Conduit

Conduit is one of the essential episodes of the first season of The X-Files, perhaps even of the entire series, as it marks the debut of the mythology storyline's most important and affecting subplot: Mulder's search for his sister.

The case begins with the disappearance of a young girl whose mother claims to have been abducted by aliens in the past. While Mulder and Scully set out to find the girl, it is revealed that Mulder's sister Samantha was abducted when he was twelve, and that incident is what eventually led to his belief in the paranormal and his work on the X-Files. Scully fears her partner might be taking the whole thing too personal, but has to admit they're probably onto something when the US government takes an interest in the missing girl's younger brother, who receives compromising information through a television set.

Apart from Mulder's usual spot-on remarks ("How can an eight-year old boy who can barely multiply be a threat to national security? And they call me paranoid!") and the postmodern use of the TV medium within the show (something that will occur several more times), the heart of Conduit is its digging into the hidden core of the show's male protagonist: childhood trauma is often used - or rather misused - as a dramatic device to explain a character's choices, but the careful writing and Duchovny's heartfelt performance give the back-story more substance than it would have in another program. This episode really establishes Mulder as a flesh-and-blood individual instead of a caricature of a conspiracy theorist, and it's very easy to share his hope when he utters a line that, much like "The truth is out there", came to define the series: "I want to believe...".

This episode Conduit brings a part of Mulder's childhood to the fore.We learn his sister Samantha was abducted when he was young and he was unfortunate enough to witness the event.Also Mulder's determination to succeed in his field of work stems from this event.He clearly would go to any lengths to find out the truth about his sister's disapperance.Though Scully admires his intense determination and drive she feels sometimes Mulder's judgement is clouded sometimes.This is a reoccurring theme on the x-files and for that reason alone helped to sustain the interest of many viewers who watched the show.Conduit is a starting part of a long quest for the truth

Conduit is underrated episode in the first season of the X-Files. I like this Episode a lot. Conduit is about a missing teenage girl who disappeared and went missing in Sioux City, Iowa. Mulder and Scully fly there when Mulder takes this case personal.

Section Chief Scott Blevins (Charles Cioffi) did not want to give an open case to Mulder, but Scully convinced him to talk to Mulder about this case. They both travel to Iowa to look closer for a missing girl. The episode is about a Lake Okobogee that was the scene of a series of UFO sightings in 1967: Darlene Morris (Carrie Snodgress) was a member of a Girl Scout troop than, she was one of the witnesses and now her daughter disappeared. While Mulder goes deeper in to this case, we realized that he is looking for this girl because she reminds him on his sister Samantha who went missing and disappeared when he was 12 years old. Mulder does not quit until he finds the body of a girl.

The leads of a missing girl finds connection that Ruby (Taunya Dee) the girl who disappeared had a boyfriend name Greg Randall who was pregnant at the time when she disappeared, it turned out Mulder and Scully found a grave in the woods and it was Greg Randall and they found a suspect and got it in to custody and it was Tessa (Shelley Owens) the girl who told about Greg to Mulder and Scully. She killed him when she find out Greg was going to leave her for Ruby, but in the woods Ruby never showed up. So the search keeps continue when Mulder saves young boy Kevin (Joel Palmer) from biker gang been almost run over, when Scully find's Ruby buried and alive. Mulder and Scully saves the kids. We see Mulder in a church sad when he still misses and searches for his missing sister.

This is a mystery episode that evolves disappearance of a teen girl in Iowa. First I thought the Aliens did that, but than we go deeper in to the plot of the story in this episode. This is not a mythology episode is a mystery episode.

Here we have three incredible actors appearing: Donald Gibb from Bloodsport (1988) appears as bartender and a biker name Kip. We have Carrie Snodgress from Charles Bronson's Murphy's Law (1986) in it, as Darlene the mother of a missing girl and of course Shelley Owens as Tessa boy she was hot in here. The producers than really knew what kind of beautiful actress to cast in the episodes.

I like this episode, I know it should have been mythology episode but even without that, it is still good episode. Still I think this episode should involved aliens and alien abduction and put mystery together it would be a better episode tough, just my opinion. Daniel Sackheim did incredible joy directing this episode, he even directed my favorite episode of all time "Deep throat." 7/10.

The first season of the science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing on the Fox network in the United States on September 10, 1993, and concluded on the same channel on May 13, 1994, after airing all 24 episodes.

"Conduit" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on October 1, 1993. It was written by Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon, directed by Daniel Sackheim, and featured a guest appearance by Carrie Snodgress as the mother of an abducted teenager.

7/10 Grade: B- Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Carrie Snodgress, Michael Cavanaugh, Donald Gibb, Joel Palmer, Charles Cioffi, Shelley Owens, Taunya Dee Director: Daniel Sackheim Producers: Chris Carter, Joseph Patrick Finn, Glen Morgan, James Wong Screenplay: Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon Rated: R Running Time: 44 minutes

"Conduit" does what "Pilot" and "Deep Throat" did... but better. At least in my opinion, since the rating for this is lower than them. But I stand by my rating. This episode doesn't make the mistake of showing too much, hence the lack of cheesy and corny effects. It also has more substance with Mulder's character arc playing an important part with the main plot.

I should've written these reviews right after watching the episodes... now I can't write in-depth.

Prior to this episode we've been vaguely familiarised with Fox Mulder and his work and motivation. In Conduit, however, we have the opportunity, for the first time, to peek into agent Mulder's past and, probably, understand the driving force behind his obsession with his work and uncovering the truth.

The story opens at a campground at night ashore Lake Okobogee, where a single mother, Darlene Morris and her daughter and son are camping out. Darlene is awakened by the vibrations of the RV that is rapidly beginning to shake and rattle as a blinding light floods the scene, and the screams of her son calls her out for help. In the next moment she's outside the RV, as her son, Kevin worriedly informs her that Ruby's gone (his sister). She takes her son's hand as they go about calling for Ruby to no avail.

Personally I find this episode to possess the very primordial essence of the show's ambiance. I do have my doubts as to why I gave it 8 instead of 10 stars, but then again I do believe I have my reasons. Let's see if I can bring them to the surface.

Conduit is an attempt to wrap up the mythology up to this point and reinforce Mulder's quest for his sister, Samantha. The direction the writers' decided to pull the show in was pretty obvious but, what remains obscure, is the apocryphal way they took in going about doing that.

There are certain things that just don't add up quite. For example, the deliberate intentions to throw the viewer into doubt as to Ruby's fate by introducing an irrelevant character in the form of a trashy high school girl who winds up, as if by destiny, in the right time at the right place to tip off the agents about Ruby's disappearance.

The other thing that bothers me is the possible relation between Kevin's mental processing of binary messages by whoever or whatever, and his sister's abduction/disappearance. The episode failed to provide any, and I doubt I could possibly reach any meaningful interpretation, either.

Other than that I find it to be one of the best and most enjoyable episodes. No reason to belabor the point any longer.