Fox in the Hell House

Ah, at long last, we come to the close of our journey through The Satanic Schoolboard Episode. This time, it's Bill's turn to grasp ahold of the devil's horns and shake loose a few insights. Mae also offers a few insights, primarily about comedy, horror, and feminist perspectives. John is also here, bouncing all these ideas around for your audio pleasure. Cohosts:Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Barnes (she/her)John Watson (they/them)

We finally got here, folks! We made it through two necessary weeks of historical foregrounding, and now we are FINALLY talking about the Satanic Panic episode! This week, John takes us through the episode and explains why all that historical background was necessary. Mysterious deaths and occult shenanigans happen in a small town, and our favorite agents are there to uncover the devilish mystery. Strap in, folks!

Oh, don't even get me STARTED. You aren't ready. We weren't ready! You ever lift up a concrete slab, and find a bunch of bugs skittering in the dirt? It's kind of like that, except instead of bugs, it's the horrors of American Evangelicalism and the American childcare system. Cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Barnes (she/her)

In preparation for our discussion about the episode "Die Hand die Verletzt," aka "The Satanic School Board Episode," we have some necessary background to cover regarding the history of what is known as the Satanic Panic in the US. Therefore, we have made this episode for one person in particular: Steve Rogers, aka Captain America. Listen to us as we tell our friend Steve about the truly miserable horrors that lay in the heart of American panic culture. Cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Barnes (she/her)

CW: Elder abuse and sexual assaultWelcome back to part two of our discussion about Excelsis Dei! More wine is consumed, more absolute nonsense is discussed, and revelations about the likely racist naming convention used on a particular member of the cast that sends our poor cohosts into despair. Also, of course, the villain has always been Capitalism.Cohosts:Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Barnes (she/her)John Watson (they/them)

CW: discussion about sexual assault and elder abuseThat's right. We are starting with a CW, because that is just how this episode is. Mulder and Scully investigate a sexual assault upon a nurse at an nursing home--one performed by an invisible assailant. Curious goings on have been happening at Excelsis Dei, the most disturbing of which involve elder abuse and a mysterious cure for dementia that accidentally opened up attacks from the deceased. This episode is perhaps one of the more bafflingly bad ones, so much so that we had to split it into two parts. Don't worry, you'll get the rest next week!Cohosts:Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Barnes (she/her)John Watson (they/them)

Chris Carter saw a cool volcano roving robot, and thought, you know what would make a good episode? A cross between The Thing and Apocalypse Now! Bradley Whitford guest stars in an episode that has Mulder and Scully head to a volcanic research lab, only to discover a parasitic fungus outbreak that results in some truly grisly body horror. We talk about the overall unevenness of the episode, alongside a lengthy conversation about why cosmic horror works sometimes, and doesn't at other times. The horror! The horror!Cohosts:Mae Barnes (she/her)Bill Eldredge (he/him)John Watson (they/them)

You know what? We had too much to say about this absolute trashfire of an episode of primetime 90's television, so we decided to just record us doing just that. Now eat your peas, dammit! You're gonna hear us talk about weird death fetishism, and you're going to LIKE IT. Cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Barnes (she/her)

What could be better than spooky Romanian folk religious practices and les enfant terribles? Mulder and Scully investigate the death of a young child of a state department worker, and the supernatural phenomenon surrounding his older brother Charlie. Wacky Romanian Grandmas, family secrets, and improper ritual sanitary practices abound. Cohosts:Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Barnes (she/her)John Watson (they/them)

In the final part of John's 3-part analysis on modern profiling and serialized/mass violence, we finally come to their favorite episode. A spate of strange necrophilic activity catches the attention of Mulder and Scully, and this hits Scully particularly close to home due to her recent abduction and resultant PTSD. Probably one of the darkest episodes of the season, but also it is X-Files at it's schlockiest.

