Squeeze

Synopsis

One of Scully's friends from the FBI academy, now working in the Violent Crimes Unit asks her to assist him on a homicide investigation involving no clear MO or point of entry, with the hope that it will save her career and Scully accepts, while finally realising what a joke she and Mulder are considered to be.
Mulder reviews the case and he notices that similar homicides occurred in 1903, 1933 and 1963. When he helps capture Eugene Tooms, Mulder mentions the other murders and his credibility is weakened. Mulder and Scully follow the paranormal angle of the case and discover the Tooms is a genetic mutant who can fit his body through the smallest of spaces and needs to consume 5 human livers to sustain himself for thirty years of hibernation.

Ah yes - Eugene Victor Tooms, one of the best creations in X Files history. This was the episode where the show proved it wasn't just about UFOs and little green (sorry, grey) men.

It's a superb episode. I can't remember many series that hit the ground running in the way that this one did. The set up is perfect, the execution spot on. I particularly love the way the colour is drained out of the image, apart from one person, as Tooms homes in on his next victim. Very nicely done.

The only thing that grates is the way the other agents treat Mulder, which is exaggerated and a little cliched at this stage.

Mulder: Why would I make them so uncomfortable?
Scully: It probably has to do with your reputation.
Mulder: Reputation? I have a reputation?

Of course, the way Mulder deals with the antagonism is to pursue the case from his own angle, one which Scully quickly begins to see is the right one. It's also satisfying to see Mulder prove his doubters wrong, however two-dimensional they are.

A special mention has to go to Doug Hutchison for his fantastic turn in this episode, and again later on, as Tooms. He is scary, freaky and menacing whilst actually saying very little in the episode.

And, again, the final shot is a dream. Or should that be nightmare? :fear:

9/10

It’s very rare that the first few episodes of a long running cult show can be considered the greatest, but with the Pilot, Deep Throat and now Squeeze. It certainly applies to The X Files.

One fact that’s overlooked and contributes to the program is that “Squeeze” is the first episode that adds to the “Scared shitless” persona to the show, it detracts from being an Alien only series. With this being the first real standalone ep it feels a little different from the two previous mythology eps. It follows the basic pattern of all the early seasons with Mulder’s bizarre theories and Scully’s disbelief with the two of them sticking together in the end. This all adds to the paranoia element of its them two verses the world, which also builds the shows atmosphere at a very early stage.

The plot, from begining to end is first rate, all the little suspense builders like the stalking of his prey, the unscrewing of the vent’s nails and Mark Snows score add to one very creepy episode. I can remember checking all the vents in my room the first time after watching it (being only 9 at the time).

9/10

Don't rub it in, Rob! :lol:

Besides, at your age shouldn't you be fancying Dawn rather than Scully? :ph43r:

If you only knew how many beeb posts have gone against that rude interruption... :unsure:

:unsure: :lol:

In one of the interviews with Chris Carter on the S1 DVD set he says that they wanted to get away from the UFO genre early on to show that the show wasn't just about UFOs.

Well, they went that way with Squeeze and what a way to hammer that point home it was !!

One thing about the first couple of years that I found was that the standalones were far superior to a lot of those that came later. They were almost iconic in status setting the tone, in many ways for the show itself. Squeeze is the first real standalone episode, and arguably it's the best, not only of the season, but possibly the entire series.

Doug Hutchinson is simply sensational as Eugene Victor Tooms. He looks the part, he acts the part, fantastically.

Many years ago, one of our younger cousins was staying at our house. My brother put this episode on and scared the bejesus out of him. Apparently he had to go to bed with the light on for weeks afterwards :lol: