“Is there anyway I can get it off my fingers quickly without betraying my cool exterior?” – Fox Mulder.
SQUEEZE [Standalone] Aired September 24, 1993
Episode: 1×02 / 3 Overall
Director: Harry Longstreet • Writer: Glen Morgan & James Wong
Mulder and Scully search for a humanoid killer whose savage murder spree reoccurs every 30 years.
Episode 3 marks the first of many standalone X-Files episodes referred to by fans of the series as Monster of the Week (MOTW) shows. The first instalment is written by the writing duo Morgan and Wong, who also act as executive producers, and will pen some of the most popular MOTW episodes throughout the life of the series. They are widely regarded by the X-Files fan base as two of the most innovative and visionary writers on the series, contributing 15 individual episodes. Their foray in to X-Files screen writing has them produce a successful horror themed show which introduces one of the very few ‘monsters’ who will make a second appearance in a later episode, such was the popularity this character. As previously discussed, The X-Files was a show that managed to traverse many genres, even throughout a single episode. Squeeze however is clear-cut horror affair and like so many of the series successful standalone episodes it has a film like quality to it that would not seem out of place on the big screen. This is due in large part to the cinematic direction given to the episodes that, at the time, was rarely afforded to television.
Apart from being a terrific standalone show that is entertaining in it’s own right as a horror adventure it is also contains significant character development for the two lead players. We first see Scully at lunch with Agent Colton, another rare sociable occurrence, discussing the case particulars. Scully is still on the fence about her current position within the FBI, she is not willing or able to accept her placement as an X-File agent. She respects Mulder for his achievements as a criminal profiler and his determination and work ethic. However, the X-Files is still his territory, this is a temporary position for Scully, she is not invested in the unit as yet. This is evidenced by her still referring to the unit as “your work” when speaking to Mulder about X-Files cases. This episode, however, is a turning point for the characters development as Scully finds herself conflicted about working without Mulder and feels the need to defend his work when criticised and ridiculed by his peers at the FBI. She feels uneasy about hearing him referred to as “Spooky Mulder”, we witness a gradual progression throughout the episode as she slowly begins to accept her standing in the unit.
As Mulder and Scully examine the crime scene at the beginning of the episode, Scully and Colton attempt to intellectualise and theorise on the possible explanation for the killers disappearing act. Mulder on the other hand seems to know exactly where to look for the one piece of hard evidence that the investigation yields. We get a glimpse of Mulder’s thorough investigatory skills as he presents Scully with findings dating back to the turn of the century which relate to the murders. As we see many times throughout the show, Mulder has seen this type of crime before, he has copious amounts of x-files dating back many years and is often able to correlate the current and past findings to further his understanding of the case. This also gives us an idea of the level of obsession and fascination that Mulder has for his work. As always Scully attempts to use logic to explain the killers actions. This episode shows how Mulder and Scully’s disparate, often conflicting methods of working a case can yield positive results, furthering their understanding in a way that may not have been possible had they been working alone. They are in one sense the antithesis of each other yet wholly complimentary. It is Scully’s logical approach, which Mulder is quick to dismiss, that enables them to catch Tooms in the air vents. Yet it is Mulder’s willingness to accept and embrace the extraordinary that helps the pair track Tooms to his hideout.
Squeeze gives us an incite in to Mulder’s dead pan sense of humour that will become a core part of his character. The pair discover Tooms’ hideout, a man made nest consisting of newspaper and rags held together with what Scully believes is human bile. As Mulder stares at his goo covered fingers he remarks, “Is there anyway I can get it off my fingers quickly without betraying my cool exterior?”. Another interesting side-note is that the episode contains the one piece of footage shown in the opening that was taken from an episode and not created solely for the title sequence. The shot in question is of Mulder and Scully entering Toom’s abandoned apartment, flash lights in hand, guns drawn, ready for the unexpected. We also see Scully typing her report, accompanied by a voice over. This technique will be used many times throughout the series as a way to deliver exposition and is often used as a way to conclude the show. Voice overs which both introduce and conclude episodes will be used more and more as the series progresses.
The episode ends with Tooms in a prison holding cell, as mentioned this is a rare occurrence in a MOTW episode in which the killer is caught and the X-File official closed. However, he is seen staring and smiling at the small opening of his prison door, used to deliver meals to inmates, leading us to believe that Tooms’ story is far from over.
★★★★☆
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