User Reviews

This episode does not attempt to truly fit into canonic form, abandoning staple X-Files enticements for want of something more. Its focus is entirely on creating the character of the mysterious "Cigarette Smoking Man" (CSM) who, until this point, had remained largely two- dimensional in the context of the show, appearing only as a menacing (though influential) background figure. So often characters such as these are given little or no development, and until this point there had been little exception in the case of CSM.

As such, it's both a break from (brilliant but) routine storyline, and a break from TV show tradition, for the X-Files to create something of this nature.

The mysterious past of CSM, including what made him the person he is today, is partially revealed through memories and flashbacks, which help us build up a personality of what previously had been a soulless individual. What we in fact discover is somewhat revolutionary. This is a man who does his work, but has not let it consume him so completely as we have been led to believe (and, indeed, is normally the case for similar supporting characters in other TV shows). He previously appears to have no remorse, emotion, or doubt; all a front, as is revealed here. It leaves you almost with a sense of pity, and even sympathy, with his plight - and for the series' chief antagonist, that's an amazing feat.

CSM carries out several of his more infamous tasks of the 20th century in this episode, which include the assassinations of Martin Luther King and JFK. He displays his ruthlessness and power. These actions are then contrasted with scenes of him handing out Christmas presents to his co-conspirators, or "colleagues" in this context, before going to his own, sparsely decorated apartment, completely alone, and wishing it were all different. We see snippets of him writing novels on his most cherished possession, an antiquated typewriter, as he pursues a burning, life-long ambition: to become a writer. Nothing more.

And finally, after years of constant rejection, and set close to the present day, we see CSM open a letter from yet another publisher to say they will be printing his work. His joy is without bound as he finally has hope once more. His transformation is so total that, on the morning of the publication, he types out his resignation from the Syndicate to which he belongs. Then on buying the magazine he finds that, once more, his talents and skills have been manipulated and abused by others. It may be a different context from his MiB duties, but the end result is the same. Demoralised and embittered, he tears up his letter of resignation.

CSM has been transformed in this episode. Perhaps it's unnecessary. There will always be those die-hard fans of Mulder/Scully who'll say, "but where were they in this episode?", and quite probably, they'll dismiss it with the same callous disregard as displayed by those people whom CSM works for, be it the Syndicate, or the publishers. We didn't NEED this episode. But with its inclusion, we are given something that only advances the series' artistic nature, its originality, and its willingness to create real, believable characters in all quarters.

In short, it's little short of amazing, and one can only hope future TV shows produced from this point will show as much respect and devotion to its characters, and their histories, as this one has.

Before I start there are a few SPOILERS in the following comment. This outstanding episode is the antithesis to the sentimentality expressed in Forest Gump's view of Americans history, even down to the life is like a box of chocolates monologue. Through the similar use of flashbacks the episode chronicles the life of The Cigarette Smoking Man. Although bits and pieces of his past had been revealed before this, a complete history for the character is provided and in the process he is made more human. This is quite an accomplishment as we find out that this is the man who assassinated John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Two undertakings that would not endear him to most people yet by the end of the episode there is a certain sympathy for him. Alone since the day he was born and a solitary figure even in the army, his superiors find him to be the perfect candidate for clandestine operations even before consultation him with a view to assassinating John F. Kennedy. When he accepts this task he has to leave the army and all records of his existence are erased. He now joins the lonely ranks of "great men" who's job it is to shepherd gullible sheep that, according to his superiors, are too selfish to determine what America's interests should be. So far from being able to fit in to a society that has always rejected him he now guides their destiny from the shadows. The trade off appears to be a chance at a normal life and a struggle with his conscience, illustrated to great effect by his chain smoking. In a great touch this chain smoking begins with a packet of Morleys handed to him by fellow loner Lee Harvey Oswald. From here on he becomes The Cigarette Smoking Man who's targets are often his fellow Americans and a character who has to cling to his ideology and Morleys for he has very little else. As his power increases he is even able to talk down and overrule J Eagar Hoover and alone takes the decision for the fate of Martin Luther King. With power he becomes an object of fear and is never more isolated. Yet for a man who can decide the fate of nations we see him at the mercy of publishing hacks that either reject his novel out of hand or embrace it only to edit it to pieces. One brutally crushing scene is when a hack publisher informs him that he is willing to publish his book. The "Cigarette Smoking Man" persona is instantly dropped and a very broken human being is revealed, gushing with enthusiasm and being nearly brought to tears by the fact that his hitherto reviled book is to be published. What makes it all the more heart-rending is that the hero in his novel "Second Chance" appears to be based on himself. So by extension society is about to finally embrace him only to yet again reviled him. Alone with an old stolen picture of Fox Mulder and his Mother and sitting with a high power rifle pointing at Frohike he quotes the hero from his own book. This revealing scene maybe provides the best summation of who he is now, a fragmented personality who has nothing left but the persona of The Cigarette Smoking Man. It is a persona he cannot escape no matter how much he wants to. This is not the level of depth you would expect from many Hollywood movies never mind a television series. Through the quoting of other movies and characters throughout history, Hitler was also a frustrated artist; Glen Morgan and James Wong turned what was up until this episode the characteristic shadow man into a fully-fledged human being. William B. Davis proves himself a gifted actor and handled this character with incredible subtlety and refinement. American television at it's best.

