The Goldberg Variation
From X-Files Wiki
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| Series: | The X-Files |
| Original Airdate: | 12-12-99 |
| Production Number: | 7ABX02 |
| Date(s): | |
| Written by: | Jeffrey Bell |
| Directed by: | Thomas J. Wright |
Mulder and Scully encounter a man who is usually cursed by extraordinarily good luck.
Contents |
[edit] Summary
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[edit] Background Information
- Willie Garson, who stars as Henry Weems in this episode, also played "Roach" in the season 3 episode "The Walk."
- This episode was too short, so they had to add a scene after the fact- the one where Mulder and Scully are in the car discussing the case. However, Gillian Anderson had already cut her hair significantly shorter for the next episode, so she had to wear a wig for the scene.
- The title refers to Goldberg Variations. "The Goldberg Variations" were special compositions of the work of J.S. Bach in the 1700's by a brilliant harpsichordist named Goldberg. Rueben (Rube) Lucius Goldberg (1888-1970) was a Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist, sculptor, and author. A trained engineer and accomplished artist, Goldberg's "inventions" were known for making simple tasks amazingly complex by utilizing dozens of arms, wheels, gears, handles, live animals, etc to accomplish something as simple as squeezing orange juice or closing a window. The name Rube Goldberg has become associated with any convoluted solution to perform a simple task. The board game 'Mousetrap' utilizes a Goldberg device as its main feature.
[edit] Nitpicks
- Maurice (the convenience store proprietor) twice claims Henry's discarded lottery ticket, the first time when he says that anything in the trash "belongs to the store" and again when Mulder reports that Maurice told him that the punk's dying wish was for Maurice to keep it. In any case, Illinois law prohibits employees of lottery vendors from profiting off tickets sold where they work. Furthermore, there should have been no need for Henry to discard the ticket. Scratch-off games, whatever the winnings, in both Illinois (where the episode takes place) and Wisconsin (where the lottery ticket was from) always pay in lump sums, not installments. (In Illinois' multi-state lottery that features multi-million dollar payoffs, winners have the option of collecting in installments or a lump sum).
- Although the entire episode took place in Chicago, the lottery tickets sold at the convenience store were from the Wisconsin lottery.
[edit] =Links and References
[edit] Guest Stars
- Ernie Lee Banks as Maurice Albert
- Dominique DiPrima as Megan MacLean
- Chip Fogleman as Billy
- Willie Garson as Henry Weems
- Shia LeBeouf as Richie Lupone
- Tony Longo as Dominic
- Dom Magwili as Mr. Ng
- Marshal Manesh as Mr. Jank
- Bobby Moynahan as Paramedic
- Alyson Reed as Maggie Lupone
- Nicholas Worth as Mr. Haas
- Ramy Zada as Joe Cutrona
[edit] References
SEMICOLON-SEPARATED LIST OF ITEMS/LOCATIONS REFERENCED IN EPISODE (BUT NOT LINKED TO IF ALREADY LINKED IN SUMMARY OR GUEST STARS SECTIONS)
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