S1 E1: Pilot
Welcome to the first episode of the X-Files!
Note: "Pilot" does not have any correlation to the actual episode. A "pilot" is the name of the standalone episode that is created to pitch the show to a network. In other words, think of this first episode as the commercial Chris Carter used to pitch the show to FOX.
In this episode, the agents are tasked with investigating the unusual death of a teenager in rural Oregon. Upon further investigation the agents discover the deaths are linked by graduating class and these strange identifying bumps on their lower backs. Mulder believes the teenagers are victims of alien abduction.
There are plenty of things this episode does very well. The introduction of Mulder and Scully are handled masterfully. When Agent Dana Scully is brought into Division Chief Scott Blevin's office we immediately take note of the ominous and ever-present Cigarette Smoking Man lurking in the corner. Scully is assigned to the X-Files to debunk the work of "Spooky" Fox Mulder. While this isn't her explicit instruction, Scully is to, in an official capacity, offer a scientific perspective to Mulder's often fanatical theories.
"Sorry! Nobody down here except for the F.B.I.'s most unwanted!"
Ah, Mulder's basement office. From their first lines of dialogue together we know that Mulder and Scully's chemistry is something special. You'd think they'd been on screen together for years. Through highs and lows of the series if there's anything that holds up it's the on-screen chemistry and development of these two characters. Mulder's immediate probing of Scully and her belief in the paranormal lays the foundation of their relationship: the fanatic and the skeptic.
Throughout this episode Scully and her unwavering belief in science and the rational is questioned a lot. One of the strongest moments of this episode occurs in the motel where the agents are staying. After experiencing unexplained time loss that Mulder notes is often reported by alien abductees, Scully later notices small bumps on her back; the same bumps identified on the victims. Scully rushes into Mulder's room to examine the marks which Mulder states are only mosquito bites. Relieved, Scully hugs Mulder. Even for only a brief moment, Scully found herself believing.
By the end of this episode Scully isn't made a true believer but she understands that Mulder isn't the crackpot the Bureau makes him out to be.
My biggest criticism of this episode is how many tropes it employs in its storytelling. Small town harboring a dark secret? Check. Obstinate law enforcement? Check. Medical examiner obfuscating the truth? Check. My main issue with this is that there's already unseen forces throwing wrenches in Mulder and Scully's search for the truth. Tacking on "get off my lawn" and "we don't need no F.B.I. agents sniffing about" feels contrived and lazy.
Counter to that criticism, the interference from higher, unseen powers sprinkled throughout this episode is done to great effect. For example, when the agents are making their way into the town Scully notes on the X-File that the F.B.I. did previously investigate the first 3 victims in the case but inexplicably left a week later. Also Scully notes that the reports were signed off by a different medical examiner than the one who reported on the latest victim. Details that make you go, hmm...
This episode is better appreciated in hindsight. It's a fine episode on its own but I really appreciate all the seeds it plants. Seeds such as Mulder and Scully's clashing perspectives, the disappearance of Samantha Mulder, and the presence of the Cigarette Smoking Man. Perhaps the best analogy I can come up with to describe this episode is it's like a sampler platter, you get a taste of everything that made X-Files a great show.
In the climax of this episode Scully is asked by Blevins to give her report on the findings of the investigation. While Scully can't substantiate any of the strange occurrences -- mostly due to their evidence being destroyed...this will happen a lot -- she did manage to save a crucial piece of evidence: a unidentifiable implant found in the nasal cavity of an exhumed corpse. The final shot of this episode shows the Cigarette Smoking Man placing the implant in the storage room of the Pentagon basement. We are shown shelves upon shelves of evidence indicating that Mulder isn't as crazy as he sounds.
For being the first episode of what would become a series known for its twist and turns, Chris Carter knew how to lay the groundwork masterfully. From the get go we we understand this isn't a normal procedural, buddy-cop, crime drama that flirts with science-fiction: X-Files is very much a story about finding the truth.