While I must honestly say I did not follow the series through to the end (I stopped watching after David left), the episodes focusing on the Cigarette Smoking Man were always my favorites. Early on in the series he is something of an enigma; a mysterious shadow of a man, made out to be evil, and yet possibly not. This episode finally lets you into his personal life, and not only that, but his history as well. There are several interesting tie-ins that were both astounding and quite unexpected. His dry cynical prose is reason alone for this episode to be considered one of the "must see" ones of the series. In the end we see just how powerful, yet sad, this great character is. One of the best!

Watching this episode really makes me realize how far this show has come since Season 1, and how ultimately perfect it can be at times.

This episode is kind of like a little movie, about a tragic man who became a shadow of himself. Forced to life a life he doesn't want to lead, but does so because he believes that what he does is right.

The flashbacks were all fantastic, I loved how they use archive footage and sound from actual historical events. The Kennedy assassination, the Luther King assassination. What I most liked about these scenes is that Cancer Man respected both men, but thought that he was doing the right thing.

Another flashback I enjoyed was the one with Deep Throat where they destroyed the alien creature. I specifically loved Deep Throat's line 'I'm the liar, you're the killer'. It really made me miss him.

My favorite part of the story was obviously Cancer Man's article being published. A man that was so passionate about his story, willing to even stop smoking. But then torn in little pieces by the way his story was treated.

A great Forrest Gump reference at the end, 'Life is like a box of chocolates...' some great piece of writing.

FIVE stars. One of the BEST episodes.

Here it is... another of my favorite episodes of the series. Once again a great Morgan and Wong script and once again as I have mentioned they use an actor that they would later use in Space Above and Beyond, Morgan Weissman. He plays a somewhat insignificant character but there he is. Anyway, I really like this episode because of the depth that it gives to CSMs character. I honestly find myself feeling sorry for him by the end of the episode. This is a great reflection on William Davis' acting talent but also on Morgan and Wong's ability to write when they really want to. Unfortunately they don't always impress this way. I didn't quite understand the part with Lee Harvey Oswald being framed for the assassination attempt however but I probably just need to watch a little closer. I really like how he doesn't want to kill Martin Luther King but has to because of the job and how affected he is emotionally and joins the country in mourning. Finally I love how he is constantly trying to be a writer and gets all kinds of rejection letters and finally his box of chocolates monologue after his final rejection at getting published in a low quality magazine. 10/10.

I began binge-watching "The X-Files" with my dad a couple of months ago. We focused primarily on the "mytharc" episodes, skipping over most of the "monster-of-the-week" ones. Overall, I've enjoyed this series and the themes it explores, but my favorite part of it is the mysterious and malevolent villain. His official name is C.G.B. Spender, but he's known throughout the series by a variety of nicknames, most notably "Cigarette Smoking Man", "Cancer Man" and "Old Smokey".

