'Young at Heart', along with 'Squeeze', 'Ice', 'Beyond the Sea' and 'Darkness Falls' is one of the better episodes from Season 1 but does not surpass any of the aforementioned. Nevertheless it has a lot of the ingredients that make up a good X-File.
The story gives us an insight into Mulder's past and we find out that many years previously he was responsible for the incarceration of a violent criminal called John Barnett. However, Barnett is very much alive and, due to scientific experiments performed on him whilst in prison, he is now young. Barnett launches a campaign of revenge against Mulder and, naturally, only Mulder believes that it is Barnett who is responsible.
This episode offers us the tension and creepy atmosphere which would become an established trademark of the X-Files as a whole. The characters are excellent and the performances are good, particularly by the actor playing the young John Barnett (his voice is splendidly creepy, reminding me of Keifer Sutherland in the film 'Phonebooth'). The climax is good but utterly predictable.
It is the creepy atmosphere that makes this one worth a watch.
6/10
The story gives us an insight into Mulder's past and we find out that many years previously he was responsible for the incarceration of a violent criminal called John Barnett. However, Barnett is very much alive and, due to scientific experiments performed on him whilst in prison, he is now young. Barnett launches a campaign of revenge against Mulder and, naturally, only Mulder believes that it is Barnett who is responsible.
This episode offers us the tension and creepy atmosphere which would become an established trademark of the X-Files as a whole. The characters are excellent and the performances are good, particularly by the actor playing the young John Barnett (his voice is splendidly creepy, reminding me of Keifer Sutherland in the film 'Phonebooth'). The climax is good but utterly predictable.
It is the creepy atmosphere that makes this one worth a watch.
6/10