The X-Files S2 Ep1: Little Green Men

"I wanted to believe but the tools had been taken away.
The X-Files had been shut down.
They closed our eyes.
Our voices had been silenced.
Our ears now deaf to the realms of extreme possibilities."
-Agent Fox Mulder-

This is not Canadian singer Corey Hart. See here.
This is David Duchovny giving you everything in his heart.



All those years ago... This is an entry I penned and never completed. I've dusted it off like an old X-File and cleaned it up. In celebratory fashion over the arrival and revival of The X-Files mini-series (2016), with the original cast no less, we pay tribute to the classic series once again with a look at the Season Two opener.

Unfortunately, this entry was written and images snapped prior to the Blu-Ray release, but The X-Files always did have an earthy, gritty Fire In The Sky-like (1993) low-tech vibe (here) particularly in the first few seasons.



Regardless of technical merits and budgetary restrictions, and the new Blu-Ray release works wonders, The X-Files (1993-2002) was always a damn smart, intriguing and artistically satisfying production that played with lighting and shadowy atmosphere and menace to great effect.

Following a solid start to The X-Files with an overarching look at its launch here we jump ahead to Season Two. Season One laid the foundation for a series steeped in extra-terrestrial-based government conspiracy. It established a uniquely dark and shadowy cinematographic approach to the series to complement its dark and shadowy conspiratorial nature. Season One is chock full of exceptional entries and Musings Of A Sci-Fi Fanatic offered a BIG 10 selection of the season's best here.



Season Two picks up right where it left off. It's hard to argue that it's a better season than the first, but it is at least arguably as strong in quality.

The X-Files, Season Two, Episode One, Little Green Men opens with The X-Files shut down and Mulder and Scully separated and reassigned. Scully checks on Mulder's well-being covertly. Mulder is experiencing self-doubt. The two are having an influence. That Gillian Anderson/ David Duchovny dynamic first established in Season One is becoming understood. The trust and bond established in the Pilot of Season One is taken to the next level. It is developing into mutual concern. There is love, not of the sexual nature, but rather friendship.



As Chris Carter often said and noted very specifically in interview footage for the Season One extras, Mulder and Scully indeed had chemistry, energy and electricity, but it was not going to be the electricity many would often desire from their male and female leads. This was no Moonlighting (1985-1989) and shipping them into one another's arms was not part of the plan.

Carter also specifically wanted to see the gender roles reversed between Scully and Mulder and invert the male and female conventions often attributed to the respective roles.

Following the dance of the previous season between Mulder and Scully their connection is becoming more evident and in a sense necessary. As John Kenneth Muir once wrote, "Scully and Mulder were partners ... but also... competitors. They were dancers circling each other." He added, that their competing views formed something akin to "one whole person: a complete but conflicted world-view." In effect, "the characters complete one another." This becomes more apparent with each new season. Each season draws that connection closer as forces external to them move in.



Meanwhile, the series itself dances between the individual standalone stories or the more connected mytharc stories that form the whole of the show echoing the very partnership and journey of one Mulder and Scully.

Mulder expects he should have concrete evidence of things he has experienced and seen. He's not even certain of his sister's abduction. At the same time, Scully believes in Mulder and urges him not to give up what he believes. The support Scully gives Mulder is important. Despite her skepticism she in fact believes in her friend and colleague. She in fact has faith in him and she lends him strength for his own beliefs. She doesn't have to believe everything to believe in him, support him and care for him. She believes Fox is a good man with true intentions and that is enough to fortify her belief in him.



Flashbacks reveal the moment of Samantha's alien abduction, Mulder's sister, in a Close Encounters Of The Third Kind-styled (1977) homage. Interestingly, the alien abduction takes place just moments after playing a board game. This is in direct conflict with a recollection of events through regression therapy as documented in Season One, Episode 4, Conduit. Of course, creator Chris Carter wisely notes the discrepancy could be absolutely normal for someone attempting to clearly recollect events (see the book, The Truth Is Out There: The Official Guide To The X-Files by Brian Lowry). Those murky events could certainly be hazy and thus inaccurate for anyone. Memory is a funny thing. The disparity in his story and his recall of events further underscores Mulder's own self-doubt in Little Green Men.