When I first started watching the series, I didn't really notice him, but as the series progressed, he quickly evolved into my favorite character. One thing that makes him so cool is that his past is shrouded in mystery. We know practically nothing about him at the beginning of the series, but as it progresses, we learn more and more, until in this episode (S4 E7), the history of the Smoking Man is finally revealed...

...or is it?

A brief summary of the plot is this: The Cigarette Smoking Man (CSM for short) uses spy equipment to listen in on an off-screen conversation with Mulder, Scully, and their conspiracy-theorist friends, the "Lone Gunmen". One of the "Gunmen", Melvin Frohike, believes that he's possibly found everything on the CSM; his background, who he is, and who he wants to be. Frohike then proceeds to tell the CSM's story from the day of his birth. He states some details about the CSM's childhood while the CSM himself listens closely (taking some drags off his Morley, of course). The episode then travels back into the past. Whether this is Frohike's narrative continuing or the CSM having a flashback, we aren't sure. This look into the past shows many new details about the CSM's life: His relationship to Mulder's father and Deep Throat, his first top-secret assignments, and how he first got hooked on cigarettes. We also see a lot more into his inner character, and an unexpected soft side to him. We see his dream of becoming a writer being crushed, and afterward, him making a very different statement on how "life is like a box of chocolates".

After all this is revealed, Frohike says that everything he's told us is "based only on a story I read in one of my weekly subscriptions that rang a few bells" (This is allegedly a story written by the CSM himself). As he leaves to "check with a private hacker source to try to produce some definitive proof", the CSM prepares a sniper rifle to shoot Frohike, and at the last second, decides not to. This leads the viewer to wonder: "Was anything I've seen even true?"

That's the sixty-four thousand dollar question, to quote Agent Mulder, and I believe that's up for you, as the viewer, to decide. The first thing I want to mention is that "X-Files" writer and executive producer Frank Spotnitz has stated that he believes that while some of the story may be true, it has been deemed "non-canon" by the executives. As you continue to watch other episodes, you'll begin to see that the episode is not intended by the writers to be true. For example, the CSM strongly implies, though never explicitly states, that he witnessed the Roswell UFO crash in 1947, along with Bill Mulder (Fox's dad). In "Musings", he is said to have been born in 1940, which would've made him a second-grader during the Roswell incident. He's also revealed in two other episodes ("Apocrypha" - S3 E16 and "Travelers" - S5 E15) to have been an agent of the State Department since at least 1952, along with Bill Mulder, but in "Musings", he and Mulder are shown to be young army captains in 1962. So, the inconsistencies with established canon start pretty early in the episode. (It should be noted that this age controversy extends to Bill Mulder as well, as his tombstone shows him to have been born in 1936. This causes the same inconsistencies to be applied to him, as well.) Another inconsistency is that he appears to have never smoked until 1963 in "Musings", but in "Apocrypha", he is shown to have been smoking ten years earlier, in 1953.

Nevertheless, there is also some evidence to support the "Musings" storyline. In "One Breath" (S2 E8), the CSM tells Mulder that he's "watched presidents die". Also, in another episode, the CSM's superior (called the "Well-Manicured Man") tells him "This will take more than just a good aim". He is also seen using a typewriter in "The Red and the Black" (S5 E14), a possession that is very prominent in "Musings". Other evidence in support of this story is at the end of the episode, where the CSM moves to kill Frohike, then changes his mind. If this story is fake, why did the CSM want to shoot Frohike? It doesn't make sense that he would feel the need to kill him if the story was false. Also, at the end, he quotes the end of the novel he supposedly wrote: "I can kill you whenever I please, but not today." This ending, as I said before, can be interpreted lots of different ways. You could argue that he just felt that killing Frohike was unnecessary, since he's so powerful, or maybe that he did indeed have some memories triggered that night, and he felt that, just once, he didn't have to pull the trigger, and could do it another day if the need arose. This is what my mom chose to believe when I showed her this episode. The point is, the CSM planned on killing Frohike, then changed his mind for whatever reason, so perhaps there is some truth to Frohike's tale, after all.

