Beyond the Sea (The X-Files)
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| "Beyond the Sea" | |
|---|---|
| The X-Files episode | |
 The victim / bad guy? |
|
| Production | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 13 |
| Writer | Glen Morgan James Wong |
| Director | David Nutter |
| Production no. | 1X11 |
| Length | 43 min. |
| Original airdate(s) | January 7, 1994 |
| Guest stars | |
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| Chronology | |
| ← Preceded by | Followed by → |
| "Fire" | "Gender Bender" |
| List of season 1 episodes List of The X-Files episodes |
|
"Beyond the Sea" was the thirteenth episode of the first season of The X-Files science-fiction television series created by Chris Carter.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson)'s parents are visiting her at Christmas time. After they leave, she falls asleep, then awakens to see her dad in the room. He appears to be saying something. The phone rings, and suddenly her father vanishes. She answers the phone, which is from her mother, who tells her that her father died of a heart attack an hour ago.
In Raleigh, North Carolina, Elizabeth Hawley and James Summers are kidnapped. A death row inmate named Luther Lee Boggs claims that he is psychic and can lead Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) the kidnapper in exchange for a lesser sentence of life in prison. Mulder doubts Boggs' claim but Scully believes him, after Boggs starts singing the song that played at her father's funeral. Mulder is suspicious and thinks Boggs is coordinating the kidnappings from jail. Driving home, Scully finds landmarks that are similar to those described by Boggs and finds a memento from one of the victims.
When Scully reveals to Mulder how she knew where to find the memento, Mulder is upset that she appears to believe Boggs. After an attempt to trick Boggs with a fake newspaper fails, Boggs describes a boathouse and warns Mulder not to go near the white cross. Agents sweep the docks and find Elizabeth, but Mulder gets shot below a "white cross" of a boat mast. Mulder is treated in the emergency room as Scully looks on. Elizabeth identifies her kidnapper - Lucas Henry, an accomplice of Boggs. Scully accuses Boggs of setting Mulder up. Scully wants to talk to her father through Boggs, but he won't help until he gets a deal.
Scully fails to swing a deal for Boggs. Mulder warns Scully that Boggs is manipulating her to get back at him for putting him on death row. Scully lies to Boggs, telling him that they have a deal, and he gives her hints on where to find James and Henry, even though he knows that she was lying. He warns her not to follow Henry to the devil. Scully and fellow agents rescue James in a deserted brewery. She chases Henry who runs onto rotten floorboards near a painting of a blue devil and falls several stories to his death. Scully visits Boggs to thank him. He tells her that he'll give her father's message during his last words, just before he's executed, if she'll attend as his witness. That night, he is executed. Scully is not there, instead at Mulder's bedside in the hospital.[1][2]
[edit] Production
The episode title, "Beyond the Sea", references the Bobby Darin's 1960 single, and is the song played at the funeral for Scully's father.[3]
Writers Glen Morgan and James Wong fought hard to have actor Brad Dourif play Luther Lee Boggs. Creator Chris Carter called then president of Twentieth Century Fox, Peter Roth, during Thanksgiving dinner and convinced him to let them cast him for the part despite the extra cost.[4]
Sheila Larken, who makes her first appearance here as Scully's mother is the wife of co-executive producer R.W. Goodwin.[5]
The names of Luther Lee Boggs and Lucas Henry were inspired by real-life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas.[6]Max Fenig's NICAP hat from the episode "Fallen Angel" can be seen hanging in Mulder's office.[7]
Carter had to back up the script twice when the network did not want Scully and Boggs to have a stand-off. Brad Dourif was asked to do this part with only four days of preparation. He originally refused the part, but the producers wanted him so badly that they gave him an extra week to prep. While getting into character between takes, his deep breathing exercises turned his face bright purple. Luther Lee Boggs is mentioned by Dakota Whitney (Amanda Peet's character) in the 2008 X-Files movie.
[edit] Reception
This episode was a favorite of both creator Chris Carter, who called it his favorite episode of the first season[8] and actress Gillian Anderson.[9] Co-writer Glen Morgan also praises it as a script he was proud of. [10] Director David Nutter said of the episode, "I think its the most accomplished piece of directing of actors I've been able to to. I thought Brad Dourif was brilliant... I very much enjoyed working with Gillian on the show. I think she's a young actress with a lot of talent but not a lot of experience prior to this show. I think this episode really made a difference in how the audience looks at Scully. I think it brought a lot of dimension to her character and for her person it definitely had a lot of impact... Certainly one of the most enjoyable shows I did."[11] Author Phil Farrand rated the episode as the sixth-best episode of the first four seasons in his book The Nitpicker's Guide for X-Philes.[12]
This episode earned a Neilson rating of 6.6, with an 11 share. It was viewed by 6.2 million households.[13]
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Lowry,Brian (1995) (in English). The Truth is Out There: The Official Guide to the X-Files. Harper Prism. p. 130-131.
- ^ Lovece, Frank (1996) (in English). The x-Files Declassified. Citadel press. p. 76-78.
- ^ Lovece, Frank (1996) (in English). The x-Files Declassified. Citadel press. p. 78.
- ^ Edwards, Ted (1996) (in English). X-Files Confidential. Little, Brown and Company. p. 59-60.
- ^ Lowry,Brian (1995) (in English). The Truth is Out There: The Official Guide to the X-Files. Harper Prism. p. 131.
- ^ Lovece, Frank (1996) (in English). The x-Files Declassified. Citadel press. p. 78.
- ^ Cornell, Paul, Day, Martin and Topping, Keith (1998) (in English). X-Treme Possibilities. Virgin Publishing Ltd.. p. 60.
- ^ Edwards, Ted (1996) (in English). X-Files Confidential. Little, Brown and Company. p. 60.
- ^ Lowry,Brian (1995) (in English). The Truth is Out There: The Official Guide to the X-Files. Harper Prism. p. 131.
- ^ Edwards, Ted (1996) (in English). X-Files Confidential. Little, Brown and Company. p. 59.
- ^ Edwards, Ted (1996) (in English). X-Files Confidential. Little, Brown and Company. p. 59-60.
- ^ Farrand, Phil (199) (in English). The Nitpickers Guide for X-Philes. Dell Publishing. p. 223.
- ^ Lowry,Brian (1995) (in English). The Truth is Out There: The Official Guide to the X-Files. Harper Prism. p. 248.
