Biogenesis (The X-Files)
"Biogenesis" | |
---|---|
Rob Bowman | |
Written by | Chris Carter Frank Spotnitz |
Production code | 6ABX22 |
Original air date | May 16, 1999 |
Running time | 45 minutes |
Guest appearances | |
| |
"Biogenesis" is the twenty-second episode and the
The show centers on
"Biogenesis" was a story milestone for the series, along with "The Sixth Extinction" and "The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati," and introduced new aspects to the series' overarching mythology. The episode was written due to series creator Chris Carter's fascination with the possibility that extraterrestrials were involved in the great extinctions that had happened millions of years ago.
Plot
On a beach in
Assistant Director
In Sandoz's apartment, Mulder and Scully find a picture of him with
Scully contacts Mulder, who is now resting at home. He believes that the artifact proves that humanity was created by aliens.
Production
"Biogenesis" started a new branch of the show's mythology, questioning the origin of human life. Series creator Chris Carter, who had been interested in the possibility of extraterrestrial involvement in great extinctions that had happened millions of years ago,[2] claimed that early in the show he had met with a man who was one of the people responsible for leading the project of mapping the human genome, which interested him enough to tie it into the show's alien mythology.[3] The scientific basis for extraterrestrials was an attempt by the writers to have Mulder and Scully's divergent beliefs come together, which was furthered in the later seasons of the show.[2] Frank Spotnitz claimed that the ideas used in this episode had been discussed between him and Carter for a few years and had become easier to bring up after wrapping up much of the conspiracy in the sixth-season episodes "Two Fathers" and "One Son". Carter eventually developed the script in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada while working on the pilot for his series Harsh Realm and sent copies to the production crew via fax.[2]
Professor Solomon Merkmallen was played by Michael Chinyamurindi, who had immigrated to the United States ten years prior and had previously auditioned for the
A large portion of the episode was based on the
Reception
"Biogenesis" first aired in the
Tom Kessenich, in his book Examination: An Unauthorized Look at Seasons 6–9 of the X-Files gave the episode a positive review, writing "'Biogenesis' gave us a Mulder gone mad, duplicitous allies and enemies, a rising body count, and Scully on the brink of an amazing discovery. It was pure X-Files and a terrific conclusion to a standout sixth season."
Zack Handlen awarded the episode a "B" and called it "crazy enough at the end that, if nothing else, I really want to know what happens next".
Other reviews were more critical. Robert Shearman and Lars Pearson, in their book Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen, rated the episode two stars out of five.[16] The two heavily criticized the episode for recycling story lines, writing, "With the Syndicate destroyed, this episode was widely touted as the beginning of a fresh new mythology for the show. So why does watching it give such a strong sense of déjà vu?"[16] Paula Vitaris from Cinefantastique gave the episode a largely negative review and awarded it one-and-a-half stars out of four.[17] Vitaris summarized the episode as "if someone took the script to 'Anasazi'—one of the best X-Files episodes ever—changed the plot a bit, and then stripped it of virtually all human interest."[17]
Footnotes
- ^ Meisler, pp. 279–290
- ^ a b c d e f g h Meisler, pp. 290–291
- ^ a b Hurwitz and Knowles, p. 169
- ^ a b Shapiro, pp. 28–29
- ^ Hurwitz and Knowles, p. 202
- Fox. 1998–1999.)
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link - ^ a b Meisler, p. 294
- ^ "BARB's multichannel top 10 programmes". barb.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2012. Note: Information is in the section titled "w/e July 19–25, 1999", listed under Sky 1
- Los Angeles, California: Fox Broadcasting Company. 1999.
- ^ Kim Manners et al. The X-Files Mythology, Volume 3 – Colonization (DVD). FOX.
- ^ Kessenich, p. 70
- ^ Sordi, Nina (22 September 2009). "Top 10 X-Files episodes". Den of Geek. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
- ^ Kuebler, Monica (October 2005). "The X-Files Colonization". Exclaim!. Ian Danzig. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
- ^ Runstrom, Melissa (27 November 2002). "'X-Files' DVD showcases highs, lows of season six". The Michigan Daily. University of Michigan. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
- ^ a b Handlen, Zack (November 17, 2012). "'Biogenesis'/'Goodbye to All That' | The X-Files/Millennium | TV Club". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
- ^ a b Shearman and Pearson, p. 187
- ^ a b Vitaris, Paula (October 1999). "Sixth Season Episode Guide". Cinefantastique. 31 (8): 26–42.
Bibliography
- Hurwitz, Matt; Chris Knowles (2008). The Complete X-Files. Insight Editions. ISBN 978-1-933784-72-4.
- Kessenich, Tom (2002). Examination: An Unauthorized Look at Seasons 6–9 of the X-Files. ISBN 1-55369-812-6.
- Meisler, Andy (2000). The End and the Beginning: The Official Guide to the X-Files Season 6. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-107595-7.
- Shapiro, Marc (2000). All Things: The Official Guide to the X-Files Volume 6. Harper Prism. ISBN 0-06-107611-2.
- Shearman, Robert; Pearson, Lars (2009). Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen. Mad Norwegian Press. ISBN 978-0-9759446-9-1.
External links
- "Biogenesis" at IMDb