Entertainment
The Best X-Files Sequel Episode Exists Thanks To A Fake Urban Myth
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
One of the more charming things about The X-Files is how often the show transformed classic urban myths into truly spooky episodes of television. For example, the show has an episode about the Jersey Devil, which gave fans of this particular cryptid a real thrill. But in a twist worthy of the show at its prime, one of its best episodes, “Tooms,” was created thanks to the writer wanting to make his own urban myth about a monster in an escalator.
How “Tooms” Created A Myth
The early days of The X-Files were largely shaped by Glen Morgan and James Wong, a writing team that brought us some of the show’s creepiest thrills. “Tooms” was an episode that brought back the titular villain, a kind of stretchy monster man who had previously been introduced in the episode “Squeeze.” And “Tooms” has an unforgettably weird climax inspired by the time that Morgan was doing some Christmas shopping at a Los Angeles mall and saw an exposed escalator, making him think how scary a bespoke urban myth about a monster inside the escalator could be.
Those who have seen “Tooms” know that the show helped bring its own urban myth to life in the grossest possible way. In this episode’s climax, Mulder and Scully try to track Eugene Tooms to his old address only to discover that a mall has been built there and that the monster man had seemingly disappeared inside an escalator. When Mulder goes inside, he finds a gooey environment fit for the Queen from Aliens; he gets assaulted by a naked, bile-covered Tooms and ultimately dispatches the villain by turning on the escalator, dragging Tooms to death in its inner workings.
If you know much about urban legends, you’ve already guessed that The X-Files basically mixed in an old one while creating a new one. Long before “Tooms” was written, there were urban myths about how dangerous escalators can be and how easy it is for someone, especially children, to get caught in them and hurt or killed (hence the memorable bit in Mallrats where Jason Lee’s character keeps screaming about a kid’s repeated and risky escalator rides). Tooms getting killed by an escalator essentially fulfills the classic myth, but Glen Morgan added something new to the urban mythology with the idea of a monster man living underneath the escalator.
Arguably, “Tooms” perfects the series’ trope of putting new spins on old urban myths. The aforementioned “Jersey Devil” episode, for example, explores the idea that one woman may be the titular monster before revealing her to be something far more mundane. “El Mundo Gira,” meanwhile, focuses on the myth of the chupacabra, the Mexican goat-sucker that, in this tale, may or may not be aliens. Speaking of aliens, the show constantly deals with urban legends about “Little Green Men” and has alternated from portraying these visitors from outer space as little grey guys to vicious monsters out of a horror movie.
At the end of the day, “Tooms” would have been memorable even without the inclusion of urban myths, thanks to the title villain. But the escalator really does make for an exciting ending, and Glen Morgan accomplished his goal of unlocking new fears in audiences. Now, every time we drive by an abandoned mall, we can’t help but wonder how many hungry horrors may be hidden inside, all thanks to an hour of utterly insane 90s TV.
Entertainment
Buy a $300 Delta gift card and get a free $20 Starbucks gift card
BUY A DELTA GIFT CARD FOR $300+ AND GET A FREE STARBUCKS GIFT CARD: Through May 11, buy a Delta gift card for $300 or more and get a free $20 Starbucks eGift card.
Credit: Delta / Starbucks
The price of flying these days is shocking. If you plan on traveling soon on a route served by Delta, it’s well worth checking out this deal to get something for free. It’ll help ease the pain of the ticket price.
Through May 11, purchase a Delta gift card worth $300 or more and get a free $20 Starbucks eGift card. It’s as simple as that. You can also qualify for the deal by buying multiple gift cards that total at least $300. The deal with apply automatically and you’ll receive a separate email containing the free Starbucks card.
Booking flights these days is not much fun. Prices are ahh…. abnormal, but Delta has eased the pain a bit thanks to this deal. The carrier is positioning this free Starbucks gift card deal as a good option for Mother’s Day, but realistically, it’s useful for anyone who plans to book with Delta soon.
Keep in mind the Delta gift card and Starbucks card will never expire. Delta mentions this offer is valid until May 11 at 11:59 p.m. ET or for the first 11,000 purchasers, whichever comes first. That means it might be smart to hop on this deal soon since there’s no way to know if it’ll last until May 11.
Mashable Deals
If you plan on flying soon or want to gift a special someone a Delta gift card worth $300 or more, snag this deal to get a free $20 Starbucks eGift card. It’s a win-win situation for those who plan to fly with Delta.
Entertainment
Snag a pair of Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones for $50 off
SAVE $50: As of May 6, get the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) for $399 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $449. That’s a discount of 11%.
$399
at Amazon
$449
Save $50
If you want to experience your favorite music to the fullest, you need headphones that are up to the task. Bose can typically be counted on to provide that kind of quality, especially with its QuietComfort lineup. You can try its newest model for less right now for less thanks to this Amazon deal, which heavily discounts the cans so you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg on them.
As of May 6, get the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) for $399 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $449. That’s $50 off and a discount of 11%.
Though an incremental upgrade from the previous QuietComfort model, these have some new features you’ll want to try out. But mostly, these comfortable headphones are all about feeling great on your ears and sounding fantastic. They offer noise cancellation and spatialized audio so it sounds as though you’re right where the music is. The new Cinema Mode can help to spatialize and balance background and sound and sound effects when watching movies to help put you right into the film as well.
Beyond that they can be used to take calls with their built-in microphones. They’ll last a long time while you’re on the phone too, with 30 hours of play time when listening to songs, podcasts, or taking meetings.
Mashable Deals
Mashable Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard took the headphones for a spin in her review and and called them a “well-rounded pair of headphones”, praising their blend of “comfort, noise cancellation, and sound”.
If you’re ready to pick up a new pair of headphones at a discount that’ll tick all the boxes for you, grab these before the discount disappears.
Entertainment
Score up to 64% off at EcoFlow and snag free solar panels with your purchase.
SAVE 64%: Between May 6 and May 17, you can score up to 64% off at EcoFlow and snag free solar panels with your purchase.
Get up to 64% off plus a free solar panel with purchase
I live in an apartment, so I don’t exactly have a “whole home” to back up. But if there’s one thing I hate, it’s losing power. There goes the AC, the internet, the food in the fridge — it’s a total nightmare. If you actually own a house and have been putting off buying a backup power system because it’s pricey, I have some good news.
The DJI Power 1000 Mini portable power station just launched — U.S. availability is pending
Right now, EcoFlow is running a Mother’s Day Sale through May 17 with discounts as high as 64%. They’re also throwing in free hardware to sweeten the deal: All single orders between $600 and $3,000 come with a free 45W solar panel, and orders over $3,000 come with two free 160W solar panels. If you’re looking for something more portable, their RAPID Power Banks are also up to 53% off right now.
Just keep an eye on the countdown clock — it’s for the Flash Sale items that have even better, limited-time price cuts. If you miss the flash window, the standard Mother’s Day and Home Improvement deals (including a $700 installation discount for larger systems) are still valid through mid-May.
Mashable Deals
Here are a few of the best deals I’ve spotted so far:
Buy a $300 Delta gift card and get a free $20 Starbucks gift card
Snag a pair of Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones for $50 off
