Fearful Symmetry (The X-Files)
| "Fearful Symmetry" | |
|---|---|
| The X-Files episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 18 |
| Directed by | James Whitmore, Jr. |
| Written by | Steve De Jarnatt |
| Production code | 2X18 |
| Original air date | February 24, 1995 |
| Running time | 44 minutes |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
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"Fearful Symmetry" is the eighteenth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on February 24, 1995. It was written by Steve De Jarnatt and directed by James Whitmore, Jr. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. "Fearful Symmetry" received a Nielsen rating of 10.1 and was watched by 9.6 million households. The episode received mixed reviews from critics but later won an EMA Award.
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. Mulder is a believer in the paranormal, while the skeptical Scully has been assigned to debunk his work. In this episode, Mulder and Scully investigate the death of a federal construction worker and the destruction of various property that can only be tied to an escaped elephant. Unfortunately, the only witnesses claim to have seen no animals which might have caused the turmoil. Soon, Mulder and Scully discover the local zoo whose claim to fame is that they've never had a successful animal birth.
"Fearful Symmetry" takes its title from a line in the William Blake poem "The Tyger". Filming for the episode faced several hurdles. Live elephants and tigers were used. Co-Producer J.P. Finn claimed that the hardest part of filming the episode was getting an elephant. The biggest hurdle when filming scenes with the tiger were keeping it "calm and warm", due to the cool nature of Vancouver. Due to anti-exploitation laws, several scenes had to be filmed in the country.
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