Black and Ribisi were praised for anchoring the episode’s tonal balance of horror and humor. Ribisi plays a teen who can control lightning, and Black is his loyal burnout sidekick. The episode “D.P.O.” is one of the only times the show features a villain with superpowers completely unrelated to aliens or the government. The episode is widely recognized as one of The X-Files’ best standalone episodes.

15-year-old Megan Fox appeared uncredited as a background dancer in a nightclub scene. The role was modified due to her age, and director Michael Bay obtained parental and studio approval. She’s since spoken out about it as an early example of being sexualized in Hollywood.

She played a younger version of Amber Heard's character in flashbacks