“I have lived with a fragile faith built on the ether of vague memories from an experience that I can neither prove nor explain.” – Fox Mulder.
COLONY [Mythology] Aired February 10, 1995
Episode: 2×16 / 40 Overall
Director: Nick Marck • Writer: Chris Carter & David Duchovny
When someone sends Mulder and Scully obituaries showing three separate but identical men apparently having died, the agents investigate, but things take an unexpected turn when Mulder receives a call from his father.
Duchovny’s first contribution as a c0-writer is for an episode that introduces us to some major players in the X-Files ongoing mythology. This first installment of a two part thriller is directed by another series one-timer, Nick Marck, and ends with a cliffhanger that makes us eager for the story’s conclusion. Mulder’s sister, or a version of her as we’ll later discover, makes her first appearance as portrayed by actress Megan Leitch, along with Mulder’s mother and father and of course the infamous Alien Bounty Hunter, all being introduced to audiences for the first time. Deception runs thick as Mulder and Scully inadvertently aid the opposition and are led astray by people they thought they could trust. Proving once again that Deep Throat had it right when he warned Mulder to “Trust no one.”
The prologue to this two-part mythology begins with a short wistful monologue that sounds almost melancholy in its realisation that Mulder’s life’s work may finally have been justified by a revelatory experience that may also end his life. This dialogue is spoken over the visuals of Mulder being rushed to emergency in a life threatening condition, however the events which led to this dire situation won’t be revealed until the following episode. An engaging prologue, or ‘cold opening’ in TV speak, has a huge impact on the audiences interaction with the show. If we’re drawn in by an enticing sequence that leaves us with questions begging to be answered we’re more primed to enjoy what follows. Just as an explosive opening to an action film will get our blood pumping and edged forward on our seats or a well presented trailer will get us excited about the upcoming experience, first impressions count for a lot. In the format of a television show the opening prologue that runs before the title sequence is designed to stop us changing channels, to hook us in and say, ‘you’re in for a treat with this one.’ Certainly the X-Files did not always hit the mark with these sequences but Colony’s captivating opening scene does it’s job in grabbing out attention.
Duchovny apparently had the idea of his character facing an Alien Bounty Hunter and Carter then weaved this together with his own idea of having Samantha, briefly, return. Often actors end up contributing story ideas and even directing episodes in long running television series, however it’s rare that they’re given creative license so early on in a series run. This suggests that Carter had a lot of faith in the actor’s understanding of their characters and valued their input regarding the progression of the show. Both Duchovny and Anderson will write and direct future episodes.
Mulder and Scully spend a lot of time apart in this episode, playing phone tag as they follow separate elements of the investigation. Contrary to regular occurrence, Scully bares witness to many of the more shocking scenes such as the melting corpses of the ‘clones’ and the secret laboratory that appeared to contain tiny fetuses in water tanks. She still however remains the voice of reason, warning Mulder that his pursuit of the truth may be lead him down a dangerous path. Carter has explained that the series as he sees it is presented mainly through Scully’s eyes. She is the voice of the rational audience, questioning the validity of these absurd events, challenging Mulder to justify his wild theories and being the one who is amazed by what she sees, unable to comprehend at times the events that transpire. This is particularly evident in this episode and also simply from a fans perspective I enjoyed seeing her play a more integral role, taking the lead as opposed to being dragged on yet another wild goose chase by her partner. As the episode nears the forty minute mark we can sense the ‘To Be Continued…’ coming as there’s far too much to wrap up in time. We’re left with a terrific cliffhanger as Scully realises she may be in mortal danger, unable to trust the one person she has come to depend on.
★★★☆☆
The X-Files Retrospective Project 