User Reviews

Well, I've probably watched through every episode of The X-Files half a dozen times by now, and I dare say that I can now, intelligently, come up with a shortlist of my favorite episodes. I also dare say that "Conduit" is one of them.

No slow beginning for The X-Files, as the very fourth episode of the series jump-starts the whole Samantha-thing. This story remains as one of the more prominent elephants in the room as the series progresses. The whole episode is executed perfectly, with a script that sparkles with genuine and believable dialogue and action, and brilliant performances from everyone who graces the screen, especially Mulder himself. There isn't much more to say.

You'd have to be one cold-hearted son of a bitch to not get hooked by this episode. Two thumbs up, 10/10 stars, 100%, see it!

Plot; A teen girl goes missing and similarities to his own sister's disappearance make the case a personal one for Mulder.

The plot of this episode is really more of a device to introduce a crucial element of the show's mythology; the abduction of Mulder's sister when they were kids. Even as a newb w/little exposure to the series I knew that it was the white whale to Mulder's Ahab, driving the character's motivations throughout the series. The episode is otherwise unambitious, but its lean and effectively told, w/o any gimmicks or cheap scares. This is a meat and potatoes episode in the very best sense.

Conduit the Limerick:

A sunburn at night by the lake

Can't be a weather balloon mistake

The girl is returned

By the trees that were burned

And her mother tells her it was fake.

After watching this episode again I have a new found appreciation for it. I couldn't help but sit and marvel at how early the show's character development started. Now some may say that this just shows how unoriginal the show is 15 years later that there are so many similar elements to Mulder and Scully's relationship. I prefer to call it consistent and refreshing.

The episode is about a girl who is abducted while camping at Lake Okobogee in Iowa. Mulder requests to open a case based on a tabloid article. This is a big controversy with Director Blevens or whatever his name is and he is about to deny it but Scully asks to talk to Mulder about it first to see if she can talk him out of it. I don't know what happens but it would appear that instead she ends up talking the Director into letting them go on the case. Most likely due to the fact that there is a missing person. Mulder and Scully find a number of strange things happening such as the boy who appears to be copying "documents" from a defense satellite which end up acting as giant pixels in a huge picture of his missing sister, all of which he is receiving from the static in a TV. Weird. The NSA finds out about this and ends up arresting the boy and splitting him and his mother up. The mother is understandably angry at Mulder and Scully (although she really ought to be just mad at Scully, tattle-tale) and she decides she would rather not have their help after all. Mulder and Scully uncover a plot to murder the missing girl and her boyfriend by the boyfriend's pregnant ex-girlfriend after they find his body and Scully urges Mulder to move on and drop the case due to the fact that the ex is now a suspect in the murder of the missing girl as well. Mulder doesn't buy it.

As they leave the police station there is a scene that is very similar to a scene from the recent sequel that really got me thinking about these two characters and their history. As Mulder heads out on his way to continue searching for the missing girl Scully tells him to stop running after his sister. First of all I just have to say that this is one thing about Scully that kind of bugs me. Whenever Mulder gets really passionate about a case because of his passion to find his sister Scully is always telling him to quit, but then when Mulder starts to lose hope and passion (such as in the episode Little Green Men) she tells him to hold onto his hope of finding his sister and not to give up. Maybe its the fact that I watched these two episodes back to back but she just comes across as a little inconsistent. Anyway, Mulder turns around and tells Scully to basically p*ss off. "Come with me or don't come with me but until they find a body, I'm not giving up on that girl." This scene reminds me of the scene in "I Want To Believe" where Mulder and Scully are standing out in the snowy field at night after everyone has decided to call off the search. Scully tells Mulder to "Stop!". Even after Mulder knows that his sister is dead, it hasn't kept him from searching for her anyway.

