Beyond the Sea

Season 1, Episode 13, Aired
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Episode Summary

Scully has a brush with the paranormal when her recently deceased father appears to her in a vision. Meanwhile, Mulder becomes a skeptic when a death row inmate he helped send to prison claims to be a psychic and offers to lead the agents to a serial killer.''moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (28)

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  • Best episode of season 1. And an episode that hit close to home for me.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By MattMTRUSTNO1, Nov 06, 2011 Report Abuse
    This is the best episode of season 1 and one of the best of the entire series. Both Gillian Anderson and Brad Dourif give terrific performances. Yes, the episode is VERY similar to Silence Of The Lambs. But that's okay with me. It had enough original elements in it that I was able to get past that. Also, the first time I saw this episode I had never seen SOTL, so that helped.

    I had a very similar experience to the one Scully has at the beginning of this episode when she sees her father sitting across from her. When I was a boy I also saw my father standing in the doorway of the my bedroom. I sat up in bed and started talking to him but soon realized that it wasn't really him. I froze there, lying on my back staring up at the ceiling unable to move. I couldn't scream for help or move. It could very well have been a hulicination brought on by sleep poralysis. At least that's what the adult me tries to say to convince myself that I didn't really see what I saw. But try telling that to the 12 year old me. Back then I knew what I saw.

    So, like Scully I too have had a hard time allowing myself to believe. I related to her plight in this episode, the delicate balance of being a person of science and rational thinking while at the same time being unable to deny what I had experienced.

    This is one of the best Scully episodes, but Mulder is also in fine form. This episode adds depth to his character that previously had not been seen. Its good that Mulder isn't always the one who's willing to believe in the unbelievable. That charlatans and schysters like Boggs are where he draws the line. But it is Brad Dourif who really steals the show here. At first it seemed like he was just doing a Jack Nicholson impression, but that's not the case. This is probably the second best guest star in the history of the show, second only to Peter Boyle in Clyde Bruckmans Final Repose, an episode with a similar pshycic theme.
    Clyde Bruckman is by far the best episode of the entire series, but let us not forget about Beyond the Sea, which I consider to be a true hidden gem of an episode. And the best of season 1.moreless

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  • What? Since when is mulder a skeptic

    4.5
    "Poor"
    By mrsKrycek, May 21, 2011 Report Abuse
    Mulder doesn't believe a phsychics claims? that mmay be an xfile on its own, especially since scully does believe. In this epp it's around christmas time and scullys family visits. scullys father (i believe his name is william) dies. The phsycic who also happens to be on death row sings a song that scullys dad had played at his funeral. She starts seeing the things taht the man discribes. Mulder is skeptical he helped put the man on death row and believes he is faking it just so he isn't put to death. he tricks the man by saying that a piece of an old tee shirt is evidence the man puts on a show.. or does hemoreless

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    0 6

  • Psychic Channelling

    10
    "Perfect"
    By shahkirimeme, May 08, 2011 Report Abuse
    Wow! I cant put into words my feelings towards this amazing episode. When i first watched this i had just recently lost a loved one and upon watching this it touched me so deeply. Brad Dourif's performance is at the heart of this episode, it is awe-inspiring. He is such an underrated actor. I don't believe in "channeling" but he certainly made it look real! As a Scully centered episode it serves to showcase Gillian Anderson's talent. She amazed me in this, the emotion she portrays is so real you can almost grasp it. Glenn Morgan and James Wong wrote another masterpiece here.

    It is easily the best episode of season one. Heck! One of the best episodes in the entire series run.

    Scully: Im afraid to believe...moreless

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  • Scully - the believer.

