My favorite episode of The X-Files is a show entitled Je Souhaite (I Wish.) It was written and directed by Vince Gilligan who achieved later success with an intimate, light-hearted family drama called Breaking Bad.
In the whimsical case of Je Souhaite, Agent Mulder (David Duchovny) investigates, and matches wits with, a 500-year-old genie. This genie is not Barbara Eden, however. She is a cynical trickster who always grants wishes with hilarious, unintended consequences.
At one point, Mulder finds himself in control of the Genie who grants him three wishes. He is excited by his new power, of course, but he is leery, too. He stalls for time by asking the Genie, “What would your wish be if you were in my place?”
The Genie is reluctant to answer. She likes Mulder, but she believes he will destroy himself with his power, just as all the other greedy idiots had for five centuries. The thought seems to reinforce her cynicism. Mulder presses her for an answer so, with great weariness, the Genie tells him this:
“I’d wish that I never heard the word, wish, before. I’d wish that I could live my life moment by moment, enjoying it for what it is instead of worrying about what it isn’t. I’d sit down somewhere, with a great cup of coffee, and I’d watch the world go by.”
Mulder smirks at the genie’s simple desires. Grandiosely, he wishes for “Peace on Earth,” and promptly uses two wishes to screw up everything. Determined not to be tricked again, Mulder starts writing out his third wish in extensive legalese, attempting to close all magical loopholes, so the Genie can’t foil his Utopian plan to cure all the ills of humankind. Agent Sculley (Gillian Anderson) cautions him about the danger of what he’s attempting.
Mulder persists. “The trick is to be specific, to make the wish perfect,” he says. “That way, everyone will benefit. It’s going to be a safer world, a happier world―food for everyone, freedom for everyone, the end of tyranny of the powerful over the weak! Am I leaving anything out?”
“It sounds wonderful, Mulder.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“Maybe it’s the whole point of our lives here, to achieve that,” Sculley responds. “And maybe it’s a process that one man shouldn’t try to circumvent with a single wish.”
Chastened by Sculley’s words, Mulder suddenly thinks of the perfect third wish.
In the final scene, Mulder invites Sculley to his apartment for a beer and a viewing of one of the great intellectual achievements of our time, Caddyshack.
Sitting on the couch with his partner, Mulder says, “I don’t know if you ever noticed, but I never made the world a happier place.”
“Well, I’m fairly happy. That’s something,” Sculley replies with a wistful, suggestive smile. “So what was your final wish, anyway?” Mulder returns the suggestive smile and refuses to answer.
So I guess it’s up to me. With his third and final wish, Mulder grants the weary genie her wish, to be mortal once again and enjoy life moment to moment, drinking a great cup of coffee and watching the world go by. I can’t think of anything better.