Monday, July 28, 2008
X-Files 'Ethnic Episode' Checklist
Have you caught yourself watching an X-Files episode thinking you've just watched this episode in another season? Read on - you may be watching an Ethnic Episode!
1) The episode takes place within a cultural niche found somewhere usually in the American mainland.
2) Mulder and Scully are assigned to investigate an unexplained/unexplainable death of somebody who exists within this culture.
3) They usually encounter resistance by the majority of the people within the culture.
4) As a result of not being able to speak the language (or, you know, just because), they enlist the services of a detective who is of the same ethnicity - this person is used as their 'key' into the society that the investigation takes place in.
5) The culture has some hokey little mythos that crop up at some point during the duo's investigation. While the Ethnic Detective is always very knowledgeable about the strange little customs, myths and rituals, he's usually above them - always slightly disconnected from the culture while still justifying his presence with that whole 'cultural bridge' thing.
6) There's almost always a young woman in the episode - usually a daughter of a major player within the culture.
So there you have it: Six easy steps to determine whether it's been done before. The ethnicity in question just needs to be changed and voila - you have a whole new episode.
If you're still reading (AND WHY WOULDN'T YOU BE?!?!), here's a checklist for an episode that's not an Ethnic Episode, but a part of the ongoing conspiracy story arc:
1) Skinner asks Mulder or Scully 'Do you expect me to believe that?' at some point during the epiode.
1) The episode takes place within a cultural niche found somewhere usually in the American mainland.
2) Mulder and Scully are assigned to investigate an unexplained/unexplainable death of somebody who exists within this culture.
3) They usually encounter resistance by the majority of the people within the culture.
4) As a result of not being able to speak the language (or, you know, just because), they enlist the services of a detective who is of the same ethnicity - this person is used as their 'key' into the society that the investigation takes place in.
5) The culture has some hokey little mythos that crop up at some point during the duo's investigation. While the Ethnic Detective is always very knowledgeable about the strange little customs, myths and rituals, he's usually above them - always slightly disconnected from the culture while still justifying his presence with that whole 'cultural bridge' thing.
6) There's almost always a young woman in the episode - usually a daughter of a major player within the culture.
So there you have it: Six easy steps to determine whether it's been done before. The ethnicity in question just needs to be changed and voila - you have a whole new episode.
If you're still reading (AND WHY WOULDN'T YOU BE?!?!), here's a checklist for an episode that's not an Ethnic Episode, but a part of the ongoing conspiracy story arc:
1) Skinner asks Mulder or Scully 'Do you expect me to believe that?' at some point during the epiode.
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