The Unnatural

Season 6, Episode 19, Aired
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Episode Summary

Mulder meets with Agent Arthur Dales' brother (also named Arthur!) and is told a tale of a talented negro baseball player from Roswell, New Mexico in the 1940's who may have been an alien that ran away from his colony because of his love for the game.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (21)

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  • David Duchovney writes and directs this odd episode about aliens in 1947 and baseball.

    8.2
    "Great"
    By JaCkKbAuEr2424, May 02, 2011 Report Abuse
    The name of the episode certainly matches the tone of the episode.. this is certainly an odd, unnatural episode of "The X-Files" that Duchovney makes work through his script. The story itself is corny, and with the pen hand of somebody else, it could've failed. But Duchovney has been with the show for long enough by this time to be able to figure out what works and doesn't.

    Most of the episode takes place in 1947, shortly before the alien conspiracy in Roswell. Arthur Dales, the man from the "Agua Mala" episode earlier, returns, although it's not the same Arthur Dales.. it's his brother, also named Arthur Dales. It turns out that this Arthur had an experience with an alien in the past that Mulder wants to look into. Apparently, an African American baseball player named Josh Exley who is rivaling Babe Ruth's home run record, even if it's in minor league play. Dales is hired to defend Exley after his life is threatened. The longer Dales looks after him, the more he realizes that Exley is not normal. In a very strange scene that is incredibly open about the appearance of aliens, Dales sees Exley in his true alien form and freaks out and soon comes to accept him.

    We also get a return visit of that shape shifting alien bounty hunter from all the way back in Season 1 or 2.. he keeps reappearing, and I don't really get why he keeps showing up so randomly, but I'll go along with it. The thing I had a problem with in this episode is the fact that we never truly learn whether or not Exley is an alien. Dales, in the future, tells Mulder about some bull involving "metaphorical aliens or men" and it just completely ruins the validity of the story. If this is something that really happened, then I feel like the show ruined its little conspiracy myth-arc by actually showing the aliens so much. In the episode "Jose Chung's From Outer Space," the alien appearances were so insane that it didn't feel real. Every other time we've seen aliens on the show, it's been fuzzy views of them, never as clear as it was in this episode. It really makes me wonder whether or not it actually happened, and we probably won't really know.

    But the episode comes to a satisfying close, with Mulder playing baseball with Scully and giving us the most intimate moment in the show since they nearly kissed in the movie. A good episode, definitely impressive considering Duchovney was responsible for it.moreless

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  • One for the Shippers

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By KennyRogersLove, Mar 14, 2009 Report Abuse
    The Unnatural is a great episode about baseball, written and directed by David Duchovny. I really like this episode. The episode is about a black man who is one of the baseball legends of the 40s playing for Roswell's local team The Roswell Grays. Agent Mulder is investigating the disappearance of Josh Exeley because of a newpaper picture he finds with Exely, the alien bounty hunter, and Arthur Dales. He goes to visit Arthur Dales but instead encounters Arthur's brother, Arthur Dales. The episode turns into a baseball tall tale except Exely is an alien who just wants to play baseball. I love some of the dialog between Mulder and Arthur and the story is very lighthearted with a carefree atmosphere that encaptures what the game of baseball really represents. The ending is somewhat bittersweet as the main character dies however he dies happy because he has turned into what he always pretended to be, a carfree human. The how and why of all this is not the point of the story as Arthur tells Mulder. It is simply meant to be a good story that makes you appreciate the simple things in life that we take for granted. I love the final scene with Mulder teaching Scully how to hit a baseball although I can't imagine how she could grow up as a tomboy and never have hit a baseball. I also am interested in just how much Scully and Mulder flirt in this episode. First with the ice cream cone and then Scully calling Mulder a rebel and finally this final scene. Good fun episode. 9 out of 10.moreless

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  • This episode is just a joy to watch and a daring episode overall in terms of the subject matter that it covers.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Frankburnsflagg, Jan 27, 2009 Report Abuse
    This is one of my all time favorite episodes. It never fails to make me laugh and feel for the characters everytime that I see it. David Duchovny did a very good job in terms of directing it. It was very tastefully done, and it balances both seriousness and humor well.

    This story is a more Mulder-focused one, unlike Milagro, the previous one -- which was a more Scully-focused one. In the end, both of them showed how much
    each character grew and changed and learned more about themselves.

    At the beginning of this episode - it starts out as usual... with both Mulder and Scully at the FBI... some flirting ensues (I just love this) and Mulder comes across an article about a famous baseball player and he takes an interest in it. And that's where things take a turn... he goes over to the apartment where the cop who protected the baseball player lived.