So they go to the missing girl's house but no one is there. This is when they find the strange giant picture however. They decide to go back to the lake and they find the mother and son. There is a little creepy scene where the boy appears to be walking towards the light of an alien ship but turns out to be a bunch of Harley Davidson riders. After this they find Ruby in the woods and take her to the hospital where she recovers. As Mulder is trying to get her to accept what happened to her and help her cope, the mother takes the Agents out in the hall and tells them to get lost because she doesn't want her daughter to be ridiculed the rest of her life like she was after seeing a UFO as a child. Overprotective mother's are kind of annoying sometimes.

Overall this episode is very entertaining and although some may argue that this is not a mythology episode, I think it has some very important elements in the development of Mulder and Scully's relationship and establishing a base for Mulder's passion to find his sister. The episode makes obvious parallels to this. Mulder identifies with a boy whose sister has been abducted and he does all that he can to find her. I give the episode a 10 out of 10.

This is one of the most important episodes of the series, as it deals more with Mulders emotions, rather than complex sub-stories as we are announced to later on. We learn for sure Mulders motivation and devotion for the truth after watching this episode.

That being said, the concept of a possible alien contact (and further communication?) through a boy with 1's and 0's is thrilling, and I'm surprised that the writers didn't made a continuation from this. Ganza & Gordon were in my opinion perhaps the most underrated writers of the show.

The way Darlene unfairly discredited Mulder after the ruthless government guys screwing everything up was perhaps frustrating not only for Mulder, but also for the viewer, as it would be interesting how it could turn out with the before mentioned concept. But it was of course a deliberately choice to further emphasize the sympathy of Mulder. And the script screams after a Part II, at the same time it could be seen as totally independent.

I also like the fact that there is a more down to earth alternative interpretation of the fate of Ruby. The early episodes of the series had this ace to play with, before the main story revealed itself too much.

Last but certainly not least, Mark Snow had a big part making this episode a success. The music captures the images on the screen beautifully. Especially in the ending scenes, along with the playback of the regression hypnosis.

In general I've always had a soft spot for this episode and thinks it's unfortunately a bit underrated and forgotten. Unforgivable.

I give it 10/10.

Conduit is about the investigation into the disappearance of teenager Ruby Morris, whose mother Darlene claims was abducted by aliens.

An important and moving character building piece. The plot isn't the best, strong character moments though. Scully looks on as Mulder longingly looks at a photo like that of his sister. Not an episode to be overlooked.

Mulder: She should be encouraged to tell her story, not to keep it inside, it's important that you let her. Darlene: Important to who? I have my daughter back, I don't want any more trouble. Besides she can hardly remember anything. Mulder: But she will remember one day, one way or another, even if it's only in dreams. And when she does, she's gonna wanna talk about it, she's gonna need to talk about it. Darlene: Like I did? Listen to me, all of my life I have been ridiculed, for speaking my mind. Mulder: But it was the truth, Darlene. Darlene: The truth has caused me nothing but heartache, I don't want the same thing for her.

Although the weakest of the first four episodes, it's still a good one, it has origin story of the iconic line "I want to believe", the episode itself isn't edge of your seat exciting but it's a good watch and definitely leaves the view wondering how the rest of the series will play out.

Little did any viewer know at the time that they'd have to wait twenty five years to find out the full picture.

Hmm, this was a nice episode. It got me hooked when I watched the first Season for the first time (I had already watched a couple of episodes of Season 4 to 9). I liked it because it gave Mulder a decent amount of character development. The storyline with his sister and how much he wants to find her. I love the final scene, very nicely done.

The rest of the episode is also intriguing. It's a well done, well written and well acted piece. Even though it is very slow-paced, I think it works for the episode.

I'm not sure how to rate it. I like it much more than THREE stars, but not enough for FOUR as I don't think it's one of the 'best'. I think it's closer to The Pilot than it is to Deep Throat so I think i'm going to give it THREE stars.

"I want to believe…" – Fox Mulder.

