'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.
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