xf_is_love | Seeing is Believing: Reality, Truth and Fiction in Jose Chung’s From Outer Space

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Seeing is Believing: Reality, Truth and Fiction in Jose Chung’s From Outer Space

Title: Seeing is Believing: Reality, Truth and Fiction in Jose Chung’s From Outer Space
Author:

memories_child
Word count: 4362
A/N: This essay is something I've wanted to write for a long time - since writing my 3rd year dissertation on reality and fiction, in fact, and referencing Jose Chung's in that. Writing it was something I really enjoyed, though cutting the first draft down from 15000 odd words was pretty tough; I could have covered so much more on the subject, but I think it works as it is and I hope you all enjoy reading it. Thanks to

cadiliniel for the encouragment, and huge thanks to

truemyth for the incredibly insightful beta, the encouragement, the early morning emails getting excited over what else from the series fitted into the essay and the absolutely gorgeous cover.

I feel as though I should start this with a confession: I love Jose Chung’s From Outer Space. It’s one of my favourite episodes; the one that makes me laugh - and makes me think - whenever I see it. So it surprises me when I hear fans of the show dismiss Jose Chung’s as not being what The X Files is about, not being a real episode and certainly not being one of the best. I suppose when you look at it, to some extent, they have a point; The X Files as whole, to most people, is a show that looks seriously at aliens and government conspiracies. It talks about extreme possibilities, and feeds into the conspiracy theories that have been embraced by American culture. In contrast, and as with many of the scripts written by Darin Morgan, Jose Chung’s has a certain off kilter feel to it. It is more subversively funny than many X Files episodes, more keen to bend the reality of what we are seeing. But I still maintain that not only is Jose Chung’s a real episode, it is in many ways the epitome of what The X Files is about.

One of the show’s credos is ‘the truth is out there’, the tagline reminding us of this in almost every episode, and this search for the truth is the key element of the show. But the nature of the truth discovered on the X Files is never clear, and always open to interpretation.

From the beginning of Jose Chung’s we are encouraged to doubt what we see. The episode opens with a shot of the underside of a spaceship, moving slowly across the night sky, but seconds later the spaceship is revealed to be a crane; the camera panning giving it the appearance of movement. Likewise, the grey aliens we see appear to be the real thing, carrying out an abduction. That is until we hear their American accents and see their mouths moving under their masks. This opening sets the theme for the episode; that of truths buried beneath truths, of never knowing if what we’re seeing can actually be believed (“How the hell should I know?”).

Scully and Jose Chung, discussing the events of Klass County after the opening credits, give us a further indication as to the notions of truth we will see in the episode (emphasis mine):

Truth is as subjective as reality.

Here, we see Chung expounding a traditional metaphysical claim that Kant also subscribed to; there is the way that the world really is and the way that the world appears to us. Everyone has a different version of the world, of the events that happened in Klass County, and everyone believes those versions to be true. Jose Chung’s cleverly makes the point that we can never get past the way that things appear to us, and our knowledge is only of the appearance of things (the reality that we see), not things as they really are (the truth). But Jose Chung could also be referring to the nature of truth in the X Files; that the truth changes, depending on who’s telling us what happened.

Take Samantha’s disappearance, for example. From the beginning of the series we are told that she was abducted by aliens, that this was the driving force behind Mulder’s entry to the FBI and the discovery of the X Files.

As the series progresses, however, we get told different truths about what actually happened to her up (which we may be able to pass off as continuity errors on the part of the writers, but are still presented to us on the show as true events). In Little Green Men we see that Samantha was taken from the living room while she and Mulder played Stratego (in earlier episodes such as Conduit we were told that she was taken from her bed); in The Blessing Way we are told that she isn’t dead – or at least not where Bill Mulder now is; in Paper Hearts the suggestion is that she was taken from her home by John Lee Roche and killed; in Closure we are told that she is dead, taken by the walk-ins and travelling through time in starlight.

We also see different truths relating to Samantha’s growing up. In Colony we are told that she was returned and placed with an adoptive family (whom Samantha refers to as aliens) who raised her as their daughter; in Redux II we are told that Samantha was taken to Cancer Man, who was referred to as her father, and grew up to have children of her own; in Closure we are told that she lived with Cancer Man where tests were performed on her before she ran away.

Morgan plays with the idea of truth in Jose Chung’s to make us question the notion of truth we are presented with in the series. The truth on The X Files, much like the truth in Jose Chung’s is revealed to us slowly – when it is revealed at all.

Only for it to be subverted later on:

Mulder’s ability to believe the different truths shown to him about his sister’s disappearance, about the people he can trust, can be reflected on a smaller scale in the different truths shown to us about what happened in Klass County; Jose Chung’s, therefore, acting as a microcosm to the nine seasons of the show.

Much like Mulder comes to realise that the truths he was brought up with are, in fact, lies, both Harold and Chrissy change their stories to reflect newer ‘truths’, illustrating the shifting nature of the truth seen throughout the show. Initially, Chrissy’s story is that Harold raped her, which changes to a typical abduction experience.

