The X-Files (TV Series) X-Cops (2000) User Reviews

Funny, interesting...And unfairly panned.

[lobomcthirsty · 9/10 · 1 May 2008]

I am a fan of the different. The strange, the unusual, the experimental. This sentiment is not always shared. And to the longtime fans of a television series in particular, a general sentiment is that everything is written in stone. To deviate is to blaspheme. And it seems, unfortunately, that is the case with this episode.

Mulder and Scully chase a monster across Los Angeles, to which the witnesses of said monster can not all agree on what exactly the monster is. The twist? It's all being recorded--by the cameramen of COPS.

I thought it was good, funny and strangely charming if a little open ended. But knowing how fans react to the different, strange, unusual and experimental (ironically the very things the X-Files were in the beginning and what attracted many fans, including myself, to the show), I was not surprised to find the episode had been panned. How irrelevant, they howled. Irrelevant to what, one wonders? The tired, seemingly endless plot line about a grandiose alien conspiracy? Is that what we should be saying about the interesting episodes about the Fluke-Man or the ancient killer insects in logs? Surely, there were no Hybrid Alien Government Green-Bloods in those!

Maybe it was just the combination of my two favorite shows. Maybe it was the completely blind-siding concept. Maybe I just love a show that can poke fun at it's self and dare to mix things up. Or maybe it was that itch for the strange and unusual. But regardless, I loved it. And if you keep an open mind, like our intrepid duo, you may very well do so yourself.

Season 7 the best Season awesome Episode X - Cops

[ivo-cobra8 · 8/10 · 12 October 2012]

The X - Files Season Seven is awesome! This one is one of the best episodes ever that is actually about cops in real life,about some monster's Werewolf and Freddy Krueger boy was i laughing. The story was evolving about cops in real life when they are patrolling during nights. Officer Deputy Keith Wetzel (Judson Mills) responded to the emergency call when he arrived on the scene,he saw scratches on the door of the house he attended too,he asked and tried to cheer out the old lady with "there is no monster here" but than he saw something for him self and got scared and he run away, his car got flipped over and he got injured. When other Police Officers respond to his emergency call and arrive right away,they found him injured and his car roll over,smashed on the road with the camera man. They ask him what did he see and he said it was a gang that did this.On the event they come across with Special Agent's Mulder & Scully FBI while they where investigating the case there, they got followed around by the 'COPS' camera crew who are filming 'COPS' episode. Whole 44.mins episode was really awesome. I have Season 7 directly on DVD and i just finished watching this episode and i decide i must leave a comment here. I have all nine seasons of The X - Files on DVD and this one is one of my favorite episodes and the season ever. So far i considered Season 2,4,5 and of course 7 the best one so far. I Love Mulder so so so much. David Duchovny is totally awesome/amazing as Fox Mulder FBI Agent. Special guest star Judson Mills who played Francis Gage in Walker,Texas Ranger and Deke Slater in sequel The President's Man: A Line in the Sand (2002) by Chuck Norris's Side. The Episode was written by Vince Gilligan and directed by Michael Watkins. This Show is the best!!! I can't wait to finish watching this season and seeing Season 8 and 9 awesome!!!! Thank god for DVD's! My vote is 8 out of 10.

The crossover you needed

[lola-nandez · 9/10 · 8 July 2020]

This is a great episode, the ideia, the acting... I think it shows how X-files would sound "in the real world", and I'm here for it. I don't find it ridicules the show at all, I think it's closer to a real investigation and shows the frustration and difficulties it involves. GIllian is brilliant, and the guy who plays Deputy Wetzel is really good. It's refreshing to see the use of a shaky camera that makes sense. Nowadays it has become a way to shoot bad action scenes and hide the fact that they are awful. Here, there is a purpose for it, it would be weird if otherwise. I wish Skinner was part of this episode. The X-files has a stern feel to it, to its characters, that the absurdity of having them thrown into the real world is hilarious. I think it just goes to show how versatile shows that have stand alone episodes can be.

