The X-Files
Season 1 Episode 3: “Mulder & Scully Meet the Were-Monster”
Written & Directed by Darin Morgan
Created by Chris Clark
Starring David Duchnovy, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi, Robbie Amell, Joel McHale, Lauren Ambrose.
FOX
Air Date: Monday, February 1st, 2016, 8:00pm

The X-Files is back and so far the show is tremendously entertaining, full of nostalgia for the original fans. When the show was first on in the mid-90s, it featured two types of episodes; the government conspiracy ones, and the whacked out crazy monster ones. The conspiracy ones, while interesting tended to get bogged down with too many unanswered questions. But the crazy monster episodes were AWESOME! 14 years later, the first two new episodes introduced a new conspiracy theory; the enemy isn’t aliens, it’s mankind. Since the alien crash at Roswell, the military has used alien tech to fake abductions and distract American citizens. Meanwhile the alien DNA is being used to create a super race of 1%ers. While they were both excellent, when I read the title of this week episode, suffice to say I was stoked.

Spoilers below.

The nature of the relationship between Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) has always been the “true believer” and the “skeptic”. This is the focus of this week’s case. A pair of stoners (the male being Tyler Labine of Tucker & Dale vs. Evil) out discussing werewolves under a full moon, witness a humanoid monster and find a dead victim. Mulder is older, wiser, and has lost his faith a bit. He wants so desperately to believe in monsters and aliens, but fool me a thousand times and shame on me. This case comes at a time where finding a real life monster could validate his entire life and career. But another hoax and he’ll keep ripping the “I want to Believe” posters off the walls for good.

Mulder may be lucky this time. There’s a red-eyed horned monster running around attacking people… in tighty whities… shooting blood out its eyeballs. Mulder consults the net, and finds that a horned lizard does just that as a defense mechanism. Scully’s analysis leads to a human killer. Mulder’s response:

“So we’re looking for a man-sized horned lizard with human teeth… sounds a bit silly doesn’t it.”

She smiles and responds, “I forgot how much fun these cases could be.” I know, I know.

When Mulder gets an eyewitness report at a motel from the peeping tom owner about man changing into a horned monster, his excitement is childlike. After a long gleeful monologue, Scully sums it up nicely, “This is how I like my Mulder.”

Mulder follows a lead and encounters the suspect, Rhys Darby of Flight of the Concords. He tells Mulder the whole story about how he’s a life-size horned lizard, who was bit by a human, and now becomes a full human in the moonlight! His story is a total satire of modern humanity. He needs to get a job… how he will pay his mortgage, whatever that is… has he saved enough for retirement?

The story in all its fantastical nature actually manages to dissuade Mulder. His crisis of conscience and self is key to the episode. Meanwhile, Darby is hilarious as the lizard man, and the interaction between he and Mulder are laugh out loud funny at points. Anderson is perfect as she eggs him on, all the while hoping for him to be right for his sake. The ending, I won’t spoil… is subtly genius. THESE are the episodes I fell in love with as a horror obsessed 12-year old. Monsters, lunacy, fun, that’s why The X-Files was one of my favorite shows, and such a vital part of my childhood. So far, after three episodes, I am loving the new and improved X-Files. The conspiracy that drove the first two is new, and that story is full of possibilities. To have the guts to dedicate an episode this early to some random monster-story is a great message to the fans.

The X-Files 1.3 “Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster” Monday night at 8:00 ET on FOX.

FOX’s synopsis:

“MULDER & SCULLY MEET THE WERE-MONSTER”
MULDER AND SCULLY INVESTIGATE AN “ANIMAL” ATTACK ON AN ALL-NEW “THE X-FILES” MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, ON FOX
MON FEB 1 8/7c

When a dead body is found in the woods, Mulder and Scully are called in to investigate whether it was an animal attack, a serial killer or just maybe a strange creature as described by eyewitnesses. Meanwhile, Mulder is able to confront some of his own demons about feeling disillusioned with his life’s work in the all-new “Mulder & Scully Meet the Were-monster” episode of THE X-FILES airing Monday, Feb. 1 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Kumail Nanjiani (“Silicon Valley”) and Rhys Darby (“Flight of the Concords”) Guest-Star;Episode Written and Directed by Darin Morgan

Image Gallery

Videos

THE X-FILES | Gotcha! from “Mulder & Scully Meet the Were-Monster”

Mulder snaps a picture of their monster.

THE X-FILES | A Fresh Kill from “Mulder & Scully Meet the Were-Monster”

Scully and Mulder discover another victim.