Monday, Lafayette, Indiana

For nine years the iconic show The X-Files (1993 - 2002) was one of the most popular programs on television. It was an early hit for the fledgling Fox Network. The show touched a nerve with viewers with its themes of uncertainty about the trust worthiness of the government. It cautioned us that we should Trust No One.

According to the ominous theme of the show, The Truth Is Out There. It intimated that despite the skeptics and official denials, extraterrestrial life was a real phenomenon. The show surged in popularity culminating in numerous awards.

The show made stars of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as FBI agents who investigated unsolved cases of extraterrestrial life. Agent Dana Scully was a skeptic and William Mulder (Duchovny) was generally persuaded that there was truth in the eerie suspicions.

The episodes focused on paranormal events or suspicions about the government covering up evidence of extraterrestrial visits. The show opened with a teaser that defined the case that Mulder and Scully would investigate. A strong appeal of the show was pitting the supernatural, science fiction events against the reaction of these two intelligent investigators who are skeptical realists who nonetheless remain open to possibilities, even when they defy logic.

Why We Watch

This classic show’s essential plot dilemma describes the core fundamental challenge for all of us as well. We observe the world and want to rely on its logic and predictability. And when the routine patterns of the natural order seem to go awry, we are riveted to the possibility that there is a reality beyond what we can see.

This is the ground that motivates our religions and inspires us to consider a life of faith. The X-Files document investigations of unexplainable phenomena; the files are the secrets gathered from testimony of people who have seen and experienced what is beyond belief. The fear is that the government is shielding us from knowing about this information, concerned that civil order would be at risk.

If Mulder and Scully did not balance their curiosity with their skepticism we would not be able to identify with them.

The X-Files deftly reflected and revealed our own uncertainties about natural reality.