Roland (The X-Files)
"Roland" | |
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The X-Files episode | |
Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 23 |
Directed by | David Nutter |
Written by | Chris Ruppenthal |
Production code | 1X22 |
Original air date | May 6, 1994 |
Running time | 45 minutes |
Guest appearances | |
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"Roland" is the twenty-third episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files, premiering on the Fox network on May 6, 1994. It was written by Chris Ruppenthal and directed by David Nutter. The episode featured guest appearances by Željko Ivanek, James Sloyan and Kerry Sandomirsky. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, a stand-alone plot which is unconnected to the series' wider mythology. "Roland" earned a Nielsen household rating of 7.9, being watched by 7.4 million households in its initial broadcast; and received mixed reviews from critics, although Ivanek's guest role was met with acclaim.
The show centers on
"Roland" was the first of two episodes of The X-Files written by Chris Ruppenthal, who would go on to write the
Plot
At a physics research lab, intellectually disabled janitor Roland Fuller is scolded by scientist Dr. Keats for forgetting how to use the facility's keycard locks. Keats walks in on his colleagues, Frank Nollette and Ronald Surnow, arguing over a prototype jet engine. After Keats and Nollette leave, Surnow enters the facility's wind tunnel to make adjustments. However, Roland activates the tunnel's turbines, killing Surnow. Roland examines the scientists' whiteboard and changes some of its equations.
Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) investigate Surnow's death. Scully learns another member of the research team, Arthur Grable, had died several months earlier, and suspects industrial espionage. Mulder examines the handwriting on the whiteboard and concludes it was written by at least four different people, suggesting a fourth individual was present. Keats and Nollette both inform the agents that Roland was the only one left in the facility at the time of Surnow's death, but do not believe him capable of murder.
Nevertheless, Mulder and Scully visit Roland at his care home, where he denies seeing anything unusual. He displays his mathematical prowess by rapidly counting the star designs on Scully's blouse; however, his handwriting does not match the fourth sample from the whiteboard. The discussion ends when Roland experiences a violent vision involving Keats' head being frozen and has what seems to be a fit. Later, he has another vision of someone killing Keats. Roland appears at the lab and submerges Keats' head in a tank of liquid nitrogen, shattering it before typing at a computer. The next day, the agents notice the computer was used hours after Keats' death and realize that the number Roland had written on an art project previously is the password to files containing the work of Grable, which have been worked on since his death.
Investigating Grable's death, the agents learn he had hired Roland. They suspect Grable faked his death and is killing his colleagues, using Roland as a
Nollette sneaks into the cryogenic facility and sabotages Grable's unit, thawing his remains. Roland returns to the lab and is in the process of pushing the prototype engine to mach 15 when Nollette enters. Nollette admits to stealing Grable's work and prepares to shoot Roland; when he is distracted, Roland strikes him and drags him into the wind tunnel. The agents arrive in time to convince Roland not to kill Nollette. At the same time, the rising temperatures in the cryogenic unit kill Grable. Roland is taken from his care home to a psychiatric institute for testing. As he leaves, he combs his hair in the style of his brother, suggesting he is not free of Grable's control.
Production
"Roland" was the first of two episodes of The X-Files written by Chris Ruppenthal.
"Roland" contains the series' first mention of Fox Mulder's father Bill, although the character would not actually make an appearance until the second season episode "Colony".[7] In the original draft of the script for "Roland", however, Mulder's mention of his father was instead meant to be his sister, Samantha.[8] The scene depicting the aftermath of Dr. Keats' murder—with the scattered pieces of his shattered frozen body marked off with multiple chalk outlines—has been described as "truly inspired". Carter noted that "any shock and horror was eliminated by the laugh you got when you saw those little pieces on the floor", also commenting that the actual murder takes place off-screen and is only heard.[9]
Broadcast and reception
"X-Files always set great stock in giving its secondary characters dignity–witness the level-headed portrayal of Native American culture in "Shapes"–and "Roland" no exception. As portrayed by Željko Ivanek, Roland himself never seems anything less than authentic, which gives his struggles a real bite, and his relationship with another mentally handicapped woman has an uncontrived sweetness."
–The A.V. Club's Zack Handlen on "Roland"[10]
"Roland" premiered on the
Director David Nutter felt that casting Ivanek was the key to creating the episode, feeling that "Roland" was "probably the weakest script from start to finish" that the director had seen, but that once Ivanek had been cast, it became "important to push that as much as possible, to help outweigh the frailties in the script". Carter has also praised Ivanek's involvement with the episode, calling the actor's portrayal "just an amazing performance. This guy, Zeljko, should have won an award for this". Glen Morgan, a regular writer for the series, felt that the episode "wasn't completely effective", but also added that it offered a "softer" outlook compared to the series' other episodes so far, feeling that it was important to include several "episodes that demonstrate the paranormal isn't always horrifying".[13]
In a retrospective of the first season in
Footnotes
- ^ Lovece 1996, p. 239.
- ^ Lovece 1996, p. 126.
- ^ Lowry 1995, p. 154.
- ^ Lovece 1996, p. 240.
- ^ "Williams Lake Tribune – Actor Garry Davey adjudicates zone drama festival". Williams Lake Tribune. May 27, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
- ^ Edwards 1996, pp. 75–76.
- ^ Nick Marck (director); Chris Carter & David Duchovny (writers) (February 10, 1995). "Colony". The X-Files. Season 2. Episode 16. Fox.
- ^ Lowry 1995, p. 153.
- ^ Lowry 1995, pp. 153–154.
- ^ a b Handlen, Zack (August 8, 2008). ""Born Again/Roland/The Erlenmeyer Flask" | The X-Files/Millennium". The A.V. Club. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- Fox.)
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link - ^ Lowry 1995, p. 248.
- ^ Edwards 1996, p. 75.
- ^ "X Cyclopedia: The Ultimate Episode Guide, Season 1". Entertainment Weekly. November 29, 1996. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ Haigh, Matt (December 16, 2008). "Revisiting The X-Files: Season 1 Episode 23 - Den of Geek". Den of Geek. Dennis Publishing. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ Vulture. Retrieved September 26, 2021.
- ^ Shearman & Pearson 2009, pp. 28–29.
References
- Edwards, Ted (1996). X-Files Confidential. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 0-316-21808-1.
- Lovece, Frank (1996). The X-Files Declassified. Citadel Press. ISBN 0-8065-1745-X.
- Lowry, Brian (1995). The Truth is Out There: The Official Guide to the X-Files. Harper Prism. ISBN 0-06-105330-9.
- ISBN 978-0-9759446-9-1.