User Reviews

Okay, so I remember liking this episode. But damn! I don't remember liking it THIS much.

It is such a horribly underrated episode. Sure, a lot of people probably don't like it because of the werewolf storyline (which has been a bit overdone) or because of the Indian storyline (Racists!)

But if you love Werewolves, you will probably like this one. It is so much better than about 50% of the werewolf moves that i've seen. and I usually like most. The cast is surprisingly good (most filler episodes didn't have a very good cast in Season 1). and the transformation scene, although short, was sexy and kick-ass looking!

Yep, i'm giving it FOUR stars. One of my favorites so far

"The air was more still, the night animals more quiet. It was like nature herself was terrified." – Lyle Parker.

Episode 19, 'Shapes', original air date April 1st, 1994. Written by Marilyn Osborn and directed by David Nutter. Monster of the week episode count, 14. During the first season the executives at 'Fox' suggested that the series feature a more conventional monster in a standalone episode. The producers chose to go with the classic werewolf folk-tale told from a Native American perspective. The ancient folk tale of a manitou is a Native American variation on the werewolf myth. The differences stem from the fact that in this legend the host is possessed by an evil spirit and turns into a wolf-like creature every night until it is killed, silver bullets not necessary. The curse can be passed on through the family bloodline, which is another distinction from the more current, Western version. The plot is simple and fairly predictable in that we've seen this narrative told countless times before. The banality of the story aside, this episode is highly effective at creating tension and horror thanks to the competent direction by David Nutter, who so far has directed some of the first seasons finest instalments. The supporting cast all deliver likable performances and the Native American theme that runs through the episode, highlighted by composer Mark Snow's score, provides an original setting that helps the show stand out, despite the script's shortcomings.

Mulder requests assignment to investigate the murder of a young Indian boy in what appears to be a dispute over land ownership between himself and local farmer Jim Parker (Donnelly Rhodes). During the confrontation with the creature, Parker's son, Lyle (Ty Miller), is attacked and suffers sever cuts to his chest. Scully is convinced this is an open and shut case but Mulder has been drawn here fore more personal reasons. He reveals that this case links back to the very first X-File, opened in 1946 by J. Edgar Hoover himself. The case involves numerous unsolved murders, all linked to lycanthropy. As the two agents investigate the murder they are hindered by the beliefs of the local Native Americans, which prevent them performing an autopsy. Jim Parker himself is killed by a similar creature whom we later learn is of course Lyle, having been turned in to a manitou himself following the encounter during the episode's opening. We end with a shoot-out that results in the death of Lyle, Mulder thoroughly convinced he was a manitou/werewolf, Scully on the other hand characteristically hesitant to commit to the idea.

It's a very simple plot, possibly the most straight forward plot line of the season so far. With no real mystery as to who the killer is, it's immediately obvious from the opening sequence what the fate of Lyle will be, it's strength is certainly not in the narrative. However, thanks to Nutter's direction, the supporting cast, and the gloomy atmosphere provided by the landscape of British Columbia, the episode presents well in terms of visuals and character. The X-Files often presented scenes of overcast weather, no doubt a positive side effect of the Vancouver climate, and this episode is a perfect example of the show's visual tone. With respect to cinematography, 'Shapes' may be one of the finest entries to date. The expert use of light and shadow to create tension and a general creepy atmosphere is skilfully employed by the director of photography John S, Bartley. Bartley shot almost every episode during the first three seasons of the show, 64 in total, and his skill is particularly evident here. When considering that the plot is so basic and predictable, it's a credit to the artistic design that it's still just as captivating as many other episodes, from a visual perspective. The werewolf's visual effects have certainly dated but Nutter has the good sense to keep most of the action in the shadows and employ suggestion over in your face gore which has avoided the episode becoming too dated in this department. Some fans criticise this entry for it's lack of blood and carnage though I personally feel that we've seen all that before and Osborn's script offered a slightly different look at the familiar. Focusing more on the belief system of the Native Americans and exploring their culture, rather than delivering a mindless gore-fest.

The supporting cast are all convincing in their respective roles. Particularly Sheriff Charles Tskany (Michael Horse) and the supporting Native American cast. It can be tricky presenting what is essentially a fairly hokey premise and have actors turn in believably sincere performances, though the cast do accomplish this. This isn't the only time the series will enlist the talents of Native American actors. Representations of their people and culture will be seen again several times, playing a key role in the series mythology. Also, Battlestar Galactica fans may recognise Rhodes as rancher Jim Parker. Duchovny and Anderson are nearly overshadowed by the supporting cast here, quite possibly due to the lack of attention given to their characters. However this isn't really a criticism as it's refreshing to shift focus away from them from time to time in order to tell a new story.

'Shapes' is a great example of how The X-Files managed to create standalone episodes that could be watched and enjoyed completely out of context from the rest of series with no prior knowledge or background. Thematically it's derivative but visually it's fresh and exciting and that more than makes up for the story issues.