This later develops into a CIA cover up.

Mulder underwent hypnosis several times through the course of the series in order to discover what had happened to Samantha and indeed it is a recurring theme through the course of Jose Chung’s. Our thoughts and memories, like those of Mulder in The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati for example, may be the product of a force which implants false ideas and memories in our minds. A person’s mind is easily malleable, subject to suggestion and fiction. Ed Jerse in Never Again kills because of a talking tattoo – something we later discover is actually caused by ergot poisoning. Robert Modell, in Pusher, was able to convince people to do his bidding through the power of suggestion. Even Scully, in Wetwired, fell victim to subliminal messaging which led to her nearly shooting Mulder.

Under hypnosis, autosuggestion becomes a real possibility. The brain, as an instrument, is delicate and not foolproof; with the right equipment or knowledge, and perseverance, it is easy to fool it into believing something other than what has been experienced. The memory, just like any other piece of equipment, is subject to loss of data and, for want of a better phrase, file corruption. We even see this in Deep Throat, the second episode of the show, with the transformation the Air Force pilots go through.

Psychology has found this with allegations of False Memory Syndrome (FMS), a condition where false memories are implanted in a person undergoing therapy, who then believes that these memories are real.

Indeed, as stated by Scully, people suffering from FMS can suffer physical reactions in relation to an event which never happened. The brain seems to rely on details rather than generalities to form and distinguish between memories. It seems that the key to this is sensory perception. Psychologist Elizabeth Loftus says “It is the sensory details that people use to distinguish their memories. If you imbue the story with them, you'll disrupt this memory process. It's almost a recipe to get people to remember things that aren't true.” Something Deep Throat himself also seems to be aware of – a lie is best hidden between two truths after all.

Returning to Mulder’s memories of Samantha’s abduction we can see this as a case in point; by remembering details of her disappearance, sketchy as they were, he created a ‘garden variety abduction scenario’ that he comes to believe is true. As Jose Chung’s posits, if memories can be altered this easily, how can we really be able to trust ourselves and our judgements about the external world?

Can we really say that seeing is believing?

Peter Unger’s ‘mad scientist’ theory, and Hilary Putnam's 'brain in a vat' hypothesis, where Putnam substitutes the demon or god for a computer-system, suggest that the experiences we have when walking down the street, having dinner with Cancer Man or attending Diana Fowley’s funeral may not be as authentic as we believe them to be. Putnam proposes that we don’t know whether the experiences we have are ones that we actually go through, or whether they are generated by some form of electrical stimulus – that we are, in fact, brains in vats, imagining that we are people.

Assurances, in Jose Chung’s and The X Files as a whole, mean nothing. Nothing is certain – what we see, what we feel, what we touch; none of these, once we begin to question the fundamental nature of truth that we see on the show, can be declared definitively true.

The scene that takes place immediately after this exchange proves this point. It is told by Chung who says that the cook at the restaurant told a very different story. Mulder dines alone, asking one question for each piece of pie he writes. At no point does Schaffer, or any other Air Force personnel, enter the diner. Chung appears frustrated by the contradictory stories. Scully, on the other hand, unfazed. Should she really expect anything different after working on the X Files? Stories, truths, change in the telling – something we have discovered through the course of Jose Chung’s as well as the course of show.

So we’ve had the slowly revealed truths and the imprecise nature of hypnosis. What else does Jose Chung’s have that we can see in the show? Technology has always played an important part on The X Files. From the videotapes that aren’t Mulder’s (although they are kept in his drawers), to the ones that are – the alien autopsy video showing the Japanese scientists in 731; the still from a video in The Erlenmeyer Flask technology has been used as a means of showing the truth as well as hiding it.

Mulder and Scully, from being the characters who search for, and wish to uncover, the truth, are portrayed as part of the very government conspiracy that means to keep the truth hidden. In Jose Chung’s they are working for, not against, the truth though the video autopsy suggests otherwise. A pretty neat twist.

It has been said that Jose Chung’s is the first post-modern episodes of the show, though the series as an entirety can now be considered a post-modern text, and from an existential point of view argues that humanity is always alone and the truth is essentially unknowable. But I’d argue that, while those points are valid, Jose Chung’s is about more than that. Jose Chung’s, at its core, is about love. While it can be argued that it takes somewhat of a back seat compared to Chung’s quest to know the intellectual truth of the events in Klass County, it is there nonetheless: the episode begins with Harold declaring his love for Chrissy and ends with his declaration that he still loves her; Roky discovers that the way to enlightenment is through love (or lust at least); Chrissy discovers a more selfless kind of love in devoting herself to improving the world.

Chung’s analysis of love – that we are all ultimately alone – is perhaps the one way in which the episode diverts from the ideas found in the show as a whole. Chung takes the existentialist view that we are all alone; we perceive the world through a veil of experience, opinion and belief that no one else shares. Jose Chung’s illustrates that perfectly, as we’ve seen: the events in Klass County differ according to each teller because they each experienced different things. If we expand that idea to include all aspects of human experience, then it’s a logical step to say that yes, we are all essentially alone. We can’t really know what the truth is, and while we may love other people we can never make an ultimate connection with them.

