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The X-Files Season 7 Episode 21

Je Souhaite

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AIRED: 5/14/00

Mulder and Scully discover a jinniah (genie) in a rug who, after 500 years of granting wishes, has come to the conclusion that people are still as greedy and self-centered as they always have been and she begins to corrupt the wishes she grants if they are not 'specific' enough.moreless

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Fan Episode Reviews (13)

Je Souhaite

9.5

By TrueTvWatcher, Sep 08, 2012

Je Souhaite was a superb and very entertaining episode of The X-Files. I really enjoyed watching because the story was well written, the acting was superb and the jinniah was awesome! It was interesting to watch how the jinniah twisted the wishes. I liked how Mulder wished and learned his lesson and it seemed he made the best wish a jinniah would be all to happy to grant, her own freedom. The invisible man was interesting and it was funny to see Scully try to reveal him to others when he was no longer there. I loved the way the story played out and I certainly look forward to watching what happens in the next episode!!!!!!!moreless
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Mulder and Scully meet a real-life genie.

8.5

By JaCkKbAuEr2424, Jun 12, 2011

Count on Vince Gilligan, creator of "Breaking Bad" and man responsible for classic X-Files episodes like "Small Potatoes," "Bad Blood" and "Pusher," to pen one of season seven's best, if not best, episode to date. The second half of Season Seven was lame and lacking in the intensity and focus that other seasons had (I thought Season 6 lacked focus, but boy, seven made me forget all about six's problems).

But enough about the negative! This episode was filled with the perfect blend of humor, drama and great character moments, along with one of the better X-Files in awhile. A man named Anson Stokes comes across a ganie that grants him three wishes. With the first, he causes his boss to lose his mouth. literally. Skin grows right over it. This catches Mulder's attention, and with Scully's help, they investigate.

It's here where the fun comes in. The dark fun, of course. Anton wishes to turn invisible, and with his wish granted, he runs around naked outside before getting hit by a truck. Scully does an autopsy on an invisible body and finds that it's the most fascinating thing she's ever seen. Meanwhile, Terry Stokes, Anson's handicapped brother, gets three wishes and uses one to bring back Anson from the dead. I'll stop there with the plot summary, because there's still so much to enjoy after. I'll just say that the episode plays like a PG-13 rated Aladdin, plot points and all.

By the time we reach the final ten minutes, things have slowed down and we get some of the better Mulder/Scully moments that we've had in awhile. A great episode and a nice turnaround heading into the finale.moreless
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If Wishes Were Horses....

9.0

By Anon67683, Apr 26, 2010

A finely written MOTW that deftly avoids the cliches of the old "three wishes" fable. Nice to see Kevin and Will give such measured but brilliant comedic performances. In less capable hands, their performances would likely have been too over the top. Same goes for Paula Sorge, who gives a great, refreshingly understated but effective performance as Jenn. It's a great thing that they couldn't get Janeane Garofalo to play the part (shudder) as originally intended.

This episode marks Vince Gilligan's directorial debut (he also wrote the episode). He does a fine job, which he modestly credits to the "X-Files juggernaut" in his DVD commentary. Duchovney and Anderson give us fine performances, as well, which is nice since they seem to have been on auto-pilot (particularly Duchovny) for much of Season Seven. I'm not sure that Scully's schoolgirl giddiness is in character but it was fun to see her branch out a bit. The cuddling scene at the end is way out of character for both Mulder and Scully, given the context of the series as a whole, but I suppose this scene is necessary (and inevitable) in order to explain how Scully gets pregnant.

All in all, a nice MOTW episode, probably the last good one of the series, given what is coming in Seasons Eight and Nine....moreless
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Harmless hockum

7.1

By Cristina_chavia, Apr 26, 2010

This episode really doesn't have much originality if you have, say, read or heard "The Monkey's Paw". Subverting wishes has been down to death, especially some of the wishes made here.

When Anson comes back to life the outcime is straight out of Monkey's Paw. Mulder's wish for world peace is obviously carried out, and the ending you can see coming a mile off. It's the same ending as in the Duck Tails Movie, IIRC.

Having said that, it is a fun episode. Scully's reaction to an invisible man does raise a smile, as does Leslie considering wishing for a solid gold wheelchair, oblivious to the posibility of reversing his disability until it is too late.

