Showing posts with label aliens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aliens. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Saturday, December 5, 2015
The X-Files: Pilot Episode Recap
Well, finally made it! I'll probably try to usually do it on Mondays and Saturdays and maybe try to squeeze some Wednesdays in there as well but that will depend on the time I have. So, without any further ado, let's visit Scully and Mulder in Washington.
Oh, yeah, before we start I have to confess something. I'm a total Scully fangirl so some of these may be a little biased. I'll try not to be but I can't promise anything. I think she did awesome on this show as an actress. And the only time her character really annoys me is when the writers have her so blatantly obtuse and skeptical. I know she's supposed to be the skeptic but after a while it's a little annoying. Especially the very obvious things they do to keep her out of the action so she can remain a skeptic.
The X-Files: "Pilot"
We open with some text about the following story being inspired by actual documented accounts. I couldn't find a specific case that sounded like this one so I'm guessing that just some of elements they use are taken from real reports. Like the abductions, implants and lost time.
But! I'm getting ahead of myself.
A girl is running in her nightie through the woods. She looks scared but we don't see what she's running from. She takes a tumble and looks up to see a mysterious man-shape, surrounded by lights..
Fade to white
Collum National Forest, Northwest Oregon
There are people examining the now-dead girl. They don't see anything unusual (except that she's dead) on the body except for two lumps on her back that kind of look like two large moles. The Sheriff identifies her as being a former classmate of his son (class of '89). The other guy, who seems to be the M.E., asks if "IT'S" happening again.
F.B.I. Headquarters, Washington D.C.
Back in Washington Agent Dana Scully is just arriving for her assignment. We learn that she's been with the FBI for two years, has a medical degree and, for some unfathomable reason, her parents object to her joining the FBI. Personally, if I had a daughter that was a Dr. and an FBI agent at that age I'd be thrilled.
Talk gets around to 'Spooky' Mulder (I'm sorry. I think that's the stupidest nickname). He's apparently a top-notch psychologist and the best analyst in the violent crime section. They start talking about the X-Files and they get around to the real reason she's been called in. They want her to assist Mulder and write field reports on the scientific validity of his work. In Scully's words: They want her to "debunk" the X-Files.
There is a silent man lurking in the background, smoking a cigarette. Hmm. He also seems to stare at Scully a lot which makes her uncomfortable.
'Sup?
She goes down to the basement and, ah, the first meeting of a duo that made early interneters swoon. He seems a little suspicious of her but she says that she's looking forward to working with him. He whips out the projector (this will happen a lot in the series) and shows Scully pictures of a few different dead people, scattered around the country. They all have the same marks which are made up of an organic compound that Scully can't identify. She asks about his theories and in return he info-loads her with what the X-Files are and wants to know why it's bureau policy to sweep them under the rug. Because I'm sure she's privy to that information.
He asks if she believes in aliens and her logical answer is that "the energy needed to get to here from the far reaches of space would exceed a spacecraft's capabilities". Maybe ours, but how could she know for sure? If there truly is alien life on other planets then who's to say that they would be bound by our same scientific laws or abilities?
He whatevers her and asks why, if science cannot come up with any answers, then shouldn't they consider the fantastic. She whatevers him in return by saying that the girl could have been murdered and something was missed. Mulder tells her to pack up because they're going to Oregon.
On the plane ride there Scully is checking out the files when they hit some turbulence. She gets a little panicky but Mulder seems unfazed.
In the car they talk a little more about the case. Mulder tells her that the FBI was involved until they were unexplainably called back and the case was buried in the X-Files until Mulder found it and took a second look. He gives Scully a little test, which she passes. She noticed (as did he, of course) that the M.E. for the first couple of cases (which reported no markings) was a different M.E. than the one that recorded them. Obviously, someone's hidin' somethin'.
He also lets her know that they'll be exhuming one of the victims, Ray Soames.
On the way there the radio tweaks out. Mulder stops and decides to indulge in a little vandalism. He tags a big X on the road where they are. When Scully wants to know what he's doing he blows her off.
Coastal Northwest, Oregon, March 7, 1992
Scully and Mulder drive out to the cemetery for the exhumation. They're about to start when they're interrupted by a really pissed off guy and his daughter. He shoo's the daughter back to the car and comes tearing up, bitching them out for doing the exhumation and investigating. If the boy's parents (or guardians) ok'd the exhumation then he has absolutely no right or authority to tell them that they can't do it.
They ask him why he didn't do the last autopsy and he gets pissy again, wondering if they're implying that he missed something. Scully steps in with her Ice Queen Voice and they start to head to the grave. He says they better be able to prove any accusations but his daughter interrupts, begging to go home. Hmm, she looks about the same age as the others.
They leave.
The exhumation continues and we learn that Ray Soames was the third victim and that he had actually confessed to the first two deaths but they couldn't find any proof to back it up. He was being treated for schizophrenia at the time of his death. He died of exposure after seven hours outside on a warm July night. Mulder thinks this is weird. I can't say for Oregon but a July night in Michigan can be pretty damp and chilly so I think it could be likely.
The cemetery really needs to update it's equipment because a strap breaks and the coffin comes tumbling down and open. To reveal a skeleton that is decidedly not human looking. Mulder orders it sealed and taken to wherever their exam room is.