But The X Files, ultimately, doesn’t enforce Chung’s opinion. Folie a Deux, for example (often cited as the episode that illustrates Mulder and Scully’s love) can be regarded as illustrating love as a shared perception. It deals with similar themes to Jose Chung’s; there are people who see zombies and monsters, and people who can’t. The people who can’t don’t believe the people who can. Until the end of the episode Scully can’t see the monster that Mulder is faced with. At one point she even hopes that he’ll be able to see past the delusion.

But when she trusts what he says and looks at the world in the same way as him she sees what he sees.

Of course Mulder and Scully have, by The Truth, have found love with each other (something it could be argued the fans knew about much earlier than the characters did), and Frank Spotnitz, in a Science Fiction Weekly interview, argues that this is perhaps the ultimate truth:

Think for a moment about how The Truth ends. Mulder and Scully have found the truth that they’ve spent the last nine years searching for: they know that the date is set for colonisation, they know the conspiracy is real. Everything that Mulder has believed has become true, and Scully has been convinced of that truth along the way as well.

But the end of The Truth is, ultimately, about more than that. More than the truth, Mulder and Scully have discovered love.

Even if you accept the idea in Jose Chung’s that we are all ultimately alone, The Truth shows us that love is still real, and possibly the only way we can get close to knowing an ultimate truth. Mulder and Scully, at the end of the series, believe the same thing. The worlds of perception, the veils of experience, opinion and belief, that have kept them apart for nine years, have joined. They believe the same; feel the same; see the same. In a world where the truth – where love – is essentially unknowable, that’s the biggest declaration of love there is.

So while Jose Chung may have not realised that love is the only truth we can hope to find, Harold did. That’s the beauty of Jose Chung’s; Chung himself doesn’t know this final truth, much like Mulder and Scully don’t get to know the whole truth about the conspiracy, but one of the minor characters does, just like the fans did.

Of course, there are other episodes which deal with the nature of truth and reality, Bad Blood being a prime example. From Mulder’s description of Scully mooning over Sheriff Hartwell to Scully’s account of Mulder’s rather exuberant morning greeting, the episode makes us question whose version of events is true. In the end, unlike Jose Chung’s, both are – Sheriff Hartwell doesn’t have buck teeth but Ronnie Strickland is a vampire. Bad Blood consistently finds itself at the top of fans’ episode lists, but for me Jose Chung’s will always be there first.

Mulder’s closing plea to Chung perhaps best sums up the episode– the conflicting versions of truth that we see – as well as the nature of the show itself.

Even though there may be an underlying reality to the way the world is, it is covered by layers of fictions, fictions we see in Jose Chung’s and in The X Files; a point interestingly made in Milagro:

Jose Chung, as a writer, is perhaps in the best position to realise this.

I could go on, I really could. There’s so much to talk about in relation to Jose Chung’s – post-modernism, metaphysics, existentialism, the constraints of language – that I scarcely knew where to being. I’d like to think I’ve covered aspects of some of these in this essay, while not straying too far from my reasons for loving this episode. I’d like to think there’s enough in here for the fans who don’t like it to dig out their DVDs, watch the episode again and think ‘maybe there is something to it’. I’d like to think there’s enough in here for the fans who do like it to dig out their DVDs, watch the episode again and think ‘yeah, we knew that’. But even if I haven’t been able to do either of those things, I’ve at least been able to write my own love letter to Jose Chung’s From Outer Space.

Jose Chung’s was the forerunner to Bad Blood, the episode that manages to poke fun at the show while becoming a mirror to what The X Files is really about. As David Duchovny says about Mulder:

Darin Morgan, in writing Jose Chung’s, shows us that there is, indeed, no answer. He cleverly plays with our ideas of truth, subverting what we know of reality and making us question all that we see.

As we discover in the series, there is no definitive truth that can be agreed upon by each party. But there are other truths. It’s why Darin Morgan goes back to love: we may not be able to agree on whether the aliens were real or not; on whether Chrissy was raped; on whether Mulder and Scully were men in black, but we can agree on love. Love is the closest we can come to knowing that ultimate truth; that even if we can’t agree on what happened, we can agree that we love each other. We can sense a deeper reality by developing that closeness with other people and we can share their perceptions and see the world maybe a little more clearly. It’s what Mulder and Scully spent nine years doing, after all.

Bibliography

Richard M. Gale (ed):The Blackwell Guide to Metaphysics
René Descartes:Discourse On The Method And The Meditations
Anthony Harrison-Barbet:Mastering Philosophy
Plato:The Republic
V.S Ramachandran & Sandra Blakeslee:Phantoms in the Brain
Bertrand Russell: History of Western Philosophy
Oliver Sacks:The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
Dean A. Kowalski (ed):The Philosophy of The X Files

websites
http://www.bmfs.org.uk/site_pages/newspage.htm
http://www.commonsensescience.org/index.htm?phil.htm~main
http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~ursa/philos/index.htm
http://www.csus.edu/indiv/m/mccormickan/BrainsInAVat.html
http://www.transparencynow.com/decon.htm
http://www.insidethex.co.uk
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~felluga/sf/sampleAPaperMrO3c.html
http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue265/interview2.html
http://emily-shore.livejournal.com/206797.html
http://community.livejournal.com/xfiles/1958283.html
http://community.livejournal.com/xfiles/1954166.html?thread=16845942#t16845942

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

This is why I love XF. THIS.

