Beyond the Sea (The X-Files)
| "Beyond the Sea" | |
|---|---|
| The X-Files episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 13 |
| Directed by | David Nutter |
| Written by |
Glen Morgan James Wong |
| Production code | 1X12 |
| Original air date | January 7, 1994 |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
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"Beyond the Sea" is the thirteenth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It was written by co-executive producers Glen Morgan and James Wong, and directed by David Nutter. The episode is a "Monster of Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. The episode first aired in the United States on January 7, 1994, on the Fox Network. Despite a mediocre Nielsen rating compared to other episodes of the first season, "Beyond the Sea" received a generally positive reception amongst critics.
The show centers on FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. The plot of the episode sees Scully's father die and her skepticism put to the test by Luther Lee Boggs, a prisoner on death row who claims to have psychic powers.
The episode showed the protagonists reversing their usual roles of "believer" and "skeptic" for the first time, and introduced the theme of father-figures that was continued throughout the series. Critical commentary has noted parallels between the character of Dana Scully and that of Clarice Starling from The Silence of the Lambs.
Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) entertains her parents, William Scully (Don Davis) and Margaret Scully (Sheila Larken), shortly after Christmas. After they leave, she falls asleep on her sofa. Several hours later, she wakes up to see her father sitting across from her, speaking silently. The telephone rings, and after looking at the phone, she finds the chair empty again. She answers the call—from her mother, who tells her that her father died of a heart attack an hour earlier.
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