“Je Souhaite” – Season 7 Ep. 21

 

 

Mulder: You know, I think I’m beginning to see the problem here. You say that most people make the wrong wishes, right?

Jenn: Without fail. It’s like giving a chimpanzee a revolver.

Written by: Vince Gilligan

Directed by: Vince Gilligan

Original Air Date: May 14th, 2000

Principal Setting: Creve Coeur, Missouri

Episode Summary:

Two brothers have a less than helpful genie who grants their wishes with disastrous consequences. Mulder comes into possession of the same genie, and his wishes garner similar results.

Personal Commentary:

This is cleverly written and directed Vince Gilligan episode where we see the unoriginal story of a genie spun in a very creative and honest way. I love how he points out how we would all screw up if we were granted three wishes due to the simple fact of not being specific with every detail. Even Mulder can’t get his world peace wish without wiping out the entire population.

The dialogue and supporting cast are top notch in this one, making this one an underrated gem that causes you to wish Vince Gilligan would have directed more episodes.

Episode Grade: B+

Favorite Scene:

Fun Facts:

• “Je souhaite” means “I wish” in French.
• For the “deserted city” scene, the production crew had to shut down eight blocks of downtown Los Angeles. The only practical way of doing this was to shoot on a Sunday morning. Filming the scene did not go as planned: a homeless person walked right through the “perfect take,” according to producer Harry Bring. The man was digitally erased from the final cut.
• This episode was Vince Gilligan’s (Breakin Bad creator) very first professional directing job.
• Vince Gilligan wrote the character of Jenn with Janeane Garofalo in mind.
• The beer Mulder and Skully were drinking at the end of the episode is Shiner Bock. At the time of filming it would only have been available in Texas, though has been available nationwide (49 states) since then.

Faces You May Recognize:

• Will Sasso is famous for starring in the comedy skit show Mad TV, as well as in Movie 43 and Happy Gilmore. He also played Curly in the reboot The Three Stooges.

• Kevin Weisman is famous for playing Marshall Finkman in the show Alias. He has also made appearances in the shows The Blacklist, Scorpion, and Hello Ladies.