David Duchovny - Fox Mulder
Gillian Anderson - Dana Scully
Charles Cioffi - Chief Blevins
Cliff DeYoung - Dr Jay Nemman
Sarah Koskoff - Theresa Nemman
Leon Russom - Det. Miles
Zachary Ansley - Billy Miles
William B. Davis - Cigarette-Smoking Man

Principal Location: Northwest Oregon
Original air date: September 10, 1993

Using a classic story base from Ufology, the ideas of losing time and alien abduction, the show begins by establishing the two characters of Mulder and Scully as we will see them throughout: Mulder the believer, the one who will not stop til he knows the truth, the one who believes in something out there; Scully, the skeptic, the scientist who maintains all answers can be found in science if one knows where to look, the one faced with strange happenings and is forced to wonder if maybe Mulder isn't quite as "out there" as people believe. The banter at the beginning of the episode in Mulder's office lays the groundwork for countless such conversations to follow, conversations without which the show would be severely lacking. Two worlds collide in this first hour -- and neither is left quite the same.

From an acting standpoint, the supporting cast isn't the best -- I give you the example of when Theresa Nemman says "I'm scared that I might -- die", which sounds so unbelievable. The chemistry, in the sense of working together and playing off of each other, is present between Gillian and David, but naturally not to the same extent as four and a half years have brought to their on-screen work. But it is obvious that the two personalities work well, and as the show moves on to its new heights, the acting does as well. The potential however, is easy to spot: if I were an exec I'd have bet everything on this "dark horse" winning.

NOTE: For a detailed rundown of what each episode is about refer to www.thex-files.com