"Every problem has a solution." – The Cigarette Smoking Man.
Episode 4, 'Sleepless', original air date October 7th, 1994. Written by Howard Gordon, directed by Rob Bowman. Mythology episode count, 7. Working alone for the first time on the series, having until now collaborated primarily with Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon delivers easily his best script so far. When comparing an episode like 'Sleepless' to 'Conduit' or 'Ghost in the Machine', one would be forgiven for thinking we're dealing with a different writer. The quality of this script far superior than his early work, it certainly helps that the pages are brought to life with the stunning visual clarity that we would expect from director Rob Bowman who, along with David Nutter, are my personal favorites in the early seasons. 'Sleepless' excels for a number of reasons, not least due to the seamless blend between science fiction and reality. The concept of experimenting on soldiers with the aim to eradicate the need for sleep is certainly an extreme theory but one that feels wholly believable. While there's definitely nothing wrong with fantastic premises that stretch far beyond the realm of possibility, this is a sci-fi show after all, there's also something particularly scary about exploring an idea that could actually happen in real life. It lends a sense of realism and therefore heightened tension. Two recurring characters make their on screen debut in this episode, firstly 'X', played by Steven Williams, whom we have previously only heard speaking to Mulder on the telephone. Secondly, Alex Krycek (Nicholas Lea) who worked with director Rob Bowman in season 1 episode 'Gender Bender'. Bowman was impressed by Lea's performance and had him cast in a role that had the possibility of repeat appearances. Thankfully, the producers were happy with Lea's character and he continued to be a regular presence on the show until it's conclusion.
The episode opens with a dramatic apartment fire that claims the life of Dr. Grissom. The practical fire effects are a clear example of the increased X-Files budget as well as the skill of the production crew after a year of practice. Compare this opening sequence to the effects in season 1's 'Fire' and we can see a distinct and dramatic improvement. Once again assisted by 'X', Mulder requests permission to investigate this case. He's assigned a partner in Alex Krycek, though Mulder is less than willing to co-operate, his allegiance lies with Scully and she is still the only one he trusts. His instincts are correct as we see later on in the episode that Kryceck is in fact working against him. Scully examines the body of Dr. Grissom and finds that even though he did not receive any primary symptoms of exposure to fire, his internal body appears to have suffered accordingly. Mulder and Krycek investigate further and draw ties to a group of Vietnam veterans who have undergone some form of experimental surgery in order to eliminate the need for sleep, effectively creating a super soldiers. One of the members, Augustus Cole (Tony Todd) has now, on the 24th anniversary of their massacre of Vietnamese innocents, taken it upon himself to serve out justice by having his squad answer for their crimes, along with the doctors who 'created' them. Cole has developed the ability to alter reality as a side effect of the sleep experiments and is systematically killing off his peers by having them hallucinate their fears with such lucidity that they believe they are being attacked.
The story is near flawless, it's a struggle to find a weak link anywhere in this episode. The guest characters all turn in wonderful performances, particularly Tony Todd as the enigmatic 'Preacher'. The pain on the veteran's faces feels authentic and this helps to sell the idea that these men have been through hell, not being able to sleep for the past 24 years. Preacher is a sympathetic character, despite his violent actions, we feel for him and his squad and the pain that these experiments have caused them. Bowman's moody lighting and atmospheric direction really helps to deliver a visually striking episode that adds to the eeriness of the on screen action.
Krycek is an interesting character, for the most part in this episode he comes across as an unseasoned F.B.I rookie who genuinely seems to appreciate Mulder's unique vision and harbors an honest desire to work with him. This of course is a lie, as in the episode's open ended conclusion we see that he is working beneath the authority of the Cigarette Smoking Man, who's true motives are still very much unclear. Krycek is perhaps the most morally ambiguous character on the X-Files, he is consistent only in his unpredictability throughout the series as he swings from side to side. What ultimately becomes clear throughout the course of show is that Krycek is driven solely by his own ego and desire for self preservation. While he appears to be working with CSM at this point in time, he fundamentally has no allegiance to anyones cause but his own. This makes his character very difficult to read and sometimes as a consequent of this he's somewhat unlikeable from an audience perspective. Of course this is personal opinion and Lea's role on the show is often cited as a fan favorite and a crucial element to the series mythology. Krycek will generally make appearances in myth-arc episodes and although 'Sleepless' seems to be mostly a standalone episode it sets up the following two-parter that is perhaps one of the most significant advancements to the series mythology.
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