A great episode

[ametaphysicalshark · 22 April 2008]

The main complaint critics of this episode have about "X-Cops" is that it ridicules The X-Files. I don't know if 'ridicule' is the right word. It makes fun of itself in a loving way. The idea for the crossover here was certainly very creative and different, to combine a popular scripted series with well... COPS. What I like is that Vince Gilligan manages to include some of the more entertaining aspects of COPS in this episode of The X-Files. His script is one of his best, clever, witty, fun. The production work on this episode is also excellent.

This is a creative and great episode that is unfairly criticized because some people have a preconceived notion of what The X-Files 'should be'. Personally, one of the things I admire most about the show is its diversity and creativity, and both are present in "X-Cops".

10/10

The FBI has nothing to hide.

[Muldernscully · 10/10 · 4 June 2007]

Back in 2000, when this episode initially aired, if you missed the promo spots for X-Cops, you were in for a surprise. Opening up the X-Files with the Cops warning and theme would make you re-check the TV guide and make sure you were watching the right show. Wow. A collaboration between a fictional TV show and a reality TV show had to have been a first when X-Cops aired. This episode is so much fun, made all the funner if you're familiar with Cops. Besides having the Cops opening theme, the show also uses the Cops font for captioning locations and names. I envy the cop who got to frisk Scully. It's so funny to watch Scully's reactions to being filmed. Her acting has never been better than in this episode. I love it when she hides behind the door. I like Ricky the police sketch artist. His haircut reminds me of Sideshow Bob from the Simpsons. Steve and Edy are quite funny, though they make me squirm a little. Until I just looked it up on TV.com, I didn't get Mulder's line of "the Steve and Eydie?" It's a reference to a 60's and 70's husband and wife singing duo named Steve and Eydie. I also like Mulder's line that "bubblegum pink is a good color for Scully". It's funny to see Mulder completely enjoying Steve and Edy. Was that acting? Or could DD just not contain his laughter? Scully's line during the autopsy is great, smiling at the camera and saying, "the FBI has nothing to hide". And finally, when Scully laments that Mulder didn't get proof again of the paranormal, Mulder points at the camera and says "it all depends on how they edit it." Excellent episode! I laugh out loud the entire time I watch this episode every time. It is too fun.

The FBI has nothing to hide.

[Sanpaco13 · 9/10 · 26 July 2007]

Very creative idea for a cross-over. There are so many things I like about this episode that I won't even try to name them all. All I can say is there is some violence on this episode that I doubt they would actually play on Cops. Kudos to the gay black couple and the old Mexican lady. "You catch" as she points to the sketch of Freddy Krueger. I think I kind of like the idea that those who are so prone to panic over little nothings are the ones that get killed in this episode. Good riddance to most of them I say. Like the lady at the morgue when Scully is doing the autopsy. Man was I glad when she finally shut up. Anyway, 9/10 for me.

"Hey, it's a full moon."

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 7 August 2017]

This episode opens with a mock viewer discretion warning, unlike the Season Four episode 'Home' which had an actual one, due to it's disturbing content. There's not much disturbing in this show, in fact, it's mostly just plain hilarious. The X-Files joins forces with 'Cops' as Scully and Mulder ride along with the Los Angeles Police Department to investigate a series of murders that border on the paranormal.

What makes the whole thing so funny is the tongue in cheek manner in which it's filmed; David Duchovny for the most part doesn't even make the attempt to mask his grin during the outlandish scenes, foremost among them the ones with the outrageous Steve and Edie couple. They were just a blast. And I don't know how they did it, but Scully and Mulder managed to refer to many of the ancillary characters by their surnames, even when they weren't mentioned in the first place. Like Chantara Gomez and Ricky Kola, even Deputy Keith Wetzel (Judson Mills) if I'm not mistaken. It cracked me up when Mulder informed Wetzel about the 'werewolf law' after discovering the bite marks on his arm. Just great.