In the morgue Scully is inspecting the corpse while Mulder giddily prances about her, taking pictures. He's all jazzed but Scully is being a downer, suggesting that the corpse is an orangutan or chimp. Umm, ok, there Scully. That's a lot of work for a "sick" joke that people would most likely never see.
Mulder wants the works; blood tests, toxicology, tissue samples, full genetic profile, blah, blah, science-y stuff. Scully is weirdly resistant to it. I get that she doesn't believe it's an alien but it might be a good idea to be able to tell the kid's family exactly who (or what) was in his grave. Mulder wants the x-rays like NOW and tells Scully that he has the same doubts that she does, that's why he wants to know ASAP. Which seems reasonable. You'd think that Scientist Scully would want to know, too.
Scully's Motel Room
She's typing in the results of Ray Soames' autopsy. It appears that a small, metallic-looking thing was in his nasal cavity. Mulder stops by. He's going for a jog because he's too jazzed about what they found. She ponders the object for a bit then presumably goes to bed because the next scene is tomorrow.
Raymon County, State Psychiatric Hospital
They're talking to the doctor about Ray Soames and he's pretty forthcoming with information. He tells them that he's treated others in the same class and even gives them the names. If they don't have a warrant I would think that this would fall under patient privacy. They get introduced to Billy and Peggy. Billy is in a 'waking coma'. I did a search or two and couldn't find the term. Except for a hit for this episode on the wiki for the show. So I don't think it's a thing. Peggy is in a wheelchair. The doctor tells Scully and Mulder that Billy and Peggy were in a car accident. They talk about this standing about two feet away from Peggy and Billy. But, in movies and TV, sound waves don't carry like they would in real life. Peggy is reading to Billy and insists that he needs her close .
Mulder wants to check Peggy out. Medically, that is. But Peggy is having none of it. She throws a fit, gets a nosebleed and crashes to the floor. Mulder gets a little handsy and lifts the back of Peggy's pjs to reveal that she has the same marks.
Scully kind of freaks out and takes off outside. Mulder follows her and they have a back and forth about what is going on with the kids. Mulder believes they've been abducted which Scully, of course, thinks is ridiculous. He accuses her again of being a spy but she insists that she wants the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth (I may be paraphrasing a bit). She wants to know why all of the deaths seem to happen in our near the forest so we're off to the woods.
Once in the forest they part ways because that's what they do best. Mulder checks his compass to find that it's going haywire. Scully finds some sort of ash and sticks some in her pocket like any good scientist would do. She sees a bright light and hears a machine of some sort. For some reason she thinks it's Mulder. Like, "Yes, Scully. It's just me and my gazillion watt flashlight."
Anyway, she's approached by a man with a shotgun who tells them that they're trespassing on private property and that they'll have to leave. Mulder runs up to join the party. If I were rating them I would have to give Scully a ten on the way she holds her weapon and Mulder a 3. She points out like she means it and Mulder... Well, Mulder is just kind of holding it vaguely in the guy's direction.
Mulder points out that it's a crime scene, which it is. You can see the tape. That means shit to this guy however and he threatens to arrest them. I'm a little confused here. It may be private property but it is a crime scene so how can he just kick them out? I dunno. If anybody else does let me know.
So, they leave, looking a lot like two kids that were told to go home by mommy. I just love the look Scully gives him. Like, "Fine, we're going. Ok?"
In the car Scully shows Mulder the ash and theorizes that maybe the kids were doing some kind of ritual in the woods. Which is especially funny if you've seen any of the later episodes and Scully's response to even the suggestion of satanic ritual.
Mulder notices that his compass is going nuts again. He checks his watch and starts scanning the sky. There's a bright light and the car completely stalls out. Mulder checks his watch and realizes that they lost nine minutes somewhere. Scully says that's impossible as time is "a universal invariant" and therefore it's impossible for time to be 'lost'. I don't science at all but I always thought that time was a man-made concept. But maybe my readers who can science better than me can tell me if that's right or wrong. Mulder's all happy and geeking out because X marks the spot (wink, wink).
Then the car miraculously starts by itself. Yeah, no. Don't think so. Sorry.
Back at the motel Scully is typing up her report. Obviously she doesn't believe Mulder's time loss. The power goes out and her laptop shuts off? Would that actually happen? I didn't own a laptop in the nineties so I honestly don't know if that's a mistake or not. Wouldn't a laptop have its own battery? She decides to take a shower (with the world's brightest candle). She's about to slip out of her sensible undies when she feels something strange on her back. And, also, kudos to the show for not putting her in lacy, sexy scanties. In fact, one of the things that I love about the show is they do very little to trade in on Scully's obvious sex appeal. I mean, she is smoking hot but they always keep her dressed sensibly and professionally. I think that's very cool. At least in the show, because I have seen some SexyScully pics.
She goes running to Mulder's room to have him check it out. I will say one thing for her, she ain't shy. Of course, fear could be overriding her shyness right now. Mulder gawks for a second or two. Which I won't bitch about. I mean, a beautiful woman has just dropped her robe and is standing in her underpanties in front of him. Who wouldn't gawk?
I did notice that he takes his sweet time running the candle down her back. It shows some little mole things that look a lot like the marks the kids had. But, phew, they're not. They're just mosquito bites. Man, Oregon must have mosquitos the size of birds to make bites that big.
