IMDb > "The X Files" Pilot (1993)

"The X Files" Pilot (1993)


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Overview

User Rating:
8.1/10   4,213 votes
Director:
Writers:
Chris Carter (creator)
Chris Carter (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Pilot on IMDbPro.
Original Air Date:
10 September 1993 (Season 1, Episode 0)
Tagline:
trust no one
Plot:
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. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Primetime Emmy. more
User Comments:
Irresistible protagonists, cult trademarks, well-written dialogs, banal story but puzzling investigation and overall fascinating universe more (26 total)

Cast

  (Episode Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
46 min | Argentina:60 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In the scene on the plane, the man who is sitting behind Scully is David Duchovny's father. more
Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Mulder and Scully return to the cemetery to find the empty graves they begin to work out what's been going on and Scully says, "And the force summoned Theresa Nemman's body into the woods tonight." But it was Peggy O'Dell who was summoned that night and was killed running across the highway. Theresa Nemman phoned Mulder to tell him Peggy had been killed and approached the agents for protection at the scene of the hotel fire. She describes her previous experiences of having been summoned to the woods but she wasn't summoned that night. She is summoned the next night. more
Quotes:
[Mulder has just spray-painted a giant X on the road]
Special Agent Dana Scully: What the hell was that about?
Special Agent Fox Mulder: Oh, you know, probably nothing.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Fight Club (1999) more

FAQ

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Irresistible protagonists, cult trademarks, well-written dialogs, banal story but puzzling investigation and overall fascinating universe, 4 September 2009
9/10
Author: goa103 from France

I was just a teenager when it first aired and as many other viewers I was mesmerized by its so many brilliant ideas and fascinating elements. Fifteen years have passed since I first saw it and all I can say is that it hasn't aged. But now it's even more interesting because you can relate it to the great productions that haven't been released in the past few years. For example I only discovered Twin Peaks later so watching it I was able to compare their music and visuals for example. The efforts done to make The X-Files fictional world believable is really impressive. But of course all the work would be wasted without the most important and appreciated element in the series, its characters. Dana Scully and Fox Mulder are as charismatic and likable as they used to be. From their very first scenes you can already feel the chemistry between Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. Moreover the time has passed but our memories haven't faded as seeing the "I Want To Believe" poster, the X mark and other fan goodies is as delightful as it used to be. The dialogs are also pure candies for viewers interested in decrypting everything single words as they contribute to clearly identify the characters. Scully is the skeptical and rational scientist and Mulder is the freaky but brilliant FBI agent opened to most paranormal and conspiracy theories. In fact they reminded me of the duality between Jack Sheppard and John Locke from Lost, science versus faith. It's quite fascinating as it demonstrates how much influence the series had on a generation of artists, writers and directors for example, eager to develop their creativity and open their mind to new realms of wonders. The contrast between Scully and Mulder is also further developed thanks to the recurring jokes the second always say in the less expected scenes. I also greatly appreciated their investigation as the puzzle to solve didn't seem like it could be. Scully always had a rational theory and was looking for evidences when Mulder kept fast forwarding. However they both walked in the fog and events were so broken that you never knew what would happened next. So even if the story wasn't that original, even back in 1993, I think all these elements greatly contributed to make this pilot a model of its kind. Last but not least you couldn't write such a review without mentioning the Cigarette Smoking Man. From the very first minutes you could feel his dark and enigmatic presence at every corner. Moreover the last scene he's featured in was really a smart move as it opened a book full of myths, driving the experience even further and convincing the few skeptical viewers to stick around a little more.

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