Thank you.

Thank you!! I was so nervous about posting this so I'm really glad you liked it.

Every now and then something reminds me of how truly and spectacularly awesome this fandom is.

This is one of those times ♥ Thank you for sharing this and giving me a whole new perspective on one of my favorite eps :)

Every now and then something reminds me of how truly and spectacularly awesome this fandom is.

This is one of those times

Thank you so much! I'm really pleased that you liked it, and that I've helped give you a new perspective on the episode. It's one of my favourite eps, obviously, and I'm so pleased that you like it. Thank you, again. ♥

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Yay, yay!

I might not have time to read the whole thing and leave a detailed comment before heading to work, but I'm so excited and I LOVE your meta!

Thank you!! It's a bit long, so no worries at all if you can't read it before work. And thank you again for all the help and encouragment you gave me on it.

This was a really interesting and thought-provoking read; something I will definitely be coming back to in the future. I've only recently begun to appreciate this aspect to JCFOS (though in my defence, the first time I watched it I was pretty woozy on antibiotics), but it really is a fascinating episode in how it actually deconstructs the series itself. How many other major TV shows take time out to subvert their own premise?

There's also a lot that's really interesting here in terms of truth and storytelling- I've been having some thinky thoughts recently about modern expectations of narrative and visual media, and this has given me lots more to chew on. Thank you for such a great read!

Thank you. I was aiming for it to be interesting, thought provoking but not too academic so I'm glad that it worked, and that you'll be coming back to it. I've loved JCFOS from the first watch, though I can definitely appreciate that watching it while woozy on antibiotics is not a good thing! I've always found there to be so much in there though - there's the deconstruction of the show, obviously, but so much in there about existentialism, truth, love, reality and perception. I honestly could have written a whole essay on how JCFOS illustrates classical metaphysical thoughts alone.

Your thinky thoughts sound very interesting. I'd love to hear more if you want to share. There are some really good articles on narrative around, one of which I read and cited for this essay, and it's such an interesting subject.

It is definitely an interesting subject- I just finished writing my undergrad dissertation on Biblical narrative! Essentially, as a student of ancient literature, I'm really fascinated by how modern people often have extremely literal expectations of narrative, particularly in films or television. What we see is expected to be an 'account' of events (fictional or otherwise), in a reasonably linear order. Whereas in a lot of ancient cultures, narrative was a lot more malleable; you could arrange events in a story in order to illuminate character rather than as a linear plot, or insert dialogue or scenes because they conveyed a sense of scene or overall meaning- one can create a story which is ahistorical or non-linear or whatever in its details, but 'true' in a broader conceptual sense.

Anyway it probably ought to wait until my brain stops leaking out of my ears from arranging my bibliography...

Oh wow! That sounds so interesting. It's really interesting to see how differently people view narrative structures now. It's not an area I have a lot of knowledge of, admittedly, but from the ancient cultures I've studied (degree in RE) narrative was much more flexible and less constrained by needing to be linear. I remember the fuss that was made about Memento when that first came out because it was so different in terms of structure to most films that had come before it. But it's a really interesting topic and you've got me wanting to learn more about it now.

Bibliographys and references are by far the worst thing about writing essays and dissertations. I hate references.

"Even if you accept the idea in Jose Chung’s that we are all ultimately alone, The Truth shows us that love is still real, and possibly the only way we can get close to knowing an ultimate truth. Mulder and Scully, at the end of the series, believe the same thing. The worlds of perception, the veils of experience, opinion and belief, that have kept them apart for nine years, have joined. They believe the same; feel the same; see the same. In a world where the truth – where love – is essentially unknowable, that’s the biggest declaration of love there is."

Oh, sweetie, this meta is AMAZING. I am also a big fan of this episode and have always had a hard time understanding why people don't like it. Hopefully your work will help people see what is truly remarkable about it - the whole conundrum of truth v. reality, and how maybe there really IS no reality, only perception. It's really quite a trip, and a lovely one at that.

I quoted the above because this was one of my favorite sections, and it really put a different spin on The Truth for me. I was never completely satisfied with how that episode (and thus the series) ended, even though as a shipper I always thought, "aww, squee! Mulder and Scully are together, yay!" I couldn't see what "the truth" was until you pointed it out; I thought that on a much less abstract level that "the truth" was colonization, not that love exists. Gosh, I love that whole last scene so much more now after reading this!

It is clear that, like with all your work, you put so much time and effort and care into it. That's one of the many reasons why you are one of my favorite writers and dearest phile friends :) ILU, dear!

