José Chung's From Outer Space
From X-Files Wiki
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| Series: | The X-Files |
| Original Airdate: | 4-12-1996 |
| Production Number: | 3x20 |
| Date(s): | 1996 |
| Written by: | Darin Morgan |
| Directed by: | Rob Bowman |
An alien abduction of two teenagers with different versions of the same facts prompts a science-fiction novelist to write a book about the incident. However, no one involved with the investigation can tell him the full story with any accuracy.
Contents |
[edit] Summary
[edit] Background Information
This episode takes the format of an oral case told to Jose Chung by Scully for his new book "From Outer Space"; the device is then compounded by X-files victims who recount their stories. Each "memory" then appears as the footage of the episode itself.
The tone is more comical or self-aware than the usual X-Files episode. Instead of the usual sober, scientific tone, the epsiode mimics the junky quality and crappy conclusions of Jose Chung's writing; and convention reigns. Both diegetic and non-diegetic elements of the piece undermine the seriousness and trustworthiness of the main narrative thread; silly characters are clearly unreliable narrators. There's slightly sillier music, conspiracy nerds, shallow cliched dialogue, people who overact, characters who arrive and immediately begin introducing a plot point, an unbalanced abductee who carves his mashed potatoes into Devils' Tower and witnesses who describe unchracteristically emotional, violent behavior from Scully and Mulder.
Major roles played by Charles Nelson Reilly, Jesse Vetura (& a cameo from Alex Trebek) also suggest this is a send-up of the standard X-files format.
Scully's memoir acknowledges that characters who swear can't be shown on TV, and instead her nemesis' speech is peppered with substitute cuss-words like "blankity-blank" & "blank-hole" All that and an appearance by the Stupendous Yappi!
Two hokey aliens in the teaser are almost instantly outclassed by a junky stop-motion alien named Lord Kimboat. The aliens smoke cigarettes.
Lastly the conspiracy, the aliens intentions and the victims stories are all intentionally complicated, resulting in a dozen loose ends.
Campy line readings include:
- "I'm a Republican" offered as support that a character really did see a UFO.
- "We know it wasn't an alien that probed her" after it's learned a couple had sex prior to an abduction
- Aliens who speak in biblical terms: "No harm will come unto thee"
[edit] Links and References
[edit] Guest Stars
- Charles Nelson Reilly as José Chung
- William Lucking as Roky Crikenson
- Larry Musser as Detective Manners
- Daniel Quinn as Lt. Jack Sheaffer
- Jesse Ventura as 1st Man in Black
- Jason Gaffney as Harold Lamb
- Sarah Sawatsky as Chrissy Georgio
- Allan Zinyk as Blaine Faulkner
- Alex Diakun as Dr. Fingers
- Andrew Turner as CIA Man
- Michael Dobson as Sargeant Hyrek
- Mina E. Mina as Dr. Hand
- Japp Broeker as The Stupendous Yappi
- Alex Trebek as 2nd Man in Black (name appears during end credits)
[edit] References
Klass County; Washington; alien abduction; non-fiction science fiction; experiencer; abductee; nosebleed; visitation; lie detector; date rape; breakthrough experience; post-abduction syndrome; hypnosis; CIA; alien; consensual sex; Venus; men in black; neural networks; perception; inner space; MKU; fantasy-prone personality; Air Force; Lord Kinbote; Dungeons and Dragons; Ovaltine; diner; mashed potatoes; flying saucer; sweet potato pie; lava men; the core; military industrial entertainment complex; El Cajon; California; Diana Lesky; Reynard Muldrake; alien autopsy; zipper
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