An X Files with a difference still 'bigly' on the current political hype and that's not a bad thing. Yet delving into what the future may involve for us with the rise of AI. It was funny and thought provoking also showing how eventually machines will take over. It all started with Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) on a date eating out in a Japanese restaurant, oddly though they're not actually speaking with each other and as the order process is mechanical and automated, seems so was their conversation being stuck to their phones! Scully can't help but snigger at Mulder's order, possibly the resemblance between him and the fat fish! Face-wise of course as she happily scoffs her sushi. As well as taking a selfie with him and the fish. Yuk not a fan of sushi! He wants to complain but the robots send him out of the kitchen quick smart and eeww but who wants to eat mechanical food, you don't know what's in it. Or should I say mechanically prepared food!
He then asks for the cheque but refuses the tip so that's where the troubles start, after he doesn't let Scully pay. You think Scully would've left a tip. They get locked in after he repeatedly hits the machine after his credit card gets stuck and the red robotic eyes stare at him, either in Terminator fashion of even the Cylons from Battlestar Galactica. Scully manages to break them out and finds a Whipz car waiting for her! Yeah whip you home in half the time by speeding! Mulder can't get the Prince song he wants and also ends up back at the restaurant with the message on his phone "A good tip is good karma" and having 4 hours to do so. So he uses an old fashioned map and manages to get home.
As he calls the "Bigly Credit" company on his phone and is kept on hold, now there's no need to spell out why it was called 'Bigly'. He can't access his laptop either since he enters an incorrect password. Which we know isn't the case. Heck the dude couldn't even get to watch an ep of The Six Million Dollar Man. Then finds he's been watched by a drone. So when it returns a second time he takes his baseball bat to it. Cue invasion of the red eye drones: red eyes signifying bad, which come to take the mashed drone back.
Scully isn't having any luck either. She drops some bath salts in the bathroom and gets a Roomba-esque delivered by RoboEpress, aka another drone delivery. Once it's cleaned up it can't stop, even finding her vibrator, I mean massager under the bed. Which is now available in different colours and she can order them! Infact order anything even if you don't need it, which is partly the message in this culture consumer obsessed generation. As she wraps it up, and waits on hold, she is directed to an Indian call centre to which I would've said, ah go get your accent fixed! And the muzak plays to increased volume which she can't turn down, this time the 'Roomba' (other versions are available!) gets out and begins breaking things to clean up. She leaves it outside and the car looks like it's gearing for an attack.
As Mulder tries to get through, the phone repeats his name "Fox Mulder" several times over and multi-coloured drones enter his house. Lots of tiny, little drones, it's robotic drones in place of The Birds! He leaves and is followed by them. Scully is locked in and she can smell gas as the house explodes, just as Mulder arrives and she manages to smash a window. They're followed by the drones and Mulder suggests they ditch anything they can be tracked with, including her massager which he gives her a funny look over, as if to say, 'am I not enough for ya?!' Ha!
Ending up at a warehouse the bots still continue their menacing and threatening behaviour and yes those creepy dog drones also appear. Okay I shouldn't have called them that, they're not so much creepy as in ugly. Even been fired at by 3D printer bullets. Finally a bot enters with the message he still has time to pay a tip to the workers, which he finally does.
They end up at a normal cafe for breakfast, using cash and taking their time, as Scully holds Mulder's hand and puts her head on his shoulder!
Episodes this one is reminiscent of include Kill Switch but I couldn't also help think a little Ghost In the Machine too. Written by Shannon Hamblin and Kristen Kloke, Glen Morgan's wife, who also appeared in X-Files ep, The Field Where I Died, managed to create an ep where words weren't necessary and indeed on point as in this social media, tech age, more communication is done electronically than face to face, in person. Not the way to have a date, but the end one seemed more relaxed when no words were said in a little cafe/diner, than the beginning where it all seemed so clinical and artificial (no pun!)
The opening was much the same, with the voiceover of how humans have come to rely on AI and how they learn from humans, leading Mulder at the end to add, sarcastically in many ways, that humans have to be better teachers. Even with the seriousness, plenty of laughs were still had with Scully's red hair cream and does she want to order more. As well as Mulder asking why her house is nicer than his. The X-Files still managed to pack a punch and though some eps haven't been as interesting as they could have been, at least this one kept the series fresh and not only being able to produce an exceptional stand-alone ep, but showing how versatile Gillian and David can still be in their roles which fit them perfectly as gloves still! Other shows should take note!
Apparently the title is Basecode 64 which means "foloowers." Thsi is also shown in the opening creds where VGhlIFRydXRoIGlzIE91dCBUaGVyZQ appears and actucally means "the truth is out there."
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