The X-Files
Guess what, everyone?! Today, we are going to chat about maybe the worst episode in season one. Isn't that a tease? Aren't you just so excited to read what's coming up? I know you are. It's waiting for you. Right after the jump.
"Space"
Fox Mulder: "You never wanted to be an astronaut when you were a kid?"
Dana Scully: "I missed that phase."
Mythology or Monster of the Week: MotW
X-File of the Week: Mulder is contacted by someone about NASA about potential sabotage of an upcoming space shuttle launch. The whistle blower is Michelle Generoo, who works for mission control. She tells the agents that the first launch was scrubbed because of sabotage that no human could have done. Due to Mulder's reputation with the unexplained, Michelle has sought the agents out. She has a personal interest in the shuttle launching without a hitch. Her fiancé is one of the pilots.
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| Rita's pissed. |
Here's a fun fact about this episode. It was initially conceived as a low budget bottle episode, since the show was running over budget while filming the first season. It ended up being the most expensive episode of the first season. I have a feeling that you're all thinking what I am after watching the episode. HOW? How was this an expensive episode to film with those wonky, even for the early '90's, special effects. Apparently, what brought the episode so far over budge was the construction of the command center set, which to be fair, did look legit. So, I guess, money well spent?
I'm going to just say from the jump that I hate this episode. It is one of my least favorite episodes of "The X-Files" of all-time and definitely the worst episode of season one, by far. Nothing in the episode ever really gels. It meanders and never draws you in. It's clear that Chris Carter has a love of space, which is great, but maybe don't force others to watch a 45 minute one man jerk off session to that love.
Once in Houston, Mulder and Scully are confronted by Colonel Marcus Aurelius Belt (even this name. Jesus), an astronaut who did the first space walk over Mars and who is plagued by visions of a face scene on the Maritan landscape. If you guessed that Belt was possessed by the face and is the one causing the issues with the shuttle launch, then you'd be right. Belt is twitchy with a capital T and is acting the most suspect. I don't understand how there is ever any doubt that he is the one that is somewhat responsible for what is going on. Ed Lauter who plays Belt, may be a great actor, but he is not in this. Maybe he thought that since this was a first season sci-fi show on the Fox network that this was his chance to overact like a queen on Drag Race trying to stand out in a skit, but it was not and it really robs the episode and the character of any pathos it may have had. Also, is Mulder so blinded by his hero worship and love of astronauts that he'd give this guy a pass? I don't think.
I mentioned the effects once but I think I should again. "The X-Files" is a great example of a show, especially a show that premiered in the early '90's, that took it's effects limitations and found ways to use them to their advantage. The face is decidedly not creepy. Not scary. It looks like someone carved a smiley face into a lump of clay and slapped it over Belt's face. It's hard to build tension when your story's main villain looks like a Putty Patroller.
This episode is just. boring as fuck. It shouldn't be. These astronauts are in danger of dying but each time Belt fixes the situation so quick that any tension is immediately lost. It may have been helpful to actually check in with the astronauts themselves. I'm sure if you spent so much money on that command set, you could have thrown a little bit more to build the inside of a space shuttle. Tying in real life disasters like the Challenger explosion to Belt and the Mars Face is a big flop and kind of icky. That kind of thing rarely works.
Let's move on.
Grade: D
"Fallen Angel"
[In regards to Mulder using a pseudonym]
Fox Mulder: "I didn't think anyone was paying attention."
Max Fenig: "Somebody is always paying attention, Mr. Mulder."
Mythology or Monster of the Week: Mythology
X-File of the Week: Deep Throat keys Mulder into a UFO crash outside of Townsend, WI. Deep Throat warns Mulder he has 24 hours before a government retrieval team, led by Colonel Calvin Henderson, arrive to scrub the site of any evidence the crash even occurred.
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| Don't go into the light. |
First off, this is the first mythology episode since the second episode, which feels strange to me. I'm pretty sure in later seasons there are a lot more of them, probably more than there need to be, but I digress. This episode is kind of a template for lots of other mythology episodes throughout the series. Early in the episode, Mulder meddles with some cover up shit, there is some sort of disciplinary hearing set up because of it, the agents investigate while just making it to the hearing where usually they get yelled at but there are few actual consequences. It can get a little tired as the series progresses but as the first of its kind, overall "Fallen Angel" works.
I always enjoy seeing Mulder go off on his own and in this episode he's full Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible," even though this episode came out like two years before the first M:I film. I'm impressed they got that laser grid up and functioning out in the middle of the woods. David Duchovny looks super hot in his all black spy gear. Sigh.
One issue I have with a lot of these mythology episodes, especially the early ones, is that they lean hard into the Scully skeptic role. I don't think a healthy skepticism for some of the stuff that Mulder says is bad, but like, if you're going to believe these cover ups, they should be believable. And I'm sorry but a downed Libyan fighter jet with a nuclear warhead? That seems about as legit as Mulder's UFO story.
This episode introduces Max Fenig and Max is a big part of why this episode succeeds. Max is a member of the National Investigations Committee On Aerial Phenomena or NICAP. He is kind of a precursor to our fave conspiracy nuts, The Lone Gunmen. Scott Bellis brings a really warm, lovely, nerdy energy to Max. One of my top ten favorite "X-Files" moments is when he refers to Dana as "the enigmatic Agent Scully." Fenig helps to warm Mulder, too. Mulder can come off as a snarky asshole a lot of the time but in his solo scenes with Max, particularly after Mulder finds Max post-seizure. It's great to see this caring side of Mulder. It's heartbreaking when the alien entity usurps Max's body and then abducts him. I know Henderson says that they found Max's body, but we don't ever see it, so I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of Max Fenig. *wink*
We get some great body horror in the episode with the burned bodies of Henderson's agents. A spat between Mulder and Scully where Mulder actually wins, when he says that he thinks Max was abducted. It's a nice little slam on Scully who initially believes Max thinks he was abducted due to his schizophrenia. We don't usually see Scully lose the moral high ground.
The episode loses a little bit at the end when the agents have their meeting with the blustery McGrath. Did you notice how Scully gets immediately shot down when she tries to say something on their behalf, but they let Mulder go on a tirade for like 2 minutes? Sexism.
We get more insight on Deep Throat's motives in this episode when he overrides the disciplinary committees decision to boot Mulder. It seems like this is a keep your enemies closer type situation, but methinks there may be more to it.
Grade: B+
Next up, we learn that little girls are indeed the devil and not to play with fire.
Does anyone like "Space?" Is it anyone's favorite episode? If so, I'd love to hear why in the comments.
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