The X-Files
Australian Conne-X-ion
Episode Guide:
"Triangle"
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Episode 6ABX03
Title: Triangle
First Screened in Australia: February 24, 1999
First Screened in the USA: November 22, 1999
Tagline: Die Wahrheit Ist Irgendwo Da Drauben
(The Truth is Out There Somewhere)
Credits:
Director: Chris Carter
Writer: Chris Carter
Starring:
Guest Stars:
- William B. Davis as Cigarette Smoking Man/Nazi
- Chris Owens as Jeffrey Spender/Nazi
- Tom Braidwood as Frohike
- Dean Haglund as Langly
- Bruce Harwood as Byers
- Mitch Pileggi as AD Skinner/Nazi
- Arlene Pileggi as Skinner's assistant
- Laura Leigh Hughes as AD Kersh's assistant/1939 Singer
- Madison Mason as Captain Harburg
- Trevor Goddard as the 1st British Crewman
- G.W. Stevens as the 2nd British Crewman
- Greg Ellis as the 3rd British Crewman
- Nick Meaney as the 4th British Crewman
- Robert Thomas Beck as the 1st Mate
- James Pickens Jr. as AD Kersh/Sailor
- Robert Arce as Bald-Headed Man
- Wolfgang Gerhard as 1st Nazi
- Guido Foehrweisser as 2nd Nazi
- Kai Wuff as 3rd Nazi
- Isaac C. Singleton Jr. as 1st Roughneck
Plot:
A time warp in the Bermuda Triangle traps Agent Mulder aboard a 1939 luxury liner filled with murderous Nazis.
The Daily Telegraph
In a special episode a trip to the Bermuda Triangle lands Mulder in the middle of a bizarre conflict on a ship that disappeared in 1939. He finds himself with the fate of the world in his hands and, in an homage to The Wizard of Oz, is surprised to see familiar faces on board. Written and directed by creator/executive producer Chris Carter, this innovative episode marks several firsts for the series. It will be presented in a letterbox format and Carter shot the show in long, continuous takes utilising 360-degree angles. Plus, the episode takes place in real time, meaning one hour of actual time elapses in the story.
The X-Files Official UK Website
Australian Media Reviews:
Speaking of gimmicks, this week's episode of The X-Files delves into a bag of tricks. Set in a time wrinkle in the Bermuda Triangle, it starts with Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) being dragged aboard the luxury liner the Queen Anne during World War II. The passengers and German aggressors bear remarkable likenesses to his 1999 colleagues Agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Jeffrey Spender (Chris Owens) and Assistant Director Skinner (Mitch Pileggi). The hook for fans is that Scully and Mulder actually kiss. Of course it's not really Scully but you get the picture...
Rachel Browne, The Sun-Herald TV Now
Oh gawd. I can't stand these time-travel episodes. I know Chris Carter must be running low on ideas after so many years but when he writes a script which sees Mulder travelling back in time through the Bermuda Triangle, I just had to throw my hands up and beg for mercy.
Kate de Brito, The Daily Telegraph
My Rating: 8/10
An interesting episode to say the least. Halfway through it was headed for 10 out of 10 but it came slightly unravelled towards the end IMHO, ending in a whimper instead of a bang. It's almost as if Chris Carter realised he was running out of time (so to speak) and just had Mulder dive overboard to bring things to a halt.
The filming technique was adventurous -- how many other TV shows have been filmed in the letterbox format? The much vaunted Hitchcock real-time single shot technique added a certain edginess to the story which was used to best effect with Scully inside the FBI building. For me, that frenetic edge-of-your-seat scene ranks right up there as one of the best ten minute seqences ever!
A couple of observations. Well, look who's smoking in Kersh's office! Scully blasting the weasel Spender is funny ("I want you to do me a favour...") as is his reaction ... running to daddy! It's always good to see The Lone Gunmen. I bet the 'shippers went wild when Scully gave Skinner a real hard kiss! It seems Chris Carter is playing that angle more and more ... really teasing the internet fanbase.
Bearing in mind that I hate time-travel stories, I could almost have believed the whole Queen Anne thing was a dream, except for the ending where Mulder rubbed his swollen jaw from where 1939-Scully had punched him. Time travel? Well, it was OK.
"Hey Scully ... I love you!"
Notable Quotable:
Frohike: The walls have ears.
Scully: (impatient) I have ears. Will you tell me what's going on?
Scully: I want you to do me a favor. It's not negotiable. Either you do it or I kill you. You understand?
(Spender is alone in the office. He gets up and crosses to her.)
Spender: You okay, Agent Scully?
Scully: No, I'm not. I'm a gun ready to go off so don't test me, Spender. Don't even think about trying to weasel me.
1939-Spender: (translating) What is the man's name?
Mulder: John Brown. Ask me again, and I'll knock you down.
1939-Spender: What's his name?!
Mulder: Puddintame. Ask me again and I'll tell you the same.
Mulder: Hey, Scully. (leans up on his elbow)
(Scully comes back and leans close to his face.)
Scully: Yes?
(Long pause. They look deeply at one another.)
Mulder: I love you.
Scully: Oh, brother... (turns away and leaves the room)
Where Have I Seen That Face Before?
Laura Leigh Hughes (AD Kersh's assistant) has appeared in "Some Kind Of Wonderful" and "Virtuosity" while Madison Mason (Captain Harburg) has appeared in TV series such as "MacGyver", "Dark Skies" and "The Practice" plus the movie "Raven".
The Pain Factor:
Well after not getting a scratch in the previous two episodes Mulder cops a real (Thor's) hammering in this episode ... sundry beatings, punches, kicks and pistol whippings from English sailors, the ship's Captain and Nazi soldiers plus a decent right hand from 1939-Scully! Oh, the pain.
Trivia:
The original title for this episode was "Ghost Ship".
The episode was screened in letterbox format.
