The Jersey Devil (The X-Files)
Encyclopedia
"The Jersey Devil" is the fifth episode of the first season
of the American science fiction
television series The X-Files
. It premiered on the Fox network
on October 8, 1993. It was written by series creator Chris Carter
, directed by Joe Napolitano
, and featured guest appearances by Gregory Sierra
, Wayne Tippit
and Claire Stansfield
. Although the episode is the series' second "Monster-of-the-Week" story—after the earlier "Squeeze"—it was the first to have been written by Carter.
When investigating seemingly cannibalistic murders in New Jersey
, FBI
special agents Fox Mulder
(David Duchovny
) and Dana Scully
(Gillian Anderson
) come across what seems to be an evolutionary relict
which may have inspired tales of the Jersey Devil
.
in 1947, a man is attacked while fixing a flat tire on the road near the woods. His corpse is later found with his leg chewed off, and a hairy humanoid
is killed nearby.
Back in present-day Washington D.C., Scully
brings to Mulder
's attention news about a body found in New Jersey with parts bitten off, possibly by a human. Upon arriving at the Atlantic City morgue, however, the local Detective Thompson denies the agents access to the investigation. Scully returns to Washington to attend her godson's birthday party, while Mulder stays in New Jersey. At the party, Scully meets Rob, the divorced father of one of the guests. Meanwhile, Mulder questions homeless people about the case, and gives his hotel room key to a homeless man who tells him what he saw the night of the killing. Mulder sleeps in an alley and sees a shadowy creature, but is arrested.
The next morning, Detective Thompson meets with Mulder and Scully when she comes down to pick up her partner. Before going on a date with Rob, Scully brings Mulder to meet with Dr. Diamond, a professor of anthropology at the University of Maryland
. The local park ranger contacts Mulder after finding the corpse of a wild man in the woods. Mulder believes that the creature's mate has headed into Atlantic City in search of food after its death. The agents, along with the ranger and Dr. Diamond search for the creature in an abandoned building. Thompson meanwhile is also searching the same building with a SWAT team.
Mulder is attacked by the creature, which escapes soon after. The beast is chased through the woods, and still manages to escape after being shot with a tranquilizer dart. The SWAT team soon finds her and kills her. The autopsy reveals no prehistoric bone structure, although human bones are located within her digestive tract. Mulder leaves to talk to an ethnobiologist at the Smithsonian; Scully turns down a second date with Rob to join him. Meanwhile in the woods the child of the creature appears, watching a father and son hike along.
-like creature, he would present the Jersey Devil as a missing link. Carter was inspired to write the episode by an essay by E.O. Wilson regarding ants and a story he wrote that posed whether mankind was hellbent on its own extinction. The concept of mankind being carnivores and eating its own tail evolved into the idea of using an evolutionary mutation that was a throwback to the Neanderthal
. A Greg Cannom
werewolf outfit from a previous project was used for the costume of the creature.
The purpose of the scenes with Scully going on a date were to show the life she was passing on to work on the X-Files and to open up Scully to the audience. Carter explained that he "tried to develop a love interest for Scully only to heighten the sexual tension between her and Mulder". The scenes with Mulder in Atlantic City were shot against a blue screen in Vancouver, with stock casino footage added in in post-production.
During filming, Claire Stansfield
, who played the titular creature, was intended to appear nude, necessitating several solutions to be found for different scenes—some were shot with the actress wearing a nude-colored outfit, whilst others were shot with her hair tied in such a manner as to keep her breasts covered. Several scenes for the episode were filmed in a Vancouver mansion, which served as an office, town-house and restaurant. This same mansion was used for exterior shots in the later first season episode "Fire". The forest scenes were filmed in a remote area accessible only by large trucks, whilst all of the exterior city scenes were filmed in and around a sheet metal store.
on October 8, 1993, and was first broadcast in the United Kingdom
on BBC Two
on October 17, 1994. The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 6.6 with a 12 share—meaning that in the US, 6.6 percent of television-equipped households, and 12 percent of all households actively watching television, were watching the program. It was viewed by 6.2 million households.
In a retrospective of the first season in Entertainment Weekly
, "The Jersey Devil" was rated a C, with the episode being called "corny", and full of "needless philosophizing"; it was noted however that the sub-plot concerning Scully's private life set the stage for the series' future. Keith Phipps, writing for The A.V. Club
, had mixed feeling about the episode, rating it a C. He felt that the scenes featuring Scully's private life and Mulder speaking to a group of homeless people were effectively done, although the episode overall was "pretty silly" and took "a decent idea to a dead end". Producer James Wong
was critical of the episode, feeling that it "ran out of steam in the middle. It didn't go anywhere; there weren't enough complications to it", though he added that it had been "beautifully shot".
The X-Files (season 1)
The first season of the science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing on the Fox network in the United States on September 10, 1993 and concluded on the same channel on May 13, 1994 after airing all 24 episodes....
of the American science fiction
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
television series The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
. It premiered on the Fox network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
on October 8, 1993. It was written by series creator Chris Carter
Chris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
, directed by Joe Napolitano
Joe Napolitano
Joseph Ralph Napolitano in Udine, Italy) is an American film and television director who has worked in the in the film and televison industries since the mid-1970s directing both TV films and multiple episodic series.-Career:...
, and featured guest appearances by Gregory Sierra
Gregory Sierra
Gregory Sierra is an American actor known for his roles as Detective Sergeant Chano Amenguale on Barney Miller and as Julio Fuentes, the Puerto Rican neighbor of Fred G...
