Pilot (10 Sep. 1993)
"The X Files" Pilot (original title)

A young F.B.I. agent is assigned watchdog duty over a fellow agent, but finds herself drawn into his investigations of paranormal and unexplained phenomena.

Director:

Robert Mandel

Writer:

Chris Carter

Stars:

David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Charles Cioffi

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
David Duchovny	...	Fox Mulder
Gillian Anderson	...	Dana Scully
Charles Cioffi	...	Section Chief Scott Blevins
Cliff De Young	...	Dr. Jay Nemman (as Cliff DeYoung)
Sarah Koskoff	...	Theresa Nemman
Leon Russom	...	Detective Miles
Stephen E. Miller	...	Coroner Truitt
Zachary Ansley	...	Billy Miles
Jim Jansen	...	Dr. Heitz Werber
Malcolm Stewart	...	Dr. Glass
Alexandra Berlin	...	Orderly
William B. Davis	...	Smoking Man
Katya Gardner	...	Peggy O'Dell (as Katya Gardener)
J.B. Bivens	...	Truck Driver
Ric Reid	...	Asst. Coroner

Storyline

Skeptical FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully is reassinged by Divison Chief Scott Blevins to work with the "believer" Fox William Mulder. Their first case together takes them to Bellefleur, Oregon; where the fourth member of the BHS class of '89 has been found dead...with two mysterious pink marks on her back, which all other victims have had.

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Plot Keywords:

oregon | x files | fbi headquarters | year 1992 | rolling down a hill | 

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Taglines:

trust no one

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 September 1993 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 2, North Shore Studios, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

20th Century Fox Television, Ten Thirteen Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

46 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original script for this episode called for Mulder and Scully to howl at the moon at one point.

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Goofs

When Mulder and Scully are driving after their plane lands, we see at one point that Mulder has his left hand on the wheel and he is eating a sunflower seed with his right, yet when the shot changes he's driving with his right hand and eating with his left.

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Quotes

Mulder: Sorry, nobody down here but the FBI's most unwanted.
Scully: Agent Mulder? I'm Dana Scully. I've been assigned to work with you.
Mulder: Oh, isn't it nice to be suddenly so highly regarded. So, who did you tick off to get stuck with this detail, Scully?
Scully: Actually, I'm looking forward to working with you. I've heard a lot about you.
Mulder: Oh, really? I was under the impression that you were sent to spy on me.

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Connections

Referenced in Fight Club (1999)

User Reviews

That's why they put the "I" in "F.B.I."

Since this is the pilot episode, I'll briefly review the series as a whole.

Before I saw the X-Files, my only exposure to extra-terrestrials was shows like Star Wars and Star Trek. But these were in distant galaxies. It's true that E.T. visited our planet, but he was just a lone visitor who tried to return home as soon as possible. The X-Files dealt with aliens visiting our planet, but with a more sinister purpose in mind. To discover what, how and why they were doing what they were doing was the driving force for this show. What made this show unique though were the characters, especially Mulder and Scully. You knew you were in for something different right from the start when they referred to each other by their last names only. The intelligent and witty dialogue between the two is captivating.

Now, just for the pilot:

It's interesting to note that right away Scully has an uncomfortable reaction to Cigarette Smoking Man(CSM). Maybe she can already sense his evilness.

The music in the pilot is quite different from the rest of the series. It's a little bit corny, actually.

I like how Mulder gets right to work and tests Scully to see what her reaction will be. Mulder continues to challenge her "science" throughout the episode, but she stands firm.

Although she is serious, we see that Scully has a sense of humor when she smiles at Mulder's "plausible" joke. Also, later in the cemetery scene, she smiles and laughs at Mulder at his "outrageous" ideas. Take note, because Scully laughter is quite rare in 'The X-Files'.

In the Pilot, we see the agents for the first and only time on an airplane. Just a little piece of trivia.

Mulder and Scully go to Oregon to investigate some alien abductions. I'll never forget my first impression when I saw that coffin open for the first time. Mulder's excitement for physical evidence of alien existence tempered by Scully's scientific rationalizations for everything they witness help establish the most unique relationship you'll see between two people. The gloomy, rainy surroundings from being shot in the Pacific Northwest make for a unique atmosphere. Put all these things together and you've got a show unlike anything you've ever seen before.

The Pilot is a great start to an unforgettable series.