X-Files In-Jokes: Season Nine

Nothing Important Happened Today - 9x01

Here begins the list of fan-references in the new Season 9 credits. During the credits sequence there is a flash of a document containing the names of many online X-Philes (as well as some anagrams of X-Files characters -- for example "Deform Lux" is Fox Mulder) under the heading "FBI Contacts, Witnesses and Contributors" (the heading on the advance screening copy included the line "*(Possible Hybrids)"). Here is a link to the advance screening version of the fan names, as well as one from the regularly aired episode here. I'll display the images with each episode listing, but for a total listing of each episodes' names all together please visit the X-Files UK site.
Note: screen captures are either from the excellent Haven or Roadrunners

This episode contains some excellent references to the now-cancelled "Lone Gunmen" series, including both Frohike and Byers making references to being "unemployed" and Langly coming in with a very blue face.

Assistant Director Brad Follmer is named for creator Chris Carter's executive assistant.

The worker at the Greater Maryland Water Reclamation Facility is named after Roland McFarland, the FOX network's Vice President of Broadcast Standards.

Writer Steve Maeda's name was listed on Doggett's list of soldier friends.

Title - (in case you missed it in the episode) - On July 4th, 1776, King George III wrote in his diary "Nothing Important Happened Today." Little did he know that, on that same day the United States of America declared independence from the British Crown.

Nothing Important Happened Today II - 9x02

Credits - Here's a screen grab of the fan names

Tag Line - this usual tag line was changed from "The Truth Is Out There" to "Nothing Important Happened Today"

Not a joke but -- this episode is dedicated to the memory of Chad Keller, who was killed in the September 11th tragedy. Chad Keller, a rocket scientist with a passion for surfing, was a family friend of Chris Carter and his wife, Dori.
You can find other tributes to Chad's memory here:
A Digital Monument
An Article on Chad from Boeing
Special thanks and our best wishes go out to Lisa Keller, who e-mailed me with the information on Chad's connection to the show. Our thoughts and prayers are with you always.

Daemonicus - 9x03

Credits - Here's a screen grab of the fan names

Title - "Daemonicus" is Latin for "Satan"

Writer/Director Frank Spotnitz’s wife, Melissa, appears as one of the cadets in Scully’s Quantico class.

Hellbound - 9x04

Credits - Here's a screen grab of the fan names

A dog in the episode is named "Happy" after Gillian Anderson's dog

A doctor in the episode is named Sackheim after the X-Files producer/director

4-D - 9x05

Credits - Here's a screen grab of the fan names

Title - 4D would be the abbreviation for the fourth dimension (similar to 3D for 3-dimensional). "Time" is generally accepted as the fourth dimension.

Not a joke but -- this episode is dedicated to the memory of Ricky Loyd Arreguin (January 24th, 1985 - September 13th, 2001). I am currently unaware of Ricky's connection with the show.

Tag Line - well, it wasn't really changed, just flipped backwards ("

") -- which is in keeping with the entire "teaser" (the bit of the episode that runs before the opening titles). The film in the teaser was flipped so that right-handed people became left-handed, hair was parted on the other side, etc.

Monica Reyes' new Georgetown apartment address of 67 Bennett Avenue was actually Rod Serling's home address in Binghamton, NY. The address was also used in "They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar", Serling's Emmy-nominated episode of Night Gallery.

Reyes' apartment number is 6, and was chosen because it was Patrick McGoohan's number in the 1967 television series, The Prisoner.

Lord of the Flies - 9x06

Credits - Here's a screen grab of the fan names

Title - The title of this episode shares its name with a classic book by William Golding, however it probably gets this name because the episode contains a large number of flies. It is also worth noting that "Lord of the Flies" is the translated name of "Beelzebub" (a name often used for "Satan").

John Doe - 9x07

Credits - Here's a screen grab of the fan names (note: This episode's names are EXTRA special -- because that first name is MINE!!!!!)

"Hollis Rice" was named for writer Vince Gilligan's girlfriend, Holly Rice. For the full list of Holly sightings (she somehow appears in practically every Vince Gilligan episode), see the Lists & Statistics page.

Doggett's wife was played by Robert Patrick's wife, Barbara. She reprises her role in Season 9's "Release".

TrustNo1 - 9x08

Credits - Here's a screen grab of the fan names

Title - The title comes from Mulder's computer password (as seen in the season 2 episode "Little Green Men").

Tag Line - this usual tag line was changed from "The Truth Is Out There" to "They're Watching"

Scully's screen-name is QUEEQUEG0925. Queequeq was Scully's dog in season 3 (you can check the in-jokes for Season 3's "Quagmire" for more Queequeq information). 09/25 is the birthdate of Gillian Anderson's daughter, Piper.

