The X-Files Season 1
SPOILERS TOTAL. You've been warned.
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101: Pilot 1993 September 10
Watching now, in 2011, this seems... a lot hokier than it did back in the day. Part, I think, 18 years of TV production values. Part, my greater knowledge on things like abduction and UFO phenomena make Fox Mulder sound like a kid trying to show off. Part, so much other fiction since mixing in paranormal mythology, and knowing this show itself has 200 episodes in front of it, it seems such a crazy thing that they get lost time, abduction scars, implants, magnetic fluctuations, strange mutated corpses, mysterious lights affecting people right in front of Mulder all in one episode. Part, it seems pretty shameless the way they have Scully seem worried about scars of her own as an excuse to get her in her underwear, and makes her look weak to be hugging on this guy she barely knows since she's so frightened about it.
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102: Deep Throat 1993 September 17
I can believe that the government or portions of the government can keep huge secrets... but I'm not so sure about the one on this show. A top secret military base with a hole in the fence that stoners regularly use to enter? With surveillance so poor they don't notice a guy going through and walking to their big hangar until he's literally on the runway? Incredibly regular and visible testing of ET-derived craft within bike distance of a small town, rather than out in the middle of nowhere?
Continuing the talk of hokiness from the previous episode--this episode itself wasn't quite as hokey. BUT the title sequence sure is. Big floating "PARANORMAL ACTIVITY" text plus vague imagery like a screaming face and twisting body? Early 90s hip!
Non-content note: I _think_ I saw this episode when it first aired. The first time I'd seen the show, and boy was it up my alley.
Also, Seth Green.
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103: Squeeze 1993 September 24
Now that's how you make a memorable "monster of the week" episode.
Also, Donal Logue.
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