Episode 4, 'Conduit', original air date October 1st, 1993. Directed by Daniel Sackheim, written by Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon. Mythology episode count, 2. While 'conduit' may contain a standalone story which concludes by the episodes close it is however considered as part of the mythology, in this reviewers opinion at least, due to it's overarching theme which explores Mulder's obsession with finding his missing sister. While we learned briefly of Samantha's disappearance in the pilot, Gansa and Gordon have chosen to use their X-Files writing debut to further explore how this event has deeply affected Mulder. Sackheim, who directed episode 2, 'Deep Throat' delivers a few hits and mostly misses in what is largely a disappointing addition to the series. It almost feels like a step back from the previous show. We open with a family who appear to be camping in the woods, there is a bright light and the caravan shakes violently. Inside the mother frantically tries to to open the door, which badly burns her hand. Outside her son, played by Joel Palmer in his first of two separate guest roles on the series, is screaming and it is revealed that his sister has disappeared. There is some rather hackneyed physical direction from the mother as she runs to left, calls out, runs to the right, calls out and then cries out to the sky, the insinuation of an alien abduction is a bit on the nose. Nevertheless it does serve a purpose as we learn that the mother has a history with UFO sightings and appears ready to have faith in the unexplained.

Scully is seen in a meeting with Section Chief Scott Blevins, a character who will slowly begin to fade in to obscurity as the series progresses. We assume that Scully is meeting regularly with Blevins to discuss cases before commencing investigations with Mulder. She is briefed as to Mulder's intentions to pursue a rather unwarranted case and is warned of his personal attachment which may impede upon his professionalism. Although as a first time viewer this scene would not seem out of place, in retrospect it is distinctively different to how Mulder and Scully will begin cases in the future. Mulder and Scully are still not equals in the X-Files unit. As always Mulder is more than willing to accept the extraordinary and pushes Scully, who remains unwavering, throughout the episode to concede that Alien involvement is the most logical explanation. In short we learn that the daughter has most likely been abducted and is returned to earth with no memory of her whereabouts. There are more than a few odd scenes in this rather poorly paced episode. It seems as if Gansa and Gordon have focused their energy on the exploration of Mulder's inner fears and obsessions regarding his sister. This element of the episode is enjoyable to watch in terms of character development. However the standalone story which is the impetus for this self reflection could have been told with greater skill.

Several scenes and plot points stand out as detracting from the logic of the plot. In particular, Tessa, a friend of the missing girl, contacts Mulder and Scully seemingly with the intention to provide information. However when they converse she only offers vague, short answers to their questions and appears less than helpful. Mulder and Scully then discover that she was in fact carrying the child of the man she claimed was the missing girl's boyfriend. This lands her in deep water with the police as a prime suspect for her disappearance. It's a wonder then why she bothered to contact Mulder and Scully in the first place, surely she knew it would lead to this series of events. Overall the story feels immature. The plot point regarding the younger brother receiving messages through the television and scribing them in binary at first seems intriguing, however it is underdeveloped and ultimately leads to an unsatisfying conclusion to the character. How a grown woman can't keep up with a young boy who seems to be meandering through the forest or why you would be attempting to resuscitate a girl who Scully clearly states is alive but unconscious are just a couple of tidbits that beseech plausible answers.

'Conduit's flaws notwithstanding, the episode does give us a meaningful insight in to Mulder's motivations and deepest fears. The young girls abduction clearly mirrors Mulder's personal experience and his desperation to find this missing girl shows us how much he yearns for answers to his own mystery. The conclusion of this episode serves to give Mulder hope in the search for Samantha, if this girl can reappear or be returned to her family after a seemingly unexplained absence then the prospect of finding Samantha alive after a similar occurrence may not seem so far fetched. He presses the mother to allow the daughter the chance to tell her story, to no avail. Perhaps Mulder is hoping to find some clues to his sisters abduction through talking with this girl. Mulder weeps for his lost kin while kneeling in a church, a rare sight for such a man to be seen in a house of religion. This may be used to convey the extent to which Mulder is willing to go to get his sister back, turning to God for assistance. After all Mulder is anything if not amenable when it comes to extreme possibilities, as his now famous final line for this episode iterates, "I want to believe."

Mulder is at first going to be denied investigating a case involving a girls disappearance due to inconclusive evidence that it's a X-File but when Mulder indicates that the mother is supposed to have seen an UFO some years ago, he and Scully are allowed to investigate.

