The X-Files
Australian Conne-X-ion
Episode Guide
"Chimera"


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Episode 7ABX16

Title: Chimera

First screened in Australia: 5 July, 2000
First screened in the USA: 2 April, 2000

Credits: Director: Cliff Bole
Writer: David Amann Starring: Guest Stars: Plot:
With Scully on a surveillance assignment, Assistant Director Skinner assigns Mulder to a missing person's case, in a small Vermont town. As Mulder helps the local police in the investigation of the missing woman, they uncover a series of murders, with strange circumstances including the foreboding appearance of a 'raven' before every murder.
Sofcom
My Rating: 9/10

This episode seemed to get a lot of negative reviews but I rate it towards the top end of the scale. The idea of a creature emanting from a person's subconscious is well done and the special effects are effective. The domestic scenes and the parallel drawn between Mulder and Scully is hilarious.

Where Have I Seen That Face Before?
Michelle Joyner's (Ellen) latest movie role is in "Gun Shy" alongside Mitch Pileggi. She's also appeared in "Outbreak", "Cliffhanger" (as the unfortunate Sarah) and "Empty Cradle". Her TV guest roles include "Millennium" and "Northern Exposure".

John Mese (The Sheriff) has appeared in "From The Earth To The Moon", "Red Dirt" and "Dangerous Proposition". He also had a starring role in "American Gothic" and made guest appearances on "Dark Skies" and "Northern Exposure".

Gina Mastrogiacomo (Jenny) has been seen in "Goodfellas", "Conversations In Limbo", "Bloodhounds", "Jungle Fever" and "Naked Gun 2 1/2". She also appeared on "Seinfeld" in the "Wig Master" episode.

Trivia and Research:
The raven has been a powerful symbol throughout mythology dating back to Greek and Roman times, typically as sly tricksters, oracles, and in later mythologies, an omen of evil. Popular myths are still around today, such as the tale about ravens and the Tower of London: according to myth, if the Tower's ravens should ever fly away or die, this will fortell the fall of England. It seems the English have no desire to test the myth's veracity and have kept many tamed ravens at the Tower to be safe. The book Mind of the Raven is written by Bernd Heinrich, a biology professor at the University of Vermont who has spent more than a decade learning the secrets of these giants of the crow family. He has observed startlingly complex activities among ravens, including strong pair-bonding, use of tools, elaborate vocal communication, and even play.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder) reflects a failure to integrate various aspects of identity, memory and consciousness. Each personality state may be experienced as if it has a distinct personal history, self-image, and identity, including a separate name. Usually there is a primary identity that carries the individual's given name and is passive, dependent, guilty, and depressed. The alternate identities frequently have different names and characteristics that contrast with the primary identity (e.g., are hostile, controlling, and self-destructive). Particular identities may emerge in specific circumstances and may differ in reported age and gender, vocabulary, general knowledge, or predominant affect. Alternate identities are experienced as taking control in sequence, one at the expense of the other, and may deny knowledge of one another, be critical of one another, or appear to be in open conflict. Occasionally, one or more powerful identities allocate time to the others. Aggressive or hostile identities may at time interrupt activities or place the others in uncomfortable situations.

Writer David Amann's wife, Michelle Deschamps, gets both her names in the episode. The little girl in the teaser is Michelle and the psychiatric hospital at the end is Deschamps County Hospital.

Katy, the Adderly baby daughter is played by twin boys. They just happen to be the sons of Michelle Joyner, the actress playing Ellen Adderly.

The raven in the episode was actually an African crow, which was more amenable to television work. Most birds in the raven and crow families are not able to be kept in captivity. The African crow has a white band around its neck, however, and the strip had to be dyed black to resemble a raven.

The strip club that Scully is staking out was shot on what is known as Mulberry Street on the Fox Studios lot. The street, which resembles a New York block, was built for the 1969 film "Hello Dolly." The show "NYPD Blue" regularly shoots their exterior streets on Mulberry Street.



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