Founder's Mutation

Last updated
"Founder's Mutation"
The X-Files episode
Episode no.Season 10
Episode 2
Directed by James Wong
Written byJames Wong
Production code1AYW05
Original air dateJanuary 25, 2016 (2016-01-25)
Running time44 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"My Struggle"		Next →
"Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster"
The X-Files season 10
List of episodes

"Founder's Mutation" is the second episode of the tenth season of The X-Files . It was written and directed by James Wong, and aired on January 25, 2016, on the Fox network. Guest stars include Doug Savant, Rebecca Wisocky, Omari Newton, Aaron Douglas, Vik Sahay, Ryan Robbins, Christine Willes, and Kacey Rohl.

Contents

Plot

At the headquarters of Nugenics Technology, researcher Dr. Sanjay arrives at work in a troubled state, hearing a mysterious high-pitched noise in his head. At a staff meeting, the noise becomes so overwhelming that he flees and locks himself inside a server room, where he begins frantically deleting data. Desperate to stop the noise, he shoves a letter opener through his eardrum and into his brain, killing himself. Before doing so, he writes something on the palm of his left hand.

With the X-Files now re-opened by the FBI, reinstated agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are dispatched to investigate the incident. Receiving little cooperation from Nugenics, Mulder steals Sanjay's mobile phone and contacts the last person he called. At a Washington bar, he meets a man named Gupta, Sanjay's secret lover. Gupta tells Mulder that Sanjay had expressed concern that his "kids" were dying. Meanwhile, Scully performs Sanjay's autopsy and finds the words "founder's mutation" written on his left palm – a reference to Nugenics' reclusive owner, Dr. Augustus Goldman, known to employees as "The Founder". Upon searching Sanjay's apartment in Dupont Circle, the agents discover several photographs of horribly disfigured children. Police arrive, and Mulder suddenly becomes overwhelmed by the high-pitched noise which afflicted Sanjay. The sound somehow conveys the message "find her" to Mulder.

Upon presenting their findings to Assistant Director Walter Skinner, Mulder and Scully are told that the case has been closed in order to placate the Department of Defense, which has ties to Goldman and Nugenics. Privately, however, he tells the agents to continue. Observing footage of birds which flocked near the Nugenics building at the time of Sanjay's death, Mulder thinks that the noise is a frequency normally unheard by humans. Citing Nugenics' reluctance to assist in the investigation, the agents visit the hospital where Scully works in order to find Goldman, who happens to be one of the hospital's biggest donors. They are approached by a young woman named Agnes, who expresses a desire to leave and claims her unborn child is abnormal. Outside, Mulder and Scully discuss the possibility that Goldman is experimenting on pregnant women for The Project, and reminisce about their son William, who remains in hiding. Later, Scully has a fantasy about living with William, shown as a teenager going to school, having an accident, and having alien, lizard-like black eyes.

The agents receive approval to meet Goldman, who purports to conduct research on children suffering from debilitating genetic conditions. During a tour of his facility, they witness a confrontation in which one of his patients causes objects to move on their own. Soon afterward, they learn that Agnes has been struck and killed by a car, with her fetus mysteriously missing. The agents next question Goldman's wife Jackie, who has been confined to an insane asylum and claims her husband is keeping her there against her will. She recalls an incident in which her young daughter fell into a swimming pool and was thought to have drowned after spending ten minutes submerged. Jumping into the water, Jackie was shocked to find her daughter instead breathing normally underwater. Realizing that Goldman experimented on her while pregnant, she fled but wrecked her car. Under attack by the noise – her unborn child's attempt to communicate with her telepathically – Jackie cut her uterus open with a kitchen knife; the baby escaped and was presumed dead.

Using security footage, Mulder and Scully discover that a Nugenics janitor working one floor directly beneath Sanjay reacted strangely at the precise moment of his suicide. They drive to the remote home of the janitor, Kyle Gilligan, and are confronted by his adoptive mother. Mulder is once again incapacitated by the noise. Noticing a nearby flock of birds, Scully quickly locates Kyle, forces him to stop, and takes him in to custody. Kyle reveals that he killed Sanjay unintentionally and demands to meet his sister, who is one of Goldman's test subjects. Kyle is taken to Goldman's lab, where he is presented with a girl who Goldman claims to be his sister. However, Kyle quickly realizes that the girl is a decoy and not his actual sister, and he runs down the corridor where he encounters the irate patient from earlier – his real sister, Molly. After speaking to each other telepathically, the siblings use their abilities to repel the agents. Utilizing the noise, they kill Goldman and flee the Nugenics building.