This episode gives us some more information about Mulder's sister's abduction and as such is important in the ongoing canon but it isn't the most interesting episode, what really kept me watching apart from it being a X-Files episode was the kid who is writing a lot of 1 & 0 (digital info) down on paper that he's getting from a TV.

The effects are great (the image created from the aforementioned 1 & 0's is astounding), the acting is below the normal standard of the show (the kid does well however) and the plot is just so-so.

This episode gets a 7 out of 10, would have got a 6 if not for the image created by the 1 & 0's.

If you're a UFO enthusiast like Fox Mulder, I'll save you a little time. I looked up Lake Okoboji, Iowa (spelled 'Okobogee' in the story) to see if it was a hotbed of extraterrestrial activity the way bartender/biker Kip (Donald Gibb) intimated. The main attraction for Okoboji is a system of glacier carved lakes, with camping and hiking a prime activity. So at least the story got that part right.

This episode places Mulder's search for his alien abducted sister in context with a story about a mother (Carrie Snodgress) who's daughter disappears on a camping trip, and who had her own abduction experience when she was a youngster. The missing teen eventually shows up producing more questions than answers, while a host of paranormal events occur to confound both Scully and Mulder.

I guess if you're looking for the weird here, how about those three white wolves in the story nosing around a shallow grave in which a body is located. I thought seeing the first one was unusual, but having a trio of them show up was kind of spectacular.

The story ends with one of those tag lines that the series became noted for when Mulder intones his now famous statement - "I want to believe". It was one of those hooks that series fans latched on to that provided the impetus for sticking around to see how it all played out.

"Conduit" is a significant episode for it is an important Mulder episode that highlights the rather sad nature of Mulder's obsessive dedication towards UFOs and all things extraterrestrial. It builds on what we've learned in the pilot that his sister, Samantha Mulder, was abducted when he was twelve. This is an important episode and it's a fine episode but it does feel like a step down from the remarkable run of episodes that opened The X-Files.

While 'weak' acting in these early X-Files episodes isn't something that has distracted or detracted from my viewing experience, a case must be made for Carrie Snodgress's performance as the distressed and overwhelmed mother, who as a child claimed to be an alien abductee and years later, as a mother, finds her daughter mysteriously disappear in the middle of the night under the suspicious and inauspicious circumstances.

The cold open does feel a little unpolished and doesn't quite set up the episode to follow and part of the blame could probably be diverted onto the actress for giving a performance that feels at once too cartoony and undercooked. Beyond this criticism however, the episode presents another very interesting mystery, this time of the disappearance of a young girl whom Mulder (and deep down, her mother) claim is a case of alien abduction. There's a fascinating and chilling story involving the younger brother who records a binary code that his television is 'telling' him and one of the more outlandish but disturbing and highly effective moments of The X- Files so far is the reveal of what the binary codes represent. It's a great moment in a solid episode.

"Conduit" doesn't quite feel like a complete episode in the way that the previous three felt but it's important and impressive. Mulder gets a lot of the screen attention in this one as we go further into his search for his sister. In the disappeared girl, he sees himself and his sister, and there's a number of touching and quiet moments in which David Duchovny gives a surprisingly understated and effective performance.

I got to be honest, i've never been a fan of Conduit, but the whole Samantha Mulder search was unravelling and it came out touching. Mulder was so dedicated and it shows how much he loves her. I'll give some good and bad points about this episode,

The Good: The end. It was so sweet how he was taking about Samantha. It was my favourite bit about the episode.

I totally want that UFO tattoo.

The Bad: Why is that boy outside at night and his Mother is sleeping inside?

He must be so bored to draw all those 0 and 1s.

Scully took a long time to react to strange men lurking outside her room.

Conclusion: An okay episode, watch it for the progressing search on Mulder's sister. 6/10

Note: This review was written after watching most of the episodes

"Conduit" is an episode, which is connected to aliens but serves more as a stand-alone story. It is named after central character Kevin Morris, who is believed to be the "conduit" between Earth and outer space, after his sister Ruby mysteriously disappeared at night and is believed to have been abducted by aliens.

