The X-Files' First 'Scully Replacement' Episode Is Hard To Watch 33 Years Later

Chris H.B. / © Fox Network / Courtesy: Everett Collection Published Aug 28, 2026, 9:03 PM EDT Casey Duby is an avid TV writer, watcher, and reviewer. She graduated from Emerson College in 2021 with a focus in Writing for Film and Television, where she wrote several pilots and watched countless more. She's been working in television ever since. Casey loves thoughtful content that makes her ponder our world and the people in it, and she's learned that any genre can surprise her. With favorites in every genre from horror to politics, family to action, nothing is off limits. Casey has experience working in TV development and writing scripted shows. Currently working as a Writer/Critic in Los Angeles, with an AMC A-List membership to boot, she is always hunting for the next good story and great theme song. Sign in to your ScreenRant account By the end of its run, The X-Files had become somewhat infamous for separating its two-man team of Mulder and Scully, a dynamic the show had masterfully perfected throughout its first seven seasons. As the show drew closer to its conclusion, star David Duchovny began putting more and more distance between himself and The X-Files, leaving Gillian Anderson's Scully to fend for herself without him. The reception of Mulder and Scully's extended time apart was decidedly mixed, despite the addition of some new X-Files team members, namely Robert Patrick's John Doggett. As compelling as these late-arrival characters were, the later seasons of The X-Files confirmed that the true magic of the show lay with the now-iconic duo of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. Yet season 8 was far from the first time The X-Files pulled Mulder and Scully apart. Over the years, the show had fun with its "monster-of-the-week" format, consistently reinventing the formula in new and unexpected ways. Chief among them was forcing some distance between the two characters that viewers so desperately wanted to see together. Season 1's "Fire" was the first of such instances, as it saw Mulder leave Scully in the wind to investigate a case brought to him by a former flame. The episode was intriguing as it pushed on both Mulder and Scully's psychological pressure points, but it was also not without its problems, which unfortunately can make it a difficult installment to revisit today. The Stereotypes Are Out In Full Force For The X-Files Season 1's "Fire" Image via Everrett Collection "Fire" opened on a picturesque scene in "Bosham, England, 70 miles southwest of London." In the short cold open, the episode managed to paint a picture rife with British stereotypes straight out of the gate. Overall, the scene was the epitome of posh, regal politeness as a suit-clad man walked out of his estate, gave his wife a chaste kiss goodbye, and greeted his groundskeepers. As he made his way towards his car, complete with a driver, of course, he used his umbrella as a cane, like a scene out of Mary Poppins, before turning and waving to his wife a final time, promising to be home "before supper." The episode's antagonist, played by capable English actor Mark Sheppard, even gave an overly Irish "top of the morning to ya." The stereotypes continued when an MP fled to Massachusetts in the wake of a series of attacks against members of Parliament. Phoebe Green, a Scotland Yard Inspector and former flame from Mulder's time at Oxford, pulled Mulder into the investigation, saying, "some clever bloke has given the aristocracy a good scare," a comment that went out of its way to point at the British form of government. Later, the episode leaned into the British stereotype of orderly politeness so intensely that it bordered on either comedic or eerie, neither of which was a necessary effect for the moment. As Sheppard's Cecil L'Ively zeroed in on his next target, he set his sights on the MP's children: little boys who were, for whatever reason, dressed in matching formal suits to play soccer in the backyard. On the whole, "Fire" reads as an episode that, at best, felt the need to make sure viewers picked up on the fact that its subjects were from England, or, at worst, found the idea of stereotyping British characters inherently entertaining. Without these faults, "Fire" could have been among the best episodes of The X-Files ​​​​​​season 1. The X-Files' "Fire" Has Aged Pretty Well Otherwise Image via Everrett Collection All of that being said, "Fire" is an otherwise entertaining piece in The X-Files' puzzle. As a monster-of-the-week episode, "Fire" didn't contribute to the show's larger "mytharc," and as a standalone installment, it was able to have more fun with its characters and story. As such, it was the first episode to challenge Scully's status as Mulder's go-to partner and confidante, and it handled the subject well. Over the years, Scully's jealous streak in relation to Mulder would become a subtle yet consistent character trait, and "Fire" managed to introduce that element of their dynamic without painting Scully as emotional or petulant. The episode also levelled the playing field by incorporating some flaws of Mulder's as well. A driving force of the episode was Mulder's phobia of fire, something that Phoebe Green knew about and dangled over him throughout the investigation. The episode saw Mulder overcome his fear, but not before having a realistic panic attack and failing where his typically brave self would have ordinarily succeeded. Equally significant, though, was Mulder's tendency to follow his whims and emotions, particularly when they are influenced by a woman who gives him attention. Though the rest of the series would suggest that Mulder conquered his fear of fire in this episode, this more abstract personality trait is one that, like Scully's jealousy, would follow him through the rest of The X-Files. Release Date 1993 - 2018-00-00 Network FOX Showrunner Chris Carter Cast David Duchovny Fox Mulder Directors Rob Bowman, David Nutter, R. W. Goodwin, Michael W. Watkins, Tony Wharmby, Daniel Sackheim, Michael Lange, Cliff Bole, David Duchovny, Jim Charleston, James Wong, Peter Markle, Rod Hardy, Thomas J. Wright, William A. Graham, Jerrold Freedman, Joe Napolitano, Kevin Hooks, Larry Shaw, Richard Compton, Tucker Gates, Allen Coulter, Barry K. Thomas, Brett Dowler Writers jeffrey bell, Frank Spotnitz, Howard Gordon, David Amann, Darin Morgan, Steven Maeda, Greg Walker, Chris Ruppenthal, Kim Newton, Paul Brown, Sara B. Cooper, Thomas Schnauz, Tim Minear, William Gibson, Jeff Vlaming, Charles Grant Craig, Chip Johannessen, Chris Brancato, Daniel Arkin, Gillian Anderson, Jessica Scott, Jim Guttridge, Kenneth Biller, Larry Barber Franchise(s) The X-Files Creator(s) Chris Carter