Scully's so relieved that she falls into Mulder's manly chest. He's mostly amused by it and, like a gentleman, doesn't cop a feel. She gets a little embarrassed.
Next scene they're hanging out in his room while Mulder tells her about his sister's disappearance. I'll get to that later in my "What?" section.
He says she disappeared from her bed and has never been seen again. While he's giving her Mulder Backstory there's a creepy person hanging out in the bushes outside their motel room. Mulder tells her about how he became involved in the X-Files. He says that someone has been blocking his attempts to access highly classified information and that the only reason he hasn't been shut down is his friends in congress. He tells her that "they" are trying to use her to shut him down. She insists that he trust her. He tells her that he underwent hypnosis to recover memories of his sister's abduction. He says he was in the next bed but couldn't move or do anything to help her.
He says that the government knows and he wants to knew what they're protecting. Then he says that nothing else matters to him. Which, if you've seen the series, is true. Nothing, not his job, his life, nothing is as important to him as finding out. He's so obsessed with it that he can't even see that half the time he's working against his own interests. And that's why Scully and Mulder are such a perfect partnership. She is constantly watching his back for him. How many times would he have been fired or dead if it weren't for her? She gets rescued by him a lot as well but quite a few of those times are situations that he himself has put her in. For her part I think she admires his passion, even if it borders on obsession.
Anywho, in the midst of their bonding the phone rings. The anonymous caller tells them that Peggy, the girl in the wheelchair is dead.
At the scene of the accident the trucker who hit her says that she ran right out in front of him. Mulder is naturally surprised. Scully checks the girl's watch and it has stopped at 9:03, the same time as the light and their own lost time. Meanwhile, Mulder is getting some bad news. It seems that someone has trashed the autopsy room and stolen the body. They rush back to the motel to find their motel on fire, destroying Scully's laptop, notes and pretty much everything else.
They're approached by the same girl from earlier. The daughter of the M.E., Theresa. At a diner she confides in them that she's scared. That ever since her class graduated she has been finding herself in the forest with no idea of how she got there. She was the one who called them to tell them about Peggy. She says her dad is worried and wants to protect her but she doesn't believe that he can. She begs Scully and Mulder to protect her. As they talk blood starts pouring from her nose (with a little help from the tube that is trying to hide along the bridge of her nose. It actually blends in pretty well).
Right then Theresa's dad and the detective who kicked them out of the woods shows up. Scully and Mulder find out that the detective is also Billy's father. The boy in the 'waking coma'. They hustle Theresa out of there. It doesn't look like she really wants to go.
Scully says that the doctor has been hiding medical evidence in the autopsies and that both he and the detective know what's really going on. They decide to go check out the graveyard again. Mulder is curious about what they've been hiding.
When they get to the cemetery they find that the other two graves have been dug up and are empty as well. Mulder proposes that it is Billy Miles who is doing it. Scully, of course, is skeptical. The way Mulder nods at her even he doesn't seem too sure about his own theory.
After the non-commercial break Scully is still talking about how ridiculous it is that a coma patient is digging up graves and killing people. Mulder rightfully points out that Peggy was in a wheelchair but she ran in front of a truck. Mulder says that Peggy must have died around the same time their car shut down and they lost time. He thinks that something else took control of time for those nine minutes. He thinks that Scully thinks he's crazy. And she is kind of smiling and it looks like she nods at him.
Mulder gets a little miffed until Scully confesses that she saw Peggy's watch at the scene of the accident and it had stopped at exactly 9:03. Mulder starts getting excited again and theorizes (that's going to be a word used here a lot so better get used to it) that the forest controls them and summons them somehow. Which is kind of a weird thing to say if he actually thinks that it's aliens doing tests on them. The way he says it is like the forest itself is behind it. Scully says that "the forest summoned Theresa Nemmans body into the woods tonight". No, Scully. Peggy O'Dell was summoned there, not Theresa. Oops. Mulder says that the forest summons them but Billy is the one who actually takes them there. Scully laughs in his face. Which is a little rude. But Mulder's a good sport about it and laughs along with her. They decide to leave. They're going to see Billy Miles. I guess Mulder forgot that it's in the middle of the night.
Or, maybe not, because now it's the next day. While Mulder questions the nurse Scully is checking for any signs that Billy is the one responsible. The oh-so-tactful nurse doesn't seem to be able to recall what she was doing around nine the evening before. Scully checks out Billy Boy's get feet and finds the same ash-like substance that she found in the forest. Mulder asks the nurse if she took care of Peggy O'Dell as well but the nurse says that's "not my aisle of the produce section". Wow. Aren't we the funny one Nurse Ratched.
Scully is freaking the fuck on out about it being possible that Billy was in the forest and may have killed the other kids. Mulder suggests comparing the two samples and Scully reminds him that the original ash stuff was destroyed in the motel fire. Uh, didn't you get that from the forest? I'm sure you could find more there.
Mulder! of all people, tells her to slow her roll down because she's going to have to write the word aliens in her report. You know, as much as Mulder complains about Scully's skepticism anytime she does get excited about an 'extreme possibility' he's always handy to throw cold water on her. A prime example is in the episode 'Beyond the Sea'. They decide to go back to the forest to take another sample.
The forest. When they arrive they notice the detective's car there as well. Then they hear a scream and both they and the music jump into action. They dash into the forest and promptly split up. Again. Scully gets cold cocked with a branch by the detective and gets knocked down. The sheriff runs off. The only effect the branch seems to have on Scully is a slight headache.
