Pensamientos Acerca de Televisión

The X-Files: “Ghost in the Machine”

As the son of a computer programmer, I should hate this episode if for no other reason than that there has been so many movies and TV shows promoting the myth of the “evil” computer that it is hard to see the reason for yet one more. And yet I am kinda fond of this episode. Perhaps it is because it is one of the first episodes I saw after The X-Files was released on an affordable DVD, or the fact that I liked the irony of watching an episode about evil computers after working all day on a job that required me to work with computers. Or maybe I am just saying I like it because I am afraid my own PC will not take it too kindly if I show too much contempt for the idea of a computer that can successfully defy the commands of a human master.

It is not a perfect episode -- I must confess I was a bit puzzled as to how one character escaped from a situation that promised almost certain death* -- but it lingers in the memory in a pleasing manner.

Plus it seems like a prelude to one of my favorite X-Files episodes. But more about that at a future date.

* And no, I'm not disappointed that said character wasn't killed. I just wish the escape from death wasn't depicted in such an arbitrary “oh, no, she's in trouble -- no, wait, she's not” manner.