, Wayne Tippit
Wayne Tippit
Wayne Tippit was an American television and stage character actor. He was best known to television audiences for playing Ted Adamson on the 1970s and 1980s CBS soap opera, Search for Tomorrow, for five years...
and Claire Stansfield
Claire Stansfield
Claire Stansfield is an actress, director, fashion designer and former model. She is best-known for her recurring role as "Alti" in several episodes of the TV series Xena: Warrior Princess.-Life and career:...
. Although the episode is the series' second "Monster-of-the-Week" story—after the earlier "Squeeze"—it was the first to have been written by Carter.
When investigating seemingly cannibalistic murders in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
special agents Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
(David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
) and Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
(Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
) come across what seems to be an evolutionary relict
Relict
A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon.* In biology a relict is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas....
which may have inspired tales of the Jersey Devil
Jersey Devil
The Jersey Devil is a legendary creature or cryptid said to inhabit the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey, United States. The creature is often described as a flying biped with hooves, but there are many variations...
.
Plot
In New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
in 1947, a man is attacked while fixing a flat tire on the road near the woods. His corpse is later found with his leg chewed off, and a hairy humanoid
Humanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
is killed nearby.
Back in present-day Washington D.C., Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
brings to Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
's attention news about a body found in New Jersey with parts bitten off, possibly by a human. Upon arriving at the Atlantic City morgue, however, the local Detective Thompson denies the agents access to the investigation. Scully returns to Washington to attend her godson's birthday party, while Mulder stays in New Jersey. At the party, Scully meets Rob, the divorced father of one of the guests. Meanwhile, Mulder questions homeless people about the case, and gives his hotel room key to a homeless man who tells him what he saw the night of the killing. Mulder sleeps in an alley and sees a shadowy creature, but is arrested.
The next morning, Detective Thompson meets with Mulder and Scully when she comes down to pick up her partner. Before going on a date with Rob, Scully brings Mulder to meet with Dr. Diamond, a professor of anthropology at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
. The local park ranger contacts Mulder after finding the corpse of a wild man in the woods. Mulder believes that the creature's mate has headed into Atlantic City in search of food after its death. The agents, along with the ranger and Dr. Diamond search for the creature in an abandoned building. Thompson meanwhile is also searching the same building with a SWAT team.
Mulder is attacked by the creature, which escapes soon after. The beast is chased through the woods, and still manages to escape after being shot with a tranquilizer dart. The SWAT team soon finds her and kills her. The autopsy reveals no prehistoric bone structure, although human bones are located within her digestive tract. Mulder leaves to talk to an ethnobiologist at the Smithsonian; Scully turns down a second date with Rob to join him. Meanwhile in the woods the child of the creature appears, watching a father and son hike along.
Production
Writer and series creator Chris Carter decided that rather than trying to present a typical BigfootBigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, is an ape-like cryptid that purportedly inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid...
-like creature, he would present the Jersey Devil as a missing link. Carter was inspired to write the episode by an essay by E.O. Wilson regarding ants and a story he wrote that posed whether mankind was hellbent on its own extinction. The concept of mankind being carnivores and eating its own tail evolved into the idea of using an evolutionary mutation that was a throwback to the Neanderthal
Neanderthal
The Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
. A Greg Cannom
Greg Cannom
Greg Cannom is a Hollywood special makeup effects artist. Cannom has been nominated for nine Academy Awards and has won three times. He has also been nominated for seven Saturn Awards and received one.-Partial filmography:...
werewolf outfit from a previous project was used for the costume of the creature.
The purpose of the scenes with Scully going on a date were to show the life she was passing on to work on the X-Files and to open up Scully to the audience. Carter explained that he "tried to develop a love interest for Scully only to heighten the sexual tension between her and Mulder". The scenes with Mulder in Atlantic City were shot against a blue screen in Vancouver, with stock casino footage added in in post-production.
During filming, Claire Stansfield
Claire Stansfield
Claire Stansfield is an actress, director, fashion designer and former model. She is best-known for her recurring role as "Alti" in several episodes of the TV series Xena: Warrior Princess.-Life and career:...
, who played the titular creature, was intended to appear nude, necessitating several solutions to be found for different scenes—some were shot with the actress wearing a nude-colored outfit, whilst others were shot with her hair tied in such a manner as to keep her breasts covered. Several scenes for the episode were filmed in a Vancouver mansion, which served as an office, town-house and restaurant. This same mansion was used for exterior shots in the later first season episode "Fire". The forest scenes were filmed in a remote area accessible only by large trucks, whilst all of the exterior city scenes were filmed in and around a sheet metal store.
Broadcast and reception
"The Jersey Devil" premiered on the Fox networkFox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
on October 8, 1993, and was first broadcast in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
on October 17, 1994. The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 6.6 with a 12 share—meaning that in the US, 6.6 percent of television-equipped households, and 12 percent of all households actively watching television, were watching the program. It was viewed by 6.2 million households.
In a retrospective of the first season in Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, "The Jersey Devil" was rated a C, with the episode being called "corny", and full of "needless philosophizing"; it was noted however that the sub-plot concerning Scully's private life set the stage for the series' future. Keith Phipps, writing for The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
, had mixed feeling about the episode, rating it a C. He felt that the scenes featuring Scully's private life and Mulder speaking to a group of homeless people were effectively done, although the episode overall was "pretty silly" and took "a decent idea to a dead end". Producer James Wong
James Wong (producer)
James 'Jim' Wong is a Cantonese-American television producer, writer, and film director notable for his screen works of The X-Files, Space: Above and Beyond, Millennium, Final Destination 1 & 3, The One, and the remakes of Willard and Black Christmas along with writing partner Glen...
was critical of the episode, feeling that it "ran out of steam in the middle. It didn't go anywhere; there weren't enough complications to it", though he added that it had been "beautifully shot".