Tempus Fugit (16 Mar. 1997)
"The X Files" Tempus Fugit (original title)

Mulder and Scully get involved in the investigation of a commercial airliner crash that had among its passengers a well-known alien abductee, Max Fennig. One survivor is found at the crash ... See full summary »

Director:

Rob Bowman

Writers:

Chris Carter (creator), Chris Carter,

Stars:

David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Joe Spano

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
David Duchovny	...	Fox Mulder
Gillian Anderson	...	Dana Scully
Joe Spano	...	Mike Millar
Tom O'Brien	...	Sgt. Louis Frisch
Scott Bellis	...	Max Fenig
Chilton Crane	...	Sharon Graffia
Brendan Beiser	...	Agent Pendrell
Greg Michaels	...	Scott Garrett
Robert Moloney	...	Bruce Bearfeld
Felicia Shulman	...	Motel Manager
Rick Dobran	...	Sergeant Armando Gonzales
Jerry Schram	...	Larold Rebhun
David Palffy	...	Dark Man (as David Pàlffy)
Mark Wilson	...	The Pilot
Marek Wiedman	...	Investigator

Storyline

Mulder and Scully get involved in the investigation of a commercial airliner crash that had among its passengers a well-known alien abductee, Max Fennig. One survivor is found at the crash site and Scully is quick to notice that he is suffering from radiation burns. Mulder also notices there is a 9 minute gap between the time the authorities say the plane crashed and the time found on the watches of several of the dead passengers. The government official in charge of the crash investigation, Mike Millar, scoffs at Mulder other-worldly explanation of the crash and that it involved an encounter with a UFO. He begins to change his view when he can't explain some of the physical evidence.

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Plot Keywords:

crash site | birthday song | plastic gun | northville new york | sparkler | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 March 1997 (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:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This episode takes place in Northville, NY (12134) and the surrounding area. Situated in the southern Adirondacks, the valley in which it lies is the location of several passenger and military aircraft. To the south is Albany International Airport in Albany, NY, to the north is the once Plattsburgh AFB, Plattsburgh, NY and to the west is the once Griffis AFB in Rome, NY. To the southeast lies Scotia, home of the Navy and Air Force reserve base. None of the character names is familiar to anyone who lives in Northville.

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Goofs

In the briefing scene following the crash, Mike Millar (Joe Spano) refers to "Dr. Spock's phaser." Dr. Spock is a famed pediatrician. Mr. Spock would be the person using a phaser, and is a character from "Star Trek."

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Connections

References Star Trek (1966)

User Reviews

What a birthday present!

What a lousy birthday present for Scully. She has to go searching through a plane crash of a 134 people for survivors. Tempus Fugit is a good whodunit/whatdunit mystery. Mulder suspects an alien UFO, but of course no one goes along with it. Tempus Fugit has some cute Mulder/Scully moments, especially during Scully's birthday scene. It was interesting to see Scully joke about her implant. I don't think she's ever shown a sense of humor regarding that before. A good look by Mulder is when he glances over at Scully when asked if his theory is the official FBI position. The visuals for the plane crash site are spectacular. I think it says on the special features how the locals mistook it for a real crash site and phoned the authorities. Rob Bowman, the director, knows how to give his mythology episodes the look and feel of a full-length movie. It's incredible. While watching this episode, you don't feel as if you're just watching a TV show. Tempus Fugit also has a double cliff-hanger with someone's life being in the balance and Mulder in danger as well, leaving you to want to watch the second part immediately.