Oh thank you sweetie! *smooches* I'm really pleased that you liked it. I'd been worrying about this because it's the first time I've really posted essays on LJ, or at least essays that people have read, so I'm utterly amazed by the response I've had.

I've always loved this episode, always, and while I can see why people might have trouble with it I still think it's a brilliant piece of philosophy, story telling and TV rolled into one. I hope this'll show people there's more to it than Darin Morgan taking the mick, but if not I'm still happy with it =)

Gosh, I love that whole last scene so much more now after reading this!

That is such a huge compliment! It's a really interesting concept, and I've got to thank

truemyth for encouraging me to look at it in more detail. I was initially focussing on reality and perceptions, with only a bit about love, but I think it reads much better if you look at JCFOS as a microcosm of the show, including the ending and the truth that Mulder and Scully really find.

Ok, I'm rambling now ;)

It is clear that, like with all your work, you put so much time and effort and care into it. That's one of the many reasons why you are one of my favorite writers and dearest phile friends :) ILU, dear!

Again, thank you so, so much. Love you sweetie.xx

This is fantastic! I read the whole thing, which is rare for me. Very well thought out and very interesting. Thank you!

Thank you very much! I'm so pleased you enjoyed it enough to read it all =)

This essay really shows all the work and time you put into it, B, and just how much you love this episode. I can't believe there are people out there who dislike it. Personally, if I were forced to make a top 10 list of my favorite episodes, Jose Chung's would definitely be on it. I've watched it more times than I can count, and it seems I'm always noticing a new detail that enhances the story even further from what I've seen before. I love that about it! Plus, there are so many great things on it (better let me make a list, or I'll ramble forever, lol):

1. The fact that it is a humorous episode but you can take it seriously too, because it works on so many levels.
2. The dialog is hysterical, but at the same time the ending is so bittersweet <3
3. The guest stars: Charles Nelson Reilly kicks ass with his character, he's a hoot! And Jesse Ventura and Alex Trebeck as MIB. I... don't even know how to begin in there. Priceless!
4. Mulder eating a whole sweet potato pie! His girlie scream! Scully as a MIB!! OMG, I could go on forever.
5. The Adventures of Reynard Muldrake and Diana Lesky! *flails*

All in all, this episode deserves an A++, and you too for sharing such a detailed analysis of it ♥ Saving to memories!

5. The Adventures of Reynard Muldrake and Diana Lesky! *flails*

YES. Reason #6 to love JCFOS: HAND under COVERS and totally nakeds! (http://xfphotos.fredfarm.com/season3/jcfos/cap492.jpg)

Oh holy Jebussssssss... chest!pr0n ♥

The way he kind of grunts (http://xfphotos.fredfarm.com/season3/jcfos/cap500.jpg) when he sees the... whatever (http://xfphotos.fredfarm.com/season3/jcfos/cap501.jpg) it is that appears on the screen. God. Darin Morgan, you TEASE!

The whatever it is is footage of Bigfoot. Supposedly. That man is gorgeous (Mulder, not Bigfoot).

That man is gorgeous (Mulder, not Bigfoot).

LOL! I agree ;)

YES!!

Jose Chung's would be in my top 10 too, clearly! I love your list =D So many great things about the ep, I agree. And I'd love to read The Adventures of Reynard Muldrake and Diana Lesky!

All in all, this episode deserves an A++, and you too for sharing such a detailed analysis of it ♥ Saving to memories!

Thank you so much sweetie. I'm really glad you enjoyed.

I feel like I should go fake-alien on you and light up a cigarette. ;) I adore this essay so much. I love the countless parallels you draw to other points in the series to demonstrate just how integrated JCFOS is into the very heartstrings of the show. I was tempted to request this episode, but I didn't think I could do justice to it. You totally have.

I also love the connections you make to post-modern thought and cognitive psychology. I don't think it's overly academic. It's just awesome!

I'm adding this baby to my memories and you can expect a pimp in my journal soon. :)

I feel like I should go fake-alien on you and light up a cigarette.

LOL! You so should =D I'm really pleased that you like it as much on the second reading. And thank you for thinking I've done it justice too.

♥

This is why I still love XF after all these years!

The fact that fans can write such wonderfully insightful and thought-provoking essays like this.

Fantastic analysis on one of my favorite eps!

Thank you so much. I'm really pleased that you enjoyed it.

Eeeeee! I'm bookmarking this to read tomorrow when I'm actually awake.

Yay!

Your meta is really thought-provoking, B. I enjoyed reading it, and I'm looking forward to looking at JCFOS and The Truth (neither of which have been favourites of mine) with new insight. I'm especially taken with your argument that JCFOS is a microcosm for the whole show.

Thank you! I'm really pleased that you enjoyed it, and that it might help put a different spin on JCFOS and The Truth. I enjoyed writing and researching this, so nice to hear that others liked it too.

