Originally Aired 1/26/97
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| Rub-a-Dub-Dub, Leonard Betts in a Tub! |
I am incredibly late in viewing "Leonard Betts" and I don't really have a valid excuse. However I seem to always fall behind by this point in the season since I started reviewing these a couple of years ago. With that out of the way, "Leonard Betts" first aired following Super Bowl XXXI and was seen by approximately 29 million people. Holy Moly! I never watched during the initial run of the series (except for trying it near the very end) so its cool to think about just how huge this was in the 90's.
This episode is notable for several reasons. First, it was written by the trio of Frank Spotnitz, John Shiban, and Vince Gilligan, who before now were never really involved in pivotal moments of the series arc. Behind the scenes it seems like things were transitioning from the old guard (Gordon, Wong, and Morgan) to these three who would become Chris Carter's co-Producers for the rest of the series' run.
Another reason is because this episode is not just a typical standalone "monster" tale. I guess you could call it a "myth-monster" episode. The character for which the episode gets its name loses his head and dies in the opening, but then in a neat camera trick, his body gets up and walks away. Mulder and Scully are on the case to see if its a body-snatching bandit or Leonard Betts actually survived the fatal accident. Once all is revealed, it does feel like its a lot to swallow. Cancer, regeneration, then even eating cancer? In traditional X-Files style, you just gotta roll with it.
This episode is notable for several reasons. First, it was written by the trio of Frank Spotnitz, John Shiban, and Vince Gilligan, who before now were never really involved in pivotal moments of the series arc. Behind the scenes it seems like things were transitioning from the old guard (Gordon, Wong, and Morgan) to these three who would become Chris Carter's co-Producers for the rest of the series' run.
Another reason is because this episode is not just a typical standalone "monster" tale. I guess you could call it a "myth-monster" episode. The character for which the episode gets its name loses his head and dies in the opening, but then in a neat camera trick, his body gets up and walks away. Mulder and Scully are on the case to see if its a body-snatching bandit or Leonard Betts actually survived the fatal accident. Once all is revealed, it does feel like its a lot to swallow. Cancer, regeneration, then even eating cancer? In traditional X-Files style, you just gotta roll with it.
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| Looks like Mulder is having a hard time explaining it too! |
I remember watching this episode for the first time in 2007 when I bought a used copy of the vhs with "Leonard Betts/Memento Mori" for $1 at a comic book store. The episode was fun and the ending was dynamite, if only I hadn't accidentally spoiled it for myself by reading too much on wikipedia. Even expecting it, they do give Scully a chance to shine. She is tough and resourceful, rather than playing the usual tv "damsel in distress."
While it is a good episode that leaves you with a lot to chew on, I feel like if this had aired during any other season it would be the best episode of that year. Yet in this fourth season, its been given a lot of tough competition. We've seen Cigarette Smoking Man's "origin", a nasty tale of mutated men, a possible end for Mulder's search for his sister, and the return of Krycek. I do like how the series main arc is finally pulling Scully back into it. The previous two-part stories have been more Mulder-centric, while Scully was playing a secondary role. Now she's front and center and since this "Cancer Arc" is all brand new to me (though I am familiar with it), I'm interested in finally seeing it for myself.
While it is a good episode that leaves you with a lot to chew on, I feel like if this had aired during any other season it would be the best episode of that year. Yet in this fourth season, its been given a lot of tough competition. We've seen Cigarette Smoking Man's "origin", a nasty tale of mutated men, a possible end for Mulder's search for his sister, and the return of Krycek. I do like how the series main arc is finally pulling Scully back into it. The previous two-part stories have been more Mulder-centric, while Scully was playing a secondary role. Now she's front and center and since this "Cancer Arc" is all brand new to me (though I am familiar with it), I'm interested in finally seeing it for myself.
You can really see the torch being passed here now, can't you. Gordon, Morgan and Wong were leaving for good and Gilligan, Shiban and Spotnitz were the new guard. You know what, this is extremely far fetched, even by this show's standards, but it's great, I really love it and I can see why Fox wanted to give audiences a real scary treat after the Superbowl.
ReplyDeleteGreat reviews as always, it's nice to have you back.
Good point about this episode being a sort of hybrid between a MOTW and a myth episode. I hadn't thought of it that way, but I can't really think of other episodes that combine the two. They usually seem to be strictly one or the other. And I almost always prefer the MOTW ones. But "Leonard Betts" is one of my favorites. Perhaps this is part of the reason for that. Love the caption for the first photo!
ReplyDeleteLove,
B
The only other true Myth/Monster that I can think of "Sleepless." Though there are some I like that are standalones with myth characters, like "F. Emasculata", "Wetwired", and "Musings", neither of those are really part of the larger story.
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