    9.7
    "Superb"
    By vodazz, Nov 30, 2010 Report Abuse
    Well, this was the greatest episode of this season. The writers did a very good job making Scully believe in the paranormal. Don S. Davis looked really scary just sitting on that chair and silently murmuring something. (P.S Rest in piece Don). Also it was really strange that Mulder was the BIG sceptic - so he and Scully exchanged places in this episode. I think it was a good decision that Dana did not hear the last thoughts of her father. And of course this was the first episode to have some sweet scenes between Scully and Mulder. So this episode had everything: spookiness, drama, character development and of course action.moreless

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  • Excellent episode With dark undercurrent of David Lynch Masterpiece

    10
    "Perfect"
    By KennyRogersLove, Jul 12, 2010 Report Abuse
    It's hard to imagine that this episode is actually 13 years old.

    A good Scully based episode. Where we first meet the Scully's (well Scullys' Mum & Dad). The teaser starts off well, you hear the nicknames for the first time Ahab and Starbuck a clear Moby Dick reference to the sea and Scully's father is a retired captain. You see Maggie making a 'go-on tell her' face at William, but he makes idle chit-chat.. How's work? Etc.. And then they leave. So what exactly was it that Scully's dad wanted to say?

    We then see her father sitting on a chair saying something but no sound can be heard, the phone goes and it's Scully's Mum Scully's father had died so how could he have been sitting in the chair just prior to the phone call? Was he a ghost/apparition?

    It then switches to a parked car, two teenagers/kids obviously having fun in a parked car. Until they're interrupted by someone who clearly isn't the police. The lad gets smacked around the head and the girl screams. You know something is amiss.

    Having Brad Dourif (sp?) [Child'sPlay/Alien4] playing the convicted killer on death row is genius, he plays those types of character so, so well.
    A killer who claims to have inside knowledge of the kidnapping, even though he's locked up inside Prison. So how does he know so much? Is he really psychic? - here Mulder is the sceptical one..

    Noticeably Mulder calls Scully Dana! "How are you Dana?" strange.

    Scully, the trooper she is, wants to work through, but Mulder is hesitant about her working on this case clearly he does care for Scully, but she's determined and steadfast.

    The scene on the waterfront with the Scully family. 2 couples (Bill, Charlie and their respective spouses), 2 boys (must be Charlie's, as we later find out the Bill and his wife had been trying for years before they had a son Christmas Carol), Maggie and Scully. Scully clearly wants to know if her Dad was proud of her decision to join the FBI. Music in the background as the ashes are released to the water.
    Scully hears the funeral music again, when Mulder interviews Luther Boggs, Scully is unnerved by what she hears. Boggs singing Bobby Darins 'Beyond the Sea'

    Again.... It's Scully who notices the clues that Boggs gave out, leaves you thinking does Boggs really have insight?
    It's unusual, it's normally Mulder who is the more receptive of the pair to the paranormal

    Scully gives a false statement in her report about finding the building.. which is so unlike Scully.... Mulder is shocked, not something he'd expect from Scully, but she's still seeing visions of her dead father. Clearly this has affected her more than Mulder is aware.

    Mulder sets a classic trap, would Boggs fall for the newspaper report claiming to have found the kidnapped victims alive? Mulder would like to think so..... Instead Boggs calls Mulder on his mobile how on earth did he get Mulders number? Are the FBI agents listed in the phone book?

    Boggs is continuing with the mind games.

    Mulder gives his 'deal' to Boggs, Boggs warns Mulder about blood on a white cross.. Mulder pooh-poohs the idea and of course Mulder is shot (in the leg I think) whilst chasing the suspect, after finding the girl alive.
    Scully sees the blood on the white cross
    again Does Boggs have a psychic ability? Scully's the sceptical one.
    But she's' slowly being drawn in. which is likely down to the death of her father. Her judgement is clouded and all logical reasoning went out the window

    It's then revealed that Lucas Henry and Luther Boggs worked together years before, Was that the reason why Boggs knew so much about the kidnapping?
    Scully confronts Boggs Did Boggs really set up Mulder?

