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"Fire"
Written by Chris Carter.
Directed by Fred Larry Shaw.
Original Airdate: December 17, 1993
Oh boy, this good stuff! For a first season, this is really strong. There's been a few missteps, but a lot less than I would have expected. First seasons are normally about finding your feet.
One of the best things about this episode is the casting. In many cases, when 'British' characters are required to appear in American shows they cast American actors who proceed to perform with terrible approximations of the accent. Of course, British shows are guilt of doing the same thing, and from time to time terrible American accents crop up. But generic American accents are much easier to do that generic British accents.
So it's good to see actual British actors in this. Mark Sheppard makes for a compelling bad guy - maybe it's his face but I can't help but like the guy. The character he plays is total slime... but I still can't help liking him. I don't root for him or anything, but he's cool. It's a shame the character never came back.
The film tries to delve even further into Mulders past, and there's a couple of laughs to be had there, even though for the most part is is played seriously. Amanda Payes does a good job as Mulders once-upon-a-time lover, but the character is somewhat annoying. I like Pays but I don't like her character, and I'm glad she never came back as was intended.
Excellent episode, but I can't help feel my viewing was overshadowed by the knowledge of what was coming next.
"Eve"
Written by Kenneth Biller And Chris Brancato.
Directed by Fred Gerber.
Original Airdate: December 10, 1993
It is an odd experience for me to watch 'Eve'. During my initial X-Files phase, roughly a decade ago, I had never seen this episode. I had however read the novelisation by Ellen Steiber. Over and over again. I loved it, and so to me it became this story. So, sitting down to watch it for the first time was just... odd. However, watching it I soon realised that I couldn't remember anything of what happened - my memories were tainted by time, as they so often are.
It's really an exceptional episode. The story is tight and the direction a bit more imaginative than usual. This story moves too, it doesn't linger - you don't feel like there's any padding. It does what it has to do, and it does it well. Nothing seems unnecessary or dull.
Looking at it acting wise, I was surprised by the quality of acting from the twin girls playing the "Eve's" - maybe it's just a Doctor Who: The Twin Dilemma thing, but I always expect twin child actors to be a bit... pants really. But whilst not up to the level of the adults around them (they were kids, you can't expect them to be great) they do a good job of being innocent when they need to be and creepy when they ned to be. Well done.
Harriet Sansom Harris is just awesome in this. Really. She essentially plays three different roles, and manages (via make-up and just the way she holds herself) to make them seem like entirely different people - albiet ones who look the same. She manages to transcend the fact that this is one actress playing three roles. You forget about it. Incredible work right there.
More conspiracy, more awesome Deep Throat (is he a good guy, a bad guy... dunno, but I love him)... who knows where this is going.
The X-Files diaries are on a temporary hiatus until all the old reviews can be re-written, expanded upon and improved. They will resume shortly, until then keep checking our older reviews for the new, updated versions.
After the (in my opinion) fairly dismal ninth episode, the X-Files redeems itself (and good) with this one. The episode begins with Mulder already deep in a private (ie. unauthorised) investigation, with flashbacks to the ever-popular Deep Throat letting him in on one of the Government's little secrets. What follows is perhaps the best 'cover-up' story so far. In which Mulder is arrested, his partnership with Scully is tested and we meet one of the most endearing characters yet to present himself in this show: Max Fenig.
Why do I like Max? Probably cause he's one of us... weird, eccentric, funny. He's basically an X-Files fan... I like him. And when it is revealed that he suffers from an illness, you are genuinely moved. Part of it is the writing, part of it is the fact that Scott Bellis does a bloody good job playing him.
Another thing I love about this episode is how forceful the coverup is. You really get the sense that Mulder is in real danger for trying to expose it - it's well done television. Scully being angry with Mulder for the first time is also good to see, the relationship is always slightly strained because of their differing ideologies, but they normally get along. It's good to see them butting heads over their radically different views. Good stuff.
October 8th. Day Eight of the X-Files Diaries.
'Space' is probably my least favourite episode so far of The X-Files first season. It was a (failed) attempt to make an episode on the cheap, due to most others running over-budget. And even though this wound up being more expensive it still looks cheap. Old and worn looking stock footage seems to make up a large percentage of this episodes running time... it just doesn't work.
The story, because of the constraints imposed upon it by having to use stock footage, is pretty dull. There are only two real saving graces to the whole thing - Mulder meeting his hero, and finding out that the man may not be a hero afterall and then Mulder finally realising that no matter what the man may have done (under the influence of an extra-terrestrial) he was ultimately a hero. There are also some pretty cool special effects, mostly involving an ex-astronauts face changing into that of the 'Mars Face'.
One of my biggest problems with the episode are the sequences in which the 'Face' attacks a character - they are incredibly cheap looking, rushed and the frame shakes about all over the place, so you can scarcely tell what is going on. (Both of these are obviously in attempt to prevent us noticing the cheapness) Ultimately, it's just not a favourite.
October 8th. Day seven of the X-Files Diaries.
Ice is one of my all time favourites. What can I say, I'm a sucker for the claustrophobic, trapped atmosphere of the whole thing, as well as the Paranoia which grips everyone involved. In my opinion it's just perfect television - hell, they could almost have gotten away with it without the parasitic influence... but I suppose it wouldn't be the X-Files then.
The set up is this, a team in the Arctic have been drilling ice, attempting to drill further than anyone ever. They unleash something ancient, frozen down there. It's a classic horror movie set up 'scientists inadvertantely awake ancient evil.' Just because it's cliche though, doesn't mean it doesn't work.
The actors are this things main strength. This episode doesn't rely on locations or typical investigations - it's really all about the characters and how they respond to their circumstances. Duchovy is a freakin' powerhouse in this - his performance as the 'is he or is he not infected' Mulder is incredible, seeming just mad enough to be infected but 'Mulder' enough to bring in reasonable doubt. Excellent stuff. Anderson impresses me more than usual with her paranoid, scared Scully. We so often see Scully simply as the sceptic - seeing her displaying real fear over her circumstances makes her finally feel more like a real person and not just a doubting thomas. Good on the writers for finally giving her character some added dimensions.
October 7th. Day seven of the X-Files Diaries.
I don't like this episode. Most of it is okay, but it really falls flat at the climax. Now, it's clear to the audience from the start that the computer is the evil, moustache twirling mastermind of the piece. And eventually, Mulder comes to realise this too.
The thrill of this episode is in the chase - the actual investigation itself. It's well done, and it's engaging, as they all have been up to this point. One of the major pieces of character development comes along, showing us that Mulder produces exceptional work - we even find out that he'd be well on his way to the top if it weren't for his own devotion to the X-Files. This is important, because it sometimes becomes all too easy to think of Mulder as just being a guy obsessed with the paranormal. It's easy to forget that he's also an exceptional agent - so this reminder was maybe necessary.
Also, Deep Throat is back. He basically shows up and confirms that the Government (or various branches of it) are up to no good. He sets Mulder on the right path. Love Deep Throat (... you know what I mean), and I love that his mystery remains intact.
But when it comes to the climax... well... a computer is just a rubbish villain. Especially when it's a computer motivated by self preservation instincts. We've seen it done well once, and that was enough. This just comes off as a cheaper version of Hal.
I think the writers at some point realised that an evil computer is just a bit pants, because out of the blue Blu (I totally didn't do that on purpose) Mankuma pulls a gun on Mulder. The Government (or some branch of it) become the bad guys, and I'm pretty sure that's just because an evil supercomputer can only be so interesting.
October 5th. Day Five of The X-Files Diaries.
"Fire"
