X-Files Rerun "Darkness Falls"

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
Originally Aired 4/15/1994

If his X-Files career didn't pan out, Mulder could've always been a catalog model.

I recall this is one of the earliest episodes I watched when I got into the series through Sci Fi Channel reruns some 6 or 7 years ago. It's one I've always liked, though unfortunately the quality of many other Season One episodes has reduced the impact of "Darkness Falls."

Just like the previous episode, "Shapes", this episode also makes use of the forests of Vancouver. The bugs that attack the loggers in the forest don't look like they'd be a threat, but don't let their appearance fool you. The cocoon that they spot high-up in a tree is pretty neat and it makes sense that Scully should spot it since she's not a believer, so her "Oh my God!" face really sells the threat of the bugs.

Time may not have been kind to "Darkness Falls" since it slipped down my list of favorites but this rewatch helped to boost it's standing. It's in the vein of classic horror movies, which isolate a group of people, then force them to team up against ghouls or ghosts. Night of the Living Dead featured a swarm of zombies surrounding a house, The Thing had a crew in Antarctica, and "Darkness Falls" uses glowing insects. The X-Files isn't just a creature show though, as it always used great characterizations, too. They spent the first ten minutes of the episode showing and telling us that the eco-terrorists are a nasty group of people who's actions left Mulder, Scully, and friends stranded in the foods. Then, in X-Files fashion, they add one of those "terrorists" to the group for added tension.

Even though Chris Carter was the series' creator, he didn't seem to have much success in creating weekly monster tales for Mulder and Scully. "Darkness Falls" was a turning point for Chris and proved that he wasn't going to be outdone by his writing staff.

These bugs got nuthin' on The Smoke Monster!

X-Files Rerun "Shapes"

"It's made for a woman but strong enough for a man."
Originally Aired 4/1/1994

You don't need to give him CPR, he's already dead.

This episode is fine to look at, which is a good example of the gloomy Vancouver setting for filming the tv series. The moments that are interesting are few and far between, however its still a better Native American werewolf story than Twilight.

"Shapes" begins with a cattle ranch that is under attack from an animal, which brings Mulder and Scully out to investigate because Mulder thinks its more than just an ordinary animal. I did appreciate that they tried to link the werewolf story to Native American lore; also the moments of continuity when Mulder says this is the first "X-file" case and Scully mentions her father. There is also a nice touch from the director, who focuses the camera on a rattling glass of alcohol, while the werewolf attack is out of focus in the background. The werewolf transformation is fine, too; although the blurry/slow-motion werewolf attacks look hackneyed and totally 90's.

Since writing these X-Files reviews on my own blog, I've been adding a quote from each episode or some other quote which I feel is funny. However "Shapes" rarely offered anything in the way of fun dialogue from Mulder, which seems to be the measuring stick for determining quality X-Files episodes; no Mulder jokes means not worth a rewatch. I wouldn't call this worst episode of Season One, though, as that dishonor still goes to "Space."