    Scully again becomes unnerved when Boggs recounts part of her childhood, but Scully being Scully comes back with her usual quip 'That could be anyones childhood'

    Dourifs performance of Boggs is fantastic, he plays the killer extremely well, and he clearly shows that Boggs is terrified of facing death in the chair..
    Is he scared of his victims or is he after atonement?

    Here again in this episode Mulder and Scully reason things out together, you clearly see how their partnership has developed, even though it's still relatively new, they both value each other's views/opinions and their trust. Scully takes on board what Mulder is saying.
    Boggs does tell Scully where the lad is again Is Boggs after atonement? Or does he wants a stay of execution?

    Even though Scully lied to Boggs about a deal, he still gave Scully a caveat Stay away from the devil.
    Scully leads the ways with the armed response team into the abandoned Brewery where the lad is being held, Lucas Henry walks across a bridge in front of a picture of the devil and he falls to his death.
    Would the armed response team really let Scully lead the way?

    Boggs asks Scully to be his witness when he goes to the chair, he's terrified of his impending death and is disappointed when he sees that Scully isn't there. No more mind games to be played.

    Touching scene at the end, Mulder asking why Scully cannot believe, she replies that she's afraid of the unknown, Scully would never know what her father had to say,
    Boggs had taken that to his grave. Scully telling Mulder at the end. That she knew what her father had to say; after all she was his daughter.

    I really liked this episode; it gave a great insight, into who exactly Dana Scully was, we got to see more of her character. She was a girl after acknowledgement from her father, we all want to be told that we did the right thing, that we chose the right path.
    We all want our parents approval for the choices we make in life.

    A very respectful 10 out of 10.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • Principal setting: Raleigh, North Carolina. Edit
    • This is the first episode that makes reference to Mulder's pornography obsession. Future writers and episodes will use this again and again, mainly for humor. Edit
    • This is the first episode in which Mulder is shot (in the femur). Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Brad Dourif receives the "special guest star" credit. Edit
    • James Wong and Glen Morgan won a Digital Hollywood Award in the category "best digital writer" for this episode. Edit
    • James Coblentz won a Monitor Award for "best editing" for this episode. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Boggs: There was that one time when I was fourteen and my parents had gone to bed and I snuck downstairs all alone. Got one of my mom's cigarettes and went out onto the porch in the dark. I was so scared. My heart was beating, I mean, they would have killed me if they knew. But I was so excited. Not 'cause of the cigarette, I mean, it was gross, but because I wasn't supposed to. Edit
    • Mulder: Why did you lie in your police report? Scully: I thought it would be a better explanation under the circumstances. Mulder: What you're really saying is that you didn't want to go on record admitting that you believed in Boggs! The bureau would expect something like that from "Spooky" Mulder, but not Dana Scully. Scully: I thought that you'd be pleased that I opened myself to extreme possibilities. Mulder: Dana... open yourself up to extreme possibilities only when they're the truth. Edit
    • Mulder: At the age of six, Luther Boggs slaughtered every pet animal in his housing project. When he was thirty, he strangled five family members over Thanksgiving dinner and then sat down to watch the fourth quarter of the Detroit-Green Bay game. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Movie Reference: Silence of the Lambs This 1994 episode has many similarities to the 1991 film and 1988 book, including using a killer to catch a killer, a female FBI agent as hero, the fake offer made to the incarcerated killer, the final chase through a dark labyrinth, and the significance of the hero's father's death (and the incarcerated killer's interest in this). Edit
    • Episode Title: Beyond the Sea. The title of the episode refers to the song "Beyond the Sea" which is adapted from the French song "La Mer" by Charles Trenet. The version that is heard in this episode is sung by Bobby Darin and is probably the most known version of the song. Edit
    • Scully: Good sailing, Ahab. William Scully: Goodnight, Starbuck. Ahab and Starbuck are two fictional characters in Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick that was released in 1851. The book follows the adventures of the crew of the Peqoud on a whaling expedition. Ahab is the captain of the ship and Starbuck is the First Mate. Edit

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