I am an X-Files newbie. Growing up, I would occasionally catch glimpses of episodes here and there on our microwave-sized television set, but I've never sat and watched an episode from start to finish, and have certainly never been attuned to its cultish fan base. Indeed, many believe that The X-Files was one of the first television shows to spawn an internet following, creating much of the common tv lingo we use today (i.e. "UST," "shipping"). When news of the impending X-Files revival broke, I decided it was finally time to watch the classic sci-fi series from beginning to end.
General thoughts on Season One: David Duchovny is a horrendously bad actor.
Best Episode: 1.13, "Beyond the Sea"
Beyond the Sea is a nuanced examination of faith and belief that is at times both sinister and moving, while providing Scully some much-needed depth of character, making it this season's standout episode. Scully plays the believer in this episode, drawn in by convicted serial killer Boggs' claims of psychic abilities while being haunted by her father's sudden death. Mulder quickly dismisses the paranormal when he tricks Boggs into having a contrived psychic vision with his t-shirt. However, Scully gradually finds that many of his predictions come true, and his clues eventually lead her to the kidnapper they've been tracking. She is further shaken when Boggs reveals intimate details about her father that no one else could know. By the end of the episode, it remains unclear whether Boggs did have psychic abilities, or had simply orchestrated the entire kidnapping in order to commute his death sentence. He offers Scully a final temptation, telling her that if she comes to his execution, he will let her speak to her father. Scully's refusal to attend the execution is her way of choosing to believe not in the paranormal, but in her relationship with her father. She says she already knows what he would say, and that is a true testament of a daughter's love.
Runner-up: 1.11, "Eve"
Worst Episode: 1.05, "The Jersey Devil"
What started as a promising monster-of-the-week episode about the mythical Jersey Devil quickly became a slow-moving, tedious hour of ridiculous philosophizing and yawn-worthy action. First of all, for those of you who, like me, had no idea that the Jersey Devil was a real myth, it is described as having a goat's head, horns, wings, a forked tail, and cloven feet. Sounds cool, right? Well, you're not seeing anything close to that in this episode. A string of deaths lead Mulder and Scully to the show's interpretation of the legendary creature. When he finally discovers a drawing of it from a homeless man, Mulder breathes dramatically: "This changes everything." You guys. This...this is that picture.
Want a more scientifically accurate one? The X-Files has you covered:
Just...why? WHY?
And let's not forget the horribly sexist subplot in which Scully tries to go on a date. The writers claimed that they added this story line in order to flesh out Scully's character, since we've already gotten to know Mulder pretty well. Um, I don't believe Mulder's love life was in any way important to his backstory, show.
Runner-up: 1.14, "Gender Bender"
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