Production

"Founder's Mutation" was written and directed by James Wong, making it his first directorial contribution to The X-Files since 1996's "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man", as well as his first writing credit since 1997's "Never Again", both of which aired as part of the show's fourth season. [1] [2] [3] "Founder's Mutation" was the fifth of the season's episodes to have been written and filmed, and it was originally going to be the fifth episode to air. [1] [4] However, it was later chosen to air the day after "My Struggle". [4] The episode guest stars Doug Savant, Rebecca Wisocky, Omari Newton, Aaron Douglas, Vik Sahay, Ryan Robbins, Christine Willes, and Kacey Rohl. [5] Willes previously played a different character, Agent Karen Kosseff, in seasons two and four. [6]

Reception

Ratings

"Founder's Mutation" debuted on January 25, 2016, and was watched by 9.67 million viewers. It scored a 3.2 Nielsen rating in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic (Nielsen ratings are audience measurement systems that determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States), which means that the episode was seen by 3.2 percent of all individuals aged 18- to 49-years old who were watching television at the time of the episode's airing. [7] Although the episode marked a decrease in ratings from the previous episode, it was noted that the viewership remained "startlingly large". [8] This episode was also the highest-rated broadcast program of the night. [7]

Reviews

Alex McCown of The A.V. Club reviewed the first three episodes of the revival and awarded them collectively a "B+". Although he largely derided the season's opening episode, "My Struggle", he argued that the season "immediately course corrects" with Wong's "Founder’s Mutation"; he called the "smart" and "unsettling" episode "a solid return to form". [9] He felt that the episode's dialogue allowed the audience to remember "what we like about these characters, and why they work so well together". [9] Darren Franich of Entertainment Weekly awarded the episode a "B", arguing that "Founder's Mutation" is "fun for fans of the show" and "an improvement over the premiere". [10] Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com wrote that "Founder's Mutation" "perfectly blends show mythology (including Mulder and Scully’s kid) with a modern plot". [11] Kaly Soto of The New York Times gave the episode a favorable review, noting that it gave her "faith in this new iteration" and praising Anderson's performance in particular: "Gillian Anderson does a flawless job of imbuing Scully with a sense of grief over William, her voice brittle and her expressions slow and weary". [12] Matthew Chernov of Variety wrote that unlike the first episode, the chemistry between Mulder and Scully "seems much closer to the playful banter we're used to from the good old days" and that the script "allows Gillian Anderson to do some of the best work in the series so far". [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>The X-Files</i> season 4 Season of television series

The fourth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing on the Fox network in the United States on October 4, 1996, concluding on the same channel on May 18, 1997, and contained 24 episodes. Following the filming and airing of the season, production began on The X-Files feature film, which was released in 1998 following the show's fifth season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Field Where I Died</span> 5th episode of the 4th season of The X-Files

"The Field Where I Died" is the fifth episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It was written by Glen Morgan and James Wong, and directed by Rob Bowman. The episode originally aired in the United States on November 3, 1996, on the Fox network. It is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, a stand-alone plot which is unconnected to the series' wider mythology. This episode earned a Nielsen rating of 12.3 and was seen by 19.85 million viewers upon its initial broadcast.

Small Potatoes (<i>The X-Files</i>) 20th episode of the 4th season of The X-Files

"Small Potatoes" is the twentieth episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network in the United States appropriately on April 20, 1997. It was written by Vince Gilligan and directed by Cliff Bole. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. "Small Potatoes" received a Nielsen rating of 13.0 and was viewed by 20.86 million people in its initial broadcast. The episode received positive reviews from critics, with many applauding the entry's humorous tone.

"Zero Sum" is the twenty-first episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on April 27, 1997. It was directed by Kim Manners, and written by Frank Spotnitz and Howard Gordon. "Zero Sum" included appearances by William B. Davis, Laurie Holden and Morris Panych. The episode helped to explore the overarching mythology, or fictional history of The X-Files. "Zero Sum" earned a Nielsen household rating of 11.7, being watched by 18.6 million people in its initial broadcast. The episode has received mixed to positive responses from critics.

Demons (<i>The X-Files</i>) 23rd episode of the 4th season of The X-Files

"Demons" is the twenty-third episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network in the United States on May 11, 1997 and in the United Kingdom on BBC One on February 25, 1998. It was written by R. W. Goodwin and directed by Kim Manners. The episode helps explore the series' overarching mythology. "Demons" received a Nielsen rating of 11.8, being watched by 19.1 million viewers in its initial broadcast. The episode received mostly positive reviews from television critics, with many complimenting the episode's look into Mulder's mind.