This is far from the best episode of the series, and the editing of Jenn's pictures into historical scenes is downright shody. That being said, it's a pleasant diversion that stops just short of outstaying its welcome.moreless
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Fairly typical for a second to last episode in that it bends perception a bit, stretches relationships, and teases as "proof positive" of the paranormal: a tradition that had been ongoing since season 3.moreless

7.0

By Uncle_SaltyJT, Apr 26, 2010

Vince Gilligan attempts to summarize the character development that has occurred this season and in particular, the last several episodes with a comic backdrop. At first, this seems like a terrible idea. Season 7 changed our main characters more than any other year on the show and recognition of these change should deserve some serious treatment. But this episode works to a degree. Part of the reason for this is because the characters have become more happy and more content. They do still have passion for their quest and that is the reason for Scully's "giddiness" around the invisible corpse. After 7 years, they could be completely actualized and validated if they could serve up some good hard proof of the paranormal to Harvard scientists.

Some of the comedy in the episode feels forced and it almost changes from a drama with comedic moments (see "War of the Coprophages" "Small Potatoes" etc.) to a comedy with dramatic moments. But I honestly can't remember any of the dramatic moments. But taking it for what it is, it is decent.

The character development is simplified by this episode. Scully is ready to believe and yearns for proof. Mulder is happy for Scully and her discovery. He also shows demonstrates some behavior of what may be a prelude of what is to come. When he finally gets his own set of wishes, he tries to change the world - make an impact on life as we know it. Maybe this is his mid-life crisis kicking in or maybe he is finding himself "somewhere none of us want to be...all for naught. Nothing proven. The effort in vain." Either way, it is consistent with Mulder's character. He had been portrayed as a savior earlier this season and Jen references this desire again here.

Finally, we find Mulder and Scully are comfortable around each other. This is more or less a conclusion to the mini-arc that had consumed the final third of season 7. The more personal and intimate sides of their personalities can now come out because of where they both are in their journeys. Mulder has accepted his sister's fate and, although he still believes in his quest, it is now of more relative importance. Scully has recognized that she has changed, largely because of the X-Files and Mulder. She has reconciled that with her own beliefs. She has found that they do not conflict with Mulder's, in part because Mulder's acceptance of his sister's fate brought their beliefs closer together. Overall, "Je Souhaite" takes big risks, but at this point in the series, it is good to see that, when executed correctly.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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David Duchovny	Special Agent Fox Mulder
Gillian Anderson	Special Agent Dana Scully

