Max

"The title was very appropriate, taking us back to focus on the person that 'caused' everything to happen."

-Lisa K.-

On Sunday, September 7, 1997, the episode, "Max", aired for the second time. It had originally aired on March 23, 1997. That episode of The X-Files was the eighteenth episode of season four. The episode began where last week's episode, "Tempus Fugit", left off. As seen in the previous episode, Mulder, finds the wreckage of a UFO in Great Sacandaga Lake. A bright beam of light penetrates the darkness, illuminating the agent. Mulder attempts to make an escape, but he is placed under military arrest. Meanwhile, Garrett escapes from the bar after Scully shoots him in the leg. Scully turns her attention to Agent Pendrell, who was shot in the chest during the attempt on Sargent Frish. Pendrell later dies from his injury. Scully then picks up Mulder at jail. The military claims that Flight 549 collided with a military jet when Frish and his tower co-controller made an error. Mulder believes otherwise. He thinks that Flight 549 collided with a UFO. Scully discovered that Sharon Graffia is not Max Fenig's sister, but an unemployed aeronautical engineer who spent time in several mental institutions. According to Mulder, Max boarded the plane carrying physical proof of the existence of extraterrestrial life. Someone followed him aboard the craft, intending to take the object at any cost. But, Flight 549 was intercepted by a UFO. As the UFO was returning Fenig after abducting him, the Air Force shot down the UFO. Flight 549, caught in its "tractor beam," spun out of control and crashed. While Mulder is on a plane towards DC, he is approached by Garrett. Mulder locks him in the bathroom on the plane. While he on the telephone with Scully, he noticies that his watch has stopped. A UFO intercepts the plane and abducts Garrett. When the plane lands, Garrett is not on board. Mulder looks at Scully and Skinner's watches and notices that he has lost nine minutes. Personally, I like the little touch of having "Unmarked Helicopters" from "Songs in the Key of X" playing in Fenig's trailer.

Below, are a few memorable quotes from the episode and the ratings submitted by XFEOS members. They are followed with the comments and opinions on "Max".

Scully to Pendrell: "The paramedics are on their way. You are going to the hospital and are going to be o.k. Look, we still haven't celebrated my birthday. I'm not gonna let you off the hook like this."

Scully to Paramedic about Pendrell: "He's an F.B.I. agent, and he's not gonna die."

Mulder: "And [the military] could conviently lay the blame on a dead man."

Scully: "All I know is that this plane seems to be killing people as it sits there on the ground...Mulder, what are these people dying for? For the truth or for the lies?"
Mulder: "It's got to be for the truth."

Mulder to Millar: "Feel free to tell me it's bull as Agent Scully has."

Scully: "It's a house of cards built on a shaky foundation."

Mulder: "I'd go with you [to the mental institution], but I'd be afraid they'd lock me up."
Scully: "Me too."

Mulder: "I left a bag here."
Bag Checker: "Big bag, little bag?"
Mulder jokingly : "Short bag, tall bag."

Mulder to Scully: "More people are trying to get their hands on this thing than a 'Tickle Me Elmo' doll."

Garrett: "What is you miss [when he shoots him]?"
Mulder: "I won't."
Garrett: "The cabin depressurizes..."
Mulder: "And the pretty lady comes around with the peanuts."

Mulder to Scully: "It's looks like I'm gonna miss the in-flight movie. And it was something starring Steve Guttenburg."

Skinner: "Would you like to tell me what's going on here?"
Scully: "I don't think you want to know the answer."
Skinner: "Is this man on the plane?"
Mulder: "I think he got the connecting flight."

Mulder: "You thinking about Pendrell?"
Scully: "I realized that I didn't even know his real name. Actually, I was thinking about this gift you gave me for my birthday. You never got to tell me why you got it for me or what it means. But I think I know. I think that you appreciate that there are extraordinary men and women and extraordinary moments when history leaps forward on the backs of these individuals. That what can be imagined, can be achieved. That you must dare to dream, but that there is no substitute for perseverance and hard work and team work because no one gets there alone. And that while we commemorate the greatness of these events and the individuals who achieve them, we cannot forget the sacrifice of those who made these achievements and leaps possible."
Mulder: "I just thought it was a pretty cool keychain."

Name Rating Jamie B...................10 Michael B.................10 Ryan D....................10 Eileen A...................9 Kathleen B.................9 Lisa K.....................9 Ula B......................9 Adam W.....................8 Eric R.....................8 Jamie C....................8 CJ L.......................7 Gypsy M....................7 Krystal L..................7

Average Rating 8.5

"This two parter is definitely a classic. Great "floating Max" sequence, as he is being taken by the ufo. There is a self awareness here that's interesting, like in the great shot of Mulder and Scully being reflected over the video of Max in the t.v. set. One of the songs from "Songs in the Key of X" not being played over a scene, but on Max's audio equipment. Max seems like your basic X-Files fan. Someone that you might run into at the mall. Now that he's part of the X-Files he's in the t.v. set with Mulder and Scully. Also indicative of this self awareness is the ending of the episode. Scully, staring at the stars, (positing a reason for why Mulder gave her the keychain) gives your basic introspective "what can humanity learn from all of this" X-Files speech and Mulder retorts, 'I just thought it was a really cool keychain.'"
-Michael B.-

"This is one of my favorite episodes everything was explained very well but I didn't really like the flash back stuff they did to explain it all, it was to "Murder She Wrote" for me. The only other part I didn't like was watching the people sail out of the plane. I am a little sensitive when it comes to death and I don't like seeing little children or anyone for that matter die. I hate watching people be afraid. The rest of the episode was really great, I liked how they added Scully's cancer to the plot, and I loved the speech at the end, though i do wish Mulder could be seriouse once and awhile."
-Eileen A.-

"This was a great conclusion to last week's continuation of Mulder and Scully investigating what really happened to Flight 549. Aliens, the military covering up...this was great episode with all the classic X-Files elements in it. I think the title was very appropriate taking us back to focus on the person that "caused" everything to happen. I loved the (very shippery) last scene where Scully tries to explain the reason why Mulder got her the Apollo 11 keychain...I wish he got to finish what he was going to say last week! "
-Lisa K.-

"I found the question of death and dying running throughout the show very depressing. Mulder claimed that the people "died for the truth" while parallels were still drawn between Scully dying slowly of cancer and the people who died quickly in the plane that was shot down by the military."
-Gypsy M.-

"I wish that they hadn't had to kill off Max because he was one of my favorite characters. When they left his role up in the air in Fallen Angel, I was happy with the thought that they might bring him back but not just to kill him off like so many other good X-Files characters. "
-Krystal L.-

"In my personal opinion, I belive this particular show was well defined as an "X-File". Although it had these properties it lacked Scully's criticism on Mulder's theories. All in all it was still a good show."
-CJ L.-

"I thought it was great. All the different possibilities about the crash. I especialy loved the 'key chain' speach. It's so cute."
-Ula B.-

"I really loved the episode but, Pendrell died!"
-Kathleen B.-

[XFEOS Results | XFEOS Web Site | The X-Files | Dena's Home Page]

It was created and is maintained by XF522666.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page