“Little Green Men” – Season 2 Ep. 1

Mulder: The entire tape is blank.
Scully: You know an electrical surge in the outlet during the storm may have degaussed everything. Erasing the entire tape. You still have nothing.
Mulder: I may not have the X-Files, Scully, but I still have my work. I still have you. I still have myself.

Written by: Glen Morgan & James Wong

Directed by: David Nutter

Original Air Date: September 16th, 1994

Principal Setting: Arecibo, Puerto Rico

Episode Summary: 

We have reached Season Two, and with Deep Throat dead and the X Files shut down, Mulder finds himself reassigned to regular FBI duties and he’s not too happy about it. He even gives Scully the cold shoulder passing her in the hallway. Scully tries to cheer him up and to keep going with his fight to find the truth, but he is still unconvinced the X-Files will ever be reopened until he hears from Senator Richard Matheson where he’s informed of a radio tower in Puerto Rico that is receiving strange radio messages.

Mulder soon vanishes and heads to Puerto Rico where the giant radio communications dish at Arecibo was recently shut down. There he finds evidence and has a close encounter of the third kind. Scully has tracked him down and they manage to escape just as the military arrives.

Personal Commentary:

This episode is a fantastic example that seeing is not always believing. There needs to be some sort of physical evidence and Mulder is desperately trying to find proof of extraterrestrial life and who abducted his sister. He is questioning what he’s seen with his own eyes, even wondering if the abduction of his sister even happened.

Now the X-Files are shut down, he takes it in his own hands after the encouraging pep talk from Scully. I really liked that interaction in the parking garage as Scully says “During your time on the X-Files, you’ve seen so much” and Mulder responds, “That’s just the point. Seeing is not enough, I should have something to hold onto. Some solid evidence. I learned that from you.” It proves the bond and appreciation they’ve established from one another as Scully urges him to keep seeking the truth and Mulder realizing the importance of having scientific, physical proof. He ends up getting physical proof from a tape recording, but like always, the evidence is compromised and the truth is still out there.

Two fun things I noticed this episode, Scully is really good at guessing passwords and the great feeling you get when Skinner kicks the Cigarette Smoking Man out of his office.

Episode Grade: B-

Favorite Scene: 

I really like when Mulder is recording the autopsy notes directly to Scully then goes on a tangent questioning what he truly believes about aliens and his sister’s abduction. I couldn’t find a clip of it, but that is a special scene.

Fun Facts:

• The only season premiere of The X-Files not to be written by creator Chris Carter.
• The first time we see how Mulder’s sister was supposedly abducted.

Faces You Recognize:

• Raymond J. Berry, who plays Senator Richard Matheson, has played in Training Day and Born on the Fourth of July. Most recently you may know him playing Arlo Givens in Justified.