In high school, I was so obsessed with The X-Files that my bedroom walls were emblazoned with every available picture of Mulder and Scully (preferably in suggestive poses); my folders and notebooks were scrawled with slogans like "Trust No One" and "The Truth is Out There"; and my friend and I crafted a brilliant fanfiction which neatly tied up many loose ends ultimately ignored by Chris Carter's own series finale (I think we did an especially good job of explaining the Krycek/Marita connection).
An impressive resume of geek behavior, I know (pats self on back). Well, I've been rewatching the series from the beginning, and it's clear that I was not fixated on this show for no reason. It was a fascinating trailblazer for science fiction, and television in general. In retrospect (and having recently watched Twin Peaks for the first time), it's clear that in terms of influence, XF proceeded directly forward from the cruelly cancelled Peaks, carrying on its gorgeously mysterious and eerie legacy, and that Mulder and Scully's adventures have majorly inspired current hits such as Supernatural and Fringe.
The following are some interesting qualities I have observed upon returning to Season 1:
- Writing-wise, there's an odd mixture of complete brilliance (see list below) and incredibly strange missteps ("Space," "Miracle Man"). And some of these same episodes are all written by Chris Carter. I will never understand that man.
- Immediately, there is an intense, sexy, romantic connection between Mulder and Scully that is delightfully palpable. The writers might have waited 8 seasons and one cinematic poisonous bee too long to let these two make out, but the tension is thick between them from day one.
- It's a thrill to see the first appearances of some of the show's most classic characters and scenarios: Deep Throat, Skinner, The Lone Gunmen, especially Cigarette Smoking Man; plus glimpses of aliens, their insidious viruses, and evidence of their abduction M.O.
- Lest we forget, while the alien episodes were obviously superior most of the time, a lot of the Monster of the Week installments were stunning television, and they comprised some important moments in the show (again, see countdown below).
- The show took a while to find its tone, one might think, upon noting some of the oddly kitschy, downright goofy shenanigans in some of the episodes we must admit to be filler M.O.T.W.'s. Yet the great episodes are utterly flawless in tone, relying on a dark, often sarcastic, noir mystery-sci-fi atmosphere, so there's a strange alternation there.
- The way Mulder and Scully talk is seriously awesome. They are whip-smart and amazingly earnest, so everything they say is wrapped in beautifully complex jargon that is highly enjoyable.
And here is a list of the Top 5 episodes of Season 1:5. E.B.E.A twisted bait-and-switch (or is it?) by Deep Throat leads Mulder and Scully to be continually confounded by the conflicting, yet un-dismissible evidence of a recent downed alien vessel. Notable for unfolding some core elements of XF mythology, and revealing more about Deep Throat's (apparent) motives. 4. PilotMulder and Scully meet cute, then investigate the case of teenage abductees who have been snatched by aliens in the woods at night, and returned...not quite themselves. A remarkable pilot due to its flawless establishment of the two protagonists and their complicated relationship, as well as the motors of the world that will continue running contrary to their noble quest.3. IceMulder, Scully, a handful of sketchy scientists, a remote Arctic location, and a whodunit spawned by the activities of some terrifying space worms. Features one of the most fraught confrontations between Mulder and Scully as partners, and of course it's infused with that classic UST as well.2. Beyond the SeaGillian Anderson gives a fantastic performance in this fabulous episode wherein the death of her father (Twin Peaks and Stargate vet Don Davis!) and her subsequent encounter with manipulative, supposed psychic and imprisoned killer Luther Lee Boggs causes Scully to question her belief system. Brilliantly, this is the one episode in which Mulder actually doesn't believe anything paranormal is in play.And for all of us shippers and general fans of badassery, there is this:
1. The Erlenmeyer Flask
And you have to love that Raiders of the Lost Ark homage.
