Somewhere between Wings and Monk (actually, Wings was still on the air), Tony Shalhoub put on a great performance as a scientist with deadly powers being hunted by his own government in the second season X-Files episode Soft Light. Shalhoub's character, Chester Ray Banton, is a scientist whose own shadow has become something of a black hole, vaporizing anyone who steps into it. A reluctant killer, Banton wants only to eliminate the threat he poses - but finds that even his closest associates have betrayed him. Soft Light is most notable for being Vince Gilligan's introductory episode on the show. He scripted the outing as a freelancer, having met with Chris Carter through his agent, who happened to be related to The X-Files' creator. Gilligan was actually just a big fan of the show at the time, but Carter asked him if he had any ideas for the show. After Soft Light, he hired Gilligan on full time. Getting Shalhoub as the main guest star for his first episode? Talk about luck!
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
