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."