Shocking Developments

Shocking Developments

Continued mystery and paranoia as well as the occasional good scare quickly became the fundamental trademarks of The X-Files - they were the primary elements for which the show was (and still is) known. More than anything else, though, we've learned time and again that nothing can be taken for granted. While a continuing character might get shot on NYPD Blue or assimillated by the Borg on Star Trek - The Next Generation or one of its seemingly forever multiplying clones, we can be reasonably certain that said character will be back next week, good as new. Sure, David Caruso, Mandy Patinkin or Sherry Stringfield might leave his or her respective show for other opportunities or for personal reasons, but there's always such a "buildup" to it both on the show and in popular culture that there's no surprise. However, there are no such guarantees for characters on The X-Files.

That point was driven home at the end of the first season. After providing information that led Mulder's investigations in (usually) the right directions, and after we'd gotten used to his being around to call on if needed, Deep Throat was gunned down in the street. Even semi-regular characters were not safe.

Then we had the abduction of Agent Scully. Although it wasn't all that shocking a development (on hearing that Gillian Anderson was pregnant, we all knew she had to be away from the show for a few episodes), it was not in such a way as to be all that expected an occurrence.

The transition from one season to the next is usually the most troubling time for these characters. As the second season rolled over to the third, there was one shocking discovery after another. First of all, Mulder learns not only of terrible experiments performed years ago, but also that his father was one of the driving forces behind them.

Speaking of Bill Mulder, it's apparently decided that he's become too much of a liability to still have around, so Alex Krycek is sent to do the job. As will be seen, this particular seasonal transition was not the best for the Mulder and Scully families.

After making quite an impression during the time of Dana Scully's return from her disappearance, her sister Melissa had the bad fortune to open the wrong door at the wrong time. Having spiritual beliefs completely the opposite of Dana's scientific detachment and skeptical nature, she was mistakenly shot and killed by CSM's bungling stooges (one of whom was, of course, Krycek).

Learning there was an information leak in his organization, CSM and his cronies decided to plant false information and trace it back to its source. When told that Mulder's mother, in the hospital at the time due to the effects of a stroke, was in mortal danger, X made every effort to alert Mulder. Unfortunately, that's how he was ratted out. With his final breath, though, he's able to send Mulder to Marita Covarrubias, yet another source (see the Blonde Goddess Defense League).

Midway through the fourth season, Alex Krycek gets at least a taste of what he deserves. In the culmination of a story arc during which he's been repeatedly beaten on by just about everybody, a group of Siberian villagers do him a favor by giving him a treatment that will enable him to avoid the experiments being conducted at the mining camp not far away. Does he thank them? Of course not.

Finally, in the most shocking turn of events since the beginning of the series, Cigarette Smoking Man finally brings Samantha to see Mulder, where it's revealed that he's raised her as his own daughter (which she may very well be). He also makes an open-ended offer to Mulder to come to work for him. In reply to the perceived notion that CSM is softening, the order is given by the Consortium for the assassination of CSM, which is then carried out. However, although he's believed to be dead because of the amount blood in his apartment, we've since learned that all is not as it might appear.

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