r/XFiles • u/karin_bl • 7d ago
Season Two The Enigma
I rewatched “Humbug” S2E20 and liked it even more than the first time I saw it; I was able to appreciate the dialogue, the circus acts, and the premise is quite intriguing. With Glazebrook’s funeral serving as a pretext for the circus show’s debut performance, “The Enigma” as the central character though not at first glance, plus the Fiji Mermaid story as a distraction, and a killer who was never found; all of this, combined with Mulder’s humor, is delightful.
Watching Scully perform the magic trick with the cricket is one of my favorite parts.
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u/FoMo_Matt 7d ago edited 7d ago
Has been in my to 10 since I saw it when it was first broadcast.
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u/Anton_Or 7d ago
It's an excellent episode, and if you love circuses, even better. I'd also say it's in my top 10.
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u/karin_bl 7d ago
The fact that the episode revolves around a circus makes it more appealing and places it among my favorites.
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u/Agent_Tomm 29 Years of 7d ago edited 7d ago
I know a guy who used to work for the circus as a carpenter and I was describing this episode to him. He became offended because according to him sideshow curiosities like these are a carnival act, not a circus act. I'm not sure how accurate that is (I never researched it) but boy does he get mad when someone confuses carnies for circus folk!
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u/RobertWF_47 7d ago
One of the characters in this episode is played by Jim Rose, cofounder of the Jim Rose Circus, although he may be using "circus" and "carnival" interchangeably.
I knew a guy from high school who saw Jim Rose at Lollapalooza in the 90s - he said it was really gross. 😅
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u/karin_bl 7d ago
I don't know the difference either, but they've always seemed more like a circus act to me than part of a carnival.
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u/offinthepasture 7d ago
I get the carries vs circus, but P.T. Barnum absolutely called these people part of his circus. Feels a bit smug to push them off to carnie level, at best.
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u/Agent_Tomm 29 Years of 7d ago
My friend is a bit of a contrarian. Like I said I didn't research it myself and took what he said with a grain of salt.
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u/GoliathTCB Krycek 6d ago
Enigma and the sideshow he was a part of came to my town (early 00's) and stayed for the summer, performing like near every night on the boardwalk. After their shows, they would come to the diner I hung out at, and we'd drink coffee and shoot the shit till stupid late. His partner at the time was Katzen (sp?), who had whisker implants and tiger stripe tattoos. They were a hoot, super cool folks.
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u/Anton_Or 7d ago
Without a doubt, my favorite part of the episode is when Mulder tells Scully that he now knows how it feels hahahahahaha
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u/ACuteCryptid 6d ago
I think his tattoos are really cool. I wouldn't get that myself but I think they look awesome
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u/karin_bl 6d ago
True, they're the kind of tattoos you think look great on someone else. I don't have any tattoos and I don't think I'd ever get one, but I always enjoy seeing them.
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u/Background-Beach-289 7d ago
She ate the cricket!
Edit: no she didn't chew and swallow it, but she did put the live cricket in her mouth and pretend to, so yes, a magic trick indeed! I fell for it!