It is an incredibly fortunate circumstance for ‘The Unnatural” to come up on Opening Day. I am a baseball fanatic, and therefore very much in tune with the mysticism attached to the game. Win or lose, there is something magical about the game. In his rookie outing as a television writer and director, David Duchovny masterfully captures the lore of baseball with some tough social themes, all while tying it all into The X-Files mythology. That is not easy to do in 44 minutes of screen time.
On a random Saturday in his office, Mulder discovers an old photo of the alien bounty Hunter alongside Authur Dales in 1948 New Mexico. Mulder visit’s the man who turns out to be the brother of the dales we know--Darren McGavin was ill and could not reprise his role--and learns the story of how he, as a cop in Roswell, New Mexico, was assigned to protect a Negro League player named Josh Exley.
Exley is secretly one of the gray aliens from the Roswell crash of 1947. At some point after the crash, he watched a baseball game and fell in love with it. He assumed the form of a black man in order to play, believing the color of his skin would keep him out of the big leagues. He was such a success, he attracted the attention of the KKK. (In New Mexico? Eh, maybe.) dales was assigned to be his body guard. The two form a fast friendship in spite of the color barrier and eventually, when Dales discovers what Exley truly is, the planetary barrier, as well.
All the while, the Alien Bounty Hunter hunted for Exley out of fear he might expose the colonization project. He nearly does when he bleeds acid after being beaned by a pitch. The Alien Bounty Hunter discovers Exley. He demands exley change into his true form, but Exley refuses, choosing to die as a man.
I remember back in the day being fearful over how this episode would turn out. Allowing Duchovny to write and direct an episode was a concession to his ever louder grumbling about being stuck on the series. One feared, with his well known overblown ego, this could turn out embarrassingly self-indulgent. Imagine my surprise to find out how well done “The Unnatural” turned out to be.
The script carries the central theme of racism without being preachy. You will have to excuse my shock a white liberal from Hollywood can manage to do a story in which an alien is hated by his own people for abandoning them for a game decides to take on the form of a black man whites hate for his potential to be the next Jackie Robinson all while not getting bogged down in a new writer’s compulsion to Say Something Really Important. The script never gets preachy, nor does the fate of Exley suffer from maudlin overtones. Duchovny decides to contrast the scene of Exley’s death with the famous baseball lesson he gives Scully. Yes, shippers. This is the episode.
Speaking of Scully, “The Unnatural” features the best interpretation of her we have seen in years. She is fun and funny. Confident with being witchy. A very appealing person after many episodes of her either aggressively contrary, or pitifully lonely and ready to fall for the attentions of even the most unappealing men. I am including Mulder in that, as he is often a royal jer--though not here. I once read Ken Levine, a writer for MASH and Cheers, once say it was impossible to writer or direct actors after the fifth season of a series because they swear they know their characters better than anyone. “The Unnatural” confirms theory. Duchovny certainly has a grasp on how to make Mulder and Scully fun, likable characters after a string of some tough episodes.
But what makes ’The Unnatural” great is not all Duchovny. He surrounded himself with a great cast. M. Emmet Walsh plays his usual grumpy old man routine which believably dissolves when recalling the death of his friend Exley. Jesse L. Martin plays the humble Exley, an alien/man rejected by all parties, but thrives through his love of the game. Daniel Duchovny, David’s brother, stars as an opposing team player. Mark Snow turns in a wonderfully low key score full of acoustic guitars to compliment the lazt feel of a minor league baseball game and some soulful gospel twinged numbers. Good stuff.
I like ’The Unnatural” for far more reasons that fondness for baseball. I am not certain the concept fits in well with what we know of the series mythology, but even nitpicky me does not care. “The Unnatural‘ is a wonderful story done fantastically well for a first time writer/director.
Shippers would be upset if I did not include mulder teaching Scully to hit a baseball, so here you go, folks:.Rating: **** (out of 5)
It is an incredibly fortunate circumstance for ‘The Unnatural” to come up on Opening Day. I am a baseball fanatic, and therefore very much in tune with the mysticism attached to the game. Win or lose, there is something magical about the game. In his rookie outing as a television writer and director, David Duchovny masterfully captures the lore of baseball with some tough social themes, all while tying it all into The X-Files mythology. That is not easy to do in 44 minutes of screen time.
