The X-Files

The X-Files (1993)

117 mistakes in season 1 - chronological order

(12 votes)

Pilot - S1-E1

Character mistake: The officer is called to the victim in the woods and is shown the 2 burn marks on her back. He then proceeds to touch the skin on the burn marks, thus compromising evidence as he isn't wearing gloves. (00:01:40)

Ssiscool

The X-Files mistake picture

Pilot - S1-E1

Continuity mistake: The first time Scully walks into Mulder's office, we see his "I want to Believe" poster in full view. Later on in the scene, we see papers stacked in front of it. (00:05:00)

Pilot - S1-E1

Continuity mistake: When Scully walks into Mulder's office, she stops in the position with the "I want to believe" poster in the background, then she takes a couple of steps to make acquaintance with Mulder, and she finds herself again in the position with the poster in the background. (00:05:15)

Chop Luftmysza

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: She steps forward 2 paces. Enough for the poster to remain in shot.

Ssiscool

The X-Files mistake picture

Pilot - S1-E1

Continuity mistake: When Mulder and Scully are driving after their plane lands, we see at one point that Mulder has his left hand on the wheel and he is eating a sunflower seed with his right, yet when the shot changes he's driving with his right hand and eating with his left. (00:09:45)

Chaz1003

The X-Files mistake picture

Pilot - S1-E1

Continuity mistake: When Scully is in her room after the autopsy, we see the x-ray attached to her lamp. When we first see it, we can see the letters LD on it, yet when the shot changes back to the x-ray after Mulder has gone, we can only see I, presumably the other x-ray is now overlapping it. (00:15:20 - 00:16:10)

Chaz1003

Pilot - S1-E1

Continuity mistake: When Mulder, Scully, and Dr Glass stop, in the first shot Mulder’s hands hang down and the doctor’s are in his pockets, while in the next shot Mulder’s hands are rested on his waist and the doctor’s hang loosely. (00:17:05)

Chop Luftmysza

Pilot - S1-E1

Continuity mistake: When Scully goes to Mulder's room, thinking she has the marks, after he has checked her we see Scully's hair is behind her collar, but when the shot changes to her going to sit down, her hair is now hanging out. (00:26:05)

Chaz1003

Pilot - S1-E1

Continuity mistake: Mulder says that his sister “just disappeared from her bed one night” which is not true, because later visualizations of that moment show that Samantha was abducted while she and Mulder were playing a game and watching TV. (00:26:30)

Chop Luftmysza

Pilot - S1-E1

Continuity mistake: When Peggy is killed on the highway we see her watch and the minute hand is touching the 1. When we see the close up the hand is no longer touching the 1. (00:31:00)

Ssiscool

Deep Throat - S1-E2

Continuity mistake: Face-on Scully rests her elbow on the car side window frame with her wrist waving freely, while in the back shot she grabs the handle over the window (this error repeats at least three times in a row every time the shot changes). (00:20:20)

Chop Luftmysza

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Trivia: The Cancer Man smokes Morley cigarettes, a fake brand that has appeared in a number of TV shows and movies since the '60s.

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Show generally

Question: In a vast majority of the episodes, whenever Mulder and Scully investigate some mysterious or paranormal phenomenon, Mulder believes that some unknown force is responsible but Scully always has a rational explanation for what is happening. In other episodes, when Scully herself is caught up in something mysterious, she is the believer but Mulder is the skeptic. In those episodes, why would Mulder be skeptical about an unexplained phenomenon considering that he a was witness to his own sisters abduction and he saw many strange things that defied explanation while working for the F.B.I.?

Answer: As he stated many times throughout the series, Mulder needed Scully to be sober and skeptical. Whenever Scully's skepticism wavered and she started questioning her own rationality, Mulder would try to restore her sense of skepticism, because he needed her to be clear-thinking.

Charles Austin Miller

Answer: A variety of reasons. Just because Scully saw something unusual does not mean that it was. Mulder always needs concrete proof before he'll believe there's some otherworldly explanation for unexplained phenomena. He's too experienced to take a novice's explanation as fact. It is also a plot by device by the writers to switch the tables on the characters to make it more interesting and to let viewers see another side of their relationship.

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