    The old man (Arthur Dales) tells Mulder the story about how he met Exley (the baseball player/alien) and made friends with him. In the end, Mulder learned how to be more patient and to go after what he wants before it is too late -- and to just enjoy life.

    The end of this episode is my favorite part of it overall... Just seeing the both of them having fun together is so worthwhile. It's just electric and enjoyable - the flirting and bantering that takes place here, shows just how close they had become by then.

    Overall, I recommend this episode to anyone who loves the sport of baseball and who likes to enjoy television.moreless

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  • First I thought "What a weird episode" but as it continued I began to enjoy it more and more.

    8.9
    "Great"
    By Gilmoregirl999, Aug 21, 2008 Report Abuse
    First I thought "What a weird episode" but as it continued I began to enjoy it more and more.

    It was a typical X-files episode with the Aliens, bountyhunter and all, but still, it was told through the eyes of another character, another believer.
    I missed one thing in this episode though, the comments of Scully on the story, I'm sure she would have had a lot of comments.

    At the end of the episode there was a special moment between Scully and Mulder, you could see that clearly thanks to the different shots and the fade out.

    David Duchovny did a great job writing and directing it.moreless

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  • Mulder goes to speak with an Agent Dales, about an irregularity in the record books of baseball history...

    9.8
    "Superb"
    By tvaddict1974, Dec 20, 2007 Report Abuse
    This was a great episode which took us away from the heavy story lines of the alien bounty hunters trying to take over the human race, and was lighthearted relief shortly before a stunning series finale. Mulder goes to meet an agent he knows called Arthur Dales, but when the door is opened by someone else, Mulder asks the man where Arthur dales is? It turns out he is called Arthur Dales as well and the two men are brothers. (Explained away as their parents had little imagination). This man tells a tale which takes us to 1947 Roswell, and a baseball team called "The Grays" (Geddit?) Anyway the main batsman was in fact an alien, who fell in love with the game during a "visit" a couple of years earlier!! Dales tells Mulder all the best were aliens - Di Maggio etc...

    The alien (in human form) was played by the excellent Jesse L. Martin (Ed Green from Law & Order). I thought the racial angle was portrayed very well, and even one of the KKK members turned out to be an alien bounty hunter!moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • The baseball scenes in the episode were filmed at Jay Littleton Ballpark in Ontario, California. Edit
    • The name of the Black baseball team at the beginning of the episode is the "Grays", an obvious reference to the alien nickname. Also X's name is Josh, which references Josh Gibson who is the all time Negro-League Homerun King. Gibson played for the Homestead Grays. Edit
    • The "Cozy Cactus" sign should have been reversed in the bus window, since it was a reflection. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • "Ex" is played by Jesse L. Martin, the original Broadway cast member of RENT in the role of Collins. Perhaps knowing this is what prompted David Duchovny to allow Martin a small scene where he sings with that "beautiful voice" of his. Edit
    • Although budget problems initially prevented Vin Scully from being hired as the baseball announcer, the famed sportscaster - who is the original inspiration for the name of Gillian Anderson's character - agreed to meet an X-Files sound crew in his Dodger Stadium broadcast booth and record the part for free. Edit
    • David Duchovny's older brother, Daniel Duchovny, plays the role of bench jockey Piney. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Scully: Mulder, can I ask you a personal question? Mulder: Of course not. Scully: Did your mother ever tell you to go outside and play? Edit
    • (Scully opens a paper bag and pulls out an ice cream cone) Mulder: Did you bring enough ice cream to share with the rest of the class? Scully: It's not ice cream. It's a non-fat toffuti rice dreamsicle. Mulder: (Groans) I bet the air in my mouth tastes better than that. You sure know how to live it up, Scully. Edit
    • Dales: Do you believe that that passion can change your very nature? Can make you shape-shift from a man into something other than a man? Mulder: (Leans in and asks quietly) What exactly did your brother tell you about me? Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Scully: So, I get this message on my answering machine marked "urgent", from one Fox Mantle..... This is an allusion to Mickey Mantle. Mantle played for the New York Yankees for 18 years and has been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Edit
    • Arthur Dales: Speaking metaphorically is for young men like you, Agent MacGyver. This is a reference to the 80's TV series MacGyver starring Richard Dean Anderson as the extremely resourceful secret agent Angus MacGyver. Edit
    • Mulder: ET steal home, ET steal home. Said to Dales regarding the possible alien baseball player. An obvious allusion to the Steven Spielberg film ET: the Extra Terrestrial,made in 1982, in which one of the most famous film phrases 'ET phone home' was used. 'Steal home' is a baseball term, hence the pun. Edit

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