To achieve their usual semblance of professionalism, Scully and Mulder engage in their normal back and forth about what's at work with the unseen creature attacking various folks in a Willow Park barrio. The werewolf hypothesis eventually gives way to the idea that the 'monster' is something that preys upon a person's most mortal fear. It didn't even have to be present apparently, for the local autopsy doctor to pass away from the mere thought of hanta virus. It's a good thing Scully wasn't thinking about her past bout with cancer.

By the end of the story, things start to get a little tedious, but even so, this ride-along with 'Cops' is a pretty good diversion from the normal X-Files routine. Even though a lot of the series fans were upset with the departure, it appears most of the reviews on this board were pretty positive about the show. It seemed to parody just about everything both 'Cops' and 'The X-Files' had to offer, right down to a quick shot of an empty coffee cup flying out of the window of a police car. No doughnut though, I guess the cop must have eaten it.

Strange, terrifying and bizarre.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 22 September 2022]

The Police are on the hunt for a creature, identified as a Werewolf, Mulder and Scully are on the case also.

This was wonderful, quite wonderful, absolutely loved every second of it, loved the format, the story, the characters and the humour, this was just fabulous.

Found footage, and live action was all the rage back in the early 2000's, and it's so refreshing to see it on an episode of The X Files, this episode feels original, fresh, unique, and comes as a nice surprise after Closure.

I love how raw it looks, clearly filmed on video, it lacks the polish and finesse of the regular series, but as a one off, it works perfectly.

There's an intensity about Duchovny and Anderson here, it's evident generally, but here it's more visible, maybe the pair were keen to make it look and feel authentic, they are both excellent here.

The gay couple were off the scale, they were hilarious, and that sofa!!

10/10.

Funny

[camilogilmouzo · 10/10 · 26 March 2020]

This is a very funny episode. You cant miss it. Its been a while since de 90s,and this show are even cooler than the first time I saw it. Also, this episode have a surprise to the spaniards: the acting of the spanish singer "Falete". Its great.

Sooo many funny lines / situations of X-files and Cops

[hansenmv2002 · 10/10 · 27 March 2009]

Vince displays what he does well in this one ---- a very clever take off of the Enterprise-Klingon episode of ST:TOS with the glowing/hovering ... uh ... pentacle/octagonal/? pinwheel-thing. It sets up the situation to essentially create endless conflict (and misery) for a very long time -- it keeps healing the minimal part of both the Kirk-squad and the Klingons allowed to fight (who control the lower engineering decks). And they shot X-COPS only in south-central - no other place has quite those cinderblock walls (and THOSE streets / foliage /ramsackle look).

It only takes sound and video to shoot COPS (the Maui COPS tried to bust me once --- only because a camera crew was there, recording all.) I was boring - girlfriend and I were drinking beer in the Jeep about 200 feet from our condo. The locals wouldn't have wasted their time/effort otherwise - we lived on the island at the time - quite familiar with the habits of local cops. (The then-girlfriend - she didn't want her son to see her drinking beer... OK.) We hid the empties underneath the seat anyway - never know. COPS in Maui was way big news.

(M/S break into a house - find a 2-man COPS shooting film team in a closet - - - cowering in fear.) M (I think) slams the closet door shut - S turns to the camera team following M/S -

S: God I hate you guys.

last lines:

S: (to M) but would anyone believe this?

M: depends on how THEY edit it (pointing at camera crew).

S: Yeah - but who would write it.

Classic ending to a great script. Woulda been cool to revisit this episode - expand the storyline.

The Only Thing We Have To Fear Is... South Central LA?

[andyetris · 7/10 · 25 October 2006]

COPS is filmed in front of a live audience - so try to stay that way! In this parody-thriller, Deputy Wetzel keeps trying to flee his worst nightmare, while the COPS video-cam guys try (mostly) to keep up. Others are not so lucky and when an assistant coroner drops dead of something that acts like the Hansa virus, Mulder thinks he knows what's going on.