Was an okay episode. It was good to see some Native American folklore on x files, really enjoyed the story telling of the manitou. And the duality of the local cop ensuring he balances his professionalism with respect for indigenous roots.

I didn't have much clarity on why and how Parker became the manitou or werewolf. I think the why's were somewhat rushed. But it seems every 8 years a new werewolf appears.

Throughout the episode the caged mountain lion foreshadowed the arrival of the werewolf. Which I thought was really interesting as scully used it to rationalise the mystery of the case away when she was attacked in the night.

Scully's refusal to accept what is in front of her is getting increasingly annoying.

Shapes is a Werewoflf type story and is okay if you look carefully enough. Yet, it is the standard 'Werewolf' story. Even though I remember what this episode was about, it is not one of my favourites. Anyway, i'll say some good and bad things about Shapes,

The Good: How Scully doesn't know what 'The Creeps' mean. x]

The werewolf transformation scenes. Wow!

The Bad: Why did they think it was the Woman? It was obviously the other one. The original Werewolf attacked him him, and it couldn't have been her, he had been attacked, it didn't pass down from generation. (Maybe it did, but i'm assuming it didn't xD)

I know it was dark, but Scully couldn't have said that was a Mountain Lion! In denial, maybe?

Conclusion: Okay episode, Indian theme is interesting. 6/10

In the end of the episode, they did not have to kill lyle i think. They could go away and wait for the morning to captivate him. COuld not they?

Maybe they could find a cure, then.

For centuries, there were people with this shape shifting ability. If they bited, they also turned people into "manitou". So, it could spread to wide numbers of people but they only said there was one. This did not make any sense for me. Did people kill all of them when they see?

It was really good that sheriff respect their beliefs. And the people respect him.

And the person mentioned about the massacre in the episode. FBI did not come to help them. USA murdered thousans of Indians. WOunded Knee was one of them: It was also good that they mentioned that in the episode.

Scully seems started to question "the science is god, the science knows everything" so she will think differently in the next episodes, she will be more useful for mulder.

Shapes is about a creature of Native American lore, suspected of killing a man.

Solid episode, but Scully's unwillingness to believe goes too far here. I mean Lyle's locked in the bathroom she's trying to get into, just after he went in there in pain, during a case in which Mulder believes werewolves to be responsible and it bursts through that same door. Then shot in front of her and Lyle's body there and still... I mean she should have known when he said he last saw his father on the porch, but didn't remember any conversation. Scully certainly doesn't get the creeps, except maybe with Donnie Pfaster later on. The werewolf transformation looks good, though you don't see a whole lot after. The sheriff's good. "Look, I'm not a park ranger here to answer all your questions about Indians."

The episode was great. You should definitely watch it and see for yourself exactly what happens. The synopsis explains it pretty well.

That said, Scully's behavior in this particular episode is infuriating. I understand that she is supposed to be the one looking for scientific explanations opposing Mulder's paranormal answers but the way she behaved and denied things that were so obvious here was ridiculous. There has to be a point where any person, no matter how skeptic they are, has to admit that something strange it's going on.

I'll go into details:

1) At the beginning, the rancher is claiming that he shot an animal. There was no doubt about it, but when he checked the body, it was an Indian.

All right, I can give Scully the benefit of the doubt here. It's just his word, no proof. And he had disputed with natives over his land, so he may be lying to justify killing one that was trespassing.

2) Scully admits while looking at the dead rancher that no animal could have done something like that.

All right, maybe she thinks that there is some psycho butchering people and that is why she still doesn't believe something odd it's happening

3) When they go to the Natives reserve, they hear the natives talking about the mith about the man turned into a wolf and that is actually their explanation for Mulder's footprint.

All right, she thinks that Natives and their miths are nothing more than that, miths. With no evidence, there is no reason for her not to dismiss everything they say or believe. I can see it.

But then it starts to get too obvious:

4) Footprint. It's huge and Mulder recovered it right after a human foot. She has no explanation to it. She just says "it's odd" but she doesn't seem curious through the rest episode to know more about it even though she has no idea how it is possible.

5) Teeth. She wants to do an autopsy, they don't let her. But at no point she offers and explanation as to how is it possible for the teeth of the Indian to change so drastically in such a short period time. She forget about this in the next scene.

6) When Mulder puts 2 and 2 together and tells her his opinion about a werewolf, she gets hysterical for some reason. Calling Lycantrophy just delusions of crazy people and getting angry at Mulder for suggesting it. When Mulder chased her to ask her how could she be so blind to the OBVIOUS evidence. She answers that if he is right, the werewolf is dead, so he should "let it go". WHY? Why should he? Why look away and move on over an event never witnessed before in mankind? It makes no sense why she got so angry and why she wanted Mulder to let it go.

7) After all the talk about werewolves, the footprint following human footprints that she cannot explain, the teeth that she also cannot explain, the mark on the dude that was attacked by the infected Indian, the rancher killed by something that clearly wasn't an animal according to her...