Detective Miles finds Mulder and has him at gunpoint. Uh, dude? Not sure it's a bright idea to hold a gun on an FBI agent. And he doesn't seem to care that his son is possibly murdering a girl behind him. And 'Parent of the Year' award goes to Detective Miles. Mulder stress that maybe they might want to do something about the girl being killed and they both run off in Billy's direction. They find Billy holding Theresa Nemmen who is either dead or unconscious. Detective Miles tells Billy to stop and when he doesn't goes to shoot him. Mulder tales him to stop him. Then they both watch while Billy stands in a bright light, holding Theresa. Scully sees the light (I see the light, hallelujah!) but nothing else. The light fades and leaves Billy and Theresa (who is very much alive). The marks on Billy's back are gone. Mulder finally remembers Scully and they meet up. Mulder is all spent from the "incredible" light.
Billy is under hypnosis, telling about the party in the forest, the lights and the tests. He claims he was under orders to bring the other kids there. Apparently the tests were a failure so 'they' wanted all evidence erased.
On the other side of the mirror we see Blevins (the guy who gave Scully the assignment in the first place). The Cigarette Man is also there as well.
The suits are in their office with Scully. He says she hasn't validated the X-Files enough and she reminds him that there were crimes committed. He has issues with the fact that this case (and others like it) are unable to be prosecuted since there's no hard, physical evidence. In response Scully pulls out the implant taken from the corpse. She had it on her at all times so it was not destroyed in the fire along with everything else. As she's leaving she passes the Cigarette Man in the hall. Hmm, he seems to be everywhere now doesn't he?
At Scully's house she's lying in bed awake, watching the clock flip to 11:22. Mulder calls to tell her that the papers they filed against Billy are gone. They agree to talk the next day.
The next scene is the mysterious Cigarette Man taking the implant to some kind of storage area. He adds it to a box with similar implants. As he leaves we see that the storage area is in the Pentagon. What could this mean, I wonder?
End of Episode
Final Thoughts:
Yeah, these are probably going to be a little long. I'm terrible at doing brief synopses. For a Pilot episode it's pretty good. It doesn't have too much exposition for a Pilot and the actors do well together. Sometimes a series takes a few episodes for its actors to really fall into a groove with each other. There always seems to be some awkwardness. The awkwardness is present here but it works well with how Scully and Mulder are introduced to reach other. She doesn't really know what to expect of Mulder and he t thinks she was sent to spy on him. So it would make sense that they're stand offish with each other at first. That being said there were a few things I caught and some questions that were never answered.
1. Who were the other people in the slides that Mulder showed Scully early on? If they weren't classmates of Billy Miles then were they another 'test' that went wrong? And if they were former classmates then how in the hell did Billy get to them to take them to the light? Or did 'they' just grab them? I don't know and it never really says who, exactly, these other people are.
2. I don't really know how much authority the FBI would have but it doesn't seem likely to me that a local detective could just order them out of a crime scene, private property or not.
3. I would mark this as a spoiler but we already know that Mulder's sister disappeared so it's not giving anything away. Anyways, he tells Scully that he saw it (I think an episode or two more he says he was sleeping in the same room but in a different bed) but couldn't move or do anything to help. Later in the series they are playing a game together in the living room and she was abducted from there, not her bedroom. But I'll give it a break because there's so much time between a pilot and the actual show that stories change sometimes and the X-Files is actually one of the more consistent ones.
4. This is more just a personal gripe but why does it always have to be big rigs that hit people or cars? Like no other vehicle is deadly? It's just a little annoying that they always, always use semis. A VW Bug could be lethal to someone on foot. My dad was a trucker so this always irritates me.
5. If the M.E. we're actually hiding evidence wouldn't that be obstructing justice? But, maybe they needed the actual proof of the other bodies having the marks.
6. Going by the dates in this episode Theresa Nemmen graduated in 1989. The episode takes place in 1992. So she would be at least 20 if she were 18 when she graduated. My point is that if she did not want to go with her dad and the detective then they could not force her to. In fact, Scully and Mulder could have intervened on her behalf since she came to them for protection. I would almost think it was their duty to. By them backing down Theresa was put in danger that they could have prevented.
7. Do they ever arrest the detective for being complicit in the deaths? Because he obviously knew about them and even holds a gun on an FBI agent to prevent him from helping Theresa. That's a couple of felonies right there.
8. And speaking of the segment in the forest... Billy's dad has been protecting him this whole time, through the deaths of at least three other kids. But now he decides is a good time to kill his son to prevent the death of one girl. Why the sudden change? And why does Mulder stop him? For all he knows at that time Billy has killed Theresa. My theory is that it goes along with the whole "nothing else matters but my search for the truth" thing that Mulder has going on. Despite his fancy words to the detective about how long is he going to let it go on, Mulder is willing to risk Theresa's life and Billy's life just so that he can see "the truth".
9. I know Blevins is supposed to be the jerk looking to shut the X-Files down (under orders from higher up the food chain, one can presume) but he does have a point that this case could not be prosecuted, like a lot of the X-Files cases. In fact, in the episode "Fire", Mulder even makes a joke about it.
