Episode 1.05 - "The Jersey Devil"
Of course the core of the episode is a twist on the "missing link" stories that exist all over the world. Mulder even comments on the "universal wild man myth". Do such creatures exist? In this Google Maps age where almost every corner of the globe has been mapped within an inch of its life, it's probably unlikely. But it's fun to speculate and much like UFOs, there will always be those who want to believe.
In terms of infamous creatures there are two clear front runners. We have Bigfoot or Sasquatch in the wild forested areas and Yeti or Abominable Snowmen for the snow-blasted mountains and tundras. As a youngster I was always more interested in Bigfoot, probably because of the "The Unexplained" magazine (there it is popping up again), but also because of the "Patterson-Gimlin film from 1967, which purported to show real moving footage of man's mysterious unknown cousin. At just shy of 60 seconds long it features what is alleged to be a female Sasquatch somewhere over six feet tall - a large ape-like figure covered in brown / black fur which became known as "Patty".
Although Patterson appeared on a number of talk-shows at the time, and clips from the film were included, it was really only when it was shown as part of a 1974 documentary on "Mysterious Monsters" (seen by 64 million Americans) that the images gained national and then worldwide notoriety.
To modern eyes that clearly looks like someone in a not particularly convincing monkey suit, but Patterson and his colleague maintained that what they saw was real. Various scientists, film-makers and special-effects experts over the years have either supported or decried the existence of "Patty", with SFX legend Stan Winston famously stating "if one of my colleagues created this for a movie, he would be out of business".
In 2002 a costume company owner named Philip Morris (no not that one...or *that* one) claimed that he had made the suit used in the film, but he had no proof to back this up and when a costume he *did* make was used in a re-creation of the original sequence two years later, it looked nothing like "Patty" and Morris refused to let the video by released.Funny that.
If there was a man inside the suit, who was it? Well in 1999 Bob Heironimus (fantastic name) said it was him - a statement later corroborated by his mother, nephew and a couple of friends.The problem is our man Bob also claimed that he was wearing Morris's suit, but the descriptions both men gave of the costume varied wildly. Debate over the film continues to this day , but one thing is certain - I don't think we will ever know the truth behind all of these stories, claims and counter-claims or just *what* Patterson and Gimlin saw that day.
Back in the land of the X-Files, the problem is that the concept is watered down to such an extent that instead of a missing link or a wild man-beast that eats humans for breakfast, the reveal is a woman with very pouty lips and a messed up hairdo. The witnesses talk a good talk about the savagery of the thing from the woods but the only risk she seems to pose is to the dustbins of Atlantic City. Apparently she was a cannibal but network television wasn't quite ready to show that in full back in the 90s. Our hairy lady does have the unusual power to attract leaves to her naked torso when shot though. Very handy to protect her modesty.
What's far more interesting are the small moments which illustrate the growing rapport between Mulder and Scully. They have a great little banter back and forth that shows how comfortable they are getting with each other. Questions about dates and the need for a life outside the bureau show that even though 'Spooky' is more than a little obsessed, he has (if only subconsciously) noticed that Scully is a devilishly attractive woman and of course she apparently does think he's cute. It's also the first episode where we see them split up for any significant amount of time as Scully goes back to Washington - not before complaining about having to drive herself home and the traffic. It's fun to watch her pause after each comment, expecting Mulder to say "please don't go" or something along those lines, but of course he's too interested in the mystery at hand. It's hardly subtle stuff but that's okay.
Other thoughts and facts:
- So it turns out there really is a "Jersey Devil" myth - it's just not anything to do with a flesh-eating human throwback - more a creature with the head of a goat, bat-like wings, hooves and a forked tail. Oh and a blood-curdling scream. Supposedly it's the cursed thirteenth child of old Mother Leeds. Sightings go back at least as far as 1820.
- Why do US local cops get so pissed about jurisdiction? Are they so concerned about their own reputations and their little empires that they can't work with the FBI? I've always found that odd.
- If you are going to have a birthday party, it's a tradition or an old charter or something that the family dog will get the cake. Lucky thing. Mmmmmmm cake......
- I know that every big city in the world has a homeless population, which is awful of course, but these scenes of Atlantic City's cardboard city are just terrible. Is it / was it really that bad?
- Coincidence of the week - Mulder beds down for the night just as the mysterious creature puts in an appearance. I'd have loved to have seen him wait there for a week, getting more disheveled and haggered every night. He hasn't even got his porn mag for company.
- I don't quite get why the cops turn up sirens blazing and arrest Mulder. What was he guilty of? Possession of a terrible drawing? Wearing a shiny suit in a built up area?
- I'm not sure if it's the message they were going for, but this episode did make me think about all the bears, wolves, foxes and other creatures that are regularly coming into urban areas looking for food because greedy man is encroaching on and destroying their natural habitat.
- Professor Anthropology Expert is good value - even if the ponytail is terrible.
- It's really nice to see events happening in broad daylight for a change.
- Just what was going on with the ridiculous roll they both perform when they follow after the woman-beast?
- Lot's of opportunities to spot things we just don't use anymore in our world of the future. This week it's telephone books and pagers.
- There had to be a child didn't there?
In the final analysis, I think they could have done more justice to the Bigfoot legends, but the badinage just about makes up for it and turns a weak episode into a reasonable one.
Next!
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