What I love about this episode is the character development of the CSM. Writer Glen Morgan and actors William B. Davis (Old CSM) and Chris Owens (Young CSM) did a great job of showing an unexpected but very believable side to a character who has been, up to this point, pretty two-dimensional. What makes the CSM such a great character is that he believes that what he's doing is right, but in this episode, we see that he also believes that he has no choice; he feels that what he's doing has to be done, no matter how wrong it may seem. We also have a very emotional moment when the CSM thinks he'll be able to "quit the life", so to speak, and become a writer (his lifelong passion), only to find that his stories are constantly rejected, and when one finally does get published, he discovers that it's in a crappy "Playboy" knockoff and his beloved ending has been totally changed. It truly is a moment of sympathy for the devil.

You could try to reconcile the inconsistencies of this episode with the established "X-Files" canon, but my advice is: don't. You'll just end up giving yourself a headache (like I did). Whenever you have a TV series like "The X-Files" that has different writers throughout the series, you'll inevitably run into continuity problems. I don't think that's the purpose of this episode, anyway. It's just meant to be an entertaining story that's left up for you to determine whether it's true or not. My "Scully" side wants to reject the story as fake and that none of this happened. My "Mulder" side, however, wants to say that maybe, just maybe, this story is indeed true. Maybe it's just that "I WANT TO BELIEVE".

So I say, relax about the fact-for-fact legitimacy of the story, and instead, focus on what it's meant to be: A fun ride that may (or may not) be the true story of the infamous Cigarette Smoking Man. Regardless of what's "canon" or what's not, it's my favorite "X-Files" episode, and it's a must-watch for any "X-Files" fan!

I don't find the cigarette smoking man, particularly fascinating. But the fact that he was turned into this big figure, behind all of History's turning points, is where the show jumped the shark, for me. It was very childish and simplistic, and lacked ambiguity or meaning outside of the series plot. And what I love the most about the show, is how the storylines can apply to both the X-Files universe, and its viewers. Also I thought, portraying him like some kind of trouble soul, was dull. Just as I read from another reviewer, the whole point of this character, was the mystery surrounding his persona. And the few things about him, we really needed to know, are already told throughout Mulder's journey to find the « Truth ». Season 4 is interesting for all those episodes that gave us important answers to very important questions, regarding the show's mythology and main arc. Only when you look closely at « Musing of a Cigarette Smoking Man », very few things showed in this episode, did. Or even added up to the rest of the series. And it ended in a weird cliffhanger way, too...

Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man is about delving into the life of the shadowy figure that is the Cancer Man.

It's crazy to think that you can just exclude the main characters and have an entire episode based around a supporting character of the show and have such success. Not to mention that Chris Owens, who later plays Agent Spender, who isn't a memorable character, absolutely shines in this role as the young Cancer Man. The historical look back and scenes involving young CSM, which include the assassinations of JFK and Martin Luther King are without a doubt the highlight of the episode. The cinematography superb, as well as the writing.

General Francis: There are extraordinary men... those who must identify... comprehend, and ultimately shoulder the responsibility for not only their own existence, but their country's, and the world's as well. Your father, Captain... believed his country should look to another form of government, and he took control of that belief. So, in that respect, we view him as an extraordinary man. And we believe... we know, Captain... that it runs in the family.

I was really fascinated by this episode when I first saw it. The writing cleverly placed the Cigarette Smoking Man at the scene of significant turning points in the nation's history, with him literally pulling the trigger in the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King. However it's done in such a way as to leave it to the viewer's own interpretation as to whether he actually did those things, or whether he was wistfully recalling those events and putting himself at the center of them in a way to effect the march of history. His conversation with Deep Throat (Jerry Hardin), who he calls 'Ronald' in the story, seems to suggest that he was really there (see my summary line), but of course, the Cancer man was not above lying to pursue his agenda.

As to his own identity, CSM appeared to go by the name of Hunt when he was in the Army with Bill Mulder and before he was recruited for a deep cover assignment while still a Captain. His rise in the hierarchy of the FBI is alluded to during a conference with J. Edgar Hoover while discussing the 'problem' of Martin Luther King, and I got a kick out of the scene years later in which he put off a call from Saddam Hussein. Not only did CSM have a hand in major political events of the day, but it was humorous to learn how he affected the outcome of Super Bowl XXVI (the Buffalo Bills will never win one during my lifetime). It was also instructive to see that he did have enough of a patriotic streak to have the American hockey team win it's 'Miracle on Ice' during the 1980 Olympics against the Russians.

