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The X-Files
S3.E8
All episodesAll
  • Cast & crew
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IMDbPro

Oubliette

  • Episode aired Nov 17, 1995
  • TV-14
  • 45m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
5.1K
YOUR RATING
Jewel Staite in Oubliette (1995)
Police ProceduralAdventureCrimeDramaMysterySci-FiThriller

A woman experiences a psychic connection with a teenager held captive by a deranged man.A woman experiences a psychic connection with a teenager held captive by a deranged man.A woman experiences a psychic connection with a teenager held captive by a deranged man.

  • Director
    • Kim Manners
  • Writers
    • Chris Carter
    • Charles Grant Craig
    • Darin Morgan
  • Stars
    • David Duchovny
    • Gillian Anderson
    • Tracey Ellis
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.6/10
    5.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Kim Manners
    • Writers
      • Chris Carter
      • Charles Grant Craig
      • Darin Morgan
    • Stars
      • David Duchovny
      • Gillian Anderson
      • Tracey Ellis
    • 17User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos37

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    Top cast16

    Edit
    David Duchovny
    David Duchovny
    • Fox Mulder
    Gillian Anderson
    Gillian Anderson
    • Dana Scully
    Tracey Ellis
    Tracey Ellis
    • Lucy Householder
    Michael Chieffo
    Michael Chieffo
    • Carl Wade
    Jewel Staite
    Jewel Staite
    • Amy Jacobs
    Ken Ryan
    • Walt Eubanks
    Dean Wray
    Dean Wray
    • Tow Truck Driver
    Jacques Lalonde
    Jacques Lalonde
    • Henry
    David Fredericks
    David Fredericks
    • Larsen
    Sidonie Boll
    • Myra Jacobs
    Robert Underwood
    Robert Underwood
    • Paramedic
    Dolly Scarr
    • Fast Food Supervisor
    Bonnie Hay
    Bonnie Hay
    • Woman
    David James Lewis
    David James Lewis
    • Young Agent
    • (as David Lewis)
    Eryn Collins
    • Young Lucy Householder
    • (uncredited)
    Alexa Mardon
    • Sadie Jacobs
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Kim Manners
    • Writers
      • Chris Carter
      • Charles Grant Craig
      • Darin Morgan
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews17

    7.65K
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    Featured reviews

    8Muldernscully

    Mulder's Connection

    Oubliette follows the story of a girl who was abducted and a woman across town who collapsed and muttered the exact same words the abductor says at the exact time of the abduction. Mulder and Scully investigate this bizarre connection. A poignant line towards the beginning of the episode is when Mulder is talking to the mother of the abducted girl, Amy. Mulder says, "I know you must be feeling..." When the mother interrupts Mulder and exclaims, "I'm sorry … but how could you really know how I feel?" Mulder says nothing in reply. It's powerful because Mulder does know the feeling of having someone close to him abducted. Mulder separates the events of his sister's abduction from this case and manages to make a connection with Lucy, the woman who has the bizarre connection to Amy. However, when the police and Scully suspect that Lucy was involved in the abduction, Scully accuses Mulder of allowing his sister's abduction to cloud his judgement. Mulder responds by telling Scully, "And not everything I do, say, think, and feel goes back to my sister." And this is what made this episode special to me, Mulder's emotional connection to Lucy. He truly wanted to help Amy AND Lucy to "escape". Scully finally realizes this at the end. "Mulder, whatever there was between them, you were part of that connection." David Duchovny gives a great performance that you shouldn't miss.
    9mppie

    "Oubliette"

    I was so proud of myself when I saw the title of this episode and said, "I know what that word means!" I wanted to write a review to tell you guys because I find it so ironic that the episode is called this, but the word is never even mentioned nor explained. But it completely fits the episode!

    "Oubliette" is French for 'dungeon' and can also be connected to another French word, "Oublier," which means 'forget.' In other words...forgotten dungeon. An Oubliette was a Medieval torture chamber in which prisoners were thrown into a room below the floor. This room had no windows and the only way out was by a door high in the ceiling, the very door in which they were cast into. The prisoners in there were then intentionally forgotten about and many of them died from starvation or from going mad.

    I love that the writers did their research and I absolutely LOVE this episode! A wonderful Mulder-centered episode and if that wasn't enough, it is also beautifully written.

    (PS: I'm sorry if I got some of the French definitions wrong. I don't speak French, but I know all of that through research)
    9antholly

    Mulder's personal touch

    I recently bought Season 3 on DVD and am currently working my way through the episodes, enjoying every minute so far. However, none of them has affected me as much as this one. Whether it's because the subject matter of child abduction is made all the more poignant due to recent news items, I'm not sure, but I think part of it is down to the connection between Mulder's character and his own personal experience with the disappearance of his sister. David Duchovny gives a very good performance here, and his character's sympathetic approach to handling the troubled soul of Lucy is at times very touching. The abductor Carl Wade is suitably creepy, and the scenes between him and Amy Jacobs are sometimes difficult to watch, but then, this is always likely when you're handling topics such as this.

    For Firefly fans (such as me) there's the added bonus in that the present-day abductee is played by none other than a young Jewel Staite!
    8Sleepin_Dragon

    An excellent, gritty case.

    How on Earth can someone feel the exact feelings experienced by a kidnap victim?

    This is very good, it's a chilling episode, it holds up well in this very strong third series. Nice to see the human side of Mulder, Scully is very matter of fact, he is showing a very nurturing side, great episode for Duchovny.

    Scenes worthy of a great thriller/horror movie, this was a real change in direction for this series.

    Michael Chieffo is very, very good as Cark Wade, menacing in a very human, disturbing way.

    Very good, 8/10.
    10thomas_hengeveld

    Great emotional episode

    Currently watching all x files episodes for the first time. This was the first episode that made me cry.

    Great acting, especially the character Lucy. Don't understand why this episode dousnt have 9 stars.

    Related interests

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      An oubliette is a secret dungeon with access only through a trapdoor in its ceiling. The word is derived from the French word for forgetting.
    • Goofs
      When the tow truck driver gives the location where he tried to help Carl Wade on the side of the road, Mulder identifies the position using Interstate 12 and Highway 903 on the map. However, Interstate 12 is not near the setting of the Seattle, Washington region. It is located entirely in South Louisiana.
    • Quotes

      Fox Mulder: [referring to Lucy's seizure and incoherent speech] Whether she knew it or not, she's was repeating the exact words spoken by Amy's abductor at the exact same time, twenty miles across town.

      Dana Scully: That's spooky.

      Fox Mulder: [with a wry smile] That's my name, isn't it?

    • Soundtracks
      Kyrie (Eleison)
      Performed by Mr. Mister

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • November 17, 1995 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Hulu
      • Instagram
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Stage 2, North Shore Studios, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Ten Thirteen Productions
      • 20th Century Fox Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 45m
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 4:3

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