10. And one last one: They seem to be pretty picky aliens. They wanted everything destroyed. So, Billy collected the other kids. But, they don't kill Billy or Theresa. Now, that could be read as maybe they were actually a success but I don't know.
Thanks for reading! Next Saturday will be another episode recap and come back tomorrow for more of The Locker.
As always, I welcome any suggestions or constructive criticisms. Thanks for reading!
Oh, yeah, before we start I have to confess something. I'm a total Scully fangirl so some of these may be a little biased. I'll try not to be but I can't promise anything. I think she did awesome on this show as an actress. And the only time her character really annoys me is when the writers have her so blatantly obtuse and skeptical. I know she's supposed to be the skeptic but after a while it's a little annoying. Especially the very obvious things they do to keep her out of the action so she can remain a skeptic.
The X-Files: "Pilot"
We open with some text about the following story being inspired by actual documented accounts. I couldn't find a specific case that sounded like this one so I'm guessing that just some of elements they use are taken from real reports. Like the abductions, implants and lost time.
But! I'm getting ahead of myself.
A girl is running in her nightie through the woods. She looks scared but we don't see what she's running from. She takes a tumble and looks up to see a mysterious man-shape, surrounded by lights..
Fade to white
Collum National Forest, Northwest Oregon
There are people examining the now-dead girl. They don't see anything unusual (except that she's dead) on the body except for two lumps on her back that kind of look like two large moles. The Sheriff identifies her as being a former classmate of his son (class of '89). The other guy, who seems to be the M.E., asks if "IT'S" happening again.
F.B.I. Headquarters, Washington D.C.
Back in Washington Agent Dana Scully is just arriving for her assignment. We learn that she's been with the FBI for two years, has a medical degree and, for some unfathomable reason, her parents object to her joining the FBI. Personally, if I had a daughter that was a Dr. and an FBI agent at that age I'd be thrilled.
Talk gets around to 'Spooky' Mulder (I'm sorry. I think that's the stupidest nickname). He's apparently a top-notch psychologist and the best analyst in the violent crime section. They start talking about the X-Files and they get around to the real reason she's been called in. They want her to assist Mulder and write field reports on the scientific validity of his work. In Scully's words: They want her to "debunk" the X-Files.
There is a silent man lurking in the background, smoking a cigarette. Hmm. He also seems to stare at Scully a lot which makes her uncomfortable.
She goes down to the basement and, ah, the first meeting of a duo that made early interneters swoon. He seems a little suspicious of her but she says that she's looking forward to working with him. He whips out the projector (this will happen a lot in the series) and shows Scully pictures of a few different dead people, scattered around the country. They all have the same marks which are made up of an organic compound that Scully can't identify. She asks about his theories and in return he info-loads her with what the X-Files are and wants to know why it's bureau policy to sweep them under the rug. Because I'm sure she's privy to that information.
He asks if she believes in aliens and her logical answer is that "the energy needed to get to here from the far reaches of space would exceed a spacecraft's capabilities". Maybe ours, but how could she know for sure? If there truly is alien life on other planets then who's to say that they would be bound by our same scientific laws or abilities?
He whatevers her and asks why, if science cannot come up with any answers, then shouldn't they consider the fantastic. She whatevers him in return by saying that the girl could have been murdered and something was missed. Mulder tells her to pack up because they're going to Oregon.
On the plane ride there Scully is checking out the files when they hit some turbulence. She gets a little panicky but Mulder seems unfazed.
In the car they talk a little more about the case. Mulder tells her that the FBI was involved until they were unexplainably called back and the case was buried in the X-Files until Mulder found it and took a second look. He gives Scully a little test, which she passes. She noticed (as did he, of course) that the M.E. for the first couple of cases (which reported no markings) was a different M.E. than the one that recorded them. Obviously, someone's hidin' somethin'.
He also lets her know that they'll be exhuming one of the victims, Ray Soames.
On the way there the radio tweaks out. Mulder stops and decides to indulge in a little vandalism. He tags a big X on the road where they are. When Scully wants to know what he's doing he blows her off.
Coastal Northwest, Oregon, March 7, 1992
Scully and Mulder drive out to the cemetery for the exhumation. They're about to start when they're interrupted by a really pissed off guy and his daughter. He shoo's the daughter back to the car and comes tearing up, bitching them out for doing the exhumation and investigating. If the boy's parents (or guardians) ok'd the exhumation then he has absolutely no right or authority to tell them that they can't do it.
They ask him why he didn't do the last autopsy and he gets pissy again, wondering if they're implying that he missed something. Scully steps in with her Ice Queen Voice and they start to head to the grave. He says they better be able to prove any accusations but his daughter interrupts, begging to go home. Hmm, she looks about the same age as the others.
They leave.
The exhumation continues and we learn that Ray Soames was the third victim and that he had actually confessed to the first two deaths but they couldn't find any proof to back it up. He was being treated for schizophrenia at the time of his death. He died of exposure after seven hours outside on a warm July night. Mulder thinks this is weird. I can't say for Oregon but a July night in Michigan can be pretty damp and chilly so I think it could be likely.
The cemetery really needs to update it's equipment because a strap breaks and the coffin comes tumbling down and open. To reveal a skeleton that is decidedly not human looking. Mulder orders it sealed and taken to wherever their exam room is.
