Given how rooted in its mystery premise The X-Files was, it wasn't exactly a show we expected to serve up a Christmas episode to provide a nice break in the suspense, but it happened anyway, and against the odds, is actually a pretty great, surprisingly clever mixture of Yuletide cheer and the series' pulpy tone. A lot of the episode's success is down to the casting; Lily Tomlin and Edward Asner are absolutely superb as two ghosts trapped inside their house as a result of their suicide pact, with Mulder and Skully showing up on Christmas Eve to investigate. It's neither a conventionally syrupy Christmas episode nor a conventional X-Files episode, but something weird, wonderful and totally different to what we could have imagined; it's an unexpectedly touching fable, but one that also juggles its other aspirations - namely towards horror - exceptionally well, making for a tonally accomplished piece of work. Still, the real reason it succeeds is the excellent performances from the two guest stars, at once knowing, devilishly funny, and genuinely quite emotive as well.
