By Chris Snellgrove | Published
Some of them may seem tame now, but The X Files was known for pushing the boundaries in the ’90s, like when they made “Home” so awful that Fox refused to air it in reruns outside of a Halloween event in 1999. Yet the network clearly had a lot of confidence in the series and rarely clashed with the writers because Mulder and Scully’s misadventures fit perfectly into the network’s cutting-edge programming. However, Fox was worried about this one X-Files The storyline would ruin the series, forcing the “Lazarus” writers to change a plot point in which another man would inhabit Mulder’s body.
The Lazarus plot in The X-Files
This might sound like a pretty crazy plot, even by the standards of The X Filesbut “Lazarus” is the story of a bank robber who can put his mind into the bodies of others. Generally speaking, the story plays out like one of the series’ typical tales, with Mulder fervently believing that body-hopping is real and Scully expressing clinically polite skepticism. Originally, however, the writers of this episode didn’t want Mulder to just theorize about body-hopping. Instead, they wanted him to experience it for himself.
Mulder’s original idea
According to The X Files According to writer and producer Howard Gordon, Fox wanted to change a plot point in “Lazarus” that involved the thief putting his consciousness directly into Mulder’s body. In his own words, “the channel (…) hesitated at the idea of Mulder experiencing directly, first-hand, a supernatural event like this”. In addition to specifically protesting the notion of “soul shifting,” Gordon said Fox more generally objected to their main character being used in this way.
As we mentioned before, Fox generally didn’t object to much of what was happening. The X Files the writers wanted to do, and it made their opposition to a key plot point of “Lazarus” very notable. According to Gordon, things went badly: “we were angry and upset.” Ultimately, it’s almost impossible to win a fight with the network, and the writers and producers were forced to make changes to their episode reluctantly.
Eventually, however, Gordon came to see Fox’s decision on the matter. X-Files the story as a “wise decision”, which ultimately made “Lazarus” a stronger episode. Honestly, as longtime fans of the show, we have to agree…in any given episode, it’s very rewarding to witness the tension between Mulder’s beliefs and Scully’s skepticism, and it t’s just as rewarding to decide for yourself what’s “really” going on with these seemingly supernatural characters. plots. Frankly, if the show had so blatantly confirmed Season 1’s supernatural shenanigans, it probably would have deflated the impact of later seasons.
The tension between Mulder’s and Scully’s beliefs was effectively mirrored in the tension between The X Files writers and network on “Lazarus.” However, it’s hard to deny that the network made the right choice here, one that preserved the mystery of the story while ensuring that future episodes fall somewhere between revelation and skepticism. This episode ultimately undid the soul change the writers originally intended, but that might be for the better…like, can you imagine how weird would the fanfic have been for this series if season 1 canonically introduced another man inside Fox Mulder?
