“Sorry, nobody down here but the FBI’s most unwanted.” – Fox Mulder.
PILOT [Mythology] Aired September 10, 1993
Episode: 1×79 / 1 Overall
Director: Robert Mandel • Writer: Chris Carter
Agent Dana Scully is instructed to debunk an FBI project dubbed “The X-Files,” paranormal cases that have been reopened by Agent Fox Mulder.
Pilot episodes are a tricky thing to do well. They must give the viewer an overall impression of what the show will be about, it’s tone, mood, character archetypes, and so on in a very short amount of time, while still managing to tell a coherent, self contained story. Many pilots differ greatly from the rest of a series as often major changes are implemented once the show is aired and reviewed by critics and test audiences. As far as giving the audience an accurate impression of what kind of show The X-Files is, or is going to be, the pilot achieved this quite well. There are generally considered to be two distinct types of X-Files episodes, ‘Mythology’ episodes, which deal with the numerous plot arcs involving government conspiracies and alien invasions, the stories of which span many episodes and arc across whole seasons. The second type of episode is referred to as ‘Monster of the Week’, these can be viewed with almost no prior knowledge of the show and are almost always self contained plots which are resolved in the course of the episode and do not contribute to the shows mythology. The pilot appears at first to in the monster of the week category but as the series progresses we see many plot elements from the first episode reappearing to play a vital role in the series myth arc.
The only episode to not feature composer Mark Snow’s iconic theme or the opening credits, we simply open with the X-Files logo which transitions into the opening scene. We are first introduced to FBI agent Dr. Dana Scully, played by Gillian Anderson in her first major role as an actor. Scully is assigned to work on the x-files, with the intent to debunk the credibility of the unit. As an intelligent and highly trained medical doctor, who we learn has written a thesis entitled Einstein’s Twin Paradox: A New Interpretation. It is assumed that she will be able to point out the fallacies in the x-files scientific legitimacy. Fox Mulder, David Duchovny, in comparison to Scully, appears far less grounded and more likely to pursue a lead based purely on faith rather than logic or reason. It’s interesting to note the gender roles here in that the woman is clearly presented as the more intelligent, more educated of the two lead characters. Where Mulder bases his theories on intuition, Scully is the rational, methodical voice of reason, a character type not often attributed to the woman’s role.
In regards to developing the lead characters of Mulder and Scully, this episode does a fine job at setting the tone for the pairs interactions and gives the audience a good idea of what to expect from their differing points of view. Scully is more than willing to voice her ingrained skepticism upon hearing of Mulder’s reference to extra terrestrial life, while Mulder appears utterly undeterred by her efforts to disparage his work. This will remain as a key element of the pairs interaction and reaction to the many cases they will undertake. We can see that Scully will always attempt to use science to explain her findings while Mulder will invariably lean heavily towards the mystical realms of science-fiction. This dichotomy of viewpoints is a large part of what keeps the interaction between the two lead characters so fresh and engaging during the series nine year run. Gillian Anderson appears a little unsteady during some of these early scenes, possibly due to her inexperience as an actor. David Duchovny had at this point already starred in several major television roles. Nevertheless, both actors will take several episodes to get a strong foothold on their characters more subtle idiosyncrasies. Scully appears a little less direct than she later becomes and conversely Mulder comes across as slightly more exuberant and childlike. There are a few anomalous moments, either inconsistent with the character’s later development or simply an uncommon occurrence. For example, Scully laughs and smiles more in this first episode than she does in the whole first season as her character develops to become less jovial and more pragmatic and efficient. Both characters are seen wearing reading glasses which, mysteriously, are almost never seen again. We are however introduced to some character staples that remain till the series conclusion; the introduction of Mulder’s obsession with sunflower seeds is a noteworthy addition. There is also a scene which feels somewhat out of place in retrospect. Perhaps in an awkward attempt to inject some sex appeal in to the show, we see Scully observing some strange marks on her back. While this could have easily been done by her slightly lifting her shirt, she is instead shown standing in her lacy white underwear. Thankfully someone saw this scene for what it was and almost never again does the show attempt to sexualise it’s lead female in any way. This episode also marks the first appearance of one of the series most iconic and popular supporting characters, the as yet unnamed shadowy figure known only as ‘The smoking man’ for much of the series. Though it’s not until season two that this character starts to really develop, it’s nice to see him here at the very beginning, observing from the shadows.
Mark Snow’s score, which will become one of the most popular elements of the series is at this point still finding it’s rhythm as some of the music feels a little jarring and out of place for what the tone of the X-Files will become. The episode does an exemplary job at mixing the genres of horror, thriller, comedy and drama, something that the series was able to do so well. This gives the audience a very accurate idea of what to expect from the emotional tone of the series. The special effects still hold up fairly well for the most part, considering this is the early 90’s, and the cinematography captures that moody, dark and gloomy atmosphere that becomes in itself one of the main characters of the show. The closing shot which shows the smoking man in the pentagon filing away one of the crucial pieces of evidence from this episode, as it sits alongside dozens of similar looking boxes, suggests a far reaching government conspiracy. This tells the audience that while Mulder and Scully may or may not be heading down the right path at this point in time, there is in fact a cover up of substantial proportion occurring here and though it may be a ways down the road to discovering the many secrets the x-files has to offer, the truth is most certainly out there. It’s a tantalizing closing scene that draws us in, inviting us to embrace the mystery and hopefully tune in next week.
★★★☆☆
The X-Files Retrospective Project 