This episode marks the first time, when Mulder is actively searching for his sister Samantha. But because Mulder already explained the story about her disappearance in "Pilot", the scene between Blevins and Scully loses a bit of impact. In my opinion, the scene could have been more powerful if both the audience and Scully had no prior knowledge of her. On the other hand, it was nice to see Blevins again, considering that first season wasn't particularly fond of recurring characters.

In my opinion, this episode isn't very innovative because the plot is very similar to "Deep Throat". Someone is abducted, Mulder is desperate to unveil the truth, certain people in town are obsessed with aliens, Scully is in total disbelief and some shady characters hinder the agents' investigation.

My biggest grip of this episode is that it really lacked resolution at the end of episode. Apart from the beginning, there was no "strange light" that would signify the alien presence in the forest and Ruby just appeared on the ground. The same goes for Kevin, who was supposed to be the conduit. Was he wandering in the forest because he sensed that Ruby returned? The TV series apparently abandoned the "human conduit" idea because no other episode featured a similar character. Nevertheless, the ending is a very typical one, when the characters are silenced by government agents and Mulder and Scully are again left completely in the dark.

On more positive note, the atmosphere is again really intense and thriller-like, such as when NSA agents storm into Scully's room at night or when Mulder and Scully are having a conversation in the library with the girl they cannot see. And David Duchovny's performance was really great as we see Mulder's vulnerable side for the first time. An exceptional scene was the one, when he interrogates Tessa, a girl who was jealous of Ruby and was there on the night of her disappearance. Mulder almost loses his temper, figures out that she killed Ruby's boyfriend and nearly accuses her of murdering Ruby. This scene shows us, how far is Mulder willing to go when it goes for uncovering the truth.

While I have several grips about the episode, I can understand all those things if I consider that the episode is more focused on Mulder's personality. While slightly worse than "Deep Throat" and "Pilot", the episode is still an intense experience and my final verdict is 7/10.

To address the Gracious Koran, the Book of the Muslims all around the galaxy, without any form of condescending...

For this episode counts the Koran among the best of all the civilizations, which is to say, it is of Universal Values!..

Before the Gulf Wars, don't we mention the Invasion of Iraq, or before the Invasion of Afganistan, the hostility or rivalry between the believers of Abrahamic Religions was merely a matter of faith and confidence.

Such as the Muslims, the Christians and the Judaists in the time of Ottomans, or Seljukids. They were all adherent to their seperate systems of belief, not describing the others as "sore terrorists", or "threat to all humanity."

But then, something happened...

Some devil took residence in some brains and started to poison the heart nearly everywhere, so that people would label "the different one" as "an extrimist" whose existence needed to be destroyed, if not the ideas could be banned and blocked.

So, everywhere the modernised, westernised people live started to take the labels in and even applied them willfully in practice by imprisoning, hanging the religious people and banning the religious practices in public, if not possible to sweep away them entirely.

Now, some thinks religiousity is bad. Okay, thinking or believing cannot be under any ban. But enforcement?..

Is it not possible to pray in a chapel / a masjid in your school without anyone thinking: "Oh, he / she is narrow-minded." Or "This is how we spend our money?.. Building places of worship instead of laboratoris?.."

Why?.. Why is any belief better than the other in the eyes of people?.. Okay, because it is in their eyes! But can we not get along with what we all have in our minds and in our neighborhoods without hurting the other?..

Like in this episode which shows tacit acceptance by stating the Book of Islam called The Koran, and a Shakespearean sonnet in succession.

This is good. Or. This was good.

(P.S.: To defend the land means one thing; we would not give away what we have by force. So, it is the only understandable "use of severity".

Therefore, we should stand with whomever in need.

Like Syrians. Like Arakanids. Like Iraqis. Like Afghanistanis. Like East Turkestanis.

And like all the innocent around the globe who is to be hurt or killed...)