It's the Alien week here where we look into interesting facts and tidbits of some favorite tv shows about the extraterrestrial. That being said...
When Supernatural started almost 20 years ago, it was like the X-Files in many ways. Sometimes better, sometimes not so. They really tried to take all of the best aspects of the X-Files, polished them up and set them in a new story that is somehow more unbelievable and at the same time fascinating than all the crazy stuff that happened to Scully and Mulder. Here are some of the similarities between the two shows.
Main characters are a duo, one all-in about their mission, the other reluctant
In the X-Files, Fox Mulder is a rogue agent who insists on following cases that don't make any sense, based on his finding a bunch of closed but unsolved cases called the X-Files in the basement of the FBI. His superiors are not happy that one of their golden boys has gone more or less nuts-o and partner him up with Dana Scully, a by-the-book, analytical scientist and doctor who doesn't believe in any of the strange things Fox wants to believe in. This dynamic created a great push-and-pull feeling in the show, where you'd watch Scully go from total disbelief to almost belief and back again.
In Supernatural, Sam and Dean Winchester were raised by their father to hunt demons because one k*lled their mother and torched their house when Sam was a baby. Sam, now in college studying to be a doctor, has left that all behind him, hoping to exchange his crazy life for something much more normal. But when his father disappears and Jess is k*lled by the same demon who k*lled his mom, he reluctantly agrees to rejoin his brother Dean on his never-ending demon-hunting mission, with the added quest of finding their father. Sam's reluctance to take part in the demon-hunting aspect is unflagging for the first season, in stark contrast to Dean's near blood-lust. He tries to stay focused on finding their father and each time they stop to track something new, he gets more annoyed. There's nothing quite so fun as watching two brothers snipe at each other as they are fighting literal monsters.
Plot mainly driven by the crazy monsters of the week
This one's pretty damn obvious. X-Files is interesting because of all the crazy beings and alien issues Mulder and Scully have while Supernatural is awesome because of how they re-interpret Americana and other mythologies (their take on genies was incredibly unique!) and also, a show full of demons never hurts.
Little stuff eventually adds up to one bigger plot
In the X-Files, it seems for a while that most of the encounters Scully and Mulder have are totally random and unconnected. Eventually, the alien stuff turns out to be all interconnected with each other and with a secret group in the government that is cooperating with them to create an alien-human hybrid, even going so far as to turn their own family members over to the aliens for testing. The struggle with this group and with the aliens drives most of the series.
In Supernatural, the demon stuff also seems very random but it turns out that the demon who k*lled Sam's mom and girlfriend has big evil plans that include people like Sam, whom he gave special powers. Turns out, he's trying to open the gate to hell and let out his army of demons - but wants a human to lead them. All of this leads up to Sam having to fight for his life with the other "contestants" and the desperate search to kill this honcho demon and keep hell at bay.
The main duo constantly cheats death
Scully and Mulder both cheat death in the X-Files as both are abducted by aliens (though not at the same time), Scully gets cancer, Mulder is devoured alive and the list goes on and on. They've got such a tenacious ability to come back, which Sam and Dean share. Both have died of natural and unnatural causes and come back (usually by making deals with demons), but Dean was even brought out of hell itself by an angel of God. Stuff like this can be overplayed sure, but these guys do it with style.
Some notable and very literal References:
- Season One, Episode One:
"Agent Mulder, Agent Scully." Dean says it to the officers as him and Sam are walking away from the crime scene on the bridge.
- Season Two Episode Seven:
Dean calls Sam "Scully". This exchange happens at a cafe when during the first flash back of their “cover story” to the cops. Sam “I’m not Scully. You’re Scully.”
Dean “Nah, I’m Mulder. You’re a red headed woman."
- Season Three Episode Eleven
In the episode Mystery Spot Dean says "It seems a little too “X-Files” to me." to Sam on one of the many Tuesdays that Sam has had to live through when Sam is trying to explain to Dean what is happening. Dean is referencing the episode of the X-Files named Monday which references the movie Ground hog day.
- Season Four Episode Five
In the episode Monster Movie Jaimie, Dean and Sam are in the bar right after they just discovered that the monster they are hunting is a shapeshifter. Jamie says: So you guys are like Mulder and Scully or something and the X-Files are real? to which Dean responds: No. The X-Files is a tv show. This is real.
Supernatural has even more crossovers with The X Files, including actors and directors who worked on both shows. More on that in one of the next posts.
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Interesting huh?