The X-Files Season 1 (1993)
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The X-Files Season 1 Review
The X-Files is a science fiction mystery television series that premiered its first season consisting of 24 episodes in 1993. I am looking forward to watching this entire iconic show.
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“This is the essence of science.
You ask an impertinent question and
you’re on your way to a pertinent answer“
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I’ve never watched this show as a kid, so this will be my first time watching it. The series follows two detectives who work for the FBI’s sector that deals with the paranormal and the unexplainable. The show is a mixture between the detective investigation genre that was prevalent back in this decade and the SF mystery thriller elements, which are more interesting to me personally. It’s a strong mixture that mostly really works.
Technically speaking, the show is well directed, most of the episodes have either solid or great scripts and the cinematography is actually quite advanced for 90s television. The highlight of course is the score, especially the iconic opening theme that is so pleasantly eerie and strikingly ethereal that it really is an unforgettable piece of television scoring.
David Duchovny is a bit weaker at first, but toward the end of the season he became excellent, especially in the more vulnerable moments. Gillian Anderson is fantastic as she always was in a series that made her a star. Dana Scully and Fox Mulder are iconic television protagonists. She is the skeptic and he is the believer. The two’s contrasting dynamic is phenomenal and their mutual respect was frequently quite beautiful to witness. They are the heart and soul of this show. They can also be quite funny and charming and I found their vulnerability deeply relatable.
The premiere isn’t the greatest. The overall narrative with the flashing lights mystery was a bit forgettable in the context of other alien stories in the show, but this first episode is still important for introducing us to Scully and Mulder. How the two instantly established this great connection was very endearing. Deep Throat is powerful in making Mulder find out what is going on and then erasing the memories of it from his mind. It’s one of the more emotional moments of the season when he realizes what happened to him.
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Squeeze is the first of two episodes starring a serial killer played phenomenally by Doug Hutchison. This is the weaker of the two episodes, but it’s still suitably intense and very well executed throughout. Conduit for the first time introduces the important arc for Mulder where he is on a quest to find out what happened to his sister. The episode itself was forgettable, though.
The Jersey Devil is a slim, not all that memorable Monster of the Week episode that exemplifies my lack of interest in these stories in comparison to the much more interesting alien narratives. Shadows is a pretty good ghost story, but one that will be improved upon significantly in a later episode toward the season’s end.
Ghost in the Machine is this very nineties episode about computers gone haywire. It is dated nowadays, but I personally loved that old-fashioned feel to the story. It’s one of the better and more underrated episodes of this season. Ice is very strong. Yes, it is an utter rip-off of ‘The Thing’, but it’s so well executed that it ends up transcending that issue of originality. The setting was beautifully realized and this is one of the most intense episodes of the season.
Space is a mess. It is this strange story about a face seen on Mars that ends up being just another ghost story and a weak one at that. Fallen Angel is one of the best alien episodes so far. The story is thrilling and quite intriguing in its mystery. Eve is a very cool, chilling story about identical twins and it’s a high-concept idea that was executed mostly superbly. Fire is just another Monster of the Week episode that just wasn’t all that memorable to me.
Beyond the Sea is a fascinating episode that reverses the roles of the protagonists to a fantastic effect. It’s also a genuinely creepy and also truly emotional story about Scully’s hurt over losing her father. This is the most intimate episode for her so far. Gender Bender was ruined with that overly typical alien twist ending, but before that final moment this was a phenomenal, highly original episode with an intriguing transgender narrative, which was brave for its era.
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Lazarus is fine, but too obvious in its central mystery. Young at Heart had a terrific premise, but it needed better and more confident execution. E.B.E. is absolutely incredible. This is an extraterrestrial story that moves the main mythology forward while also benefiting from the greatly utilized Deep Throat character. The moment when Mulder almost finally saw an alien was very moving as you can just sense his frustration then. Miracle Man is forgettable itself.
Shapes is a werewolf episode. It is well made overall, but again I am not the biggest fan of the monster stories. As a huge biology enthusiast, I found Darkness Falls truly outstanding and very authentic. It’s the freshest and most different episode from others in this batch. It focuses on eco-terrorism at first, but eventually it moves to these deadly insects. It explores great themes of evolution and mankind’s relationship with other species while consistently being intriguing in its central mystery.
Tooms is the better of the two episodes starring this serial killer. That’s because the episode is particularly effective at focusing on the main duo’s dynamic. How Scully stood up for Mulder was so sweet and admirable. He is usually ignored and ridiculed by his peers, but at least he has her by his side every single time.
Born Again is spectacular. It’s one of the season’s finest hours as it develops its paranormal story gradually and believably. It explores reincarnation so well. The main girl character was terrific. Roland is very well acted by its guest star, but otherwise overly repetitive and uninteresting in its narrative.
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The Erlenmeyer Flask ended the season on an admirably strong note. It moves the story forward while ending on a great cliffhanger. Finally having Scully witness alien life was important as it led to her believing her partner more. The death of Deep Throat was also emotionally felt and powerfully unexpected while the episode was intense throughout.
Overall, the first season of The X-Files has too many forgettable, rehashed and/or uninspired episodes, but the ones that are great are terrific. It’s a messy, but still mostly strong first season that was particularly excellent in the alien and strange phenomena stories while being inferior in the monster storylines.
Worst Episodes: The Jersey Devil, Space, Shapes and Fire.
Best Episodes: Ghost in the Machine, Ice, E.B.E, Eve, Darkness Falls, Born Again and The Erlenmeyer Flask.