This vulnerability illustrates and magnifies the juxtaposition of traditional gender roles in The X-Files with Duchovny demonstrating feminine qualities versus Scully's more supportive, firm-handed and austere performance. This is evident here and elsewhere in The X-Files run like Conduit. Duchovny is the antithesis in many ways of the archetype associated with the male figures in crime dramas preferring to operate on intuition and feeling. Consider a more traditional male investigator role like the one filled by the FBI's Charlie Francis in Fringe. Meanwhile, Scully works more methodically with fact often associated with a male criminal profiler. At the time, The X-Files was breaking considerable ground in its approach to gender roles but with considerable subtlety.



The episode touches on the launch of the Voyager 1 from September 5, 1977. Space:1999, Y1, Ep12, Voyager's Return focused its science fiction possibilities on an unmanned probe of the same name.

A visit to Senator Richard Matheson's office keeps Mulder's hopes alive. Matheson, a politician, clearly also believes in the "extreme possibilities" symbolized by the launch of the Voyager craft and Mulder's own belief in making contact. Even Matheson (a nod to science fiction author Richard Matheson who penned the films that inspired The X-Files in The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler), believes "they may be listening" and whispers to Mulder under the cover of Bach. Matheson urges Mulder to continue his work.



Agent Walter S. Skinner assures the Cigarette Smoking Man that Scully is not aware of Mulder's whereabouts. The scene suggests Skinner is a Mulder and Scully ally. The Cigarette Smoking Man, also referred to as the Cancer Man is The X-Files' definitive version of evil and even the devil himself.

Mulder heads to the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The sequence makes for a fully immersive and transporting experience in this memorable Season Two opener.

Scully visits Mulder's residence, under surveillance by fellow agents, and makes an effort to determine his whereabouts. Accessing his computer with failed password attempts of SPOOKY and SAMANTHA. Both would be considered weak passwords by the way, but people create them every day. TRUSTNO1 does the trick. By today's standards that would also be given a low password strength disapproval. (I actually know a woman who had something like Cat1 for a password and was somehow surprised she got hacked. Really?) Scully gets a printed document and leaves.



Agents tail Scully, but she phones Mulder's home, under surveillance, with bogus air flight info and sends her tails in a different direction---St. Croix. Trust no one indeed, but brilliant. And besides they can always thank her for that destination later.

In Puerto Rico, Mulder speaks with a Spanish-speaking man who has seen aliens or little green men. The tape machine activates and despite a full-on storm, Jorge exits the station in paralyzing fear. Mulder finds him yards away frozen dead outside in a form of suspended animated fright.

Mulder records his findings for Scully.  "Deep Throat said trust no one. It's hard Scully suspecting everyone, everything. It wears you down. You even begin to doubt what you know is the truth. Before I could only trust myself. Now I can only trust you." In a sense this moment and this season opener further cements that "whole" connection between the two principals.



Mulder, working feverishly like a crazy person in claustrophobic isolation, is visited by the Little Green Men in an exciting contact scene. He awakens to Scully's arrival. The military is coming. Mulder and Scully escape with one reel to reel tap while fired upon in their getaway vehicle.

Upon his return Mulder is called on the carpet by Skinner with the Cigarette Smoking Man present. Mulder chirps back regarding his phone being tapped illegally. In a surprising move, Skinner firmly directs "get out," but not to Mulder, but rather the Cigarette Smoking Man who quietly leaves after lighting another.

Mulder notes, "I may not have the X-files Scully, but I still have my work. I'll still have you. I still have myself." As she touches Mulder's hand out of assurance, there is indeed a fortifying of the partnership dynamic here. These are two acting as one. It's quite revealing about a series that takes its time over nine seasons. It's incredibly subtle but ever so rewarding. These character studies are at the heart of The X-Files. It's the journey of these true people more than ever obtaining the truth about aliens.



Little Green Men offers a good deal of suspense and the frightening use of lighting and sound makes this a very effective, spooky riff on alien abduction. There is a gritty, eerie, otherworldly tone to The X-Files that really sets this series apart from the imitators. And once again, The X-Files achieves so much with atmosphere and mood and the power of suggestion. After all, the little green men are essentially teased on the whole. 

Little Green Men: B.
Writer: Glen Morgan/ James Wong. Director: David Nutter.

Special Agent Dana Scully Abduction Totals To Date: 1.

Special Agent Fox Mulder Abduction Totals To Date: 1.

Primary Episodes featuring traces of the mytharc Season Two:
Little Green Men/ Duane Barry/ Ascension/ One Breath/ Red Museum/ Colony/ End Game/ Anasazi.

