ever that was not creepy? I always loved that horror archetype of the circus that's rendered deadly and creepy in some way, it's such a great horror sub-genre, as is the killer conjoined twin trope, of which this is an excellent addition. I definitely detect echoes of the 1982 Frank Hennenlotter movie Basket Case, in how one brother is normal-looking and the other is an enraged small but deadly twisted abomination, of course the monster here seems to be fairly mindless and is unintentionally killing people as it tears into their stomachs in its attempts to find a compatible host to live inside as a foetus-like parasite, something it is forced to do because its natural host, its brother, is a dying alcoholic. I love the way they're careful to only show "leonard" for only split seconds, it always works that way, if you show your monster too much you naturally risk it becoming something that's silly and un-scary. Terrifically fun climactic scene with Mulder and Scully chasing the demonic-looking thing into a fun house hall of mirrors, but the final scene is even better with the agents failing to capture the bad 'guy' and being left in the dust and quite puzzled over a strange conclusion to a very strange mystery... I always took it that the tattooed guy successfully bonded with the creature rather than eating it, which seemed daft and over the top even for this kind of story! It's such a vague and enigmatic yet thoughtful and satisfying ending, such profound words about nature abhorring unchanging perfection and normality, and that some mysteries are better left unresolved, which is so damn right, sometimes people are more than happy to believe in the magic of the illusion even if they know it to be fake if given the chance, like with the rich legend of the Fiji Mermaid, and chaos will always overcome order, it is the way of things... I love the offbeat atmosphere and how it gets into themes of how normal may be something that isn't always so desirable, and when they say what the original definition of the word "geek" was and bring up old legends like poor Chang and Eng. And the tone is very casual and even normal in a weird kind of way. The moral seems to be that variety is the spice of life and that 'freaks' are just people too. I must give a mention to the wonderful performance of Vincent Schiavelli as Lanny the normal sibling. He gives a lot of feeling and soul to his small part in a scene where he weeps and moans over why he believes his brother has abandoned him. It's something else special that this sadly lost great character actor leaves behind, rest in peace you sweet class act! Still a brilliant gem and a real classic of the series.
I've seen the future, and the future looks just like him!
bombersflyup27 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Humbug is about an investigation into a series of murders, where sideshow performers inhabit.
A light, clever and humorously fun episode. I can't agree with it being one of the best of the season however, with the likes of Irresistible, One Breath and Red Museum. Wayne Grace, Vincent Schiavelli and Jim Rose all give excellent guest appearances, but the ending with Conundrum just didn't happen.
A light, clever and humorously fun episode. I can't agree with it being one of the best of the season however, with the likes of Irresistible, One Breath and Red Museum. Wayne Grace, Vincent Schiavelli and Jim Rose all give excellent guest appearances, but the ending with Conundrum just didn't happen.
I don't know if it is the dwarf...
ristovskifilip-9046523 April 2021
Not everything has to be normal - Who could guess that killer also?
CursedChico27 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
It was nice. We saw lots of people "abnormal" people. There is a universal "normal" definition and this episode showed us lots of people those were not included in that definition.
It was hard to guess the guy had a creature inside him and the creature was a monster.
In the end, that tattoo guy spoke and said about eating. Than scully and mulder understood it? I am not sure.
It was one of the best episodes which are non-aliens.
All people were acted greatly.
It was hard to guess the guy had a creature inside him and the creature was a monster.
In the end, that tattoo guy spoke and said about eating. Than scully and mulder understood it? I am not sure.
It was one of the best episodes which are non-aliens.
All people were acted greatly.
48 attacks in the last 28 years
devonbrown-9064921 April 2023
Warning: Spoilers
"Imagine going through your whole life looking like this"
The episode Portrays the life of outcasts and freaks through brilliant writing highlighting their struggles with day to day life and gives a detailed insight into their mindset and beliefs.
It was ironic that mulder had a hunch with hepcats fiji mermaid. He was so close!. In the end the truth was stranger than fiction. A lonely twin called Leonard that was in search of another brother going from freak to freak inflicting the same wound to find a new home.
This episode had some humor on it with hotel managers great monologues and the incompetent hotel porter that implied bed bugs in the trailers accidentally.
I was great to see mulders poker face come under pressure when he was accused of discrimination by Mr Nutt. And his discomfort when he saw the feral Tattooed man eating the raw fish.
The ending was wrapped up well. I fully enjoyed the episode.
The episode Portrays the life of outcasts and freaks through brilliant writing highlighting their struggles with day to day life and gives a detailed insight into their mindset and beliefs.
It was ironic that mulder had a hunch with hepcats fiji mermaid. He was so close!. In the end the truth was stranger than fiction. A lonely twin called Leonard that was in search of another brother going from freak to freak inflicting the same wound to find a new home.
This episode had some humor on it with hotel managers great monologues and the incompetent hotel porter that implied bed bugs in the trailers accidentally.
I was great to see mulders poker face come under pressure when he was accused of discrimination by Mr Nutt. And his discomfort when he saw the feral Tattooed man eating the raw fish.
The ending was wrapped up well. I fully enjoyed the episode.
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