Wetwired
"Wetwired" | |
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The X-Files episode | |
Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 23 |
Directed by | Rob Bowman |
Written by | Mat Beck |
Production code | 3X23 |
Original air date | May 10, 1996 |
Running time | 44 minutes |
Guest appearances | |
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"Wetwired" is the twenty-third episode of the
The show centers on
"Wetwired" was written by Mat Beck, the show's visual effects supervisor. Beck drew inspiration from debates about
Plot
In Braddock Heights, Maryland, a man mistakenly kills his wife, believing her, as well as the police who soon arrive, to all be someone else. Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) is tipped off to the case by the mysterious Plain-Clothed Man, who provides him with a newspaper article discussing the case. Mulder and partner Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) visit the man, and his doctor, Dr. Stroman, in a psychiatric hospital and are told the man killed five people, believing them to all be the same person.
Mulder and Scully visit the murderer's house, where Mulder sees a repairman working on the cable line. They find hundreds of video tapes of a
Mulder brings the device to
Mulder believes that the mind control device turns people's fears into
Production
"Wetwired" was written by Mat Beck, who served as the series's visual effects supervisor. Beck was inspired to pen the episode after hearing the debates concerning violence on television and its effect on viewers. Beck's initial concept was more complex and pulled from neurology texts, but as the script progressed, it was simplified. Actor Steven Williams had scheduling conflicts due to his work on the series L.A. Heat, resulting in the creation of the "Plain Clothed Man", who appeared in the episode as an emissary for X. Paul Rabwin provided narration for a television show that plays in the background. Dana Scully's motel room as well as The Lone Gunmen's office were constructed on sound stage. The episode had late-stage sound problems which resulted in post-production dragging into the day the episode was scheduled to be broadcast.[2]
Williams called his scene at the end of the episode with
Broadcast and reception
"Wetwired" premiered on the
The episode received moderately positive reviews from television critics. Entertainment Weekly gave the episode a B, noting its similarity to "Blood" but thought that "Anderson gives good unhinged".[7] Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club graded it a B+, also noting the similarity to "Blood" but he did "not entirely [mean it] as a criticism". Handlen was a "little disappointed" about the Monster-of-the-Week, as the concept was not fully explored.[8] John Keegan from Critical Myth gave the episode a positive review and awarded it an 8 out of 10. He wrote, "Overall, this was [a] strong psychological episode [...] melded with the conspiracy in a logical and consistent way. Some plot devices are a bit too contrived, but the strengths of the episode outweigh the weaknesses. Two great performances by David and Gillian give the episode the necessary gravitas, and there’s enough foreshadowing to make sense of some elements of the season finale."[9] 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 three-and-a-half stars out of five. The two compared the episode positively to the earlier second season episode "Blood" and wrote, "['Blood'] had a clever premise which didn't quite translate into an actual plot; here writer Mat Beck remedies that, very wisely".[10] Shearman and Pearson, furthermore, praised the ending of the episode, where it is revealed that X's days "are surely numbered."[10] Paula Vitaris of Cinefantastique gave the episode a moderately positive review and awarded it three stars out of four.[11] She praised Anderson's acting, calling it "superb" and noting that watching Scully fall victim to insanity is "sickly fascinating".[11]
Footnotes
- ^ a b Lowry, pp. 213–216
- ^ Lowry, pp. 216–217
- ^ Hurwitz and Knowles, p. 89
- ^ Edwards, p. 180
- Goodwin, R.W.; et al. (2001). The X-Files: The Complete Third Season (booklet). Beverly Hills, California: 20th Century Home Entertainment.
- ^ a b Lowry, p. 251
- ^ "X Cyclopedia: The Ultimate Episode Guide, Season 3". Entertainment Weekly. 29 November 1996. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
- ^ Handlen, Zack (22 August 2010). ""Quagmire"/"Wetwired"/"Talitha Cumi"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
- ^ Keegan, John. "Wetwired". Critical Myth. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
- ^ a b Shearman and Pearson, p. 79
- ^ a b Vitaris, Paula (October 1996). "Episode Guide". Cinefantastique. 28 (3): 18–40.
Bibliography
- Edwards, Ted (1996). X-Files Confidential. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 0-316-21808-1.
- Hurwitz, Matt; Knowles, Chris (2008). The Complete X-Files. Insight Editions. ISBN 978-1-933784-80-9.
- Lowry, Brian (1996). Trust No One: The Official Guide to the X-Files. Harper Prism. ISBN 0-06-105353-8.
- Shearman, Robert; Pearson, Lars (2009). Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen. Mad Norwegian Press. ISBN 978-0975944691.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- "Wetwired" on The X-Files official website
- "Wetwired" at IMDb