Holy crap, this was fantastic. (Also, I now feel incredibly incapable of writing meta that can even come close to how awesome this was. Damn you! *shakes fist* ;D)

Putnam proposes that we don’t know whether the experiences we have are ones that we actually go through, or whether they are generated by some form of electrical stimulus – that we are, in fact, brains in vats, imagining that we are people.
Ah, so that's why The Matrix is so awesome! ;) (Well, the first one.)

It has been said that Jose Chung’s is the first post-modern episodes of the show, though the series as an entirety can now be considered a post-modern text, and from an existential point of view argues that humanity is always alone and the truth is essentially unknowable.
I find it interesting to argue over whether or not The X-Files is a truly postmodern work, since I don't think I myself am capable of ever really deciding. I'm reading a great book right now (PopLit, PopCult and The X-Files: A Critical Exploration, have you ever read it?) that deals with this on the page I just read this evening at work:

Like us, Mulder and Scully are trapped in a world whose power structures and their overlapping and conflicting discourses render "the truth" essentially unknowable. Every week these two icons of our intertextual past confront our present and inherited fears. It is by the traits they bring to this confrontation – Mulder's persistence, honor and sensitivity and Scully's intelligence, expertise and strength – that existential horror is both communicated and consistently held at bay. The two protagonists' dedication to truth leads some to claim that The X-Files is not a postmodern text at all. Even though it demonstrates such characteristics of postmodernism as intertextuality and self-reflexivity, several commentators have seen the series as anti-postmodern or post-postmodern. "The Truth Is Out There" (the most frequently used of the show's mottoes), they assert, "runs counter to postmodernism's doctrine of disbelief."

Naturally, since you wrote this awesome meta that touches on that subject, I'm curious what your take is on trying to pin down the series' place amongst these various doctrines (if you even think it can be done, which most of the time I don't think it can, at least not cleanly).

Mulder and Scully, at the end of the series, believe the same thing. The worlds of perception, the veils of experience, opinion and belief, that have kept them apart for nine years, have joined. They believe the same; feel the same; see the same. In a world where the truth – where love – is essentially unknowable, that’s the biggest declaration of love there is.
That hits the nail on the head, I think, for me as to why I find the final scene of The Truth (regardless of what I might think of the *cough* clip show that precedes it) so beautiful and so indicative of the series as a whole. Also, though much of Frank's commentary throughout S8 and S9 drives me rather bonkers, I do love that quote you included from him. (You also win points for including one of my favorite Duchovny quotes about Mulder. I reference that one way too often, heh.)

That’s the beauty of Jose Chung’s; Chung himself doesn’t know this final truth, much like Mulder and Scully don’t get to know the whole truth about the conspiracy, but one of the minor characters does, just like the fans did.
I hadn't thought of it from that particular angle, but you're right! And that's a very sweet way of seeing it. I've always loved this episode, but this post (like all great meta) has made me appreciate it all the more.

Oh thank you! I'm so pleased you like it. I was really nervous about posting this because most people haven't read my essays, and there were a few people I was really hoping would comment and like it and you were one of them, so I'm really glad, and relieved, to see your (very lovely) comment. And don't feel intimidated at all! I always love your meta and I've been looking forward to reading your Paper Hearts one since you said you'd been planning to write one ages ago, so don't you go shaking your fist at me =P

That is why the (first) Matrix is so awesome. I actually wrote my 3rd year dissertation on reality and fiction, studying The Matrix and Jose Chung's so I've got a lot of stuff on metaphysics in The Matrix. It's a really interesting subject. And fits in really well with Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati in terms of the brain in a vat/mad scientist hypotheses.

In all honesty I'm not that well versed in postmodernism, but trying to work out if The X Files is a truly postmodern text is really interesting. I think it's a bit of both. Mulder and Scully are, respectively, symoblic of postmodernism and modernism, so that divide is clearly set up in the main characters. Mulder is postmodernism; he defies things like traditional morality - he will lie and deceieve in his search for the truth, he relies on hunches and gut feelings. Scully on the other hand is modernism; the belief in rational, empirical data, and having more faith in reason than anything else (how many times has she disagreed with Mulder's belief about a case?!). But they are both essentially searching for a truth, which is the complete opposite to the postmodern idea that the truth is essentially unknowable. The truth being out there is a key idea within the show, and the fact that the main characters spend so much time searching for this truth suggests to a lot of people that The X Files is definitely modern. Saying that though, as Jose Chung's suggests, the variations of truth that we see in the series makes it essentially postmodern - there is no one definition of truth (like there would be in modernistic terms). Things are veiled and shadowy, and the audience's traditional perceptions of what the truth is are tested again and again.

I haven't read PopLit, PopCult and The X-Files: A Critical Exploration, though it's on my list of books to buy from Amazon when I have the money. There's an interesting article by Eileen Meehan in The Postmodern Prescence (here (http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=wfd-c0blcb0C&pg=PA125&lpg=PA125&dq=x+files+postmodern&source=bl&ots=D3_iYsI86-&sig=sVZZo3hmUofsLgBCTiPzyVZLw3E&hl=en#PPA125,M1)) which looks at the modern v postmodern debate, focussing, funnily enough, on Jose Chung's. There is a lot of debate about whether the show is postmodern or not, and I don't think that can ever be really decided. If anything it's quai-postmodern, but not fully postmodern, or fully modern. I think anyway!

