Day: September 14, 2012

On Suspension of Disbelief

I just watched the Darkness Falls episode of X-Files.

Here's the thing.

Aliens? Yeah, okay, I can work with that.

Scary Martian faces that possess people? Well, okay, I guess.

But bioluminescent bugs that can't stand light? That doesn't make a lick of goddamn sense!

And that's before we get into some of the finer details, like how when the gas is low and they don't think the generator will make it through the night, nobody even mentions trying to light a fire.

One line would be all it would take. Maybe say the ground's wet -- it looks wet enough in the last act of the show, even though it's sunny out when they're having the generator conversation.

Or just say that a little bit of light isn't enough to keep the bugs away. That could tie together with the climax, where the dude gets eaten by them despite being right in the headlights, and then Mulder, Scully, and Ranger Guest Star all get swarmed and nobody tries to open a car door to make a light come on.

This shit would be easy to handwave, but I as the guy in the audience shouldn't have to do it myself!