The X-Files: Season 3 Episode 12 - War of the Coprophages

The Rotating Cast Files: Carnivale

A series of coincidental deaths blesses us with meeting Dr. Bambi Berenbaum who gets Mulder all horned up and causes Daive's untimely demise.

Produced and pseudo-researched by Kristen Riley. Produced and edited by Daive Reed.

Follow on Twitter @CastFiles

Email us at [e-mail]

https://www.teepublic.com/user/the-cast-files

Music by Hal Six

Logo by @OokaArt

SHOW NOTES:

Writer Darin Morgan was inspired to write the episode after he saw the cover of a magazine that featured insect-like robots designed by roboticist and author Rodney Brooks. One of the robots, called Genghis, was a six-legged insect-like robot inspired by insects who have limited brain functions but possess tremendous functionality.

In "Intelligence without representation" Brooks explains his theories, it's a very interesting read. I quite like the line" Out of the local chaos of their interactions there emerges, in the eye of an observer, a coherent pattern of behavior. There is no central purposeful focus of control. Minsky gives a similar account of how human behavior is generated." (Brooks pg 149)

I like the flow of this episode, we go from a very scientific basis to another moral panic (specifially Jenkem) in a matter of minutes. It's a good mash-up of what the show tries to represent as a whole.

Finally, I want to touch on Kim Manners and Debbie Cove. Cove is the show's animal trainer. Shout out to her for keeping all but one cockroach alive through production. Apparently, that one cockroach died of old age! Manners seems to have fun with the set animals as well, with several cast and crew recalling how he would "direct" the bucket of cockroaches. Brilliant.

Another episode in your feed. Enjoy!

Xx

Kristen