With all that though, and even if we don't know his real relationship to Fox Mulder yet, when conversation with the global cadre began to focus on the FBI agent, it was CSM who declared that regarding the Spooky kid, "He's mine to keep an eye on". Most revealing however was when he got a manuscript published using his alias, Raul Bloodworth, only to become dejected by the way the publisher butchered the ending of his story. It was the only time he ever showed any emotion, uncharacteristically revealing that he was human after all.

In this stand-alone Mytharc episode we are treated to probably one of the greatest X Files episodes, of not just Season 4 but of the whole series. This episode is all about the Cigarette Smoking man and enough has already been said about the fine technical aspects of this episode, so I will concentrate my review on the character played magnificently by William B. Davis. Hitherto, the viewer has virtually no knowledge of CSM, however in this episode some answers are laid bare, while other questions are merely touched upon. But most importantly we are shown what lies beneath the mysterious facade of a man seemingly without any human qualities, who we can only guess does the sinister things he does because he works for a secretive organisation and he has no qualms of conscience when it comes to his work. But as we delve in and out of his past memories, we discover that CSM is actually a complex character who from an early age has felt alienated by all of his peers, instead of trying to fit in with his peers , he steadily gains power after assassinating JFK and seeks to control people instead, not only this but we see that he doesn't think of himself as a bad man, he tries to rationalise his job by insisting that he is doing good. Some may say that the inability to fit in with society in a normal way as well as his cold and distant relationships with other human beings is a well-known characteristic of a sociopath. But as we watch his prolonged alienation and eventual realisation of his dream being shattered in front of his eyes, we realise that he is human like everybody else, only a little more flawed. Also the fictional character for his own novel clearly mirrors himself as it offers us another glimpse into CSM's mindset and tribulations (interestingly, the magazine that publishes his novel is named 'Roman A'Clef', a term that is used for when actual persons are disguised as fictional characters). In the end we see as CSM's original novel is brutally edited and distorted by the magazine his novel is published in, and it's hard not to feel at least a little sympathy for him because for a brief moment he felt the acceptance that the publication of his novel brought him, going as far as trying to shed the cold veneer of the Cigarette Smoking man. But before he has the chance to resign from the syndicate he comes back down to reality with a bang and so he lights up another Marlboro.

In summary, the 'Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man' is a very enjoyable episode that has a bit of everything - a good plot, some action, interesting cinematography and most importantly of course, great acting. While on top of that there is plenty of depth for repeated viewings. So for that I give this episode 10 out of 10 stars.

Probably my favourite episode of the series!

This episode is a milestone in the the evolution of the "Cigarette Smoking Man" (CSM), whose name is later revealed to be C.G.B. Spender (possibly an alias). CSM is first portrayed in the series as a mysterious, sinister man shrouded in secrecy and lurking in every dark corner. As the show progressed, we began to see that this "evil" man believes what he is doing is for the greater good of mankind. A welcome, but expected, character development. 'Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man' continues to elaborate on CSM's moral perspective but also tokes deeper into the heart of the character; it exposes his insecurity. He is lonely and longs not just for the touch of a loving woman or the warmth of family and friends, but for society's acceptance. We discover that he's been alone since the moment he entered this world and that his only connections to a "normal life" are his estranged friendship with Bill Mulder and his auto-biographical work of fiction which has been rejected from every publisher he has submitted it to. CSM struggles with the choice to be a "great man" or to sit back and enjoy life's simple pleasures. His motivation to become a shadowy figure is not only based on his ideology and patriotism but on his desire to integrate with society in some way and to give his solitary life purpose. At one point CSM types up a letter of resignation upon being told that his story is finally being published (a trashy, pornographic rag called "Roman A'Clef"). However, we see him throw away his last shred of hope for a normal life when he discovers that his story has been disrespectfully mutilated by the publication. His broken submission is expressed wonderfully as he sits on a street bench next to a homeless man picking at leftover chocolates in the trash.