Anyone familiar with the TV show COPS is going to recognize the video camera bouncing into dark alleys and its seamy-underside-of-America discoveries. Deputy Wetzel's comments on the slashed sketch artist is hilarious and there are some funny moments as cinema verite confronts Mulderisms. However...

SO many possibilities are overlooked here that it's hard for me to watch. Nope, we're not afraid of poverty, drug addiction, street crime, social diseases, illegal aliens/immigration authorities, TV exposure, cops... We're afraid of Freddie Kreuger and the moth man! There's a great idea there too, but it fails to surface in this black comedy that doesn't even manage to keep the COPS parody completely in focus. One more sad example of dropping the ball in season 7.

FBI has nothing to hide

[sini-200 · 9/10 · 10 April 2022]

Funny and different X-Files episode, I love how they were brave enough to make such parody type episode with the "found footage" type filmed. Refreshing to see Mulder grinning and swearing too, while Scully is avoiding the camera and being so done with everything lol, but then I guess that sums them up pretty well. Their dynamic works. Steve and Edy were fun couple too.

Funny but headache-inducing

[quark18 · 7/10 · 8 December 2018]

I watched enough of "Cops" back in the day to know why I didn't watch more of it-because the shaking cameras gave me a headache. I did see enough of it to understand the premise of doing an X-Files take on the show. Neat idea, but I'll pass. It's not worth the dizzying camera-work. It also did not age well.

There is a lot of funny dialogue between Mulder and Scully. And Scully dodges the camera and views it with suspicion, just as you'd expect Scully to do. But does it work as an X-Files episode? Not really. What was the point, that the only thing to fear is fear itself?

Dumb.

[brian2003999 · 5/10 · 26 March 2019]

This x files episode is not really a great episode.

Good Cop, X Cop

[ptanderson1987 · 23 August 2007]

Mulder and Scully are followed around by a "Cops" camera crew while investigating a monster that "feeds on fear". I felt that this episode had some parts that were somewhat similar to some parts in "The Blair Witch Project." 'Nuff said, I don't wanna spoil the whole thing for some people but really, if you haven't seen it, you must simply see it it is brill brill (my word for brilliant *wink*) A clap clap clap nine star episode and their are many other X-Files episodes I will recommend for you. 4x14: Leonard Betts 4x15: Memento Mori (which means 'Remember you will die') 3x03: D.P.O. 3x12: War of the Coprophages 4x22: Elegy 5x06: The Post-Modern Prometheus 1x02: Squeeze 1x20: Tooms (Squeeze II) 2x20: Humbug 2x18: Fearful Symmetry 6x02: Drive 6x07: The Rain King 6x09: Tithonus and many more!

Fun episode

[NatashaJAmos2015 · 10/10 · 19 May 2020]

Written by my favourite tv writer Vince Gilligan.

I have my own theory. The monster could have been a coyote ? Doesn't Cali have coyotes ?

Great concept. Perfect execution.

[funnythingthat · 10/10 · 4 March 2024]

I found myself giddy throughout so much of this episode. But it's not just hilariously well done (from Scully's embarrassed glances at the camera to the bro-isms of Wetzel to the very authentic re-creation of COPS' atmosphere). It's also a solid X-Files story, if a little light in detail to make room for all the extra. Definitely one of my favorites.

For the haters, imagine Skully and Mulder are real. Imagine they get roped into a COPS episode (and the narrative there is plausible). How would they act? What would it look like? People get self-conscious on camera. Reality TV thrived on awkward moments. This is literally what it would be. It does no disservice to the X-Files mythos. It honors it as though it were completely real.

one of the better ones

[mikeholmes-48012 · 9/10 · 6 July 2017]

