X-Files TV show trivia

December 2, 2013 10:00 AM

Does anyone know what the complex coffee drink is that either Scully or Mulder orders? I know I've seen it on t-shirts before and it's kind of an inside joke for fans. I'm not sure which character orders it unfortunately. I'm trying to make this a gift for a fan of the show. Thanks!
posted by sharkhunt to Media & Arts (11 answers total)

A quick Google search says that we learn in one episode that Scully drinks her coffee with 1 cream, no sugar, but that is not particularly complex. Are you sure you're not thinking of Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle McLachlan)'s recurring "That's a damn fine cup of coffee!" line from Twin Peaks? (I've seen that on T-shirts.) Your description is not ringing a bell with this die-hard X-Files fan...
posted by lovableiago at 10:10 AM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]

Are you perhaps thinking of the scene in Bad Blood (the funny vampire one where you first see the story from Mulder's perspective and then Scully's, or vice versa) where Scully says this:

What do you mean you want me to do another autopsy? And why do we have to do it right now? I've just spent hours on my feet doing an autopsy, all for you. I do it all for you, Mulder. You know I haven't eaten since six o'clock this morning and all that was was half of a cream cheese bagel. And it wasn't even real cream cheese it was light cream cheese. And now you want me to run off and do another autopsy...?

Or the one where Mulder has changed bodies with a MIB and is trying to prove to Scully it's really him by saying this:

I'm Mulder. I'm really Mulder. I switched bodies, places, identities with this man Morris Fletcher the man that you think is Mulder, but he's not. Of course you don't believe me. Why was I expecting anything different? Your full name is Dana Katherine Scully. Your badge number is... Hell! I don't know your badge number. Your mother's name is Margaret. Your brother's name is Bill Jr. He's in the Navy and he hates me. Lately, for lunch, you've been having this six-ounce cup of yogurt, plain yogurt, into which you stir bee pollen because you're on a bee pollen kick even though I tell you you're a scientist and you should know better.

Or maybe it's the non-fat Tofutti Rice Dreamsicle she has in "The Unnatural"?

Yes, I know none of those are coffee drinks, but they're all very specific food-related things that I could have seen going onto a t-shirt.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:20 AM on December 2, 2013 [4 favorites]

I was a huge X-files fan when the show was on the air and have recently started watching it on Netflix again from the beginning and I can't think of anything particularly obvious about either of the main characters drinking special coffee. The fact that Mulder eats sunflower seeds seems a lot more obvious, and even that is not exactly a big part of the show.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 10:40 AM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]

I've just recently rewatched the whole series (yeah, even season 9!) on Netflix, and this is ringing no bells aside from what EmpressCallipygos mentioned.

Coffee is a huge running meme for Twin Peaks, and the fan base overlap of that is pretty high. Even features an FBI agent main character. Maybe thats what you're thinking of? FBI Agent Dale Cooper always ordered his coffee black. As black as midnight in a moonless night.

Here's one Twin Peaks inspired coffee design. And another.
posted by fontophilic at 10:58 AM on December 2, 2013 [4 favorites]

You may want to poke around the fan wiki, though I'm having trouble finding anything promising. It's been years since I watched the show, but I was a faithful viewer and don't remember a signature drink.

As a long shot: maybe you're thinking of Captain Picard's "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot." from Star Trek: The Next Generation? That's enjoyed some meme-ness recently.
posted by Metroid Baby at 11:02 AM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]

"Grande two percent cappuccino with vanilla" is a recurring line in Season 2 episode 5 ("Duana Barry"), spoken by agent Lucy Kazdin.
posted by mbrubeck at 11:02 AM on December 2, 2013

I know this is straying a bit far but maybe it was from the Simpsons movie when Flanders makes an elaborate hot chocolate for Bart? Here's the original scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYIoymzTTEk and here's a real life recreation: http://www.chocolatesuze.com/2009/10/09/ned-flanders-hot-chocolate
posted by moxiequz at 11:30 AM on December 2, 2013

potentially:

Mulder: Did you bring enough ice cream to share with the rest of the class?
Scully: It's not ice cream... it's non-fat tofutti rice dreamsicle.
Mulder: Ugh... I bet the air in my mouth tastes better than that.
posted by hepta at 11:45 AM on December 2, 2013 [3 favorites]

+1 saw entire X-Files series, cannot remember any coffee meme, was wondering if it was Twin Peaks you were thinking of.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 11:49 AM on December 2, 2013

There was a scene like this in the film "LA Story"....possibly you are thinking of that?
posted by thelonius at 12:01 PM on December 2, 2013

The "L.A. Story" quote gets bandied about a lot, so it could be that - here's the quote in question: "I'll have a half double decaffeinated half-caf, with a twist of lemon."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:33 PM on December 2, 2013 [1 favorite]