Stargate Universe S1 Ep11: Space

"The Colonel's dangerous."

-Nicholas Rush-

"We need to do something about that."

-Camile Wray-

"For the record I think this is a very bad idea."

-Nicholas Rush-

"Yes, but it's the best of the bad ideas."

-Camile Wray-

Motives and agendas threaten to split apart the crew of the Destiny. How fitting that it's been a good deal of time and space since I last wrote about Stargate Universe (2009-2011). My diversions and a bit of hyper sleep see me return to the trials and tribulations of those aboard the Destiny hurtling through the unknowns of space. It's not for a lack of interest in this series, because SGU is exceptional. It is offers a delicate balance of suspense, thrills and quiet character development. It was a remarkable series and would easily rank among my favorites.



In Stargate Universe, Season One, Episode 11, Space, there may be no shortage of discoveries abound, but one thing that is certain, assured and never a surprise, the darkness and light of human behavior are forever in play even in the isolation and deep void of space.

Just as everyone continues to have their doubts about the fate of Dr. Nicholas Rush at the hands of one Everett Young, Young, too, questions himself and his actions. Those doubts are a result of the nasty, violent physical altercation between Rush and Young that abandoned Rush to die on a visited planet covered in SGU, Justice here.



The aforementioned events are particularly unsavory and interesting because the conventions of science fiction are somewhat inverted. Typically, the Dr. Rush character, echoing traditionally evil characters (though far more complex here) like Dr. Zachary Smith of Lost In Space (1965-1968), act normally as the trigger for such disturbing machinations actually occurring to the perceived hero. Here, we have a far less defined set of motivations for those in roles typically perceived as conventional. Rush, Wray and Young all have competing objectives, agendas and thus motivations are not black and white.



Additionally, the rest of the crew that is aboard the Destiny continues to do what humans do---jockey for position sometimes undermine authority, destabilize and make every effort to assert their own petty agendas conceivably to the detriment of the greater good. It only proves you can take the humans far from home, but you can't take the human, or nature, out of them. A change of location and circumstances does not alter human nature. The only thing it magnifies is the potential for our natures to get worse or better. The question is how would you respond to circumstances?



The disturbing realities of subterfuge are always in play aboard the Destiny as much as the crew attempts to ascertain answers to more vital questions of survival. One thing humans do best is make it hard on themselves. Why potentially deal with fighting aliens attacking the Destiny when you have each other to battle? Contending with the unknown and aliens might seem like your number one priority, but the reality is human beings are often there own worst enemy. The potential for the ugly is as great as it is the beautiful and SGU will explore both as much as it explores space.



When the aliens make contact the suspense rises. In effect, SGU launches a response on the aliens as much as it does a Season 1.5 response to critics of the series' pacing by injecting a space-fueled battle infusion of excitement, a la Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009), into the proceedings. Now I've devoured each and every scene of SGU's first ten episodes. It may be an acquired taste, but its measured pacing and sustained mood make for one of the finest, uncompromising space series in recent memory.



A recent viewing of James D. Parriott's Defying Gravity (2009) and I couldn't help but wonder if SGU didn't find some inspiration in its approach from that ephemeral run. While a brighter, more inspiring series about the desire for actual astronauts to be in space, the direct opposite of how and why the people are aboard the Destiny, SGU still feels like it took some concepts and implemented them to great effect, to differing effect and even improving upon some aspects.




Matthew Scott and Ronald Greer take to the skies of space to intercept the launch of several smaller alien ships from a much larger alien mother ship. A space battle between vessels ensues that would make Katee Sackhoff proud.

Meanwhile, Eli Wallace and others attempt to fill the vacuum and void left by the absent Rush in breaking down the science of Destiny and understanding how to operate the vessel. Every effort is made to, first, understand the Destiny, and two, alternate power between shields and weapons while taking fire.



Ultimately the hull of the Destiny is breached and contact is made as Chloe Armstrong is literally abducted by aliens. As the ship exits, the artificially intelligent-like systems of the Destiny quickly fills the hole and space made aboard the Destiny by the breach by essentially assimilating it into its shielding coverage. Excellent stuff.



