Season 1, Episode 10
Mulder receives intel from Deep Throat on a crashed UFO—government codename: Fallen Angel—in Wisconsin and is captured by the military while documenting the crash site. While in captivity, Mulder meets Max Fenig (Scott Bellis), a UFO enthusiast and fan of the X-Files who Mulder believes is a multiple alien abductee. During the military’s subsequent cleanup of the accident, an alien being released from the crashed craft escapes the quarantined area and, in self defense, intermittently cooks people with a deadly amount of radiation.
Tightly written by Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon, and tautly directed by Larry Shaw, “Fallen Angel” gets The X-Files back on track after several one-note monster-of-the-week episodes, à la “Space.” Mulder’s persistence in his quest for truth sees him, for the first time since his partnership with Scully, venturing out into unknown territory by himself. We also get more of the mythology elements that were introduced earlier in the season (implants, etc.), and a memorable performance by Bellis as Max, whose affectionate portrayal helped to make him a fan favorite—and who would return in two more episodes.
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Note: “Fallen Angel” features the introduction of the Office of Professional Review (OPR), an internal committee within the FBI who continually bring into question Mulder’s actions on the X-Files. This is also the first time the X-Files would be threatened with closure.