Redux (<i>The X-Files</i>) 1st and 2nd episodes of the 5th season of The X-Files

"Redux" is the two-part fifth season premiere of the science fiction television series The X-Files. "Redux" first aired on November 2, 1997, on Fox in the United States, with "Redux II" airing on November 9. Both episodes subsequently aired in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Both episodes were written by series creator Chris Carter, with "Redux" directed by R. W. Goodwin and "Redux II" helmed by Kim Manners. "Redux" became the second-most-watched episode ever broadcast, earning more than 27 million viewers in the United States alone. The first part of the episode received mixed to negative reviews, whereas the second part received mixed to positive reviews from critics.

Detour (<i>The X-Files</i>) 4th episode of the 5th season of The X-Files

"Detour" is the fourth episode of the fifth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It was written by executive producer Frank Spotnitz and directed by Brett Dowler. The episode aired in the United States on November 23, 1997, on the Fox network. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, a stand-alone plot which is unconnected to the series' wider mythology. "Detour" received a Nielsen rating of 13.2, being watched by 22.8 million viewers, and received mixed reviews from television critics.

"Schizogeny" is the ninth episode of the fifth season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on January 11, 1998. It was written by Jessica Scott and Mike Wollaeger, directed by Ralph Hemecker, and featured guest appearances by Bob Dawson, Myles Ferguson, Katharine Isabelle, Chad Lindberg, and Sarah-Jane Redmond. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. "Schizogeny" earned a Nielsen household rating of 12.9, being watched by 21.37 million people in its initial broadcast. The episode received mixed to negative reviews, with several critics calling it the worst episode of The X-Files.

Bad Blood (<i>The X-Files</i>) 12th episode of the 5th season of The X-Files

"Bad Blood" is the twelfth episode of the fifth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. Written by Vince Gilligan, directed by Cliff Bole, and featuring guest appearances from Luke Wilson and Patrick Renna, it aired in the United States on February 22, 1998, on the Fox network. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. The episode received a Nielsen rating of 12.0, being watched by 19.25 million viewers. In addition, "Bad Blood" received largely positive reviews, with many critics praising the episode's humor.

Patient X (<i>The X-Files</i>) 13th episode of the 5th season of The X-Files

"Patient X" is the thirteenth episode of the fifth season of American science fiction television series The X-Files. It was written by series creator Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, directed by Kim Manners and aired in the United States on March 1, 1998, on the Fox network. The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 12.6, being watched by 20.21 million people in its initial broadcast. The episode received moderately positive reviews from critics.

"The Red and the Black" is the fourteenth episode of the fifth season of American science fiction television series The X-Files. It was written by series creator Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, directed by Carter and aired in the United States on March 8, 1998, on the Fox network. The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 12.0, being watched by 19.98 million people in its initial broadcast. The episode received moderately positive reviews from critics.

All Souls (<i>The X-Files</i>) 17th episode of the 5th season of The X-Files

"All Souls" is the seventeenth episode of the fifth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode originally aired on the Fox network on April 26, 1998. The episode's teleplay was written by Frank Spotnitz and John Shiban, from a story by Dan Angel and Billy Brown; it was directed by Allen Coulter. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, a stand-alone plot which is unconnected to the mythology, or overarching fictional history, of The X-Files. "All Souls" received a Nielsen household rating of 8.5 and was watched by 13.44 million viewers in its initial broadcast. It received mixed reviews from television critics.

Kill Switch (<i>The X-Files</i>) 11th episode of the 5th season of The X-Files

"Kill Switch" is the eleventh episode of the fifth season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered in the United States on the Fox network on February 15, 1998. It was written by William Gibson and Tom Maddox and directed by Rob Bowman. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. "Kill Switch" earned a Nielsen household rating of 11.1, being watched by 18.04 million people in its initial broadcast. The episode received mostly positive reviews from television critics, with several complimenting Fox Mulder's virtual experience. The episode's name has also been said to inspire the name for the American metalcore band Killswitch Engage.

