Sunday Mornings With Mulder and Scully – Max Fenig Returns

NICAP, or the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena, was a UFO research organization from 1956 to 1980 when it was dissolved due to its own self destruction from infighting and arguing among members. The X-Files used the organization in the context of show as if NICAP was still operational in its original form. In season 1, alien abductee Max Fenig was a member of NICAP. The character was abducted at the end of the episode, and he was brought back in season 4 for a two part episode filled with conspiracy and X-Files mythology.

This Max Fenig arc came into existence because Dave Gauthier, special effects supervisor for The X-Files, created a rig that could simulate a plane crash during season 3. It was Chris Carter’s idea to use the rig again in season 4 so he could bring back Max’s character. The crew received two Emmy nominations for it, including an Outstanding Sound Editing For A Series win.

Scott Bellis, the actor who played Max in these three episodes, had auditioned for other parts on the show, but was never hired for another character because producers felt Max Fenig was too memorable a character. The show often reused actors for different parts throughout the series.

Tempus Fugit – which translates from Latin to time flies.

The episode begins with Max aboard a plane flying over Upstate New York. He believes another man is following him and watches as the man disappears into one of the bathrooms aboard the plane. The man assembles a zip gun (pre 9/11 plane stories hit different now) but when he exits the bathroom, a bright light flashes outside and the plane begins to shake. The emergency door next to Max opens. Roll opening credits.

It happens to be Scully’s birthday, but as she and Mulder celebrate, they are approached by Sharon Griffia who claims to be Max’s sister. He was trying to deliver something to Mulder, but his plane crashed. Once they arrive on scene, Mulder believes it was a UFO that took down the plane, but his theory is dismissed because it’s always dismissed early on in these types of episodes. They soon realize that there is a 9-minute disparity between the victim’s wristwatches and the time of the crash. Before they can find the would be assassin, a Man in Black (men who work with the Syndicate) erases the assassin’s face and fingerprints before stealing his gun. The person sitting next to Max is somehow alive and suffering from radiation burns.

Scully confronts Sharon, believing that Max was carrying something radioactive. Sharon denies it but does tell Scully that Max work at a nuclear weapons facility and thinks he may have brought plutonium aboard the plane. Sharon is later abducted from her hotel room but not before Max’s body is pulled from the wreckage, putting an end to Mulder’s UFO abduction theory.

Air traffic control Sargeant Frisch denies anything suspicious happened while the plane was in the air, but after the agents leave after interviewing them, they discuss privately if they should tell the “truth”. Later, Frisch confesses he lied and that his commanding officer had ordered him to track the plane’s coordinates after it was intercepted by a second craft and then exploded. Scully brings Frisch to Washington while Mulder goes to Great Sacandaga Lake in Northern New York to find the UFO he believes responsible. In a bar in Washington, Scully and Frisch meet Agent Pendrell (recurring character in seasons 3 & 4) who is inadvertently shot by the Man in Black seen earlier. Mulder finds a team of men already searching the lake. After diving underwater, Mulder finds the UFO and an alien body but before he can surface, a bright light shines down from above. Roll credits.

Max

Mulder is caught by commandos while Scully gives medical attention to Pendrell. Skinner arrives and informs her that orders to protect Frisch no longer apply and he will be arrested for providing false testimony. After she frees Mulder from commando jail, they find out that the official word on the crash is that a military fighter jet made a mistake and Frisch lied to cover it up. Scully, bearer of bad news, also tells Mulder Pendrell has died and Sharon wasn’t really Max’s sister but a aeronautical engineer who met Max at a mental institution.

The FBI’s investigation of the crash can neither prove or disprove the official story from the military. Sharon is now back in the mental institution and admits to stealing tech that Max believed was alien. It was in three parts. She had one, Max had one, and one at the New York airport retrieved by Mulder with a baggage claim ticket. Mulder boards an airplane bound for Washington with the same Man in Black sitting next to him. He pulls a gun on Mulder and demands the device when the plane begins shaking. It doesn’t crash this time though. It lands safely and Mulder sees that his watch is 9 minutes behind but has no memory of what happened.

I fully respect Chris Carter bringing back Max Fenig, but I’m not sure this needed to be two episodes. The convoluted side story with Sharon stealing parts and trying to get them to Mulder could have been cleaner, shorter. I would have liked Max to have more screen time, especially since it was two episodes. Give his character a real send off.

That said, I do like how Mulder also lost 9 minutes during his plane ride. It was the only proof that he would get during this arc since the piece he was carrying disappeared during the nine minutes. The look on his face, that Mulder smile, when he looked at his watch is the thing I remember most about these two episodes.

From a stunt standpoint, these two episodes are pretty impressive in both the simulation of the plane crash and the dive sequences into the lake. It’s no wonder they were nominated for Emmys.

Only six episodes left for this season. Until next week, the truth is out there.