Totally Arbitrary Episode Rating: 4/5
Note: "Pilot" does not have any correlation to the actual episode. A "pilot" is the name of the standalone episode that is created to pitch the show to a network. In other words, think of this first episode as the commercial Chris Carter used to pitch the show to FOX.
In this episode, the agents are tasked with investigating the unusual death of a teenager in rural Oregon. Upon further investigation the agents discover the deaths are linked by graduating class and these strange identifying bumps on their lower backs. Mulder believes the teenagers are victims of alien abduction.
There are plenty of things this episode does very well. The introduction of Mulder and Scully are handled masterfully. When Agent Dana Scully is brought into Division Chief Scott Blevin's office we immediately take note of the ominous and ever-present Cigarette Smoking Man lurking in the corner. Scully is assigned to the X-Files to debunk the work of "Spooky" Fox Mulder. While this isn't her explicit instruction, Scully is to, in an official capacity, offer a scientific perspective to Mulder's often fanatical theories.
"Sorry! Nobody down here except for the F.B.I.'s most unwanted!"
Ah, Mulder's basement office. From their first lines of dialogue together we know that Mulder and Scully's chemistry is something special. You'd think they'd been on screen together for years. Through highs and lows of the series if there's anything that holds up it's the on-screen chemistry and development of these two characters. Mulder's immediate probing of Scully and her belief in the paranormal lays the foundation of their relationship: the fanatic and the skeptic.
Throughout this episode Scully and her unwavering belief in science and the rational is questioned a lot. One of the strongest moments of this episode occurs in the motel where the agents are staying. After experiencing unexplained time loss that Mulder notes is often reported by alien abductees, Scully later notices small bumps on her back; the same bumps identified on the victims. Scully rushes into Mulder's room to examine the marks which Mulder states are only mosquito bites. Relieved, Scully hugs Mulder. Even for only a brief moment, Scully found herself believing.
By the end of this episode Scully isn't made a true believer but she understands that Mulder isn't the crackpot the Bureau makes him out to be.
My biggest criticism of this episode is how many tropes it employs in its storytelling. Small town harboring a dark secret? Check. Obstinate law enforcement? Check. Medical examiner obfuscating the truth? Check. My main issue with this is that there's already unseen forces throwing wrenches in Mulder and Scully's search for the truth. Tacking on "get off my lawn" and "we don't need no F.B.I. agents sniffing about" feels contrived and lazy.
Counter to that criticism, the interference from higher, unseen powers sprinkled throughout this episode is done to great effect. For example, when the agents are making their way into the town Scully notes on the X-File that the F.B.I. did previously investigate the first 3 victims in the case but inexplicably left a week later. Also Scully notes that the reports were signed off by a different medical examiner than the one who reported on the latest victim. Details that make you go, hmm...
This episode is better appreciated in hindsight. It's a fine episode on its own but I really appreciate all the seeds it plants. Seeds such as Mulder and Scully's clashing perspectives, the disappearance of Samantha Mulder, and the presence of the Cigarette Smoking Man. Perhaps the best analogy I can come up with to describe this episode is it's like a sampler platter, you get a taste of everything that made X-Files a great show.
In the climax of this episode Scully is asked by Blevins to give her report on the findings of the investigation. While Scully can't substantiate any of the strange occurrences -- mostly due to their evidence being destroyed...this will happen a lot -- she did manage to save a crucial piece of evidence: a unidentifiable implant found in the nasal cavity of an exhumed corpse. The final shot of this episode shows the Cigarette Smoking Man placing the implant in the storage room of the Pentagon basement. We are shown shelves upon shelves of evidence indicating that Mulder isn't as crazy as he sounds.
For being the first episode of what would become a series known for its twist and turns, Chris Carter knew how to lay the groundwork masterfully. From the get go we we understand this isn't a normal procedural, buddy-cop, crime drama that flirts with science-fiction: X-Files is very much a story about finding the truth.
Totally Arbitrary Episode Rating: 4/5
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