Trivia / The X-Files S06 E02 "Drive"

• What Could Have Been: According to Vince Gilligan, this episode originated as a pitch early in his time with the show about a man trapped on a carnival Tilt-a-Whirl. For several years Gilligan would mention this idea, which he didn't take entirely seriously, any time the writing staff was running short on episodes, and "the Tilt-a-Whirl" would become a Running Gag among Gilligan and his colleagues. Eventually, John Shiban pressed Gilligan to elaborate on his pitch; once Gilligan suggested that it would end with the man's head exploding, he started writing why his head would explode and "Drive," eventually, was the result.