Dreamland (<i>The X-Files</i>) 4th and 5th episodes of the 6th season of The X-Files

"Dreamland" refers to the fourth and fifth episodes of the sixth season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. Part one first aired on November 29, and part two aired on December 6, 1998, on Fox in the United States and Canada. The episode was written by Vince Gilligan, John Shiban, and Frank Spotnitz, and directed by Kim Manners ("Dreamland") and Michael Watkins. Although dealing with a member of the Men in Black, the episode is largely unconnected to the mythology of The X-Files, and is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story. Part one of "Dreamland" earned a Nielsen household rating of 10.1, being watched by 17.48 million people in its initial broadcast; Part two received a rating of 10 and was watched by 17.01 million people. The episode received mostly mixed reviews from critics, with many reviews critical of the episode's reliance on humor.

"Trust No 1" is the sixth episode of the ninth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on January 6, 2002. The episode was written by series creator Chris Carter and executive producer Frank Spotnitz, and directed by Tony Wharmby. "Trust No 1" helps to explore the series' overarching mythology. The episode received a Nielsen household rating of 5.1 and was viewed by 8.4 million viewers; it garnered mixed to negative reviews from television critics, with many feeling that it portrayed the series' characters in a way that was unfaithful to the show's history.

The mythology of The X-Files, sometimes referred to as its "mytharc" by the show's staff and fans, follows the quest of FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder, a believer in supernatural phenomena, and Dana Scully, his skeptical partner. Their boss, FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner, was also often involved. Beginning with season 8, another skeptic named John Doggett, and Monica Reyes, a believer like Mulder, were also introduced. The overarching story, which spans events as early as the 1940s, is built around a government conspiracy to hide the truth about alien existence and their doomsday plan. Not all episodes advanced the mythology plot, but those that did were often set up by Mulder or Scully via an opening monologue.

"Tempus Fugit" is the seventeenth episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on March 16, 1997. It was directed by Rob Bowman, and written by Frank Spotnitz and series creator Chris Carter. "Tempus Fugit" featured guest appearances by Joe Spano, Tom O'Brien and Brendan Beiser, and saw the return of Scott Bellis as alien abductee Max Fenig. The episode helped to explore the overarching mythology, or fictional history of The X-Files. "Tempus Fugit" earned a Nielsen household rating of 11.9, being watched by 18.85 million people in its initial broadcast. The title translates from Latin as "time flies."

<i>The X-Files</i> season 10 Season of television series

The tenth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on January 24, 2016, on Fox. The season consists of six episodes and concluded airing on February 22, 2016. When Fox initially announced the string of episodes, the network referred to them collectively as an "event series". After the episodes' release, Fox began referring to the string of episodes on their website as "season 10", as did streaming sites like Amazon Prime and Hulu, and myriad critics.

<i>The X-Files</i> season 11 Season of television series

The eleventh and final season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files premiered on January 3, 2018, on Fox. The season consists of ten episodes and concluded on March 21, 2018. It follows newly re-instated Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. The season's storyline picks up directly after last season's finale and the search for Mulder and Scully's son William is the main story arc of the season.

References

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 X-Files News [@XFilesNews] (August 3, 2015). "Episode No. 5 of #XFilesRevival is going to be written and directed by #JamesWong @thexfiles #thexfiles" (Tweet). Retrieved August 4, 2015– via Twitter.
  2. ↑ Meisler 1998, pp. 75–82.
  3. ↑ Hurwitz and Knowles 2008, p. 105.
  4. 1 2 Quijada, Avi (January 6, 2016). "TXF Season 10: "Founder's Mutation" will air on 01/25". XFiles.news. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  5. ↑ "(XF-1005) 'Founder's Mutation'". The Futon Critic. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  6. ↑ Roots, Kimberly (January 26, 2016). "The X-Files Revival Easter Eggs". TVLine. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  7. 1 2 Porter, Rick (January 26, 2016). "Monday Final Ratings: 'Scorpion' and 'Superstore' Adjust Up". TV by the Numbers . Tribune Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  8. ↑ Hibberd, James (January 26, 2016). "X-Files ratings remain huge for second episode". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  9. 1 2 McCown, Alex (January 18, 2016). "Meet the New X-Files, Same as the Old X-Files". The A.V. Club . The Onion . Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  10. ↑ Franich, Darren (January 19, 2016). "The X-Files EW Review: Never Better, Never Worse". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  11. ↑ Tallerico, Brian (January 2, 2016). "Return of The X-Files Stumbles But Quickly Recovers". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  12. ↑ Soto, Kaly (January 25, 2016). "'The X-Files' Season 10, Episode 2: That's More Like It". The New York Times . Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  13. ↑ Chernov, Matthew (January 25, 2016). "'The X-Files' Recap: Mulder and Scully Get Back to Their Roots in Episode 2". Variety . Retrieved January 30, 2016.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.