Season one's Fallen Angel, along with the show's pilot (titled simply Pilot), Deep Throat and E.B.E., set the stage for the mythology of the show that would later develop. In essence, however, these were standalone episodes that carried a common theme: aliens were among us. Only Fallen Angel really strayed from this - unlike the others, it would link into further episodes in the series (though the pilot was revisited in the seventh season as well), in season four's Tempus Fugit and Max. Fallen Angel introduced the beloved Max Fenig, a member of the UFO tracking group NICAP and fellow UFO believer. Eccentric, leading a nomadic lifestyle out of an RV, suffering from epilepsy, and an alien abductee himself, Fenig was adopted by X-Files fans as one of their own (meaning they were none too happy when the upbeat, but tragic character was killed off in the fourth season). What makes this a great early mythology episode? The idea of the alien at large being able to cause radiation burns as part of its offensive abilities (revisited in later episodes), Scott Bellis as Max (probably one of the best early season guest stars, along with Brad Dourif - and that's saying something), and the ending, in which Mulder confronts his superiors, stating that they would not be able to contain the truth much longer.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
