Beyond the Sea (The X-Files)

Infobox Television episode | Title = Beyond the Sea


Caption = "Beyond the Sea"
Series = The X-Files
Season = 1
Episode = 1X12
Airdate = January 7 1994 (Fox)
Production = 13-113
Writer = Glen Morgan
James Wong
Director = David Nutter
Guests =Brad Dourif,
Don S. Davis,
Sheila Larken,
Lawrence King-Phillips,
Fred Henderson
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Prev = Fire
Next = Gender Bender

"Beyond the Sea" was the thirteenth episode of the first season of "The X-Files" science-fiction television series created by Chris Carter.

Plot

Scully's parents are visiting at Christmas time. After they leave, she falls asleep, then awakens to see her dad in the room. He appears to be saying something. The phone rings, and suddenly the appearance is gone. She answers the phone. Her mom tells her that Scully's father died of a heart attack an hour ago.

A death row inmate named Luther Lee Boggs claims that he is psychic and can lead Mulder to a serial killer in exchange for a lesser sentence of life in prison. Mulder doubts Boggs' claim but Scully believes him, after Boggs demonstrates the ability to let her communicate through him with her recently deceased father.In Raleigh, North Carolina, Elizabeth Hawley and James Summers are kidnapped. Death Row inmate Luther Lee Boggs claims to have information on the crime through psychic abilities, but Mulder is suspicious and thinks Boggs is coordinating the kidnappings from jail. Later, Scully hears "Beyond the Sea" while attending her father's funeral. Mulder and Scully visit Boggs. He wants his sentence reduced to life in prison if he helps Mulder find the victims. He describes where the boy is being held, then sings "Beyond the Sea." Scully momentarily sees her dad in Boggs' place. Mulder disbelieves Boggs, but by accident Scully finds the place Boggs described.

James is not there, but some clues to the crime are found. Scully imagines seeing her father sitting in her hotel room. Mulder is upset she appears to believe Boggs. Later, Boggs describes a boathouse and warns Mulder not to go near the white cross. Agents sweep the docks and find Elizabeth, but Mulder gets shot below a "white cross" of a boat mast. Mulder is treated in the emergency room as Scully looks on. Elizabeth identifies her kidnapper -- Lucas Henry, an accomplice of Boggs. Scully accuses Boggs of setting Mulder up. Scully wants to talk to her father through Boggs, but he won't help until he gets a deal.

Scully fails to swing a deal for Boggs. Mulder warns Scully that Boggs is manipulating her to get back at him for putting Boggs on death row. Boggs gives Scully hints on where to find James even though she was unable to get a deal. He warns her not to follow Henry. Scully and fellow agents rescue James in a deserted brewery. She chases Henry who runs onto rotten floorboards and falls several stories to his death. Scully visits Boggs to more or less thank him. He tells her that he'll give her father's message just before he's executed, if she'll attend as his witness. That night, he is executed. Scully is not there.

Production details

* Origin of Idea: A book Glen Morgan read said that 75% of widows have visions of their husbands and 35% of mothers see their sons. Also, fans were beginning to think that Scully was not human, and Gillian needed to show off her talents more and grow as a character.

Special guests

*Brad Dourif as Luther Lee Boggs
*Don S. Davis as Captain William Scully
*Sheila Larken as Margaret Scully
*Lawrence King-Phillips as Lucas Jackson Henry
*Fred Henderson as Agent Thomas
*Don MacKay as Warden Joseph Cash
*Lisa Vultaggio as Liz Hawley
*Chad Willett as Jim Summers
*Kathrynn Chisholm as Nurse
*Randy Lee as Paramedic
*Len Rose as E.R. Doctor

Trivia

* This is one of Chris Carter's, Darin Morgan's and Gillian Anderson's favorite episodes, and the first episode to focus on Scully.
* Chris Carter had to back up the script twice when the network didn't want Scully and Boggs to have a stand-off.
* Sheila Larken (Scully's mom) is the wife of co-executive producer R.W. Goodwin. This was her first appearance in the series.
* The beginning of the "Moby Dick" references. We find out Scully calls her dad "Ahab" and he calls her "Starbuck".
* This episode marks the first time Mulder calls Scully "Dana".
* The tattoos on Boggs' hands reading "KISS" and "KILL" come from a song by the band X where there is a lyric which says, "It's kiss or kill".
* Don Davis (Scully's father) is one of the many "Twin Peaks" alumni to appear on the show. Davis also plays other military in the series "Stargate SG-1".
* There was a serial killer named "Henry Lee Lucas" which bears a resemblance to "Lucas Henry". This name also appears in Morgan and Wong's one film credit "The Boys Next Door".
* Brad Dourif was asked to do this part with only four days of preparation. He originally refused the part, but they wanted him so badly that they gave him an extra week to prep. Apparently while getting into character between takes, he would do deep breathing exercises in which his face would turn bright purple.
* The episode title references Bobby Darin's 1960 single. M&W chose this song because Glen's parents are big Bobby Darin fans and knew they'd like it if they heard one of his songs in his episode. Darin Morgan is named after Bobby Darin.
* This is the first episode in which Mulder is shot (in the femur).
* This 1994 episode has many similarities to the 1991 film and 1988 book "Silence of the Lambs", including using a killer to catch a killer, a female FBI agent as hero, the fake offer made to the incarcerated killer, the final chase through a dark labyrinth, and the significance of the hero's father's death (and the incarcerated killer's interest in this).
* Luther Lee Boggs (Brad Dourif's character) is mentioned by Dakota Whitney (Amanda Peet's character) in the .
* The newspaper article noting the preparation of the gas chamber is shown to be written by "G. Morgan", one of the writers of the episode Glen Morgan.
* Actor Don Davis (Scully's father) was reciting the Lord's Prayer during the opening scene where Scully awakens to find him speaking inaudibly.

References and external links

*imdb title|0751083|Beyond the Sea
* [http://www.tv.com/the-x-files/beyond-the-sea/episode/503/summary.html Beyond the Sea] at TV.com