"Max"

"When everyday's just another day you're gonna get kidnapped by a bunch of little grey dudes from outer space, what's a few CIA spooks to worry about?"
Originally Aired 3/23/97

Live from the Max Fenig rolling multimedia library and archive

I really enjoyed the first part, "Tempus Fugit", but I don't feel that strongly about "Max." This episode was heavy on dialogue and featured lengthy scenes where people explained events that happened last week. I thought The X-Files always prided itself on "showing, not telling" the audience, so Mulder's narration over what happened to Max last week felt unnecessary to me. I did like the actual flashback though, because it was the best sequence in the entire episode.

This episode also made the two-part story feel overlong; perhaps it would've been best as a special hour and a half episode, rather than the full two hours. I wonder if they did just stretch it to two, so they could have enough of a budget for the use of the plane wreckage, the scene with the plane landing as they drove under it, and the use of a cabin for the abduction scenes. The set piece with the lights shining into the plane was an excellent and eerie sequence and I did like Max floating out of the plane. Passengers blowing around and getting sucked out was equally intense.

Though I wasn't too happy overall, there were other small moments I liked that seemed to be sprinkled throughout. The use of the late Max Felig was neat, how he comes back via videotape, and I like how he's still chipper after all these abductions. Its the complete opposite of another abductee named Duane Barry. Skinner's scene with Scully when he notices her nosebleed and compassionately scolds her is neat and its good they finally brought up her cancer after a few episodes. Another is Mulder at the airport, when he notices he's being followed, then puts the bag though the x-ray scanner. Its those character moments that save the episode, because it was obvious the plane ride at the end was an excuse for Mulder to come up empty-handed, again. It felt very contrived that the aliens know which airplanes contain their missing "energy" parts-piece-things. Usually I overlook stuff like that in these myth episodes but this time it didn't happen.

This is the first time I've ever watched "Tempus Fugit"/"Max", so perhaps time will be kinder when I revisit the episodes. That's happened before with a few episodes, like "Syzygy", "Die Hand Die Verletzt", and "Conduit."

Only 6 episodes to go!

"Tempus Fugit"

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X-Files Rerun "Fallen Angel"

Originally Aired 11/19/1993

When I started going in order back in 2008, this was the first episode out of many that were "brand new." Three and half years later and I still like it just as much as I did then. It's a great action-packed, thriller episode that would be the first of many, even though this is a bit primitive compared to what I've seen now. It lacks the staples of the arc, such as the Syndicate, but Deep Throat is present and it foreshadows the closing of the X-Files department. There is something new I caught this time- the alien is invisible (or "cloaked") but when it attacks, there's a flash of blinding light and it radiates its victims, which is just like the people infected by the black oil in "Piper Maru." Pretty cool how they referenced it later and even the military operator girl is the same lady from "Piper Maru"! See for yourself...

Besides her, I really enjoyed the other guest stars, Marshall Bell as "Henderson" and Scott Bellis as "Max". They are completely opposite, yet both just as fun to watch. Max has a geeky charm, which makes you feel sorry for him; Henderson is chilling in the way he commands orders without batting an eye, such as "what she tracked was a meteor, its aberrant movement was due to instrument malfunction. Your report will reflect these facts." I forgot about the entire middle with the hospital scenes and at first I thought it would slow down the episode with too much exposition, yet it adds emotional weight to an already loaded episode. It serves as a way for Scully and the government to write off the UFO as a nuclear warhead accident, too.

A scene near the end with Scully in front of the FBI panel has always reminded me of a Twilight Zone episode. The way they filmed Scully to appear at this extra elongated table is just like Burgess Meredith in "The Obsolete Man." Not only is this among my favorites of Season One, it ranks highly with the next 3 seasons' worth of episodes, too. I'm really glad Max comes back (somehow) and it just so happens that "Tempus Fugit" and "Max" are my next Season 4 episodes.