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Brett Bell	Morgue Attendant	Guest Star
Paula Sorge	Jenn	Guest Star
Will Sasso	Lesley Stokes	Guest Star
Mitch Pileggi	Assistant Director Walter Skinner	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (3)
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- When Scully is doing the autopsy on Anson Stokes, she uses yellow dust to make him visible again. She begins with his face, after which we cut to where she has done the entire body. We can also see his hair, even though it's not made yellow, but is the original brown colour.
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- In this episode Mulder mentioned Mark Twain trailpark. Mark Twain was a very successful author. His books included, Huckleberry Fin and the Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
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- When Leslie wishes for his brother to come back; he comes back, "as is." Why doesn't he come back invisible?
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QUOTES (16)
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- Mulder: The trick is to be specific. To make the wish perfect. That way, everyone is going to benefit. It's going to be a safer world, a happier world. There's going to be food for everyone, freedom for everyone, the end of the tyranny of the powerful over the weak. Am I leaving anything out?
  Scully: It sounds wonderful.
  Mulder: Then what's the problem?
  Scully: Maybe it's the whole point of our lives here, Mulder -- to achieve that. Maybe it's a process that one man shouldn't try and circumvent with a single wish.
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- 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.
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- Mulder: What would your wish be if you were in my place?
  Jenn: I'm not you. It doesn't matter.
  Mulder: But, I just... you know, I'd like to know.
  Jenn: I'd... wish that I'd never heard the word "wish" before. I'd wish that I could live my life moment by moment... enjoying it for what it is instead of... instead of worrying about what it isn't. I'd... sit down somewhere with a great cup of coffee and I'd watch the world go by.
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- Jenn: That's the conclusion you've drawn? That I'm evil?
  Mulder: Well, possibly evil. Possibly cursed. A curse to others.
  Jenn: The only thing you people are cursed with is stupidity. All of you. Everybody. Mankind. Everyone I have ever come into contact with without fail. Always asking for the wrong thing.
  Mulder: You mean making the wrong wishes.
  Jenn: Yeah, it's always: "Give me money, give me big boobs, give me a big hoo-hoo, make me cool like the Fonz." Or whoever's the big name now.
  Mulder: You been out of circulation a long time.
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- (Mulder gets Leslie to admit he knows what a genie is by getting him to join Mulder in humming the theme to the show "I Dream of Jeannie")
  Mulder: Yeah. Only Barbra Eden never killed anybody.
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- Mulder: I don't want you to take this as some kind of edict to bring back the Third Reich or make everyone's eyes grow on stalks....
  Jenn: Oh, gee, and I was so looking forward to that.
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- Mulder: This is Anson Stokes, huh?
  Scully: It is. His dental records are a match. He was found about a half a mile from his house. He was probably hit by a car or a truck or .... something.
  Mulder: And he's invisible.
  Scully: Yes, he is. You know, Mulder, in the seven years that we've been working together I have seen some amazing things, but this? This takes the cake. It's...... It's going to change the boundaries of science.
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- Jenn: (to Leslie Stokes) Wanna make your third wish champ? I'd like to get out of here before the blowflies hatch.
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- Jenn: (after Anson announces that his third wish is for him to be able to become invisible) Your wish is breathtaking in its unoriginality.
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- (The Stokes brothers are trying to decide what Anson's last wish should be)
  Lesley: Wish for money.
  Anson: Okay, that's not bad, that's not bad, that's not bad, but don't you think maybe we should think of something that would ki-, I don't know, generate money, instead of the actual - the money, itself?
  Jenn: Brains? Talent? Hard Work?
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- Scully: Where the hell did she go?
  Mulder: (Impersonating Barbara Eden from "I Dream of Jeanie" by folding his arms, and noding his head) Boink!
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- Mulder: You don't remember disappearing off the face of the earth for about an hour this morning?
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- Mulder: I can't believe you don't want butter on your popcorn. Uggh. It's un-American.
  Scully: 'Caddyshack', Mulder?
  Mulder: It's a classic American movie.
  Scully: That's what every guy says. It's a guy movie.
  Mulder: Okay, when you invite me over to your place we can watch 'Steel Magnolias'.
  Scully: So, um... What's the occasion?
  Mulder: I don't know. Just felt like the thing to do. Cheers.
  Scully: Cheers.
  Mulder: I don't know if you noticed but, um, I never made the world a happier place.
  Scully: Well, I'm fairly happy. That's something.
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- Mulder: (seeing the invisible corpse covered in yellow powder) You missed a spot, Scully, I can see right through to his ass
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- Lesley Stokes: (making his last wish after rolling around in a wheelchair the entire episode) Wait, I've got it! LEGS! (trailer explodes!)
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- Mulder: Then there is the interesting way in which Mr. Flanken died.
  Scully: How's that?
  Mulder: Chronic morbid tumescence.
  Scully: You don't mean what I think you mean?
  Mulder: Scha-wing. On April 4, 1978, he was admitted to Gateway Memorial Hospital with an extreme priapic condition. Apparently, he was quite the specimen. They had to raise the doorframe in order to wheel him into his hospital room.
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NOTES (6)
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- Unusually for the X-Files, this is the third comedy episode in a row.
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- The scene where Mulder walks through an empty street, after wishing for peace on earth, was shot on a Sunday morning and cost about $50,000, for some 10 seconds of filming.
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- In the original script, when Anson becomes invisible, his clothes were supposed to be seen moving, without a body inside, but it proved too expensive to shoot that way.
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- Mulder and Scully watch Caddyshack at the end of the episode, a reference to David Duchovny's first date with Tea Leoni, where they watched Caddyshack together and "just howled".
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- Mulder comments that Henry Flanken's death was on April 4th, which is also the birthdate of Gilligan's girlfriend, Holly.
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- 'Je Souhaite' is French for "I Wish"
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Television Reference: I Dream of Jeannie
  Mulder hums the theme to this late 60's/early 70's sitcom, as well as referring to its star Barbara Eden.
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