“Two men died in that crash room, Scully. One man came back. The question is, which one?” – Fox Mulder.
LAZARUS [Standalone] Aired February 4, 1994
Episode: 1×14 / 15 Overall
Director: David Nutter • Writer: Alex Gansa & Howard Gordon
The consciousness of a dangerous criminal possesses an FBI agent who is also Scully’s ex-boyfriend.
Gordon & Gansa return for their fourth and arguable finest installment to date, the writing pair are maturing with each script and as such their contributions to the show are justly receiving greater recognition from the fan base. Lazarus departs from the previous episode’s focus on the mysterial and otherworldly nature of many X-Files episodes and delivers a more straight forward F.B.I investigation story with Scully playing a pivotal role at the center. David Nutter is back after a short break to direct this entry with the same skill and precision we last saw in the season one highlight, Beyond the Sea. While the episode certainly employs some supernatural elements it serves first and foremost as an unconventional love story with a further look at Scully’s past life, pre-X-Files. Gillian Anderson is given a decent amount of screen time to expedite her character’s development and it’s a perfect example of how the series brought to life one of the best examples of a strong, complex female lead that can captivate the audience and hold her own in an episode without her male counterpart by her side every step of the way.
We’ve seen glimpses of Scully’s previous life in earlier episodes however this is the first time we’re introduced to a previous boyfriend. The character interactions are handled with care as we can see that while Scully has very much moved on from this relationship she still cares for Willis as a friend. This explains her determination to justify his actions as PTSD. It’s refreshing however to finally see Scully bare witness to the crucial scenes in which she can see that Dupre is in fact inhabiting Willis’ body. Though ever the sceptic and scientifically minded she nevertheless struggles with accepting the reality of the situation. Mulder is hesitant to try to persuade her to his point of view, she asks him what this all means and in a display of sensitivity towards her connection to the deceased he simply states, “It means whatever you want it to mean.” Mulder is quickly developing an understanding and acceptance of Scully’s hesitance towards the paranormal and her reliance on her faith. This shows the burgeoning relationship between the two is developing as Mulder clearly regards Scully as more than just another co-worker. He takes her kidnapping personally, “This one’s important to me,” he reminds the agents as they begin canvassing households in their attempt to locate his partner. He calls her Dana on the phone, a rare occurrence. The series did great job at developing the romantic relationship between Mulder and Scully through a very gradual and realistic development of character, steadily providing subtle cues at the distant possibility of deeper connection.
As mentioned, the character of Agent Scully is a feminist role model to women and girls. She is treated with respect by the writers of the shows, never objectified and consistently portrayed as an equal to Mulder. Despite the fact that in this particular example she is ultimately taken hostage and rescued by Mulder there are arguably many significant moments where the roles are reversed and she helps save Mulder from a variety of perilous situations. She is arguably more logical than Mulder with her analytical approach to cases and almost always characterised as a highly capable F.B.I. agent in her own right. Her reaction to Dupre’s threat of violence as he aims his gun at her in the beginning of the episode is a key example of her rationality and competence as an agent. Seemingly un-phased by the aggressor she moves slowly to the ground, unwavering and clearly assessing the situation with expertise, as any trained agent would. She catches and detains Lula without her partners assistance and although she is held captive by Dupre she ultimately prolongs her life in time for Mulder to find her by convincing Willis’ consciousness to break through Dupre’s influence. What is ultimately most significant about the way the character is written is that her actions and their justification are almost never determined by her gender. She is first and foremost a highly capable F.B.I. agent, the fact that she’s a woman is secondary.
Lazarus is a decent character building episode with a suitably engaging story. While there are no significant standouts, the supporting cast all do a fine job with what they’re given. Callum Keith Rennie has a small role here and in one other episode but will return in 2008 to play the lead villain in the The X-Files: I Want to Believe. It’s fortunate that the series were able to produce so many episodes per season. With a tighter schedule it’s highly likely that entries like this would have omitted as they do not contribute to the show’s overall mythology. As it stands however the long season runs give the writers the opportunity to provide a more gradual exploration of character and experiment with a wider variety of episode formats that make watching the series in chronological order an enjoyably diverse experience.
★★★☆☆
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