Season 1 of The X-Files ends with an uncertain future for Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), who have formed a strong working relationship despite not sharing the same beliefs about the world. The season balances its case-of-the-week format with the hilarious and clever banter between the two main characters.
Every episode of The X-Files features a big mystery that Scully and Mulder are investigating, and viewers still have many questions, from what The X-Files Central Operating System is to who the Eves are. The X-Files season 1 ending is packed with compelling characters, smart quotes, and a final scene that proves why the show is still such a hit today.
Stephen King Fans Should Watch The X-Files Episode He Wrote
Earlier on in his impressive career, Stephen King wrote an episode of the popular sci-fi TV series The X-Files that fans and critics still talk about.
How Does The X-Files Season 1 End?
In the season 1 finale of The X-Files, "The Erlenmeyer Flask," Dr. William Secare (Simon Webb) is chased by police, who shoot him before he jumps into water. The episode begins with a creepy image as Dr. Secare has green blood. When Scully and Mulder look into the case, The Crew Cut Man (Lindsey Ginter), who works for the eerie Cigarette Smoking Man, murders a scientist named Dr. Terrance Berube (Ken Kramer).
Like the mysterious Nurse Owens, Dr. Secare is a strange character who draws viewers in right away. The case becomes more confusing when paramedics treat Dr. Secare and poisonous gas comes off him. When Mulder finds a storage room with men suspended in tanks and then finds them gone a day later, he solves the mystery: Dr. Berube was giving the alien bacteria to humans who had serious illnesses. The episode's title comes from the flask that Mulder discovers called "Purity Control" near the water where Dr. Secare jumped that has alien bacteria. Dr. Berube was experimenting on Dr. Secare, and when the experiment was threatened, the doctor let Secare run away.
Memorable The X-Files Season 1 Episodes |
|---|
"Deep Throat" (episode 2) |
"Beyond the Sea" (episode 13) |
"Darkness Falls" (episode 20) |
"Roland" (episode 23) |
FBI informant Deep Throat (Jerry Hardin) plays an important role in The X-Files season 1 finale, and Scully and Mulder are wary of him. Scully describes him intelligently and perfectly when she says:
"You don't know that this isn't just a game with him. He's toying with you. Rationing out the facts."
.
Several The X-Files episodes are relevant today, including the season 1 finale, which tells a clever story about power and control. The X-Files season 1 ends with a fast-paced scene at Dr. Berube's house when Mudler faints thanks to the gas coming off Secare. Mulder is kidnapped in one of the most terrifying moments on The X-Files and The Crew Cut Man murders Dr. Secare. After Deep Throat tells Scully to go to the Fort Marlene High Containment Facility, she is surprised to see liquid nitrogen with an alien fetus inside it. Deep Throat offers the fetus to the Crew Cut Man as a peace offering, and the Crew Cut Man murders him in return but releases Mudler from his van.
Before Deep Throat dies, he says one of the most memorable quotes from The X-Files:
"Trust no one."
In the final scene of The X-Files season 1, Scully and Mulder are shocked when the FBI closes down The X-Files, leaving their future uncertain. Fans will remember that in the pilot episode, there is a very similar moment. In the next moment, the Smoking Man finds a secret place for the alien fetus at the Pentagon, which suggests that this mystery isn't over.
Both the most underrated The X-Files episodes and the most popular ones show the important and balanced relationship between the two main characters. Scully and Mulder may not share the same beliefs about science and religion, but they work together perfectly. When Scully tells Mulder that he should fight The X-Files being closed down, Mulder proves that he's a strong-willed and rebellious character when he says:
"I'm... not going to give up. I can't give up. Not as long as the truth is out there."
What Happens In Season 1 Of The X-Files?
The X-Files season 1 develops the professional relationship between Scully and Mulder while suggesting that the tension between them could turn romantic eventually. The X-Files inspired many other sci-fi procedurals because the formula works so well, and season 1 feels seamless and smart. From the pilot episode, Scully and Mulder investigate whether aliens really exist. Mulder continues to believe that extraterrestrials are out there, and Scully continues to be her usual skeptical self.
The X-Files Season 1 Characters
- Crew Cut Man
- Cigarette Smoking Man
- Deep Throat
- Margaret Scully
- Melvin Frohike
- Richard Langly
- John Fitzgerald Byers
- Walter Skinner
- Scott Blevins
- Eugene Victor Tooms
The X-Files season 1 is still fun and fascinating to watch today thanks to Scully and Mulder's strong character development. In an interview with Variety in 2018, Gillian Anderson said that she appreciates how original and unique Scully is. Unlike many other female TV characters, Scully is tough, intelligent, and stands her ground. She respects Mulder as they get used to each other, but she doesn't hang back in the background. Anderson said:
“The character that Chris Carter created, one didn’t see her often on television at that time. So to be a part of that was incredibly empowering for me and extraordinary to be a part of both a character and a series that was so iconic and game-changing.”
The X-Files: Who Are The Trinity Killers?
The X-Files didn't only feature aliens and government conspiracies.