The X Files : Season One

[DATA476]

Season: One
Air Dates: 10th September, 1993 - 13th May, 1994
Episodes: One through Twenty Four

The X Files | Season One
Just to remind you, below is the list of episodes from the first season...

(8.9) 1. Pilot
(8.7) 2. Deep Throat
(8.9) 3. Squeeze
(8.3) 4. Conduit
(7.7) 5. The Jersey Devil
(7.7) 6. Shadows
(7.3) 7. Ghost Machine
(9.0) 8. Ice
(6.3) 9. Space
(8.5) 10. Fallen Angel
(8.6) 11. Eve
(7.9) 12. Fire
(8.9) 13. Beyond the Sea
(7.9) 14. Genderbender
(7.6) 15. Lazarus
(7.8) 16. Young at Heart
(8.8) 17. E.B.E
(7.8) 18.Miracle Man
(7.6) 19. Shapes
(8.8) 20. Darkness Falls
(8.9) 21. Tooms
(7.5) 22. Born Again
(7.7) 23. Roland
(9.1) 24. The Erlenmeyer Flask

My View: Season 1 of the X-Files never reaches the dizzying heights the show did later on in its second through sixth/seventh seasons, but it remains a compelling mixture of monster of the week episodes and mythology-driven episodes, which are mostly well-executed but since the mytharc is in its infancy aren't quite as thrilling as later episodes (with the exception of the brilliant, brilliant season finale "The Erlenmeyer Flask"). Character interaction and development are well-written and monster of the week episodes are generally quite good (occasionally excellent, especially "Ice"- wow!), but several aren't very good and bring the season's quality down a bit. Still, though it is a show that is still in infancy and a bit unsure of itself, this first season is by no means one you should skip 'to get to the better part'. Yes, the show gets better later on, but this is still miles ahead of the vast majority of television series.

What are your views on Season One of The X Files?

 

[Eddie Roth]

Agreed that S1 is not yet the rollercoaster ride that S2-S4 or 5 were. However, it's one of those seasons where even the weaker episodes are made highly watchable thanks to the still-fresh concept and the incredibly spooky atmosphere the show managed. When I think of TXF, most of the images that come to mind immediately are to a good percentage freom Season 1. Which says a lot. Not my #1 favorite season, but a very good start.

 

[Haytil]

There are some VERY crappy episodes in Season 1.

But the others highlight how good a show can be, even though it doesn't have much of a budget.

Very resourceful.

 

[sidious618]

Ah, first season X-Files. There were some stinkers but boy was it a lot of fun. My two favorites are:

EBE- I loved the mystery and atmosphere of this episode. There's something really creepy about it. "Deep Throat" had a similar quality to it but this one edges it out.

The Erlenmeyer Flask- This one contains one of the best twists and one of the most shocking moments in television. And everything leading up to is simply amazing.

 

[Harvey]

Season one is very much a work-in-progress, but it's a very good work-in-progress. The myth arc episodes lay much of the groundwork for the rest of the series, and Jerry Hardin is instantly memorable as Deep Throat. And Cancer Man is wisely kept in the background, lurking on the edges of the frame until he finally speaks in Tooms. For the purposes of continuity, I assume William B. Davis' character at the end of Ghost in the Machine is also Cancer Man.

It still has Space, a real stinker that's pretty much irredeemable, even with the likes of Ed Lauter, Susanna Thompson, and Tom McBeath in the guest cast.

Finally, it manages to introduce Skinner, the Lone Gunmen, Eugene Tooms, and a half dozen other characters I'm sure I'm forgetting (and I haven't even mentioned Mulder or Scully, who instantly come alive as characters).

Because it's still growing, I'd rank it in one of the bottom three seasons, but of those years, I think it's the best. Season nine had to deal with the loss of Mulder, and that was a major blow to a series already getting tired. And season seven had to deal with a tired David Duchovny and a tired group of writers who barely touched on the myth arc.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Of all the "shadowy informants" that Mulder ever had, Jerry Hardin was the best.

 

[Harvey]

He was great, I agree, although I liked X as well. The fact that he always has his own agenda really puts a different spin on the informant-Mulder relationship.

 

[crouteru]

As first seasons go, I think it holds up quite nicely, even by todays standards. Although the mythology arc wasn't thought out until the end of the series, Carter et al did a good job of drawing everything together. Of course the Mulder/Scully chemistry is also a big selling point from the get go. The X-Files was simply brilliant for it's first five seasons.

 

[Starbreaker]

See... I told you you'd get a big response.

My favorites from this season are Conduit, Ice, and EBE. There are still a couple of episodes I haven't seen since I've been watching the mythology episodes lately, but I'm getting around to it.