I was super happy to see this recorded on my DVR. I totally forgot about it. I'm almost 41, back in my hey day, channel 5 or FOX was the bomb. I used to think if I was Fargo-like kidnapped and forced to watch TV tied up, I'd want FOX on. x-Files, Cops, Original Family Guys before it was cool, Night Visions with Henry Rollins, Simpsons, I got a little upset about the Alley Mcbeal crap and then Reality TV fad took over. Anyhow, love how this episode goes. It reminds me of partys I had in this same time era. Start off at 8 and end at daybreak. Why when I watched the part of them storming the crack house, I thought, that looks like fun, though back in the day, I was in houses like htat but it was college area and involved just beer. No dead skinhead looking guys that have been dead for up to a week in the john. It was also fun to now see this episode and have the resourses to see who was who in the episode. There was like barely anyone who even made Wiki in this episode. The first cop afraid of Waspman did Texas Ranger for a while and stuff and another deputy and lastly the Morgue assistant. Just like I remembered, I could never forget it, she was super annoying. Seeing the actresses profile, I saw shes a daughter of Hollywood types and got "Actor related privilege" ( I just throw out all types of priveliges now to shut people up). Holy craps she was annoying. This whole episode was memorable, why it was like I watched it yesterday. The two gay guys were super memorable. I noticed Fox giggled a lot around them and then told Dana to take the car but to be sure to fill it with gas. In todays society that would be big no nos. I really liked that couple though. very sweet. Reminds me of people I know. One thing in noticed is a lot of the houses that were for drugs or just unkept had sinks in the yard. I'm supposed to be getting a vanity to replace my stupid Pedestal sink tomorrow and was hoping to try and sell the Pedestal sink for like 10 -20 bucks. I was debating the price today in my head. I should just throw it out I guess. Hell, I treid to give away a working dishwasher for free on the FB garage sale site last month and it was a disaster and I just chucked it. Those are my fears so i'd be okay with this monster I guess. But over all, nicely written, humorous still, escpecially with scully and the camera crew.

You will be forgiven for believing that you're watching an episode of COPS and wondering what happened to the regularly scheduled episode of THE X-FILES.....

[tarwaterthomas · 9/10 · 10 February 2024]

.....but trust me, this IS an episode of THE X-FILES done in the manner of the long-running reality show COPS. Those two lovable FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) wander into a coverage of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department officers investigating some strange doings in a rundown neighborhood. There's a deputy named Wetzel (Judson Mills) who apparently has a close encounter with a werewolf; it's a full moon, you see. There's a flamboyantly gay black couple named Steve and Edy who may have had another close encounter with a decidedly different creature, and yet another witness claimed to have met up with a wasp monster. It develops that this monstrosity is a shapechanger that feeds on the fears of various people. Fox and Dana are on the hunt with the patrolmen. Wetzel survives the night, and we never get to see the monster in question. This was a well-done episode signed off by the show's creator Chris Carter (he was resistant at first but eventually came around once COPS became popular). Oh, this episode was fun to watch. During THE X-FILES' run, there was a series of novels based on the show, and they were written by different authors that included Charles L. Grant (1942-2006), Kevin J. Anderson, Ben Mezrich, Jonathan Maberry, Kami Garcia, and Quentin Thomas. Then there were a series of X-FILES novels that were aimed at kids, and they are listed on Wikipedia. If you missed this episode, it'll come around again. I caught it on Comet.

Worst X-Files episode ever, worst "Cops" episode ever

[kdgmk-597-849394 · 30 June 2018]

If you like either show don't bother unless you are looking for a parody of either show. There's a Werewolf running around in East LA and our heroes are chasing it, followed by a gaggle of the worst cops on film you ever saw.. If it is supposed to be COPS, then at the very least should try to act like real cops. They spend the entire show running from scene to scene, screaming like little girls and disorganized. Wolfman or gang bangers, first you set a perimeter. No command and control nor securing perimeters. The gay stereotypes (oh yeah, you got gays too) are funny, can't believe the censors let that go by.

Don't expect to see any werewolf or monsters at any time, it is just a long tease to justify the premise of X-Cops. A total fail.