That hits the nail on the head, I think, for me as to why I find the final scene of The Truth so beautiful and so indicative of the series as a whole.

Thank you! I'm glad that other fans find the same too. As a series finale The Truth could have been so much better, but I think what it shows, and what Frank says about it, is that it's human contact and love that's the real truth. I mean, look at all Mulder's lost in his search for the truth. He hasn't really found out the definitive truth (I don't think there is one) but he's found something else with Scully, something that he's, arguably, been searching for since his sister disappeared.

And that's a very sweet way of seeing it. I've always loved this episode, but this post (like all great meta) has made me appreciate it all the more.

Again, thank you! I'm really pleased that my post has helped you appreciate the episode a bit more. That's what I wanted, and I'm really happy that it's worked.

Again, that's all so sweet (and encouraging!) of you to say. Perhaps now I'll be lucky enough to produce anything half as awesome and interesting as this!

And fits in really well with Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati in terms of the brain in a vat/mad scientist hypotheses.
I got a whiff of that too, while I was reading this! Specifically during the section that touches on Putnam's theory, because you could argue that the dreams Mulder has (apart from carrying the Last Temptation of Christ theme) are directly influenced by the people around him in that room (CSM, Diana; he starts dreaming about Scully once she enters the room, etc.).

Mulder is postmodernism; he defies things like traditional morality - he will lie and deceieve in his search for the truth, he relies on hunches and gut feelings. Scully on the other hand is modernism; the belief in rational, empirical data, and having more faith in reason than anything else (how many times has she disagreed with Mulder's belief about a case?!). But they are both essentially searching for a truth, which is the complete opposite to the postmodern idea that the truth is essentially unknowable.
Yeah, that's always been my main breakdown of the characters and the concept, which is probably why at its heart the show literally can't be pinned down; it's too (intentionally) at war with itself. And maybe that's a large part of what makes it such a compelling text?

Thank you for that link, that's very interesting! And I definitely think you'll enjoy that book once you get a chance to read it. I'm only 20 or so pages in, but I'm finding it pretty fascinating.

I mean, look at all Mulder's lost in his search for the truth. He hasn't really found out the definitive truth (I don't think there is one) but he's found something else with Scully, something that he's, arguably, been searching for since his sister disappeared.
Agreed. I'd argue that Mulder's search is ultimately really about family (and the Amor Fati dreams could even back me up on that, depending on how you read them), but as they pretty much botched that... it is still satisfying that he ended up finding love anyway.

Again, you're welcome =)

I got a whiff of that too, while I was reading this!

Excellent! I could have gone into that idea further, but you've hit the nail on the head. Putnam suggests we're brains in vats being given electrical stimuli to make us think we're people. And that's exactly what's happening to Mulder in that episode. CSM takes on the role of the mad scientist, providing Mulder with the images that make him believe he's living out his life with Fowley. And the different characters come into play in Mulder's fantasy when they enter the room he's physically in, adding yet another stimulus. I love the comparison with The Last Temptation of Christ in that episode as well. Something I want to look at in more detail when I have the time.

Yeah, that's always been my main breakdown of the characters and the concept, which is probably why at its heart the show literally can't be pinned down; it's too (intentionally) at war with itself. And maybe that's a large part of what makes it such a compelling text?

I think that makes sense. The show cleverly pits these two characters against each other, totally intentionally, and breaks the mould of what's come before. The X Files was the first show of its kind I think to really illustrate the differences, and the war, between modernism and postmodernism and the fact that it covers both philosophies throughout its nine seasons means it's still discussed and argued over now.

You're welcome. There are so many interesting articles about The X Files out there! And I'm sure I'll enjoy that book when I get my hands on it. If you haven't read The Philosophy of The X Files yet I'd highly recommend that too.

I think the show had to end with Mulder alone but for Scully, though whether that's just because I'm inately pessimistic and angst-ridden at heart I don't know! It's a nice take on the episode, and the show, I think.

I love the comparison with The Last Temptation of Christ in that episode as well. Something I want to look at in more detail when I have the time.
If you haven't already read it, I'd definitely recommend this article from back in the day. It's mainly an interview with DD about The Unnatural and Hollywood A.D., but he also gets into the writing he contributed to Amor Fati (i.e. the dream sequences and the final scene).

If you haven't read The Philosophy of The X Files yet I'd highly recommend that too.
That's actually next on my list! I ordered it at the same time, and it's sitting on the coffee table right now, waiting for me to finish this one. ;)

I think the show had to end with Mulder alone but for Scully, though whether that's just because I'm inately pessimistic and angst-ridden at heart I don't know!
Oh, I agree. I'm not one of those who was particularly attached to William (perhaps more as a concept than as a reality within the show), and I really wouldn't change that final scene for the world.

