“Fearful Symmetry” – Season 2 Ep. 18

Frohike: [Mulder’s phone rings] If that’s the lovely Agent Scully, tell her I’ve been working out. I’m buff.

Written by: Steve De Jarnatt

Directed by: James Whitmore Jr.

Original Air Date: February 24th, 1995

Principal Setting: Fairfield, Idaho

Episode Summary: 

Mulder and Scully curiously investigate a weird occurrence of an invisible force that destroys the downtown area of Fairfield, Idaho. An elephant appears out of nowhere in the highway and almost gets hit by a semi. It collapses and dies after running nearly 40 miles, and no one can figure out how the elephant escaped its locked cage. A group of animal rights activists have been protesting the way the zoo treats its animals, so the blame from the main zookeeper Ed Meecham gets placed on them immediately.

It turns out the animal activists have been sabotaging parts of the zoo, although when one activist breaks into the zoo at night he is mauled by an invisible tiger. When Scully does an autopsy on the elephant and the tiger, she discovers they had been pregnant. When the lead zoo caretaker Willa Ambrose asks Mulder what could have caused this, he of course goes straight to blaming it on aliens. His final conclusions are the aliens are somehow transporting the animals out of their cages, turning them invisible, in hopes to conserve them from man. Their plan utterly fails as all of the animals die, including the smart gorilla who knows sign language. Sad panda. 

Personal Commentary:

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when the writers were coming up with this episode. I can only imagine it sounded like this:

Writer #1: “Ok guys, I have an idea of animals escaping the zoo and we blame it on animal activists.”

Writer #2: “Great idea! But instead of animal activists, we can make that the red herring and it will really be aliens that are conserving these animals.”

Writer #1: “That seems a bit far fetched. Although this is The X-Files after all. We can always have Mulder blame it on the aliens and it’s probably true.”

Writer #2: “Totally! Oh and what if the animals are invisible when the aliens beam them out of their cage?! An invisible elephant destroying a town. That would be so cool!”

Chris Carter: “Wait, what? That doesn’t make any sense.”

Writer #2: “It doesn’t have to make sense. We never explain why things happen. That’s what makes it an X-File!

Chris Carter: (slaps his forehead and shakes his head) “Oh, what the hell. Let’s do it.”

This episode is ridiculous. As you can see from the above writer’s brainstorm, it makes no sense and it seems like a bunch of ideas melded into one convoluted hot mess. If they would have given it more of a humorous tone, it could have worked, but it takes itself too seriously.

It does get a couple points for being set in Idaho (Scully mispronounces Boise “Boyzee”), the quick appearance of Frohike and Byers on satellite, and it has elephants (one of my favorite animals), although it dies. Poor invisible elephant. 😦

Episode Grade: D-

Favorite Scene: 

The brief appearance of the Lone Gunman (minus Langly) makes this episode somewhat bearable, but alas couldn’t find a clip. This X-Files Abridged clip sums it up pretty well though.

Fun Facts:

• The title of the episode comes from the poem “The Tyger” by William Blake. Below is the first stanza from which the title was taken:

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright 

In the forests of the night, 

What immortal hand or eye 

Could frame thy fearful symmetry? 

• The producers were initially concerned that the elephant would not run toward the truck for the show’s teaser. However, the elephant thoroughly enjoyed the truck and the producers had difficulty getting the creature away from it.
• Mulder again demonstrates his knowledge of song lyrics, this time quoting Paul Simon: “It’s all happening at the zoo, Scully.”
• The elephant “Ganesha” is named after the Hindu God.

Faces You May Recognize:

• Jayne Atkinson, who plays Willa Ambrose, is famous for playing the mom in Free Willy, Tabitha Walker in The Village, and starring in major roles in 24 and House of Cards.