Gender Bender

"Gender Bender", the only X-Files script ever written by Paul and Larry Barber, is a mildly interesting mediocrity. There's some cheesy scenes and a silly plot, but it never becomes aggravatingly annoying as several season one episodes do. That doesn't mean it's particularly good either. The script is bland and flat, but I simply do not see what so many people hate about this episode, outside of the overused 'dangerous succubus' angle. The ending doesn't work as we learned more about extraterrestrial life later on in the series, but it worked at the time as a sort of Twilight Zone twist on things.

This episode is notable for two reasons: Nicholas Lea makes his debut, not as Krycek, but it's still the first episode he was in, and frequent X-Files director Rob Bowman makes his debut. One of the reasons this episode gets a 5/10 from me instead of a 4/10 is Bowman's work. It's always good, and it was the start of a working relationship hugely beneficial to Bowman's career and to The X-Files' visual aesthetic.

5/10

Gender Bender' is much better episode than it gets credit for. Little different than regular X-File and the twist ending might seem far-fetched at first, but the build up is good and the episode has nice ominous atmosphere. Wonderfully haunting score helps to improve the atmospheric feel.

This episode also marks first appearance of Nicholas Lea, but not yet as agent Alex Krycek but as Michael, the victim of the gender bendering Marty.

If I'm a die-hard fan of "Twin peaks", "Married with children", early "Baywatch", "Mister Bean", nonetheless "X-files" is the number one because it's the more challenging. For a bachelor with a monotonous job in a conservative, old country, X-files is an incredible breath of air. With each show, it's a new setting, a new case and nearly a new example of paranormal. It's like there is an Earth-2 somewhere because UFOs, ghosts never get the headlines in my country. We may maybe add an Earth-3 as well because the black, corrupt government that hides truth form its citizens is another dark file that's never get publicized for sure. So that's the genius of this show to mix paranormal with conspiracy.

Next, X-files is a wonderful trip into America (yes i know it was shot in Vancouver...): it's the Hamish farm, the high tech building, the desert base, the dark woods, the cozy suburb. It's the same thing about people: Indians, disabled people, hobos, simple families, workers, believers, i think each minorities have the spotlight here. In other words, it's a very humanist naturalist, show that offers something else that capitalist life, eternal guns violence about bad guys.

Then, there are a terrific outstanding talented behind: the effects are amazing, simple but effective. The light is amazing. In a way, this TV show is like mini movies and the episodes are much worthy and interesting than the actual senseless blockbusters! Funnily, they can tell brilliantly in 43 minutes what the 120 minutes movie fail to entertain!

Last but not least, the cast: to put my feeling in paranormal term, i think it's because the three of us are Lions. David is from the 7th, Gilian the 9th and me, the 12th. In all cases, we are all a bit of calm with strong loud beliefs, hotly passionate with dry humor, mixing extraordinarily with some and almost close for others. So, i relate very well with this couple of loners and the sexual tension between them is the more elastic of any other show.

Now, the good question: how i discovered the show? It appears that this first season has been first aired on 1994 Sundays in France and i remember to have catch one by accident then, maybe "Tooms" or "Lazarus". It's sure that i couldn't see the end because i was with my parents then and the dinner was made for 19h! Later, I saw the first four episodes because i bought the VHS tape. Then, I know a lot of others as well ("Ice", "Darkness falls", NJ devil"). Did my brother tape them or were they a rerun, I can't remember! I'm pretty sure that this DVD session is the first time i see them all because some were totally unknown ("born again", "roland", "young at heart").

I pick this "gender bender" episode for this season just because i have always been disturbed by strange communities. One alien, one vampire, one werewolf are easy to confront but when it's the entire village that turn against you, there aren't no easy escape.

This is a really interesting episode, I really loved the gender bender plot. Amish people were a really nice touch as well. This is the first episode I ever watched and it got me hooked to the show. It's definitely my favorite from season one.

I was thrilled watching this show when it first aired and now am enjoying having all the episodes on DVD, but I'm noticing something that I guess didn't bother me before.

As has been generally noted, each episode has incredible production values and structure - enough for a full length movie and therein is where perhaps I am seeing the problem now. Everything is too rushed. Has to be to squeeze (pardon the pun) everything in in less than an hour.

For example in this episode, the banter between Mulder and Scully is quite rapid - first Mulder says something and Dana replies almost instantly. Would have been better (and more dramatic) if more time had been taking by each to reply. Also more realistic as it takes time to think through what someone else says and come up with a reply. Also this episode is over too quickly without having the time to more fully explore and expand all the details. We see the cult member "Marty" transform several times - how interesting it could have been if towards the end we saw him/her transform to his/her "real" form - also perhaps more of the sect leaving: glimpse of their craft or cut to a military base's radar operations in the area:

"Sir, I just notice an anomaly in sector 6." "Yes?" "Sir, object appeared on my screen at low altitude, then quickly shot up and out of range." "Identification?" "No sir, didn't match anything I'm familiar with and when it left, nothing I know of can move that fast."