Squeeze

Squeeze was the very first stand alone X file to be created. Chris Carter was adamant and rightly so that the show couldn't sustain itself only with UFO related stories so Glen Morgan and James Wong wrote this wonderfully unique and original story.

First of all the genius of the X files was in its decision to have stand alone episodes, it set the show apart from any other in that along with an ongoing theme or plot the viewer could enjoy essentially miniature movies every other week, the creators could use all sorts of creative ammunition for these and dark edgy serial killer stories were often the best.

Squeeze is the first of these. The plot surfaces as three people are dead victims of an animalistic serial killer. Agent Tom Colton contacts old friend Dana Scully because there is no sign of entry at anywhere in the victims homes, many were found with the windows and doors locked.

Scully brings Mulder down to the latest crime scene and he uncovers an elongated fingerprint on a ventilation shaft. From this point on in the episode Mulder is tracing the serial murders to other sets that have occurred in thirty year intervals (1933, 1963).

Squeeze is incredibly stylistic the opening scene where we see the serial killer at work claiming a victim was magnificent we don't see anything but a pair of disturbing eyes lurking in the sewers and a ventilation shaft slowly opening.

Mark Snows somewhat electronic choice is unsettling and effective. There are some fantastic choices of cinematography for example when Mulder runs back into 66 Exeter street a condemned building and a greenish fog like effect is in place on the streets.

Doug Hutchinson turns in a wonderfully reserved and creepy performance as Eugene Victor Tooms the perpetrator of the murders, most notably his stare when he is originally arrested, or his expressionless emotionless response to the questions when he takes a lie detector test.

This episode is by no means perfect though, the chief problem with it is the performance from David Duchovny as Fox Mulder it is by no means bad, but he simply had not perfected his act. The way he acts and behaves towards the serial killings are very uncharacteristic of later Fox Mulder approach given its his first stand alone to work in its understandable. In general he is just lacking in some elements (Dark suit and trench coat? Dark and controlled demeanour). He just doesn't act at all like he does in even late season 1.

On a whole squeeze is a fantastic episode, the story was original very original and it really just serves very well in departments X files would become famous for, atmosphere music and an unusual serial killer tale.

I don't think it competes with the classic stand alones of later series (Grotesque, irresistible) but certainly it remains in and around the top five stand alones ever made. An old classic that really got people talking about what this great show could do.

Wow. I remember the first I watched this episode (I was around 12 back then), I thought X Files was just a show about a guy trying to prove the existence of extraterrestrial life. I was so not ready or prepare for this. After watching it, I just couldn't sleep alone for 3 days. This is such a great episode. So scary and really violent. I still can't believe they aired that on national television. Back then, it was revolutionary (especially in France where french TVseries are just crap). This is the first episode written by Glen Morgan and James Wong, my favorite writers on the show. We see for the first time that Mulder is not appreciate by his colleagues. Ther are some nice moments too between Mulder and Scully; and the end is really really disturbing, especially if you are a 12 years old. One of the best episode ever. A must see.

Squeeze is the first Monster of the Week (MOTW) episode, meaning it doesn't have anything to do with the conspiracy of aliens here on Earth. It is a very strong episode that showed that the series would be be able to survive without talking about aliens every episode.

Doug Hutchison gives a memorable performance as Eugene Victor Tooms, a mutated man who kills and eats the livers of people every 30 years before going back to hibernation. Eugene Tooms kind of has that Droopy Dog look about him that makes it seem like he couldn't hurt a fly.

Duchuvny's delivery of his lines seems very dry. It just seems odd to hear how different he sounded in the beginning. I also noticed that Scully's hair is up for part of this episode. She rarely has it styled in this manner.

This episode illustrates well how others around the FBI view Mulder and his outlandish ideas. Colton uses the term 'Spooky' to describe Mulder as was used in the 'Pilot'.

In the previous episode, Scully got to rescue Mulder. In Squeeze, the tables are turned as Mulder gets his turn to rescue Scully from a perilous situation. There is even a cheesy shot showing that Scully's line has been cut by Tooms.

Obviously, Duchovny and Anderson are still finding their characters, as are the writers. The filming of the episode is still in the learning stages as well. However, Squeeze sets the precedent for all of the excellent MOTWs to come.

A strange and brutal murder occurs, George Usher, a healthy, strong businessman is killed in his office, and his liver removed.

Eugene Victor Rooms, who doesn't know that name? Those shots of his eyes shining in the dark are still chilling.

Two excellent episodes are followed by this, an out and out classic, it's an iconic episode. It is the perfect blend of sci fi and thriller. It appeals on so many levels, the tone is very creepy, the story is great, and of course there's Tooms, all of the elements are brilliant.

People seemed to have so much faith in the polygraph test, I took one some years back, it was only partly accurate.

Fantastic! 10/10.

Squeeze marks the inauguration of the traditional "standalone" or "Monster of the Week" episode format, which complemented the mythology storyline. It is also the first episode written by Glen Morgan and James Wong (the writer/director of Final Destination), who began their tenure on the show with one the most memorable and scariest stories ever conceived for the series.

It all starts as a regular murder case, the twist being that all the victims were killed in closed spaces, with the doors and windows locked from the inside. Because of this, Mulder and Svully are brought in, and Mulder immediately notices similarities between this recent string of murders and other cases that date as far as a hundred years before. This would imply three things: prime suspect Eugene Victor Tooms (Doug Hutchison) is over a century old; he can squeeze into the tightest spaces; and he harvests human livers. Of course, this being The X-Files, the most far-fetched theory is more often than not spot-on.

More than the previous two episodes, Squeeze really allows the writers to pinpoint the sharp contrast between Scully's pragmatic rationalism and Mulder's enthusiastic belief in the supernatural, with half of the running time devoted to the duo comparing their ideas in a very witty way. The other half is where the scarier aspect kicks in, thanks to careful work on the general atmosphere of the episode (lighting, editing, music) and Hutchison's sincerely creepy turn as Tooms, still fondly remembered as one of the show's best "monsters".

With the pilot and Deep Throat, Chris Carter and his writing team produced a hybrid of science-fiction and political thriller. Here they introduced another template, namely a supernatural spin on the traditional whodunit structure. Together, they went on to define The X-Files as one of the essential shows of the '90s.