With the communication stones working to facilitate a physical exchange between Young and an alien aboard the foreign craft, Young happens upon Rush submerged in a liquid tank aboard the alien vessel, a kind of homage to Luke Skywalker and the Bacta Tank from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Young smashes through the glass tank. The move is clearly a reaction to Young's previous decision in Justice. Young looks for redemption and vindication over his guilty conscience and wishes to rescue Rush, the very man he previously left for dead. Upon closer inspection and a second chance, Young's human conscience gets the better of him. We all make mistakes. There are always scenarios in our lives where we wish for the proverbial do-over. No one is perfect.



While the alien mother ship was interesting coupled with some nifty sound effects, the blue aliens themselves were intriguing but the CGI is mildly underwhelming for this writer. My standards are pretty high, but the creatures are still reasonably good. The translucent aliens are also more fascinating and mysterious than such previous incarnations within the franchise such as the Goa'uld. The Replicators were an exception to the rule though an overreliance and overuse relegated them to an overly hackneyed foe.



Those who questioned the direction of the series based on Season 1.0 will find a tonal shift with Space. The mood that made the first season such an overwhelming surprise and success for this writer is replaced here by a mid-season, up-tempo-paced action piece to satiate the appetites of a vocal, arguably rambunctious or unruly Stargate fan base displeased with the replacement of fan darling Stargate Atlantis (2004-2009). Whether that continues to guide the series for the second half of its first season or not remains to be seen as of this writing, but that first season's genuine emotional core is what established and made this new series version of Stargate so impressive. Space offers a nice diversion away from the cadence established to date, but fans of SGU can only hope it doesn't lose sight of its dramatic and emotional heart.



Always interesting to me is the human interplay on SGU. Young's discovery that Rush has returned leaves him reeling with a mixed reaction of both relief and concern over not only that which he is capable but for what will inevitably be revealed to others. His on-board nemesis is sure to retake his rightful place aboard the Destiny. Fortunate for Young, Rush was probed by the aliens and is marred by a blurry recollection of actual events that took place in the lethal Justice. Or is he? Could Rush actually be aware? And equally fortunate, fans of this new series are reunited quickly with one of the true highlights of the series in Robert Carlyle as Rush.



The best portion of Space is not so much the open space of the space opera portion of this effects-heavy episode, but the intimate closing of space between both Rush and Young as Rush admits to knowing the truth of the reality of former events and their relationship. Young, too, is aware of efforts by Rush to frame him. In the end, the men appear to demonstrate regret and surrender to a kind of peaceful, though uneasy and distrustful co-existence. For now. Their exchange and the final minutes observing the characters aboard the ancients vessel as a slice of their lives unfolds over song (a popular option on Defying Gravity but by no means a first there either) is what pulls this viewer in most.



Writing team Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, the team behind Dark Matter (2015), arrive for their first contribution to SGU of twelve. The duo first appeared on Stargate SG-1 for Season Four and contributed a whopping 46 episodes beginning with the excellent Window Of Opportunity (Ep6). Highlights are many including the Season Eight two part Moebius. This was followed by eighteen contributions to Stargate Atlantis before returning for SGU. Well-versed in writing science fiction Mullie and Mallozzi would create the Dark Matter comic book (2012) and adapt for SyFy. The two writers would write the bulk (ten) of its thirteen episode first season together and as individual writers.



In general, Mallozzi and Mullie along with the rest of the writing staff continue to deliver a cracking, quality series for SGU and each episode never misses a uniformly coherent beat.

Meanwhile the visual team and direction continues to be second to none. Director Andy Mikita returns for his fourth directorial effort (of twelve) behind his exceptional three-part pilot opener for SGU, Air. Mikita too enjoyed an extensive run with the Stargate franchise beginning with Season Three of Stargate SG-1 for twenty-nine episodes followed by twenty-two contributions to Stargate Atlantis. The two-part Heroes and Threads (both SG-1) and Midway (SGA) are among his many highlights pre-SGU. Together, Mikita with Mullie and Mallozzi fit hand in glove having worked together as creative battery mates on ten collaborations prior to SGU including Stargate Atlantis series finale Enemy At The Gate. This would be the first of nine occasions for SGU. Mikita would later rejoin the writing team for the final two episodes of Dark Matter's Season One. Whew!



Given that Space offers the best balance of writing and visual adventure. Though, for me, Space still proves the series is best on SGU when little of it exists between its characters, drawing emotions in close where raw feelings are exposed under duress. Observing the human condition intimately responding to strain, pressure and the unknown against the ironic backdrop of that expanse called space is what makes the series shine. Space is part one of two concluding with Episode 12, Divided.

Space. Writer Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie. Director: Andy Mikita.