The Jersey Devil

It's a given that X-Files shows tend to be all over the place. But in most of them there's at least one thread that tends to hold everything together. In this episode, however, the threads are all over the place and the jumps don't fit/connect at all; nothing really comes together. At least not for me. It's just not believable that for decades the Jersey Devil can't be found then as soon as Mulder appears they manage to locate it in a matter of days. It's just a bad episode.

The Jersey Devil inaugurates another X-Files tradition, namely lighter, more entertaining standalone episodes following the more emotionally relevant mythology stories (Squeeze, which aired right after Deep Throat, doesn't count, on the grounds of it being, well, too creepy). This trend was exploited at best in Seasons 5-7, but this episode shows that the writers already had a clear sense of how to do comedy in the series.

As suggested by the title, Mulder and Scully travel to New Jersey, where corpses are found with limbs missing. Remembering an old X-file, Mulder says it might be the legendary "Jersey Devil" who's behind the attacks, meeting inevitable derision on the part of local authorities and, to a lesser degree, Scully. As they get closer to the truth (some evolutionary misstep might be involved), the tension increases and the search for the "Devil" gets more and more serious.

Mulder's beliefs, contrasted with Scully's skepticism, have been there since the pilot episode, but this is the first time their work relationship is played for laughs, with their respective theories clashing in a humorous debate about mankind and evolution (another important theme in the longer run of the show). Naturally, there is also suspense (though not as consistently as in Squeeze) and a traditionally open ending which suggests the story may not be over (which wasn't the case, but still...). Revealingly, though, the epilogue induces a smile rather than a shiver. That's The X-Files in a nutshell: weird, thrilling and funny - often at the same time.

The Jersey Devil the Limerick:

She'll tear out your lung if you p*ss her.

She's a cannibalistic sister.

One homeless man dead

Another in a hotel bed.

Mulder is sure gonna miss her.

This is the first episode I ever saw of the X-Files when it was first run. I was so terrified that I didn't watch again until much much later. Looking back on this one and Shadows and other season 1 episodes that scared me so much I have to laugh because they aren't quite as scary to me anymore but they are still great. I love season 1 so much because it is so classic. We return to the low budget horror feeling of the show where the entire show relies on story and atmosphere to keep the viewer intrigued and terrified. Good episode. Not to mention young Scully. And the first reference to Mulder's porn addiction. And the original score. I'm feeling nostalgic can you tell? 10 out of 10.

I should point out that the Jersey Devil has nothing to do with Big Foot. It is NOT an Eastern version of the Yeti. It is, if the stories are to be believed, a creature with the head of a horse, bat-like wings, and talons as would be found on a dragon. There are numerous illustrations on the internet. It supposedly inhabits the New Jersey Pine Barrens, where it has existed in folklore since before the American Revolution. That it would invade Atlantic City is just silly. It was supposedly born of a woman that committed some kind of sin against God. How the writers of the X-Files came to think that pretending it is some kind of hairy human throwback to prehistoric times is beyond me. I can certainly sympathize with the notion that the city fathers of Atlantic City would want to suppress such sightings, but that is no excuse for completely distorting the narrative. Sometimes the research put into these episodes is severely lacking. I am reminded of the episode where they reference the "Catonsville PD," which, of course, does not exist, since there are no incorporated cities in Baltimore County.

First time Mulder and Scully go their separate ways. Seeing Scully being a real person and doing real person stuff was really important to develop the world of the first season. I know it's not much, since we know both her and Mulder have lives besides the investigations. However actually seeing it happen is very important, imo.

Mulder improvising his way to the mystery was absolutely crucial to paint his personality better. Same idea from the last point, we know he is a wildcard with an unconventional approach, but seeing it happen is what solidifies it.

If the MOTW wasn't just ok, the rating would be higher.