"They
drilled my teeth. They drill holes in my damn teeth!" – Duane Barry.
Episode 5, 'Duane Barry', original air date October 14th, 1994. Written and directed by Chris Carter. Mythology episode count, 8. 'Duane Barry' is cited as being Chris Carter's directorial debut, while that is true for The X-Files he actually directed an episode of the television series Rags to Riches in 1987. Perhaps he had hoped to omit that credit from his filmography, it certainly would have been a running start to his career as a director to begin with this episode. That said, one episode is hardly substantial so it's fair to say that he was new to the game in 1994. As we know, Gillian Anderson was set to give birth to her first child during the filming of season 2 and consequently the writers needed to construct a story arc that would allow her some time off, albeit a brief respite. Starting with episode 4 'Sleepless' and concluding with episode 8 'One Breath', the story arc that was simply born out of necessity and time constraints would become the unlikely genesis of a mythology thread that would weave itself through to the very end of the series. Carter's script puts in to motion the events that would lead to Scully's illness, sterilisation and ultimately the birth of her son. The X-Files team have openly admitted to a lack of planning regarding the series mythology. Unlike more recent television shows like Lost or Breaking Bad, The X-Files was not written with an overall story arc in mind and without any clear end in sight the writer's needed to continue to expand upon the fictional universe with each season renewal. It's likely then that Carter almost certainly did not foresee what effect the events of these early episodes would have, if any, on the future of the show.
'Duane Barry' is the first of a two part episode that technically concludes with 'Ascension' though the mythology is rounded off with 'One Breath' before returning to the standalone format. Carter's script is a high tension thriller that centres around a hostage negotiation. It's fairly static in regards to location so it's a credit to both the writing and direction that it feels anything but stagnant in its delivery. Duane Barry (Steve Railsback), an abductee that has been pushed to the edge and takes his doctor hostage is the star of the show. The major part of the episode revolves around Mulder attempting to negotiate with Barry in to letting his hostages go. Mulder is called in due to his experience with abductees, though he is the only one involved who actually believes Barry's claims. Duane Barry's insistence on speaking in the third person is an interesting touch which brings a sense of eeriness to his character. As the audience we're on the fence throughout most of the episode until it's made fairly clear, with the discovery of implants of foreign objects and tiny drill holes in his teeth that Barry's assertions are very likely true. The cliffhanger ending sees Barry appear at Scully's house to abduct her as she screams for Mulder's help. It's a great ending that first time viewers would unlikely see coming as it all seems to be wrapping itself up neatly until the final coda. The logic of the episodes conclusion however is problematic in that it seems like a rather large plot hole when you consider that Duane Barry neither interacts with or even hears about Scully during the hostage crisis. Yet he singles her out as his target and manages to find her address somehow. How he even knew of her existence or why he chose to kidnap her of all people remains a mystery. It's arguable that as an ex-F.B.I agent he may have been able to access Mulder's file but it's still questionable why he would take this route.
'Duane Barry' does a lot to further the idea that Aliens exist in this fictional universe and Mulder is positively captivated by Barry's story, he yearns to hear more while at the same time a small part of him is wary of being taken for a ride. He wants so desperately to believe that he is danger of being gullible, and he knows this as he questions Barry towards the end about whether he is making any of this up. Mulder doesn't want him to get shot but he knows it's possibly his only way out. It's also arguable that he feels a sense of obligation to his role as an F.B.I agent that he follow protocol, at least to some extent, and resolve the hostage crisis as there a lives at stake beyond his own. He resigns himself to the fact that no matter how willing he is to believe, the reality is that he is not in a position of power to peacefully bring an end to this situation. Scully is given possibly her most definitive piece of evidence regarding the existence of extra-terrestrials in the implant taken from Barry and she appears noticeably shocked and overwhelmed by the truth that may be contained within this alien object. Unfortunately she may never find out what that is as for the first time in the series we're left with a tantalising, to be continued
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