"Sleepless" is the 4th episode of the second season and 28th overall of the science fiction television series The X-Files, premiering on the Fox network on October 7, 1994. The episode was written by supervising producerHoward Gordon and directed by Rob Bowman. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology, although it features the first on-screen appearances of recurring characters X and Alex Krycek, who are central to the show's continuity. Its closing scene also sets the stage for the subsequent story arc of Scully's abduction. "Sleepless" earned a Nielsen rating of 8.6 and was viewed by 8.2 million households. The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics.
The show centers on FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. In this episode, Mulder is assigned a new partner, Alex Krycek (Nicholas Lea). The two investigate a case where doctors and marines who were part of a sleep deprivation experiment are being killed off.
Howard Gordon, the episode's writer, was inspired by various cases of insomnia. During the first season, Chris Carter had written a similar themed episode but stopped working on it when he became "unhappy" with the result.
Plot
In New York City, Dr. Saul Grissom finds a fire outside his apartment. Firefighters arrive and evacuate the building. One man who is being evacuated has a distinctive horizontal mark on the back of his neck; as he is being evacuated, he looks up at Grissom's apartment and smiles knowingly. The firefighters find no fire or any related damage, but discover Grissom's lifeless body in his apartment.
Fox Mulder anonymously receives a tape cassette of Grissom's 9-1-1 call. He tries to take the case, only to learn that another FBI agent, Alex Krycek, has opened it first. Deciding to leave Krycek out of the loop, Mulder calls Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and asks her to conduct Grissom's autopsy. He then heads to Grissom's clinic in Stamford, Connecticut, where he is confronted by an angered Krycek. The two travel back to Quantico to see Scully, who says that Grissom's body showed no signs of a fire, but yet seems to have biologically believed it was burning.
Meanwhile, in a Brooklyn apartment, Vietnam veteran Henry Willig is approached by a fellow ex-Marine, Augustus Cole. Suddenly a group of wounded Vietnamese appear and gun Willig down. Examining Willig's corpse, Mulder and Krycek find a scar on his neck and realize he was in a Marine reconnaissance unit stationed in Vietnam in 1970; he was one of only two survivors, the other being Cole. They head to the VHA hospital in New Jersey where they discover that Cole was discharged, despite the fact that his doctor does not remember doing so.
Mulder meets a mysterious informant named "X", who gives him information on a secret military project that Grissom performed where he eradicated the need for sleep through lobotomy. X provides him with the name of Salvatore Matola, a squad member who was mistakenly reported as killed in action.
A man matching Cole's description robs a drug store. Mulder and Krycek arrive, but not before two gunshots are heard from the room where Cole is believed to be. It appears that the two officers in the room with him shot each other; Cole escapes. Mulder believes that Cole's years of sleeplessness have provided him with illusionary abilities. Mulder and Krycek meet with Matola soon afterwards, who says that he has not slept in twenty-four years due to the experiment. He reveals that another researcher with the squad, Dr. Girardi, was the one who actually performed the lobotomies.
Mulder and Krycek head to a subway station, where Dr. Girardi is expected to arrive for Grissom's funeral. Mulder sees Cole there, and Cole seems to shoot Girardi, but this is shown to be in Mulder's head. In reality, Cole has captured Girardi and holds him hostage, about to show him a similar fate as his other victims. By searching surveillance footage, the agents track his location and find Girardi wounded. Mulder finds Cole, who is ready to kill himself. Krycek, believing Cole is holding a gun instead of the Bible he is actually holding, shoots him, and Cole dies of his wounds. Mulder and Scully find both of their files on the case missing.