"Life is like a box of chocolates. A cheap, thoughtless, perfunctory gift that nobody ever asks for. Unreturnable, because all you get back is another box of chocolates. So you're stuck with this undefinable whipped mint crap that you mindlessly wolf down when there's nothing else left to eat. Sure, once in a while there's a peanut butter cup or an English toffee but they're gone too fast and taste is fleeting. So you end up with nothing but broken bits of hardened jelly and teeth-shattering nuts. If you're desperate enough to eat those, all you got left is an empty box filled with useless brown paper wrappers."

Not wanting to face the worthless wrappers in his empty box, CSM stands up and walks away, alone, as the homeless man picks up the left over bits of hardened jelly and teeth-shattering nuts titled "Roman A'Clef".

The great thing about this episode--apart from the character development--is that the flashbacks are a combination of Frohike's claims of CSM's past and CSM's memories of those events. Though factual gaps or inconsistencies may exist, the heart of the story hits home both for the viewer and the Cigarette Smoking Man. So much so that he decides to spare Frohike's life while quoting a line from his own book: "I can kill you any time I please... but not today." We as fans are free to believe whatever "facts" we wish from the story and to discard the rest, while still having discovered something true about the man.

Note: It's also interesting to note that the actor who plays young CSM is the same actor who plays CSM's son Agent Jeffrey Spender, even though Agent Spender is not introduced until the next season.

This episode not only provides an insight into the mind of the character known as the "Cigarette Smoking Man" but it also allows us to better understand the Shadow government and their purpose. While the character has become popular for his secretive ways and the fact that he keeps the x files both sinister and interesting, this episode brings back his human aspects and at times suggests that he should be the subject of pity (particularly the sequence involving the assassination of Martin Luther King and the following scene at Christmas). I found this episode to be both depressing and uplifting at times, ultimately leaving me very satisfied with the eventual outcome of the episode.

So cigarette man wiped out JFK and MLK ? Rigged the 1980 Olympic hockey.

He's got Saddam on line 2 and he's totally above the law.

This episode takes things too far and found myself laughing through lots of it.

Coming near the mid-point of season four The X-Files delivers a blockbuster stand-alone episode, definitely one of the finest, in "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man".

For X-Files viewers there isn't anything endearing about the shadowy figure simply known as "The Cigarette Smoking Man". He's the enigma of a dark power working behind, seemingly, even the government itself. Simply put, CSM is the personification of evil conspiracy. Finally, we see much more of that evil, but we begin to understand there is a human with emotional frailty that deserves, albeit a small bit, of our sympathy.

This episode of The X-Files is brilliantly conceived, written, and realized. The back-story of CSM is seamlessly blended with, perhaps, the two most pivotal assassinations of the twentieth century. Along with the plausible conspiracies surrounding these events a powerful expose' on the CSM is dropped upon the faithful. It works...Brilliantly as previously mentioned. We get a person who is trapped by his beliefs that have become too heavy a burden since escape is, in the end, only a fictional piece of pulp.

One wouldn't imagine an episode without almost no Scully or Mulder as even possible until this, but yet this is one of the finest in the entire series. It is a testimony to how quality writing with complex characters is always the most potent part of any story. Though the conspiracies can't be believed in the context presented, they are, overall, very plausible and are woven expertly into the bigger picture that is The X-Files. This is absolutely a must see.

I really enjoyed this episode. Nice to see x files try something different and give us fans some character development on one of the most mysterious antagonists.

I particularly enjoyed how CSM tried to turn his life around but gave up on the first writers hurdle. What a shame he seems to posses exceptional writing skill. Unfortunately, his skills as a sniper have made him more prolific and dangerous as the years went by in the multiple stories told.

We finally saw the man behind the cigarette and got a glimpse about his past that foretold dark future.

CSM's chocolate monologue was an excellent metaphor to how he felt his life was going and showed his excellent vocabulary at full range.

I'm glad they shun a light on CSM, I hope more of the mystery unveils in following episodes.