In the morgue Scully is inspecting the corpse while Mulder giddily prances about her, taking pictures. He's all jazzed but Scully is being a downer, suggesting that the corpse is an orangutan or chimp. Umm, ok, there Scully. That's a lot of work for a "sick" joke that people would most likely never see.
Mulder wants the works; blood tests, toxicology, tissue samples, full genetic profile, blah, blah, science-y stuff. Scully is weirdly resistant to it. I get that she doesn't believe it's an alien but it might be a good idea to be able to tell the kid's family exactly who (or what) was in his grave. Mulder wants the x-rays like NOW and tells Scully that he has the same doubts that she does, that's why he wants to know ASAP. Which seems reasonable. You'd think that Scientist Scully would want to know, too.
Scully's Motel Room
She's typing in the results of Ray Soames' autopsy. It appears that a small, metallic-looking thing was in his nasal cavity. Mulder stops by. He's going for a jog because he's too jazzed about what they found. She ponders the object for a bit then presumably goes to bed because the next scene is tomorrow.
Raymon County, State Psychiatric Hospital
They're talking to the doctor about Ray Soames and he's pretty forthcoming with information. He tells them that he's treated others in the same class and even gives them the names. If they don't have a warrant I would think that this would fall under patient privacy. They get introduced to Billy and Peggy. Billy is in a 'waking coma'. I did a search or two and couldn't find the term. Except for a hit for this episode on the wiki for the show. So I don't think it's a thing. Peggy is in a wheelchair. The doctor tells Scully and Mulder that Billy and Peggy were in a car accident. They talk about this standing about two feet away from Peggy and Billy. But, in movies and TV, sound waves don't carry like they would in real life. Peggy is reading to Billy and insists that he needs her close .
Mulder wants to check Peggy out. Medically, that is. But Peggy is having none of it. She throws a fit, gets a nosebleed and crashes to the floor. Mulder gets a little handsy and lifts the back of Peggy's pjs to reveal that she has the same marks.
Scully kind of freaks out and takes off outside. Mulder follows her and they have a back and forth about what is going on with the kids. Mulder believes they've been abducted which Scully, of course, thinks is ridiculous. He accuses her again of being a spy but she insists that she wants the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth (I may be paraphrasing a bit). She wants to know why all of the deaths seem to happen in our near the forest so we're off to the woods.
Once in the forest they part ways because that's what they do best. Mulder checks his compass to find that it's going haywire. Scully finds some sort of ash and sticks some in her pocket like any good scientist would do. She sees a bright light and hears a machine of some sort. For some reason she thinks it's Mulder. Like, "Yes, Scully. It's just me and my gazillion watt flashlight."
Anyway, she's approached by a man with a shotgun who tells them that they're trespassing on private property and that they'll have to leave. Mulder runs up to join the party. If I were rating them I would have to give Scully a ten on the way she holds her weapon and Mulder a 3. She points out like she means it and Mulder... Well, Mulder is just kind of holding it vaguely in the guy's direction.
Mulder points out that it's a crime scene, which it is. You can see the tape. That means shit to this guy however and he threatens to arrest them. I'm a little confused here. It may be private property but it is a crime scene so how can he just kick them out? I dunno. If anybody else does let me know.
So, they leave, looking a lot like two kids that were told to go home by mommy. I just love the look Scully gives him. Like, "Fine, we're going. Ok?"
In the car Scully shows Mulder the ash and theorizes that maybe the kids were doing some kind of ritual in the woods. Which is especially funny if you've seen any of the later episodes and Scully's response to even the suggestion of satanic ritual.
Mulder notices that his compass is going nuts again. He checks his watch and starts scanning the sky. There's a bright light and the car completely stalls out. Mulder checks his watch and realizes that they lost nine minutes somewhere. Scully says that's impossible as time is "a universal invariant" and therefore it's impossible for time to be 'lost'. I don't science at all but I always thought that time was a man-made concept. But maybe my readers who can science better than me can tell me if that's right or wrong. Mulder's all happy and geeking out because X marks the spot (wink, wink).
Then the car miraculously starts by itself. Yeah, no. Don't think so. Sorry.
Back at the motel Scully is typing up her report. Obviously she doesn't believe Mulder's time loss. The power goes out and her laptop shuts off? Would that actually happen? I didn't own a laptop in the nineties so I honestly don't know if that's a mistake or not. Wouldn't a laptop have its own battery? She decides to take a shower (with the world's brightest candle). She's about to slip out of her sensible undies when she feels something strange on her back. And, also, kudos to the show for not putting her in lacy, sexy scanties. In fact, one of the things that I love about the show is they do very little to trade in on Scully's obvious sex appeal. I mean, she is smoking hot but they always keep her dressed sensibly and professionally. I think that's very cool. At least in the show, because I have seen some SexyScully pics.
She goes running to Mulder's room to have him check it out. I will say one thing for her, she ain't shy. Of course, fear could be overriding her shyness right now. Mulder gawks for a second or two. Which I won't bitch about. I mean, a beautiful woman has just dropped her robe and is standing in her underpanties in front of him. Who wouldn't gawk?
You just know Mulder's checking out her ass while he's there.
Scully's so relieved that she falls into Mulder's manly chest. He's mostly amused by it and, like a gentleman, doesn't cop a feel. She gets a little embarrassed.