We are BACK in the good old Aubrey, Missouri! That is probably the first time anyone has ever thought that particular idea. Anyways, this is part 2 of our conversation about this car crash of an episode, in which we talk more about serial killers, genetic memory, and the eugenics of it all. I know it's probably a bit predictable -- take a drink every time we mention eugenics on the show!-- but it's a fantastically bad episode and we had a lot of fun talking about it anyway. Cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Mae Barnes (she/her)Bill Eldridge (he/him)

You smell that, boy? That's the smell of Midwestern Gothic. It smells of cornfields, rusted farmhouses, and psychosexual trauma. Mulder and Scully are called in because the body of an FBI agent from the 30's is found, unraveling a mysterious cold case involving a serial murderer... and a pregnant cop with visions? Let's add in a bit of the spice melange to that mix, while we're at it. Part one of a long conversation about this bonkers episode of primetime television.Cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Mae Barnes (she/her)Bill Eldridge (he/him)

This week, Mae is at the helm for a not-quite-Syndicate arc two-parter! A shapeshifting alien bounty hunter is after a mysteriously identical cadre of doctors... and oh right, SAMANTHA MULDER IS BACK?? OR IS SHE??? She emerges out of nowhere, and Mulder is on the warpath to figure out just what the hell is going on. We have clones. We have family trauma. We have Skinner being a badass. What more could you ask for?Cohosts:Mae Barnes (she/her)John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)

Wait a minute. Small town? Meat-processing factory floor? Creepy cult? No, this is not a repost or a rerun; it is in fact a completely different episode from Our Town! Indeed, it is a far BETTER episode, because it doesn't have a lot of the racism that made that episode so terrible. Join Mulder and Scully as they investigate a town with a big secret, and a surprise callback to the season finale of season 1! It's pretty good!Cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Barnes (she/her)

Welcome to the second half of our episode on One Breath! This time we go deeper into the conspiracy of the syndicate, the grim reality of what the Cancer Man's life is like, what Skinner's whole deal is about, and the rich vein of Catholicism in Scully's resurrection. It's a good talk, come hang with us!Cohosts:Bill Eldridge (he/him)John Watson (they/them)Mae Barnes (she/her)

Scully is found alive in a hospital, and nobody-- not even hospital staff-- knows why. Mulder crashes out, and there is a lot of meditation on the metaphysical nature of life and death. This is the first half of our exploration of this episode--more next week!

Who ordered all these vampires, because dude, these vampires SUCK. No, really. Mulder, missing his one true bestie Scully, is really sad and decides to go hunt vampires in LA for a bit. Nothing of substance occurs, least of all the X-Files's exploration of the subject of vampirism. There is so much meat left on that bone, and we are SALTY about it. So come listen to 3 weirdos talk about the wasted potential of the episode and yell with us about VAMPIRES.Cohosts:Mae Barnes (she/her)Bill Eldridge (he/him)John Watson (they/them)

We got us a heap of trouble with this one: Mulder and Scully are called into a Haitian refugee camp to investigate some mysterious shenanigans... which means that we need to talk about Haitian Voudon. To do that, we needed some help from someone who knows what he's talking about. We have special guest Medene Presley on to investigate the history and culturally prescient aspects of this bizarre episode, and we hope you enjoy the conversation!Cohosts:Bill Eldridge (he/him)Madene Presley (he/him)John Watson (they/them)Mae Barnes (she/her)

This is the second half of the Duane Barrie saga in a nutshell: Scully gets abducted by Duane, and then Duane lets the aliens abduct Scully for like, another episode. Meanwhile we investigate the meaning of art criticism, interrogate the thesis of this show, and also make jokes about what a demon twink Krycek is. We dub Skinner "The People's Daddy," too.Cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Barnes (she/her)

Oh, Duane, you poor guy. Getting abducted will ruin your life, apparently, and then one day, you get fed up and start a hostage situation in a travel agency so your psychiatrist will FINALLY listen. #relateable. Anyways, this is the first of a two parter, very plot heavy, so we just kind of roll with it and enjoy the ride. Your hosts:John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Barnes (she/her)

Oh boy, another day, another deceptively dark episode of the X-files... this time guest starring Tony Todd of Candyman fame! A string of murders with unusual circumstances leads to Mulder and new """friend""" Alex Krycek to uncover a Vietnam-era experimental program to eliminate soldiers' ability to sleep, leading to Todd as a kind of psychic Freddy Krueger, or perhaps more accurately, DC villain Dr. Destiny. In the process, we tackle topics such as the My Lai Massacre, Vietnam as cultural artifact, racial politics and religious allegory, and a lot more. CW: discussion of brutal violence in the My Lai section. My Lai section begins: 12:16My Lai section ends: 26:54Cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae was unable to join this week.

