1X16 - E.B.E. [REVISITED]

Summary

The first official wild goose chase, perchance?? I dunno, this episode sorta bugs me. There were certainly some interesting and wildly unlikely moments — such as that bit with the surveillance equipment in Scully's pen — but in the end, we were stuck with "okay, so what was the point of all that?" Deep Throat pays Mulder (and us) some lip service about wanting to atone for past behaviour by helping him, but we're still caught one step short in getting to any real proof. For once, I totally understood Scully's frustration at Mulder's quick acceptance of everything Deep Throat tells him. The thing is, as a viewer, I was always wanting to believe when it came to Deep Throat, but in instances such as this episode, it really did make me think whether he was just yanking on Mulder's chain because he got off on it (in reference to a memorable conversation that M&S later have in the season finale).

Successful rescue attempt or just a hoax?

Iraqi fighter pilot shoots down a UFO and thus starts an early mythology episode that has the viewer wondering "interesting, but why?" Was there or was there not an EBE rescued from that downed UFO? Why were Mulder and Scully under such crazy surveillance when they didn't actually know anything? What we do know, however, is that people were seeing all sorts of UFO activity along that truck's route. Was that all a hoax (and it would have been just for Mulder and Scully; so as they say, rather elaborate) or was there a real rescue attempt being made by extraterrestrials to free whatever EBE was once held inside that truck? If it was indeed all a fake, wow - what a waste of taxpayer dollars. And I'm not talking about the travel and accommodations costs for our twosome as they fly and drive up and down the west coast chasing this thing!

But I think that this hour was meant for something other than the "EBE that just got away" story. (Or Deep Throat's "I killed innocent aliens in the past and now I want to make up for it by helping you save them... maybe" story.) The conversations that Mulder and Scully had during this episode provided significant character exposition. ("I think it's remotely plausible that someone might think you're hot." "Mulder, you're the only one I trust.") The disagreement that they had over Mulder's absolute willingness to believe (aka his "I want to believe") told us a lot about the both of them. Then there was the exchange in Mulder's office the next day, where it was clear that he had followed Scully's advice to have the photo analyzed, with the result that now, "There's no one we can trust."

Best or Worst Moment

The introduction of The Lone Gunmen, definitely, and their introduction to Scully. The three geeks made enough of an impression among the geeks discussing the show on the internet that the creators extended their lives beyond this single appearance. And the rest, as they say, is history. (Unfortunately, history eventually took a bad turn, but that part of the show is not allowed to be mentioned on this site.)

John Byers: "That's why we like you, Mulder - your ideas are weirder than ours!" The Lone Gunmen were cool. They didn't deserve what happened to them and I'm glad to hear that they've been rescued from the dead for the X-Files current comic book run.

Original Rating: * * *
Revised Rating: * * *