Provenance - 9x09

Credits - Here's a screen grab of the fan names

Providence - 9x10

Credits - Here's a screen grab of the fan names

Underneath - 9x11

Credits - Here's a screen grab of the fan names

Doggett's former partner, Duke Tomasick, was named for the X-Files Construction Coordinator.

Scary Monsters - 9x12

Credits - Here's a screen grab of the fan names

Audrey Pauley - 9x13

Credits - Here's a screen grab of the fan names

Improbable - 9x14

Credits - Here's a screen grab of the fan names

Tag Line - the familiar "The Truth is Out There" tagline was changed to "Dio Ti Ama", which is Italian for "God Loves You".

A cute change to the opening credits -- "Executive Producer" was changed to "Produttore Esecutivo".

Former Production Assistant-turned-Actor Angelo Vacco makes his fourth and final X-Files appearance (as a bartender and as "Guido") in this episode. Angelo has also appeared in the episodes F. Emasculata (Season 2), Talitha Cumi (Season 3), and Milagro (Season 6).

Writer Chris Carter intersperced playing card terminology and numerology themes throughout his script. For example, "fifth street" (when Mr. Burt references when he is accusing Mad Wayne of bluffing him) refers to the final round of betting in in flop games, and the fifth card dealt to each player in stud games.

Chris Carter asked Ten Thirteen assistant Sandra Tripicchio and her two sisters, Cara and Christine, to work as extras in the show. The Tripicchio sisters are triplets.

Props department crew member Tighe Barry plays a homeless man in the San Generro Feast scene.
Much of the information for "Improbable" comes from the highly informative "Research Information" found at the fantastic Official Site.

Jump the Shark - 9x15

Credits - Here's a screen grab of the fan names

Title - the pop-culture phrase "Jump the Shark", as popularized by the web site www.jumptheshark.com, refers to the moment at which a popular television show reaches its peak and then starts to go downhill. The phrase itself refers to an episode of "Happy Days" when Fonzie jumped over a shark on water skis.

John Gillnitz Strikes Again -- the name "John Gilnitz" (or "John Gilnitz") is the combination of the names of writers John Shiban, Vince Gilligan, and Frank Spotnitz, who together wrote this episode. Other occurrences of Mr. Gillnitz can be found in the episodes "WetWired", "Leonard Betts", "Christmas Carol", "Dreamland II", and "Theef".

Writer Thomas Schnauz, who gave us "Lord of the Flies" and "Scary Monsters" portrayed the "Speaker" in this episode.

Release - 9x16

Credits - Here's a screen grab of the fan names

X-Files Intern Jared Poe landed the guest-starring role of brilliant FBI cadet Rudolph Hayes. Jared was an intern on the X-Files writing staff who auditioned for the role and beat out 30 other actors for the part -- surprising the rest of the crew as well as himself!

Robert Patrick's wife, Barbara, reprised her role as Agent Doggett's former wife in this episode. She was first seen in Season 9's "John Doe".

William - 9x17

Credits - Here's a screen grab of the fan names

1121 - Time stamp on the first scene in the X-Files office, with Doggett doing push-ups - 11:21 pm
(see The X-Files Numbers Game for more instances of 1121's)

Sunshine Days - 9x18

Credits - Here's a screen grab of the fan names

Title - This episode was named for the song "Sunshine Days", which was sung by the Brady Bunch themselves.

Sunshine Days - The date mentioned on the videotape is April 4th, 1970. April 4th is the birthday of writer Vince Gilligan's girlfriend, Holly. For the full list of Holly sightings (she somehow appears in practically every Vince Gilligan episode), see the Lists & Statistics page.

The main character in this episode has changed in name to "Oliver" in reference to the cousin who appeared in the final episodes of "The Brady Bunch".

Arlene Pileggi (Mitch Pileggi's wife and Gillian Anderson's former photo double) reprises her role as Skinner's assistant. Arlene can also be seen as Skinner's assistant in Season 5's "Bad Blood", Season 6's "Triangle", "S.R. 819", and "Monday", Season 7's "The Sixth Extinction: Amor Fati", and Season 8's "This Is Not Happening" and "Dead Alive". Arlene also played Scully's look-alike in Season 7's "Fight Club".

The Truth - 9x19 & 9x20

Credits - Here's a screen grab of the fan names

1121 - Time when Knohle Rohrer (who Mulder was convicted of killing) pulls up to the USMC Base Brig to "retrieve" Agent Mulder (11:21 pm). Chris Carter's wife was born on 11/21.
(see The X-Files Numbers Game for more instances of 1121's)

Laura Witte
xfiles@lunacynet.com
The X-Files In-Jokes List © 1996-2003
Legal Notice: "The X-Files" TM and © Fox and its related entities. All rights reserved. Any reproduction, duplication or distribution of these materials in any form is expressly prohibited
Disclaimer: This web site, its operators and any content on this site relating to "The X-Files" are not authorized by Fox. No Copyright Infringement Intended.