Dear All,
I'm very surprised no one mentioned about the very strange yet pleasant "Lynchian" content of this episode.
First... this episode is a turning point the show. There's a before and an after episode 12. No surprise there considering the fact that I really believe Chris Carter did direct this episode the exact way Lynch would have build this story. Here I don't blame Carter for being copying Lynch, I see it more as an homage to one of the best TV shows of all time: "Twin Peaks".
From the 1st second you're in Twin Peaks when appear Don S. Davis (Scully's father) who happened to have a very similar play in Twin Peaks: an US army officer and, moreover, involved in some extraterrestrial matters and "did see things". In X Files, he's a captain from the US army, dies and reappear in Scully's room, sat in an armchair, talking to her yet no sound can be heard. I believe that was Morgan intention to shoot the scene this way and it could have been one of Twin Peak's intense scene.
Other elements such as the "Waterfall", the "Angel" and the set up in the warehouse it absolutely similar to Twin Peak's plot: the Great North Hotel is located nearby a waterfall that is so important that it became a gimmick and was included in the opening title. The "Angel" reminds Laura Palmer's "pure death" after having been killed by Bob in both Twin Peaks and "Fire Walk with me". The set up in the warehouse looks a lot like the one in the train car where Laura and Ronette Poulaski where bounded, including the little mount of dust/sand and a medallion/chain from the victim (in Twin Peaks a half heart shape medallion). The killer looks just like Bob, the horrible grim kind of face, long grayish hair, blue jeans... the way he moves and acts also is similar to Laura Palmer's murderer. One of the female victim who survived is being interviewed in her hospital bed, reminding Ronette Pulaski after she had escaped from Bob and is asked to identify Bob's portrait.
At the most dramatic moment of the episode no fan of Twin Peaks would miss the music theme that is nothing else than the 3 first notes of the famous Angelo Badalamenti's Twin Peak's main theme with heavy oppressive strings.
Brad Dourif in his jail is a mix between Leland Palmer and the Mike the one-armed friend of Bob who he used to kill with. Both Leland and Mike have breakthrough moments during which Bob would speak through them. In X Files Brad have the same kind of seizure that would eventually help the FBI agents.
There's some other elements that don't come to my mind right now but the similarities between both shows are obvious.
As a matter of fact, not only Don S. Davis played in Twin Peaks but also David Duchovny was agent Dennis in 3 episodes of the 2nd season.
I believe there was there many signs that let me consider this episode as a kind of fan fiction story by Morgan being and Wong and it makes the guys even more likable.
Using the same effects and story lines used in Twin Peaks this episode kind of helped X Files to find its own personality. I believe that being put in a Twin Peaks alike story, Duchovny and Anderson found the resources to become Mulder and Scully and the show to become the success we know. Before episode 11 every piece sounded like pilots to me.
I'm very surprised no one mentioned about the very strange yet pleasant "Lynchian" content of this episode.
First... this episode is a turning point the show. There's a before and an after episode 12. No surprise there considering the fact that I really believe Chris Carter did direct this episode the exact way Lynch would have build this story. Here I don't blame Carter for being copying Lynch, I see it more as an homage to one of the best TV shows of all time: "Twin Peaks".
From the 1st second you're in Twin Peaks when appear Don S. Davis (Scully's father) who happened to have a very similar play in Twin Peaks: an US army officer and, moreover, involved in some extraterrestrial matters and "did see things". In X Files, he's a captain from the US army, dies and reappear in Scully's room, sat in an armchair, talking to her yet no sound can be heard. I believe that was Morgan intention to shoot the scene this way and it could have been one of Twin Peak's intense scene.
Other elements such as the "Waterfall", the "Angel" and the set up in the warehouse it absolutely similar to Twin Peak's plot: the Great North Hotel is located nearby a waterfall that is so important that it became a gimmick and was included in the opening title. The "Angel" reminds Laura Palmer's "pure death" after having been killed by Bob in both Twin Peaks and "Fire Walk with me". The set up in the warehouse looks a lot like the one in the train car where Laura and Ronette Poulaski where bounded, including the little mount of dust/sand and a medallion/chain from the victim (in Twin Peaks a half heart shape medallion). The killer looks just like Bob, the horrible grim kind of face, long grayish hair, blue jeans... the way he moves and acts also is similar to Laura Palmer's murderer. One of the female victim who survived is being interviewed in her hospital bed, reminding Ronette Pulaski after she had escaped from Bob and is asked to identify Bob's portrait.
At the most dramatic moment of the episode no fan of Twin Peaks would miss the music theme that is nothing else than the 3 first notes of the famous Angelo Badalamenti's Twin Peak's main theme with heavy oppressive strings.
Brad Dourif in his jail is a mix between Leland Palmer and the Mike the one-armed friend of Bob who he used to kill with. Both Leland and Mike have breakthrough moments during which Bob would speak through them. In X Files Brad have the same kind of seizure that would eventually help the FBI agents.
There's some other elements that don't come to my mind right now but the similarities between both shows are obvious.
As a matter of fact, not only Don S. Davis played in Twin Peaks but also David Duchovny was agent Dennis in 3 episodes of the 2nd season.
I believe there was there many signs that let me consider this episode as a kind of fan fiction story by Morgan being and Wong and it makes the guys even more likable.
Using the same effects and story lines used in Twin Peaks this episode kind of helped X Files to find its own personality. I believe that being put in a Twin Peaks alike story, Duchovny and Anderson found the resources to become Mulder and Scully and the show to become the success we know. Before episode 11 every piece sounded like pilots to me.