One of the key bases of The X-Files is a conspiracy with the U.S. Government hiding the existence of extra-terrestrial lives and UFOs. This is the first example of that trope that would go throughout the entire series.
I was excited to see ‘Deep Throat’ approach Mulder. This informant, if I recall, does not last long, but opens up the door for those who provide Mulder inside information.
This episode, like many, show the dichotomy between Mulder and Scully while showing their real connection that was forming. Mulder believes everything and Scully doubts anything that can not be proven by science. Yet they have a willingness to aid the other.
There were some creepy scenes in this episode, with Mulder being taken inside the government base and having some of his memories taken from him. While inside, he sees a government UFO, although we are never sure if this is true or if it is some kind of hallucination.
Scully goes to extreme efforts to find and save Mulder from himself. She shows herself as a bad ass in this episode and how, though she does not believe the same beliefs as Mulder, she is the perfect partner for him. She keeps him balanced, as much as he could be balanced.
This past summer, I did the Daily Zone, where I watched the five seasons of the original Twilight Zone. I did watch the EYG Hall of Fame show daily, at least one episode. There were 156 episodes. As I was on Hulu, I came across The X-Files. This was always one of my all-time favorite shows, also a member of the EYG Hall of Fame. It had been a long time since I had watched some X-Files so I thought it would be a good candidate for a rewatch. With One Piece and The Bear coming to conclusions soon, along with a few more weeks of Only Murders in the Building, this feels like the right time for The X-Files.
It will not be a daily watch like I did with The Twilight Zone, at least not at the moment. However, there are eleven seasons of The X-Files so it may take some time and, perhaps, later on when there is more time available, I will do it daily.
The X-Files certainly struck gold with the pairing of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. I do not think it is hyperbole to say that no one else could have been as successful as these two actors were. You could see the chemistry between Mulder and Scully immediately in their first scene together in the FBI basement. You could tell that Mulder was distrustful of Scully at first, but he wanted to trust her. He respected her honesty and they became a perfect pairing of partners.
Their first case together did a great job of setting up Mulder’s obsession with UFOs and the reason behind it. While this did a great job setting up Mulder’s missing sister as a driving force behind everything he would do and become. However, I do believe that the sister mystery aspect of the X-Files show was the weakest parts. I just get the feeling that they were never sure what they wanted to say actually happened and they used it as a hook for a bunch of episodes which only served to muddy the waters. This is something I am interested in seeing if I still think during this rewatch.
It was cool to see the Cigarette-Smoking Man here, prior to his smoking, just strolling around like he owned the place. CSM is one of the best villains in TV history, and seeing him start is awesome.
Much like many of the episodes of The X-Files, the pilot episode did not have the clearest resolution. There were plenty of unanswered questions about exactly what had happened or why it happened. I do like that and I think a lot of the mythology of The X-Files help lead us to shows like LOST. This created a mystique for the show and when you add the remarkable duo of Duchovny and Anderson, there is no doubt you have a winner.
EYG- Embrace Your Geekness 