Krycek reports to the Smoking Man and others, telling them that the dissolution of the X-Files and the separation of Mulder and Scully has only made their determination stronger. He also notes that Scully is a bigger problem than they anticipated.[1][2]
Writer Howard Gordon was initially inspired to write this episode based on insomnia he was suffering at the time.[1] Gordon, who wrote many episodes with Alex Gansa in season one, made his solo writing debut with this episode.[1] Originally Chris Carter had written a script for the first season, which shared the same theme as "Sleepless."[3] The original conceit for Carter's episode was, "What makes the perfect soldier?"[3] He also liked the twist on sleep, noting that "sleep is where demons are released in our dreams."[3] He explained that the characters in "Sleepless" were haunted by their memories in real life because they were not able to sleep.[3] Carter sees this episode as one of his favorites.[3]
This episode marked the first appearance of Nicholas Lea as Alex Krycek. Carter had much interest in Krycek, because he replaced Dana Scully as Mulder's new partner.[3] Lea had previously appeared as a different character in the first season episode "Gender Bender."[4] Bowman, who had directed "Gender Bender," thought that Lea "was a [...] strong choice for a fresh-out-of-Quantico FBI agent."[4] When creating him, the writers always had in mind that he would be a recurring character, while they agreed if the character did not work they would kill him off.[4]
"Sleepless" also marked the first onscreen appearance of Steven Williams as Mulder's new source, "X."[1] The character was originally intended to be a woman, and Natalija Nogulich was initially cast in the role. However, after shooting her first scene the role was recast with Williams, an actor who had previous experience with writers Glen Morgan and James Wong.[1][5] Nogulich was replaced because the writing staff felt she was not able to create the "right chemistry" between her co-stars.[6]
Reception
"Sleepless" debuted on October 7, 1994.[7] It earned a Nielsen household rating of 8.6, with a 15 share,[8] and it was viewed by 8.2 million households in the United States alone.[8] Stephen Mark was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 1995 in the category "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Series— Single Camera Production", but did not win.[9]
Carter enjoyed the episode, saying, "I really love that show. It's a great idea, well executed. We had a good cast; Tony Todd was wonderful"[10] and saying it was "beautifully directed by Rob Bowman.[3]Entertainment Weekly rated "Sleepless" with a B+, considering that Tony Todd's performance "elevates a just-good story into a great one."[11] John Keegan Critical Myth gave the episode 7 out of 10, saying it was best remembered for its introduction of Alex Krycek.[12] The web site further stated that the episode was decent and was a "fairly standard exploration" for the early season episodes.[12] Dave Golder from SFX named the episode one of the "20 TV Sci-Fi Gamechangers" due to its introduction of Krycek.[13]
Robert Shearman, in his book Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen, rated the episode four stars out of five.[14] Shearman noted that Gordon was able to make "the cliche of Vietnam war guilt" feel "very personal and even sorrowful."[14] However, he felt that the revelation of Krycek as an enemy was "the biggest shame" in the episode.[14] Zack Handlen from The A.V. Club wrote that, while the episode is "your standard MotW riff", it is important because it features the on-screen introduction of both Krycek and X.[15]
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Carter, Chris (2000). "Chris Carter Talks about 12 of His Favorite Episodes from Season Two: 'Sleepless'". The X-Files: The Complete Second Season (DVD featurette). Los Angeles: 20th Century Fox.
1 2 3 Carter, Chris; etal. (2000). "The Truth Behind Season 2". The X-Files: The Complete Second Season (DVD featurette). Los Angeles: 20th Century Fox.
Lowry, Brian (1995). The Truth is Out There: The Official Guide to the X-Files. Harper Prism. ISBN0-06-105330-9.
Shearman, Robert (2009). Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen. Mad Norwegian Press. ISBN978-0-9759446-9-1.
The second season of the science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing on the Fox network in the United States on September 16, 1994, concluded on the same channel on May 19, 1995, after airing all 25 episodes. The series follows Federal Bureau of Investigation special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, portrayed by David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson respectively, who investigate paranormal or supernatural cases, known as X-Files by the FBI.
The third season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing on Fox in the United States on September 22, 1995, concluded on the same channel on May 17, 1996, and contained 24 episodes. The season continues to follow the cases of FBI special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, portrayed by David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson respectively, who investigate paranormal or supernatural cases, known as X-Files by the FBI.
Alex Krycek is a fictional character in the Fox science fiction-supernatural television series The X-Files. Alex Krycek is played by Nicholas Lea. He is initially introduced in the second season as a partner for FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder in the absence of his previous partner, Dana Scully. As the show progressed, Krycek grew to become one of the show's primary antagonists, appearing subsequently in every season until Season 9. Krycek's machinations frequently pitted him against Mulder, with whom he shared a complicated relationship. He was variously seen as either a henchman or enemy of the show's primary antagonist, The Smoking Man, changing his allegiance when the situation suited him best.
Marita Covarrubias is a fictional character on the American science fiction television series The X-Files. She was initially introduced as an informant, leaking diplomatic information to FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder to aid his investigation of paranormal cases, dubbed X-Files. However, she was revealed to be an agent of the secretive Syndicate, although ultimately betraying that organization on several occasions. Introduced in the fourth season opener "Herrenvolk", the character remained a recurring presence until the series' finale, "The Truth".