X-Files sure is a show, huh? Because you can go from a campy, monster-filled romp in the sewers with a worm mutant one week... and then a harrowing, poorly handled, and frankly disturbing take on American mass shootings the next. The gang tries to take it more seriously this week, because this is some heavy content. CW for anyone with trauma involving mass shootings, because this episode really dives into the topic. Cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Barnes (she/her)

THE EPISODE YOU (HAVEN'T) BEEN WAITING FOR IS HERE! That's right, we're talking about the infamous episode with hideous, mind-scarring FlukeMan! There's some weird stuff going on in the sewers, and Mulder is sent to scenic New Jersey to investigate. What follows is a disgusting and visceral experience that warped our fair hosts into the people they are today. Enjoy!Cohosts:Mae Barnes (she/her)John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)

While Mae is gone, Bill takes the helm this week as we venture forth into the Ozarks for a real hootenanny of an episode. I say "hootennanny," because what I really mean is "an extremely racist piece of hot garbage." Bill and John go down the rabbithole of Arkansan lore, unnecessary orientalism and racism against Polynesian peoples, and some finger-licking good cannibalism. Your Cohosts:Bill Eldridge (he/him)John Watson (they/them)

You thought it was done? You fool. We have so much more to say about the season premiere of X-Files season 2! This time, we attempt to give Dana Scully her flowers as "The Only One On the Show Who Gets Things Done." We discuss feminist theory, spycraft, and all sorts of other wonderful things. Join us on the queerest X-files podcast of all time.Cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Mae Barnes (She/her)Bill Eldridge (he/him)

We're back! The second half of our discussion on the season 2 premiere of the X-Files, in which we talk about Skinner, the Cancer Man, and all kinds of conspiratorial intrigue. Cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Barnes (she/her)

WE'RE BACK, BABY! New season, hot and fresh! We start off with the season premiere: the X-files are closed, and Mulder and Scully are picking up the strands of the existing conspiracies that drew them together. Mulder takes a trip to Puerto Rico and gets evidence of extraterrestrial contact. We had to split this up into 2 parts, so stay tuned for the THRILLING CONCLUSION, NEXT WEEK!Cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Mae Barnes (she/her)Bill Eldridge (he/him)

Since we finished season 1, we needed a palate cleanser, so we decided to watch a really excellent southern gothic noir thriller from the fifties: Night of the Hunter, starring Robert Mitchum! A false preacher terrorizes a couple children for the location of stolen money. In the ensuing fracas, we discuss the many sins of American flavored evangelicalism, racism, patriarchy, and the darkness that lays in America's heartland. You know, a lighthearted romp for the whole family.Cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Barnes (she/her)

What a long strange ride it's been...In the season 1 finale, Scully and Mulder get set on the hunt for a person who has been infused with alien DNA. Monkeys were involved. Multiple east coast cities were disparaged. I'm pretty sure we went to Spencer's Gifts at some point in the episode, because this prop work is top notch. Everything comes up to a thrilling climax, and makes us ask: what did we actually learn from all this? Answers unclear, try again.Cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Barnes (she/her)

CW: this episode contains discussions about self harm/suicideIt's a tale as old as time: Girl is grieving the loss of her father figure boss, and wouldn't you know it, his ghost is protecting her from muggers and handsy employers. Don't worry, Mulder and Scully are on the case to do... well, not much of anything, save offer some theories about either paranormal psychic events, or poltergheists. In any case, we dig into a pretty ghostly episode, and talk about how jobs used to throw going-away parties and have two-weeks notice. BACK IN MY DAY, A QUARTER COST A NICKEL--go to bed, grandpa. From a #MeToo moment to griping about capitalism, this episode has it all.Your cohosts:Bill Eldridge (he/him)John Watson (they/them)Mae Barnes (she/her)

The gang takes on perhaps the most terrifying topic of all time: Gender?? In this episode, Scully and Mulder are on the hunt for a gender-morphing serial killer, and in the process, investigate a sect of totally-not-Amish people called the Kindred. In the process, we go into the politics of gender, the exploitation of religious communities, and also anti-Luddism. We go a lot of places, is the thing. Enjoy!Cohosts:Mae Barnes (she/her)John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)