Come to Mulder, Scully
He says she disappeared from her bed and has never been seen again. While he's giving her Mulder Backstory there's a creepy person hanging out in the bushes outside their motel room. Mulder tells her about how he became involved in the X-Files. He says that someone has been blocking his attempts to access highly classified information and that the only reason he hasn't been shut down is his friends in congress. He tells her that "they" are trying to use her to shut him down. She insists that he trust her. He tells her that he underwent hypnosis to recover memories of his sister's abduction. He says he was in the next bed but couldn't move or do anything to help her.
He says that the government knows and he wants to knew what they're protecting. Then he says that nothing else matters to him. Which, if you've seen the series, is true. Nothing, not his job, his life, nothing is as important to him as finding out. He's so obsessed with it that he can't even see that half the time he's working against his own interests. And that's why Scully and Mulder are such a perfect partnership. She is constantly watching his back for him. How many times would he have been fired or dead if it weren't for her? She gets rescued by him a lot as well but quite a few of those times are situations that he himself has put her in. For her part I think she admires his passion, even if it borders on obsession.
Anywho, in the midst of their bonding the phone rings. The anonymous caller tells them that Peggy, the girl in the wheelchair is dead.
At the scene of the accident the trucker who hit her says that she ran right out in front of him. Mulder is naturally surprised. Scully checks the girl's watch and it has stopped at 9:03, the same time as the light and their own lost time. Meanwhile, Mulder is getting some bad news. It seems that someone has trashed the autopsy room and stolen the body. They rush back to the motel to find their motel on fire, destroying Scully's laptop, notes and pretty much everything else.
They're approached by the same girl from earlier. The daughter of the M.E., Theresa. At a diner she confides in them that she's scared. That ever since her class graduated she has been finding herself in the forest with no idea of how she got there. She was the one who called them to tell them about Peggy. She says her dad is worried and wants to protect her but she doesn't believe that he can. She begs Scully and Mulder to protect her. As they talk blood starts pouring from her nose (with a little help from the tube that is trying to hide along the bridge of her nose. It actually blends in pretty well).
Right then Theresa's dad and the detective who kicked them out of the woods shows up. Scully and Mulder find out that the detective is also Billy's father. The boy in the 'waking coma'. They hustle Theresa out of there. It doesn't look like she really wants to go.
Scully says that the doctor has been hiding medical evidence in the autopsies and that both he and the detective know what's really going on. They decide to go check out the graveyard again. Mulder is curious about what they've been hiding.
When they get to the cemetery they find that the other two graves have been dug up and are empty as well. Mulder proposes that it is Billy Miles who is doing it. Scully, of course, is skeptical. The way Mulder nods at her even he doesn't seem too sure about his own theory.
After the non-commercial break Scully is still talking about how ridiculous it is that a coma patient is digging up graves and killing people. Mulder rightfully points out that Peggy was in a wheelchair but she ran in front of a truck. Mulder says that Peggy must have died around the same time their car shut down and they lost time. He thinks that something else took control of time for those nine minutes. He thinks that Scully thinks he's crazy. And she is kind of smiling and it looks like she nods at him.
Mulder gets a little miffed until Scully confesses that she saw Peggy's watch at the scene of the accident and it had stopped at exactly 9:03. Mulder starts getting excited again and theorizes (that's going to be a word used here a lot so better get used to it) that the forest controls them and summons them somehow. Which is kind of a weird thing to say if he actually thinks that it's aliens doing tests on them. The way he says it is like the forest itself is behind it. Scully says that "the forest summoned Theresa Nemmans body into the woods tonight". No, Scully. Peggy O'Dell was summoned there, not Theresa. Oops. Mulder says that the forest summons them but Billy is the one who actually takes them there. Scully laughs in his face. Which is a little rude. But Mulder's a good sport about it and laughs along with her. They decide to leave. They're going to see Billy Miles. I guess Mulder forgot that it's in the middle of the night.
Or, maybe not, because now it's the next day. While Mulder questions the nurse Scully is checking for any signs that Billy is the one responsible. The oh-so-tactful nurse doesn't seem to be able to recall what she was doing around nine the evening before. Scully checks out Billy Boy's get feet and finds the same ash-like substance that she found in the forest. Mulder asks the nurse if she took care of Peggy O'Dell as well but the nurse says that's "not my aisle of the produce section". Wow. Aren't we the funny one Nurse Ratched.
Scully is freaking the fuck on out about it being possible that Billy was in the forest and may have killed the other kids. Mulder suggests comparing the two samples and Scully reminds him that the original ash stuff was destroyed in the motel fire. Uh, didn't you get that from the forest? I'm sure you could find more there.
Mulder! of all people, tells her to slow her roll down because she's going to have to write the word aliens in her report. You know, as much as Mulder complains about Scully's skepticism anytime she does get excited about an 'extreme possibility' he's always handy to throw cold water on her. A prime example is in the episode 'Beyond the Sea'. They decide to go back to the forest to take another sample.
The forest. When they arrive they notice the detective's car there as well. Then they hear a scream and both they and the music jump into action. They dash into the forest and promptly split up. Again. Scully gets cold cocked with a branch by the detective and gets knocked down. The sheriff runs off. The only effect the branch seems to have on Scully is a slight headache.
