The X Files was an influential TV show (1993-2002) following two FBI agents, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, who investigate the unexplained. It has been mentioned in the Buffyverse on several occasions:
- In 1.06 The Pack, Buffy accuses Giles of trying to “Scully” her (Scully was sceptical about Mulder’s supernatural beliefs).
- In 4.02 Living Conditions, Buffy says about Kathy, “You’re right. Ooh! She’s even affecting my work, now. She’s the Titanic. She’s a crawling black cancer… She’s… other really bad things.” The “crawling black cancer” line is likely a reference to The X-Files. In the show, it’s an alien liquid organism which looks like oil. When someone is first infected by the black substance, it crawls up the body like bugs under the skin.
- In 6.05 Life Serial, the trio of nerds test Buffy using different methods, one of which being a time loop. Warren mentions a similar plot in an X Files episode “where the bank kept exploding”. The episode was called ‘Monday’ and was during season six of the show.
- In 6.11 Gone, Buffy says, “Xander and Anya are working on it. Mulder-ing out what happened.”
- The events of the episode 6.16 Hell’s Bells are similar to The X Files episode ‘Synchrony’, in which an elderly man travels back in time to try and stop his younger self (and others) from committing an act which will affect his future self. Perhaps Stewart Burns got his inspiration for his revenge on Anya from that episode? In addition, the actor who played the elderly man in ‘Synchrony’ was Michael Fairman, who also played Adelai Niska in Joss Whedon’s show Firefly.
- In the Angel episode 3.02 That Vision Thing, writer Jeffery Bell included a reference to a creature he created for The X Files episode “Alpha” called a Wanshang Dhole. Wesley says, “I think we might be looking either at a Wan Shan Dhole or a Cantonese Fook-beast”.
- In 1.19 Sanctuary, the following conversation takes place:
Kendrick: “Come on Kate. Everyone knows you’ve gone all Scully. Anytime one of these weird cases crosses anyone’s desk, you’re always there. We used to be friends - what’s going on with you?”
Kate: “Scully’s the sceptic”.
Kendrick: “Huh?”
Kate: “Mulder’s the believer, Scully’s the sceptic.”
Kendrick scratches his head: “…Scully’s the chick, right?” - The X Files returned the favour in it’s season nine episode ‘Daemonicus’ by referencing Buffy with the following dialogue:
Scully: “For the past eight years I was part of a unit known as the X-Files. Some of you may have heard of it.”
Cadet: “Ever slay a vampire?”
Scully: “Sorry to disappoint you, but this is a course in forensic pathology. Hard science. An X-File is a case that has been deemed unsolvable by the Bureau, because such a case cannot be solved it may beg other explanations… a vampire, perhaps.” - Buffy was referenced in the video game The X Files: Resist or Serve in the following conversation between Mulder and Scully:
Dana Scully: “Just because these girls have a high school fascination with witchcraft it doesn’t mean they’re raising the dead”.
Fox Mulder: “Saw them do it on Buffy“.
Related episodes: 1.06 The Pack, 1.19 Sanctuary, 3.02 That Vision Thing, 6.05 Life Serial, 6.11 Gone, 6.16 Hell's Bells
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Jess on November 23rd, 2005 at 10:23 pm
Watched a season 4 episode of The X Files the other day which had a lot of Buffyverse similarities. I can’t remember the name (and can’t be arsed to get up and find out from the DVD box - what does this say about me?! Hang on… the episode is ‘Synchrony’. Yes, IMDB is my friend) and the episode was written by a pre-Buffy David Greenwalt.
It’s premise is that a scientist has returned from the future to warn a group of scientists (including his younger self) to cease their experiments. (Sorry big spoilers here, just realised!).
Anyway - as soon as the episode started my boyfriend and I both immediately thought of Hell’s Bells, as the situation seemed very similar to that episode. Maybe the faux-future-Xander got the idea from the X Files?
The guy who played the future character was actor also played the evil Niska in Firefly and… what was the third Buffyverse thing? Ah yes - the David Greenwalt connection. Greenwalt was a Buffy writer and producer.
Apologies for the rambling!