By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Some of it may seem tame now, but The X-Files was known for pushing the envelope back in the ‘90s, like when they made “Home” so gruesome that the Fox network refused to air it in reruns outside of a 1999 Halloween event. Still, the network clearly had plenty of faith in the show and rarely pushed back against the writers because Mulder and Scully’s misadventures fit right in with the network’s edgy programming. However, Fox did worry that one X-Files storyline would ruin the show, forcing the writers of “Lazarus” to change a plot point in which another man would inhabit Mulder’s body.
The X-Files Lazarus Plot
That may sound like a pretty bonkers plot even by the standards of The X-Files, but “Lazarus” is a tale about a bank robber with the ability to put his mind into the bodies of others. Broadly speaking, the story plays out like one of the show’s typical tales, with Mulder fervently believing that the body-hopping is real and Scully expressing clinically polite skepticism. Originally, though, the writers of this episode didn’t want Mulder to simply theorize about the body-hopping. Instead, they wanted him to experience it for himself.
The Original Mulder Idea
According to The X-Files writer and producer Howard Gordon, the Fox network wanted to change a “Lazarus” plot point that involved the robber putting his consciousness directly into Mulder’s body. In his words, “the network […] balked at the idea of Mulder experiencing directly, first-hand, a supernatural event like that.” In addition to specifically protesting the notion of a “soul switch,” Gordon said that Fox objected more generally to their main character being used in such a way.
As we mentioned before, Fox normally didn’t object to much of what The X-Files writers wanted to do, and this made their pushback against a key “Lazarus” plot point very notable. According to Gordon, things got ugly: “we were angry and up in arms.” In the end, it’s almost impossible to win a fight with the network, and the writers and producers were forced to very reluctantly make changes to their episode.
Eventually, though, Gordon came to view Fox’s decision regarding this X-Files story as a “wise decision,” one that ultimately made “Lazarus” a stronger episode. Honestly, as longtime fans of the show, we have to agree…in any given episode, it’s very rewarding to witness the tension between Mulder’s beliefs and Scully’s skepticism, and it’s equally rewarding to decide for yourself what’s “really” happening with these seemingly supernatural plots. Frankly, if the show had so blatantly confirmed supernatural shenanigans in season 1, it likely would have deflated the impact of later seasons.
The tension between Mulder and Scully’s beliefs was effectively mirrored by the tension between The X-Files writers and the network on “Lazarus.” However, it’s hard to deny that the network made the right call here, one that preserved the narrative’s mystery while ensuring that future episodes walked the line between revelation and skepticism. This episode ultimately nixed the soul-switching that the writers originally planned, but that might be for the best…like, can you imagine how weird the fanfic would have gotten for this show if season 1 canonically featured another man inside Fox Mulder?
