Entertainment
The Infamous X-Files Episode That Terrorized Fans By Completely Changing The Show
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Most of the time, it’s a kiss of death for a genre TV show when the writers try to make big changes. True Blood went off the rails when it abandoned its small-town, Southern gothic drama in favor of nonstop supernatural slugfests. Dexter went from being a taught procedural with a killer twist to being an endless melodrama, culminating with arguably the worst finale in television history. Even Riverdale transformed its grounded adaptation of Archie Comics into supernatural storytelling that felt like an endless fever dream.
However, would you believe that one of the most iconic genre shows ever made created a thrilling episode by completely abandoning its entire premise? The X-Files is famously about Mulder and Scully investigating government conspiracies, aliens, and various monsters of the week that go bump in the night. But the episode “Irresistible” was written by showrunner Chris Carter without any paranormal elements whatsoever, creating a fan-favorite thriller of a story that feels like it belongs to a different show altogether.
He’s Scarier Than Any Alien
In case you somehow don’t know, The X-Files was a show shaped almost entirely by Agent Fox Mulder’s quest to prove the existence of aliens and other paranormal phenomena. His partner, Agent Dana Scully, is a skeptic, and most episodes of the series feature a tug of war between their very different perspectives. Mulder will always argue that their latest case is proof of his wild theories, while Scully will offer a more grounded and scientific explanation for otherwise fantastic phenomena.
However, X-Files showrunner Chris Carter threw the show’s formula out the window when he wrote “Irresistible,” an episode where Mulder and Scully have to stop a murderous necrophiliac (although, thanks to network censoring, they had to refer to him as a “death fetishist”). Despite how different this episode was, fans really loved it. A large part of that came from the great characterization in this episode, which Carter thought would have been impossible without ditching the show’s trademark supernatural elements.
Scully Was Never Closer To Death
“I think I was able to explore the character of Scully in a way I wouldn’t have been able to with a supernatural theme,” he told X-Files Confidential. “Sometimes even more scary than the things we can imagine are the things that are unimaginable, which is that the man standing next to you could be this kind of guy.” Basically, the showrunner of the world’s spookiest series acknowledges that some viewers aren’t going to be all that scared of intangible threats like aliens and far-reaching government conspiracies. However, they might be absolutely terrified at the thought that a random stranger could be a secret killer with a fetish for dead bodies.
What did we learn about Scully from this X-Files episode? Chris Carter wanted to explore “what she is most afraid of,” which turned out to be “dying at the hands of someone—creature or not—and she is helpless to do anything about it.” This refers to the heart-stopping climax of “Irresistible,” in which she is kidnapped by Donnie Pfaster, who has awful plans for her body, both before and after he murders her. She escapes and is ultimately saved, but she uncharacteristically breaks down in Mulder’s arms, which is evidence of how deeply this trauma affected her.
The Banality Of Horny Evil
Interestingly, the closest thing to a supernatural element in “Irresistible” is that a captured Scully sees Pfaster transform into the Devil. Carter based this on some grim accounts from surviving Jeffrey Dahmer victims who reported that he shape-shifted in front of them. “Sometimes the face of evil can become frighteningly real and distorted through a prism of your own unconscious fears,” Carter said. “That’s what we were playing with.”
In retrospect, “Irresistible” was a huge gamble: it completely abandoned The X-Files’ paranormal formula and put a beloved character in mortal peril, where she had to face her greatest fear. But the gamble paid off, as this is one of the fandom’s favorite early episodes of this iconic ‘90s show. It fleshed out Scully’s character and introduced a chilling new villain, all while fleshing out this fictional universe. Showrunner Chris Carter wrote an episode unlike anything fans had seen before, and its success effectively validates Mulder’s personal philosophy: sometimes, you have to break all the rules in order to achieve greatness!
Entertainment
Hurdle hints and answers for May 31, 2026
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it’ll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today’s Hurdle, don’t worry! We have you covered.
Hurdle Word 1 hint
To postpone.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
DELAY
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Hurdle Word 2 hint
A seat.
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
STOOL
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Hurdle Word 3 hint
Fragile.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
FRAIL
Hurdle Word 4 hint
To assume.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
POSIT
Final Hurdle hint
Transit line.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
METRO
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Entertainment
Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on May 31
It’s the Full Moon tonight, and the second this month. This means it is a monthly Blue Moon, which occurs roughly every two or three years.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Sunday, May 31, the Moon phase is Full Moon. Tonight, 100% of the moon will be be lit up, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide.
Tonight, with just your naked eye, you’ll be able to spot the Mare Vaporum, Copernicus Crater, and the Tycho Crater. If you have binoculars you’ll also be able to catch a glimpse of the Grimaldi Basin, Posidonus Crater, and the Alphonsus Crater. Finally, if you really want to see more, a telescope will help you see the Apollo 14 landing spot, the Linne Crater, and the Caucasus Mountains.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will take place on June 29.
What are Moon phases?
According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to orbit Earth, passing through a repeating pattern of eight distinct phases. Although the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the portion illuminated by the Sun changes as it moves around the planet. This is what creates the different shapes we see in the night sky, from thin crescents to half Moons and the full Moon. Together, these phases form the lunar cycle:
New Moon – The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it’s invisible to the eye).
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Waxing Crescent – A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon – The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous – The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) – Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
Entertainment
How to watch Germany vs. Finland online for free
TL;DR: Live stream Germany vs. Finland in a 2026 International Friendly for free on ZDF. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
Preparation time is almost over. The 2026 World Cup kicks off next month, meaning participating sides need to build momentum and gain clarity on their best 11. That’s the situation Germany find themselves in as they face off against Finland — it’s all about coming into this summer’s tournament with confidence.
If you want to watch Germany vs. Finland in a 2026 International Friendly for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Germany vs. Finland?
Germany vs. Finland kicks off at 2:45 p.m. ET on May 31. This fixture takes place at the MEWA Arena.
How to watch Germany vs. Finland for free
Germany vs. Finland is available to live stream for free on ZDF.
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ZDF is geo-restricted to Germany, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Germany, meaning you can access free live streams on ZDF from anywhere in the world.
Lve stream Germany vs. Finland for free by following these simple steps:
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Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
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Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
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Open up the app and connect to a server in Germany
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Visit ZDF
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Stream Germany vs. Finland for free from anywhere in the world
$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Germany vs. Finland without actually spending anything. This clearly isn’t a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select games before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you’ll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for ZDF?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ZDF, for a number of reasons:
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Servers in 105 countries including Germany
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Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
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Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
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Fast connection speeds free from throttling
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Up to eight simultaneous connections
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30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Live stream Germany vs. Finland for free with ExpressVPN.
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