...She finds the son of the rancher naked without remembering anything. And at no point through the rest of the episode she has the slightest suspicious that he could have killed his father or be infected with the same disease that the Indian had. I mean, come on, at least check his teeth or something.

8) The son of the rancher is turning into a werewolf in the bathroom, Scully is outside. The Werewolf breaks the door with a HUGE claw and then the scene end. When Scully is telling the story, she says that she saw the mountain lion break the door. Come on, what kind of mountain lion could break a door with it's claw? and how was he on the bathroom with the son of the rancher? He was obviously inside seconds before the door gets destroyed.

It just makes no sense that she would believe something like that. And why would she ran away and HIDE from a mountain lion? Just shoot the animal, she had a gun.

9) Even at the end, when it's obvious what happened, at no point she acknowledges that it was indeed a supernatural creature or a werewolf. No report, not even a phrase, nothing. They focus everything on Mulder.

I realize that she is supposed to be the skeptic, but this was over the line stupidity from her part. If this was a horror movie, she would have died first.

Ps: I admit that this is not really a review and more of discussion thread for the forum, but my experience on forums on this site is that I always end up reading spoilers on this TV shows that have already ended and people always excuse themselves with things like "the show it's 20 years old so it's hardly a spoiler". To avoid these, I posted my thought about the episode here. I may post them in the forum when I finished watching the entire show, I just wanted to write now while I remember it.

It wouldn't have been The X-Files if along the way there hadn't been a story about werewolves. This story tackles the werewolf topic by way of the manitou legend, a Native American evil spirit capable of changing a man into a beast. And just as we have in vampire lore, the bite of a manitou possessed individual will pass along the curse to it's next victim.

A cool thing about this episode was the way Mulder referenced the very first X-File undertaken by J. Edgar Hoover himself back in 1946. He then traces the history of lycanthropy in America all the way back to the Lewis and Clark expedition. The way he explains all of this makes it sound pretty credible, so unless you don't care one way or the other, you'd have to go ahead and do a little research to find out.

So with all of that as a backdrop, the death of a Native American at the beginning of the story turns into a murder investigation, with an underlying theme of racism fomenting distrust between white ranchers and the local Indian tribe. Mulder endears himself to tribal elder Ish (Jimmy Herman) by accepting some of their superstitions, and is accorded a dubious honor, the potential Indian name of Running Fox or Sneaky Fox. I thought that was pretty cool, so I began thinking of names they could have come up with for Scully. Had the Lone Gunmen been brought into this, another variation of fox might have been worked up for her too.

This is a very well-written and very well-directed episode of The X-Files, and despite having a low television budget, it's very effective.

A rancher shoots a creature attacking his son. But instead of a creature they find s young Native American's body.

Mulder and Scully are brought in to investigate, taking them into Native American territory for the first time, and many more times to come over the course of the series. At first the Native Americans aren't very helpful. But eventually an old Native American opens up to Mulder after a second death, the rancher's, seeing Mulder's more open to things then most people.

Based on Native American lore, Mulder, Ish and the Sheriff believe the dead Native American's sister has become the creature and killed the rancher. Or did she? Watch the episode to find out the truth.

Shapes is one of the shows' biggest missteps early on. While not grouped with such auspicious cases as Space and Excelsis Dei, it fails for reasons uniquely it's own.

Utilizing yet another rain-saturated Vancouver, BC forest yields high returns in the atmosphere department. With Mulder's signature wit intact, (You'll know the famous line when you hear it. Hint: It's in the bar.) we have all the ingredients to make yet another passable entry to the first season. However, due to some lazy writing and ill-placed reliance on the clichéd "Werewolf Tale", things go downhill fast.

After an exhilarating opening, the episode throws on the burners for the first twenty-some minutes, instead opting to explain the history of the "Manitou"; or the specific epithet of Werewolf covered as this Monster-of-The-Week. It is during this exposition that you realize Scully seems completely out of touch with her surroundings. This first occurs when Lyle playfully asks her if she has ever had the creeps before. She blankly stares at him, then back to Mulder as if he is speaking a foreign language to her. Speaking of foreign languages, shortly after she humorously mispronounces Sheriff Tskany's last name as "Tuscany", although I can't tell if this is intentional or not on the writers' part.

She disregards all of the obvious evidence throughout the episode, providing her token resistance to Mulder's ideas, but in a way that appears completely unbelievable and forced. This continues all the way to the final act, where after being thrown asunder as the beast crashes through a door, she confusingly claims to Mulder that "Next thing I knew, the mountain lion attacked me." These faults can be blamed mostly on the writing, as Shapes isn't a complete loss. Ish is an interesting precursor to the Albert Hosteen character. His creepy recollection of his encounter with the Manitou of the past is delivered as a convincing narrative. The transformation as well, while obviously shot on a low budget, is effective for what it is.

Most of us are aware that this episode was conceptualized under duress by executives to have the agents encounter a more traditional "monster". If this is taken into account before viewing, you have another run-of-the-mill atmospheric Season One entry worth at least a glancing-over.