Oh thanks for that! I've not read that article before, though I think I've read about DD's inspiration for Amor Fati. I find the whole idea that each of us is Christ a very interesting one. I'm not religious at all, but there's so much ideology, iconography and philosophy from religions that we carry around in our daily lives - knowingly or not - that I find really interesting.

Great minds think alike, clearly!

I was never a fan of William either. The concept was a good one, but the way it was conceptualised in the show - not so much. Which was a shame because they could have had so much more from it. That final scene is a real tear jerker though. Even now when I watch it I can remember how I felt when I first saw it.

I'm not religious at all, but there's so much ideology, iconography and philosophy from religions that we carry around in our daily lives - knowingly or not - that I find really interesting.
Completely agreed! I've really only ever found religion compelling from an academic standpoint; from an emotional or spiritual one, it's never done a thing for me. (This is what I try and explain when people don't understand that a rigid Agnostic like me found religious studies rather fascinating.)

The concept was a good one, but the way it was conceptualised in the show - not so much. Which was a shame because they could have had so much more from it.
Heh, yes, this. Conceptually it made so much sense -- the lovely writer Anjou had some really interesting points about fertility, reproduction and the mytharc -- and it could have nicely closed out Mulder and Scully's stories (the former's attempt to reconstruct family, and the latter's attempt to reclaim her genetic imperative), but it was just completely botched. I'm less attached to William as a character and more just peeved that they introduced a plot line like that and then completely torpedoed it, lol.

I've really only ever found religion compelling from an academic standpoint; from an emotional or spiritual one, it's never done a thing for me. (This is what I try and explain when people don't understand that a rigid Agnostic like me found religious studies rather fascinating.)

I totally agree with you! The subject is just so interesting, I really find it fascinating (and have my PhD topic already mapped out should I ever get the money to do it!). But trying to explain to people why I, as an atheist, has a degree in religious studies is like talking to a brick wall. People just don't seem to get it.

I'm less attached to William as a character and more just peeved that they introduced a plot line like that and then completely torpedoed it, lol.

I hear you there! It could have been a great storyline, but to just wrap it up with Scully giving him away without so much as a backward glance just didn't work. Even if that was the only outcome CC and co. could think of they could at least have developed Scully's character as a mother vs. a lover (not a fan of that phrase but it'll do) more than they did.

they could at least have developed Scully's character as a mother vs. a lover (not a fan of that phrase but it'll do) more than they did.
Agreed. And honestly, this is one of the storylines that unfortunately made clear that there were no female writers on the X-Files staff.

Sadly, it is.

I just want to say that I love you both and this was a delicious thread to come home to and read. :D

Aw yay!

Hee, why thank you!

This essay is one of the few pieces of writing I can stand that discusses 'love' (using the word, not some jargon replacement) that addresses the subject in a way that isn't non-committal, dismissive or schmaltzy-- love as shared perception, folie a deux. Fantastic.

Thank you for sharing.

Thank you so much. I'm really glad that you think it's written well =)

Wow, this is truly brilliant!! Jose Chung's is one of my favorite episodes, so what a joy it is to discover all those layers of meaning I've never thought about. I love how you applied the themes of this episode to the show as a whole, particularly to Mulder's quest for the truth and to Mulder and Scully's relationship. It's such a powerful lesson/conclusion (especially for such an early episode), that there's no one ultimate truth, and in the end love is the only real truth one can hope to know.

What a great read. Thank you!!! :)

Oh thank you! I'm really pleased that you liked it, and it gave you an extra perspective of the episode and the show :)

I think it's easier to apply the themes of Jose Chung's to the show in retrospect because it's easier to find meaning that way. But I do think, for such an early ep, that Darin Morgan picked up the key themes of the show brilliantly. Obviously it's one of my favouite episodes (!) But there's so much that can be read into it.

Thanks again :)

I am so so so SO sorry that I am so late in responding to this brilliant piece of work, but words just escape me on how to describe how wonderful this essay is.

Mulder and Scully, from being the characters who search for, and wish to uncover, the truth, are portrayed as part of the very government conspiracy that means to keep the truth hidden. In Jose Chung’s they are working for, not against, the truth though the video autopsy suggests otherwise. A pretty neat twist.

Indeed. Actually, I have never thought of it like that before.

Mulder and Scully, at the end of the series, believe the same thing. The worlds of perception, the veils of experience, opinion and belief, that have kept them apart for nine years, have joined. They believe the same; feel the same; see the same. In a world where the truth – where love – is essentially unknowable, that’s the biggest declaration of love there is.

This statement is just...wow. A definition of love, a view of their love, formulated into words and interpreted in a way that I had never considered at all.

It's not just the mytharch episodes that are interconnected throughout the series - even these so called "Monster of the Week" and "Funny" episodes can relate to past themes and even futures themes seen throughout the series.

This is just incredible, thank you for writing it.

Thank you for commenting! I'm really pleased that you like it. I find it such an interesting episode, for so many reasons, and being able to share that has been great.

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Seeing is Believing: Reality, Truth and Fiction in Jose Chung’s From Outer Space

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Probably one of the best bleeping episodes ever

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