Beyond the Sea

"Beyond the Sea" was the first episode to center around Scully, as precious little about her life had been known previously, and is arguably the best of the episodes that did so. The frenzied Luther Boggs, played impeccably by Brad Dourif, leaves such an imprint that every monster-of-the-week from this point forward faces the challenge of living up to him. His spotlight is shared by Gillian Anderson's Emmy-warranting performance, that peaks in a confrontation with Boggs shortly after Mulder has been shot ("no one will be able to stop me from being the one that will throw the switch and gas you out of this life for good, you son of a bitch!").

This is easily the best episode of the first season and very likely one of the best of the entire series. David Nutter's directing sheds animation at every angle, with multiple scenes feeling like something out of a David Lynch film. Although numerous episodes would tackle Scully's struggle between belief and denial, "Beyond the Sea" was the first to do so, and the on-screen chemistry between Anderson and Dourif is one of the best pairings on any X-File, if not television. The only negative thing about it is that it made me wish Boggs had been brought back in a future ep! 10/10

The pair are called in to help with two missing students, Mulder believes a Serial killer is to blame. Scully had to deal with a personal tragedy.

This is a terrific episode, no wonder it's so highly rated, and such a fan favourite. This first series has given us multiple styles, even genres. This fits into the psychological thriller bracket.

Very much a Scully central episode, she had a big story here, she's forced to admit to things against the backdrop of her father's death. Anderson is terrific.

Brad Dourif is sensational as Luther Lee Boggs, he is truly brilliant here.

It's great, 9/10.

Beyond the Sea is arguably the best episode of season one. It's a pity that Morgan & Wong didn't stay with the X-Files throughout its duration. They wrote another masterpiece here. This episode is not about a serial killer named Lucas Henry. It's about Scully and her interactions with Luther Boggs, a death row inmate, who is supposedly channeling her deceased father. This is the first X-Files episode where Mulder and Scully switch the roles of believer and skeptic. Scully is not sure whether to believe Boggs or not. The dialogue between Scully and Boggs is very powerful. Of note is their exchange after Mulder is shot by Lucas Henry. There's not a lot of action in this episode. It is secondary to the drama between Scully and Boggs. Morgan and Wong actually gave up their script writing fees for this episode in order for production to be able to afford Brad Dourif to play Luther Boggs. Brad Dourif is incredible and was worth every cent they payed him. People tell me, "I think of Finding Nemo when I hear the song 'Beyond the Sea'". But for any X-phile, you know exactly what you think of when you hear 'Beyond the Sea'.

I would say this episode is the most intense yet compared to standard x-files episodes one of the most challenging to watch.Different and daring,the usual x-files action and special effects takes a back seat.In it's place is dialogue and drama.The character Luther Boggs is one of the most fascinating ever written in the x-files and high praise must be heaped upon the writers of "Beyond The Sea"Not the most accessible of all the x-files episodes but without a doubt one of the engaging.The actor Brad Dourif who plays Luther Boggs is great and his scenes with Scully are an integral part of this episode.The drama and tension created between the two is brilliant and for once Scully seems to be a believer

I become an X-files fan after the show had been on awhile. So just now, I'm starting over.

The episodes go by: okay, so-so, good, okay, okay, pretty good... and then WHAM! comes this episode, as if from another series.

Knowing what an amazing actress Gillian Anderson is, I'd noted how subdued she's been, not really given the opportunity to do much. But come this episode, amigo, there it is. I don't know whether it was the material, or whether it was partly Brad Dourif's stand-out performance challenging her to come up a notch (as David Duchovny's anemic metro-sexual character couldn't), but wow.

I'll leave it at "wow." That says it. That Gillian Anderson hasn't gone on to take her place by Meryl Streep remains a mystery to me.