"The X Files" The Field Where I Died (1996)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Rob Bowman

Writers:

Chris Carter (creator)
Glen Morgan (written by) ...

TV Series:

"The X Files" (1993)

Original Air Date:

3 November 1996 (Season 4, Episode 5)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

Agents Mulder and Scully investigate a suspicious religious cult, which inadvertently draws Mulder into recalling a past life, in the field where he died. |

Plot Keywords:

Male Female Relationship | FBI | FBI Agent | Alien | X Files

Cast

David Duchovny	...	Fox Mulder
Gillian Anderson	...	Dana Scully
Mitch Pileggi	...	Walter Skinner
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Doug Abrahams	...	Harbaugh
Kristen Cloke	...	Melissa Rydell Ephesian
Douglas Roy Dack	...	Mighty Man
Michael Dobson	...	BATF Agent
Anthony Harrison	...	Agent Riggins
Michael Massee	...	Vernon Ephesian
Donna White	...	The Therapist

Runtime:

Argentina:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Argentina:13

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Goofs:

Plot holes: At the end when they are all committing suicide, one the of the ingredients of what they are drinking is Potassium Cyanide, which doesn't act quickly enough to kill them as quickly as it did.

Quotes:

Mulder: Dana? If... early in the four years we've been working together... an event occurred that suggested... or somebody told you that we'd been friends together... in other lifetimes. Always. Would it have changed some of the ways we looked at one another?
Scully: Even if I knew for certain, I wouldn't change a day... Well... maybe that flukeman thing. I could have lived without that just fine.

The Inspiration for the Episode

This was the first episode of The X Files that I had ever seen, and it got me hooked into one of my favorite series in television history. The story reverberated with me, perhaps due to my beliefs in the somewhat "Eastern" philosophies of reincarnation and bonded souls. That is why it came as such a surprise to me to see this episode rated so poorly. Two of the major themes that I see in the user comments are the perception of poor writing (personal taste, I guess) and the unrealistic portrayal of the hypnosis sessions.

Although I have not seen this specifically stated anywhere, I have no doubt that the inspiration for this episode comes from the book "Many Lives, Many Masters" by Dr. Brian L. Weiss, a psychotherapist who wrote about his experiences using past-life regression. The hypnotherapy scenes are extremely close to the descriptions given by the book, including the ability of the regressee to recognize "current" souls in the past, and the noticeable changes in demeanor and mannerisms as the regressee moves from identity to identity.

This episode is not for everyone, and I can see how fans may not have appreciated it as much as I did. I still consider it my favorite episode, specifically because it went beyond the odd, beyond the quirky, beyond the "are they out there or not." Instead, it was an episode more focused on philosophy and the meaning of life. A little heavy for a television show, perhaps, but outstanding for long discussions over a few drinks.

Oh, and for those who found this episode as entertaining as I did, I highly suggest the book "Many Lives, Many Masters."