X, sometimes referred to as Mr. X, is a fictional character on the American science fiction television series The X-Files. He serves as an informant, leaking information to FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully to aid their investigation of paranormal cases, dubbed X-Files. The character serves as a replacement for Deep Throat, who had been killed off in the first season finale, "The Erlenmeyer Flask". X himself would be killed off after appearing in several seasons, eventually being replaced by Marita Covarrubias.
"Gender Bender" is the fourteenth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files, premiering on the Fox network on January 21, 1994. It was written by Larry and Paul Barber, directed by Rob Bowman, and featured a guest appearance by Nicholas Lea, who would later appear in the recurring role of Alex Krycek. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, a stand-alone plot which is unconnected to the series' overarching mythology.
"Ascension" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on October 21, 1994. It was written by Paul Brown, directed by Michael Lange, and featured guest appearances by Steve Railsback, Nicholas Lea, Steven Williams and Sheila Larken. The episode helped explore the series' overarching mythology.
"Anasazi" is the twenty-fifth episode and season finale of the second season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on May 19, 1995. It was written by series creator Chris Carter based on a story he developed with lead actor David Duchovny. The episode was directed by R. W. Goodwin, and featured guest appearances by Peter Donat, Nicholas Lea, Mitch Pileggi and Floyd Red Crow Westerman. The episode helped explore the overarching mythology, or fictional history of The X-Files. "Anasazi" earned a Nielsen household rating of 10.1, being watched by 9.6 million households in its initial broadcast; and received positive reviews from critics.
"Apocrypha" is the sixteenth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on February 16, 1996. It was directed by Kim Manners, and written by Frank Spotnitz and series creator Chris Carter. "Apocrypha" included appearances by John Neville, Don S. Williams and Brendan Beiser. The episode helped to explore the overarching mythology, or fictional history of The X-Files. "Apocrypha" earned a Nielsen household rating of 10.8, being watched by 16.71 million people in its initial broadcast.
"Tunguska" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premièred on the Fox network on November 24, 1996. It was directed by Kim Manners, and written by Frank Spotnitz and series creator Chris Carter. "Tunguska" featured guest appearances by John Neville, Nicholas Lea and Fritz Weaver. The episode helped explore the series' overarching mythology. "Tunguska" earned a Nielsen household rating of 12.2, being watched by 18.85 million people in its initial broadcast.
"Terma" is the ninth episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on December 1, 1996. It was directed by Rob Bowman, and written by Frank Spotnitz and series creator Chris Carter. "Terma" featured guest appearances by John Neville, Nicholas Lea and Fritz Weaver. The episode helped explore the series' overarching mythology. "Terma" earned a Nielsen household rating of 10.3, being watched by 17.34 million viewers during its original airing.
Volume 2 of The X-Files Mythology collection is the second DVD release containing selected episodes from the third to the fifth seasons of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. The episodes collected in the release form the middle of the series' mythology, and are centered on the discovery of a mind-altering extraterrestrial "black oil".
"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.
"Essence" is the twentieth and penultimate episode of the eighth season and the 181st episode overall of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States on May 13, 2001, on Fox, and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom. It was written by executive producer Chris Carter and directed by Kim Manners. "Essence" earned Nielsen rating of 7.7 and was viewed by 12.8 million viewers. The episode received largely positive reviews from critics.
"Deadalive" is the fifteenth episode of the eighth season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. It was written by executive producers Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, and was directed by Tony Wharmby. It explores the series' alien mythology story arc. Following its North American premiere on April 1, 2001, it received a Nielsen household rating of 7.3 and was watched by 12.4 million viewers. It garnered mixed reviews; while most critics were happy with the return of actor David Duchovny, some criticized the episode's plot holes. It later won the show's last Emmy Award, for Outstanding Makeup.
"Existence" is the twenty-first episode and final episode of the eighth-season of the science fiction television series The X-Files and 182nd episode overall. The episode first premiered on Fox in the United States on May 20, 2001, and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom on June 28, 2001, on Sky1. It was written by executive producer Chris Carter and directed by Kim Manners. "Existence" earned a Nielsen household rating of 8.4 and was watched by 8.58 million households and 14 million viewers, overall. The episode received largely positive reviews from television critics.
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"Piper Maru" is the fifteenth episode of the third season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on February 9, 1996. The episode was written by executive producer Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, and directed by Rob Bowman. "Piper Maru" is one of those which helped to explore the series' overarching mythology. Its introduction of the black oil became a storyline milestone for the series. The black oil would later go on to play a much larger role in the series, including a pivotal role in the 1998 X-Files movie. "Piper Maru" earned a Nielsen household rating of 10.6, being watched by 16.44 million people in its initial broadcast. The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics.
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