Original Review Posted on Livejournal 9/7/08
With Season 4 being on holiday break as well as myself having a break between semesters, I've decided to rewatch and review episodes from Season One. I originally posted most of my reviews on Livejournal but they are very rough and barely resemble something you would call a review. I also noticed when I started this in 2008, I watched them on Sundays the week each episode aired. Not only has my writing changed, I became more focused to following along with when each episode aired. Anyways....on with the show.
I cannot believe how well everyone involved perfectly executed their roles in The X-Files "Pilot" episode. Carter has Mulder being a little goofy yet he's as sharp as a tack, while Scully is more closed-minded than her partner and needs actual proof. However there is a moment where she gets caught up in the excitement after they discover Billy Miles' feet are dirty (ugh! how did that nurse not even know?!) but Mulder is quick to remind her what her role is in the investigation.
What deserves to be pointed out is Mulder's goofiness when he first meets Scully. "Do you believe in the existence of extra-terrestrials?" "Spooky" Mulder really is the FBI's Most Unwanted and I'm sure he's just trying to rattle Scully a little to see if she's up to the challenge of investigating strange phenomenon with him. If you can handle his sense of humor, well, you can handle anything.
The actual look of The X-Files is excellent too. It does indeed feel more like a movie rather than just a television series. I can't say whether FOX gave them a healthy budget from the start but to me it appears they did with the wide range of sets on display here- they're shooting in a forest, on location in a cemetery, there's a scene on a plane, we see Mulder's office for the first time, not only that they're in a hospital and even set a hotel on fire. The special effects with the leaves, while done on a computer, look realistic to me.
Not only were Mulder and Scully well developed from the start, we also get a lot of seeds that are being planted. We learn about Mulder's sister who was abducted as a child, which he says he went through hypnosis to learn details. Later Billy Miles is in a therapy session with that same doctor. The Smoking Man is there and will later take on a much greater role, as well as Chief Blevins, who would return. Scully was assigned by them to "debunk" Mulder's work and file reports on him, and while I still wish they had kept her more at odds with Mulder for a little longer, I think it worked out much better that she quickly became his ally. Especially after noticing that scene where she finds the same sand sample on Billy's feet.
I'm not just saying this as a diehard X-Files fan, but also as a fan of great television, that this is the best pilot episode I have ever watched. Carter, Duchovny, Anderson, and the rest of the production crew got everything right from day one. The X-Files really was a magical "perfect storm" of television that I feel will never be duplicated.
One final question though, do all rental cars come with cans of spray paint in the trunk?
Brilliant, I've been itching to read your comments on the early days and you haven't disappointed. I'm totally with you on how you feel about this episode, I'm a die hard fan of course, but I genuinely believe this to be a brilliant piece of television in its own right and truly right from the off this felt more like a big screen movie rather than a television show. I seriously love this Pilot, if I'm ever bored and I want something to watch, all I have to do is put this on and enjoy the quality.
ReplyDeleteAfter I posted my review, I read yours. Seems like we think alike, that it has a film quality to it, though I didn't know the trivia about the Pilot cinematography being different. Cool!
ReplyDeleteYeah, it was Thomas Del Ruth who didn't come back to the series, paving the way for John S Bartley, but still, the magic was there right from the beginning I think.
ReplyDeleteI always find it interesting to compare the acting from the pilot to later seasons. Scully sounds squeaky and feminine, and Mulder has this eager puppy-dog quality. Over time, it's fascinating to see how the actors refine their portrayals: Scully becomes more and more serious while Mulder adopts an almost distracted air. You can literally see them settle into their characters. But I have to agree that this pilot is one of the best I've ever seen. I don't think it's because they had a high budget, though. If I recall correctly, a low initial budget led to them filming in Canada. In fact, when the budget was significantly increased in season six and they moved filming to Los Angeles, most fans feel that everything began to slide downhill with the quality. Interesting, huh?
ReplyDeleteLove, B
Great review, I think we agree on alot of what we love about the Pilot. There's something about these old romps through the forests of Vancouver that makes me love the early episodes so much. And though Mulder and Scully will develop and change from how they're presented here, it's that chemistry and mental connection between them that is immediate and makes me want to keep going and see where they're headed.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I don't think this episode would have sold me on The X-Files if I had watched it first years ago. But in hindsight it's an awesome first episode because all of the tools of the series are there from the start- Mulder's quirky humor, Scully being open to his ideas but still skeptic, law enforcement that doesn't like them, the Smoking Man, and mentioning Samantha.
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