Season 1, Episode 13
“I thought you’d be pleased that I opened myself to extreme possibilities.” —Scully after Mulder dismisses her belief in serial killer Luther Lee Boggs.
In a moment of despair, Scully puts her faith in the hands of a death row inmate with psychic visions, the X-Files case coming after the sudden death of Scully’s father. The inmate, mass murderer Luther Lee Boggs (Brad Dourif, who’s excellent), claims to have knowledge of the abduction of two college students through psychic phenomena, an ability Mulder discredits as the desperate act of man about to die. Fighting with her faith, Scully wants to believe Boggs is making an attempt at redemption.
While it received glowing reviews, many critics wrongly compared “Beyond the Sea” to Silence of the Lambs, an unfair assessment that does inadequate service not just to a terrific episode, but Anderson’s performance—Anderson was wrongly compared to Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling. The resemblances are obvious, but “Beyond the Sea” transcends its inspirations by directly tying in with the show’s commitment to its characters, specifically Scully, whose dedication to her beliefs—and her internal struggle with personal demons—is a constant throughout the show’s run.
Rating: 👽 👽 👽 👽 👽
Note: Max Fenig’s NICAP (National Investigations Committee On Aerial Phenomena) hat—see episode 10, “Fallen Angel”—can be seen hanging from a coat rack in Mulder’s office.