You know that paranoid feeling you get when you feel like you're on the edge of something great, only for the rug being pulled out from under you? That's what watching this episode feels like. The gang talk about a Syndicate episode involving everything from internet weirdos to Gulf War syndrome, and the multiple red herrings on offer. I wondered why it smelled like fish in here.Cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Mae Barnes (she/her)Bill Eldridge (he/him)

This week, the gang looks at a genuinely good, plot-twist filled episode: EVE. There really is an absurd amount of chaotic content in the episode. From cattle mutilation, nuclear weapons, fracking, the Boys from Brazil, cloning, eugenics, and the popular sentiments towards autism and vaccines... look, it's a lot. We're here to explore and explain it all, if you are willing to go on a ride with us. Just make sure your mental health facilities have a good amount of security on hand, just in case.Cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Barnes (she/her)

This is the second half of our conversation about a very strange, yet deeply moving episode about death, the hereafter, grief, and Mulder being punished for trying to be skeptical. Enjoy!Cohosts:Bill Eldridge (he/him)John Watson (they/them)Mae Barnes (she/her)

We are back with the first half of a two-parter! The holiday season is upon us, so why not get a bit Dickensian with it and talk about the potential psychic blowback of the spirit world--starring famous character actor Brad Dourif. We discuss the impact of grief, death, life, David Lynch, dream-logic, and whether or not Dourif has more than one character type in his repertoire. We'll return next week with the second half, but this should hopefully tide over any hungry ghosts in the audience. Bon appetit!Your cohosts:Bill Eldridge (he/him)John Watson (they/them)Mae Barnes (she/her)

On this episode the gang analyzes and discusses just about every possible thing you could imagine when it comes to AI, transhumanism, and the philosophical implications of artificial entities. Also there's an episode of X-Files that approaches the topic with... less philosophical rigor. But that's what we're for!

This week, we go to the great state of Wisconsin with Fox Mulder, channelling his inner Jason Bourne, and Dana Scully, channelling her inner exasperated 3rd-grade schoolteacher. While we debate the finer points between divorced vs. incel energy (whatever that means) we explore what happens when we take the Fox method seriously: shouting the truth at people who know better, and those people not actually caring. Your cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Mae Barnes (she/her)Bill Eldridge (he/him)

This week, the gang kind of just loses it watching perhaps the most 90s episode of the X-files ever made: The Jersey Devil! Yes, bring your moisturizer as we examine Mulder and Scully's adventures in the pine barrens of New Jersey, Mulder's great homelessness weekend, and Scully's terrible dating life. Look, this episode is a mess, and while there is something to be said for what they were going for, we just kind of need a good laugh, too. Your hosts:John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Barnes (she/her)

This week, the gang takes a look at another monster-of-the-week episode--this one a little more religion flavored. Mulder and Scully head on down south to investigate a faith healer who may be tied to a series of wrongful deaths. Is it murder most foul? Is it divine intervention? And how does it all tie in to our larger conversation about conspiracy? Hang on to your prayer shawls, it's going to be a ride.Cohosts:Bill Elldridge (he/him)John Watson (they/them)Mae Barnes (she/her)

This week, the gang goes to Iowa to investigate the weird stuff going on at Lake Okobogee. Okobogee. Okobogee. That's so much fun to say. Anyways, A girl disappears, a little boy hears messages in the TV static, and aliens are most likely involved. Good times!Your hosts:John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Forrest Barnes (she/her)

This week on Fox in the Hell House, John takes Bill and Mae into the deepest unknown: Idaho! They explore the episode "Deepthroat," make some ribald jokes, and talk a bit about the historical and real-world conspiracy lore surrounding UFOs and the militaries who love them. Your cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Forrest Barnes (she/her)

A prologue, of sorts, in which we discuss stigmatized knowledge, a basis from which we will analyze the show, and our own history with conspiratorial thinking. No episode discussion, but a useful foundation for what the show will be. Your hosts:John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Forrest Barnes (she/her)

We kick off the rewatch, for real this time! Mulder and Scully investigate a disappearance that might be an alien abduction. Basically a thesis statement for the kind of monster-of-the-week mystery vibe that we all know an love. Cohosts:John Watson (they/them)Bill Eldridge (he/him)Mae Forrest Barnes (she/her)