Detective Miles finds Mulder and has him at gunpoint. Uh, dude? Not sure it's a bright idea to hold a gun on an FBI agent. And he doesn't seem to care that his son is possibly murdering a girl behind him. And 'Parent of the Year' award goes to Detective Miles. Mulder stress that maybe they might want to do something about the girl being killed and they both run off in Billy's direction. They find Billy holding Theresa Nemmen who is either dead or unconscious. Detective Miles tells Billy to stop and when he doesn't goes to shoot him. Mulder tales him to stop him. Then they both watch while Billy stands in a bright light, holding Theresa. Scully sees the light (I see the light, hallelujah!) but nothing else. The light fades and leaves Billy and Theresa (who is very much alive). The marks on Billy's back are gone. Mulder finally remembers Scully and they meet up. Mulder is all spent from the "incredible" light.
Billy is under hypnosis, telling about the party in the forest, the lights and the tests. He claims he was under orders to bring the other kids there. Apparently the tests were a failure so 'they' wanted all evidence erased.
On the other side of the mirror we see Blevins (the guy who gave Scully the assignment in the first place). The Cigarette Man is also there as well.
The suits are in their office with Scully. He says she hasn't validated the X-Files enough and she reminds him that there were crimes committed. He has issues with the fact that this case (and others like it) are unable to be prosecuted since there's no hard, physical evidence. In response Scully pulls out the implant taken from the corpse. She had it on her at all times so it was not destroyed in the fire along with everything else. As she's leaving she passes the Cigarette Man in the hall. Hmm, he seems to be everywhere now doesn't he?
At Scully's house she's lying in bed awake, watching the clock flip to 11:22. Mulder calls to tell her that the papers they filed against Billy are gone. They agree to talk the next day.
The next scene is the mysterious Cigarette Man taking the implant to some kind of storage area. He adds it to a box with similar implants. As he leaves we see that the storage area is in the Pentagon. What could this mean, I wonder?
End of Episode
Final Thoughts:
Yeah, these are probably going to be a little long. I'm terrible at doing brief synopses. For a Pilot episode it's pretty good. It doesn't have too much exposition for a Pilot and the actors do well together. Sometimes a series takes a few episodes for its actors to really fall into a groove with each other. There always seems to be some awkwardness. The awkwardness is present here but it works well with how Scully and Mulder are introduced to reach other. She doesn't really know what to expect of Mulder and he t thinks she was sent to spy on him. So it would make sense that they're stand offish with each other at first. That being said there were a few things I caught and some questions that were never answered.
1. Who were the other people in the slides that Mulder showed Scully early on? If they weren't classmates of Billy Miles then were they another 'test' that went wrong? And if they were former classmates then how in the hell did Billy get to them to take them to the light? Or did 'they' just grab them? I don't know and it never really says who, exactly, these other people are.
2. I don't really know how much authority the FBI would have but it doesn't seem likely to me that a local detective could just order them out of a crime scene, private property or not.
3. I would mark this as a spoiler but we already know that Mulder's sister disappeared so it's not giving anything away. Anyways, he tells Scully that he saw it (I think an episode or two more he says he was sleeping in the same room but in a different bed) but couldn't move or do anything to help. Later in the series they are playing a game together in the living room and she was abducted from there, not her bedroom. But I'll give it a break because there's so much time between a pilot and the actual show that stories change sometimes and the X-Files is actually one of the more consistent ones.
4. This is more just a personal gripe but why does it always have to be big rigs that hit people or cars? Like no other vehicle is deadly? It's just a little annoying that they always, always use semis. A VW Bug could be lethal to someone on foot. My dad was a trucker so this always irritates me.
5. If the M.E. we're actually hiding evidence wouldn't that be obstructing justice? But, maybe they needed the actual proof of the other bodies having the marks.
6. Going by the dates in this episode Theresa Nemmen graduated in 1989. The episode takes place in 1992. So she would be at least 20 if she were 18 when she graduated. My point is that if she did not want to go with her dad and the detective then they could not force her to. In fact, Scully and Mulder could have intervened on her behalf since she came to them for protection. I would almost think it was their duty to. By them backing down Theresa was put in danger that they could have prevented.
7. Do they ever arrest the detective for being complicit in the deaths? Because he obviously knew about them and even holds a gun on an FBI agent to prevent him from helping Theresa. That's a couple of felonies right there.
8. And speaking of the segment in the forest... Billy's dad has been protecting him this whole time, through the deaths of at least three other kids. But now he decides is a good time to kill his son to prevent the death of one girl. Why the sudden change? And why does Mulder stop him? For all he knows at that time Billy has killed Theresa. My theory is that it goes along with the whole "nothing else matters but my search for the truth" thing that Mulder has going on. Despite his fancy words to the detective about how long is he going to let it go on, Mulder is willing to risk Theresa's life and Billy's life just so that he can see "the truth".
9. I know Blevins is supposed to be the jerk looking to shut the X-Files down (under orders from higher up the food chain, one can presume) but he does have a point that this case could not be prosecuted, like a lot of the X-Files cases. In fact, in the episode "Fire", Mulder even makes a joke about it.
10. And one last one: They seem to be pretty picky aliens. They wanted everything destroyed. So, Billy collected the other kids. But, they don't kill Billy or Theresa. Now, that could be read as maybe they were actually a success but I don't know.
Thanks for reading! Next Saturday will be another episode recap and come back tomorrow for more of The Locker.
As always, I welcome any suggestions or constructive criticisms. Thanks for reading!
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