Dead Alien Baby Countdown: Update #1

The X-Files: The Complete First Season, Disc 1 (Episodes 1-4)

Though I plan to keep my weekly updates short and sweet, it seemed worthwhile to provide some additional context at the start of this four month, 202 episode DVD marathon leading up to the July 25th theatrical premiere of The X-Files 2:

The Pilot

When "The X-Files" premiered on September 10, 1993, few people predicted it would survive for more than one season -- let alone become an Emmy award-winning series that would eclipse the 200-episode mark. The show, which lacked any big-name actors, was sequestered to a horrible television night (Friday) on a fledgling network. (Unlike today's "American Idol"-fueled behemoth, FOX was a second-rate net at that time, best known for "Beverly Hills, 90210", "Married With Children", and "COPS".)

Like most X-Files viewers, I didn't catch the original airing of the pilot episode, nor did I see any of next 6 episodes until they re-ran during the following summer. Ahh...the days of summer re-runs, long before reality programming overtook the broadcast nets from June through August. Re-watching "Pilot" over the weekend, I realized that the first episode does a remarkable job of selling its protagonists. We first meet Dr. Dana Scully, the medical doctor turned FBI agent who is tasked to debunk Mulder's theories related to supposedly "unexplainable" cases (x-files). Scully serves as the voice of reason and science in the pilot and throughout the first several seasons of the show. She is the television forbear of Dr. Jack Shephard on "Lost".

In "Pilot", Scully ventures into the basement offices of the FBI Building to introduce herself (and us) to her philosophical foil: Fox Mulder. Scully knows his bio by heart - Oxford-educated, renowned for his spot-on profiles of serial killers, and known as "Spooky" in FBI circles for his penchant for paranormal explanations. To continue the "Lost" analogy, Mulder is the John Locke of the show; he makes leaps of faith that often lead him into trouble, even when he does turn out to be right.

The pilot episode establishes the template for many future episodes: Scully comes into Mulder's office, Mulder asks her if she's familiar with a strange case he's been reading, Mulder treats Scully to an evidentiary slideshow, and Scully reluctantly agrees to accompany Mulder on the investigation. More importantly, the pilot immediately sets the perfect tone for the Mulder-Scully relationship, inarguably the heart and soul of the show. As we watch them set off for Oregon on a mission to solve the mystery of four teen deaths near a UFO hotbed, we can't help but wonder whether and how this partnership of polar opposites will develop. Pilot: 3 PB Jars

The Episodes: Mythology or Monster-Of-The-Week?

Unlike today's TV dramas, which typically fall into either the standalone category ("CSI", "Law & Order") or the serial category ("24", "Lost"), "The X-Files" was a hybrid of the two. The first two episodes, "Pilot" and "Deep Throat", set up the overarching mythology (a conspiracy between G-men and little green men). This mythology is presented serially, but often with two, three, or more non-related episodes in between.

The third and fourth episodes, in contrast, typify the standalone episodes that provided some of the show's scariest, funniest, and most memorable moments. In my mind, "Squeeze" (episode 3) still ranks as one of the best "Monster-Of-The-Week" stories of the series. In this episode, Mulder and Scully track down a serial killer able to squeeze through narrow openings in order to attack his prey. The killer is, of course, a genetic mutant who awakens every 30 years to hunt for the five human livers needed to fuel his next hibernation. Definitely an amazing episode that was a pleasure to re-watch. "Conduit" (episode 4), the story of a family torn apart by an alleged alien abduction, doesn't have as much standalone value but does provide an emotional touchstone for Mulder (who believes his sister was abducted when they were kids) throughout the rest of the season. Deep Throat: 2.5 PB Jars, Squeeze: 3 PB Jars, Conduit: 1.5 PB Jars

Dead Alien Baby Tally

As I plow through all 202 episodes, I'll keep a running tally of defining X-Files plot points, from dead alien babies to David Duchovny sports references.

Episodes 1-4 of 202:

References to Mulder's nickname "Spooky": 2
Mulder slideshows: 2
Mulder eats sunflower seeds: 1
References to Scully's crucifix necklace: 1
Monsters who almost kill Scully: 1
UFO sightings: 1
Dead alien babies: 0