Squeeze (The X-Files)
| "Squeeze (The X-Files)" | |
|---|---|
| Running time | 43 min. |
"Squeeze" is an episode of the science fiction television seriesThe X-Files, aired during 1993. It was the third episode broadcast in the show's first season. "Squeeze" was the first "monster-of-the-week" episode of the series, as the two previous episodes had dealt with alien abduction and UFOs. The episode was written by Glen Morgan and James Wong, and directed by Harry Longstreet.
"Squeeze" follows Fox Mulder and Dana Scully in an investigation of a serial killer who has been active since at least 1903 and is capable of squeezing his body through narrow gaps. The episode was generally positively received by fans and critics alike, despite getting a mediocre Nielsen rating when compared to other episodes of the first season.
Plot
In Baltimore, George Usher, a middle-aged businessman, arrives at his office building to work late. He is watched by someone with strange green eyes in a storm drain. The assailant sneaks into the building through the ventilation system, killing Usher by removing his liver.
The investigation of Usher's murder—the latest of three—is assigned to FBI agent Tom Colton, who turns to academy colleague Dana Scully for help. The case baffles Colton, in that the only common elements in the murders is their lack of entry points and the removal of the livers with bare hands. Fox Mulder looks over the case and notes their similarity to other murder sprees that occurred in 1933 and 1963. At the crime scene, Mulder finds an elongated fingerprint on the air vent. He comes to believe that because five murders occurred during the earlier sprees, the investigators should expect two more.
Scully's profile suggests that the killer will return to the scenes of his earlier crimes. She and Mulder wait in the parking garage of Usher's office building, where they catch a man named Eugene Victor Tooms climbing through the air vents. Tooms is given a polygraph test, which includes questions from Mulder about whether he was involved in murders dating as far back as 1903. Colton doubts Mulder's queries and lets Tooms go. However, Mulder shows Scully that Toom's fingerprints match those from past cases if elongated and thinned, believing that Tooms is able to stretch and squeeze his body. That night, Tooms demonstrates this ability by squeezing down a chimney to claim another victim.
Mulder and Scully research Tooms, finding no certificate of birth or marriage. They visit Frank Briggs, a former detective who recounts his experiences investigating the 1933 murders. He shows them old pictures of Tooms—showing he hasn't aged—and divulges that he resided at an apartment building at 66 Exeter Street. The agents head there, eventually finding a "nest" constructed out of newspaper and bile in the building's crawl space. They also find several trophy items taken from the victims. Mulder suspects that Tooms is a mutant who can hibernate in his nest for thirty years after consuming five human livers. As the two leave, Tooms, who is hiding in the rafters, takes Scully's necklace from around her neck.
Mulder and Scully stake out at the apartment, but Colton gets them pulled off the job. Scully tries to call Mulder to inform him of the situation, but Tooms has cut her phone lines. Tooms breaks into her apartment through an impossibly small air vent, attacking her. However, Mulder has visited Tooms's apartment and found Scully's necklace there, causing him to race to her apartment and apprehend Tooms before he can kill her.
Tooms is put in an institution for the criminally insane. While outside Tooms's cell, Scully informs Mulder that medical tests on Tooms show an abnormal skeletal and muscle system, as well as a rapidly declining metabolism. When a guard slides food for Tooms through a slot in the door, Tooms stares at the thin slot and grins.[1][2]
Production
Coming after two mytharc themed episodes, "Squeeze" helped establish the fact that the show could cover other paranormal subjects as well, and was the show's first "Monster-of-the-Week" episode. Co-writers Glen Morgan and James Wong were inspired to write the episode when they looked at a ventilator shaft outside of their office and thought about whether someone could crawl inside of it. Inspiration was also drawn from Richard Ramirez, a stalker in Los Angeles during the 1980s. The episode has parallels with the second Night Strangler movie, featuring a man who commits murders every 21 years. Series creator Chris Carter came up with the idea to have the villain consume human liver after traveling in France.[3][4] The idea to have Tooms to eat liver and the nest used for hibernation came from Morgan and Wong. The two liked the hibernation idea, since if the agents were not able to catch him, he could return after weeks of hibernation.[5]
Actor Doug Hutchison was initially viewed as too young for the role by the producers (although he was 33 at the time), but he convinced the writers to hire him by impressing them with his ability to suddenly transition into an attacking behavior.[3] Co-writer Wong was disappointed with director Harry Longstreet's performance, claiming he didn't have respect for the script. As a result, Wong and another director, Michael Katleman had to re-shoot some scenes to complete the episode.[6]
For the shot where Tooms slides himself through a chimney, the producers hired a contortionist, a man who could "squeeze" himself through small spaces. The producers filmed the shot standing below the contortionist. With computer-generated imagery, they were able to make takes of his fingers and elongate them.[5]
Reception
"Squeeze" earned a Nielsen household rating of 7.2, with a 13 share. A total of 6.8 million households watched this episode during its original airing.[7] Glen Morgan was very pleased with Doug Hutchison's performance in this episode, calling him their ace in the hole and describing his work as outstanding.[8] An unknown writer from the Vancouver Sun listed "Squeeze" on their list of the best stand alone episodes of the show, saying that the episode started what would become the "creepy" nature of the show, and that it was among the "scariest things" ever seen on television.[9] Connie Ogle from PopMatters ranked the episode amongst their list of the "best" Monster-of-the-Week episodes of The X-Files.[10]
Footnotes
- ^ Lowry,Brian (1995). The Truth is Out There: The Official Guide to the X-Files. Harper Prism. pp. 104–105.
- ^ Lovece, Frank (1996). The X-Files Declassified. Citadel Press. pp. 49–51.
- ^ a b Lowry,Brian (1995). The Truth is Out There: The Official Guide to the X-Files. Harper Prism. p. 106.
- ^ Edwards, Ted (1996). X-Files Confidential. Little, Brown and Company. p. 39.
- ^ a b Carter, Chris. (1994). "Chris Carter talks about 12 of his favorite episodes from Season: Squeeze". Fox Home Entertainment.
- ^ Lovece, Frank (1996). The X-Files Declassified. Citadel Press. p. 51.
- ^ Lowry,Brian (1995). The Truth is Out There: The Official Guide to the X-Files. Harper Prism. p. 248.
- ^ Hurwitz, Matt, Knowles, Chris (2008). The Complete X-Files. Insight Editions. p. 39.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "A look back on some of the best stand-alone episodes from the X-Files series". Vancouver Sun. September 12, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Ogle, Connie (September 29, 2009). "The X-Factor: A look back at 'The X-Files' greatest monsters". PopMatters. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help)
External links
