CTP Episode of the Day - 09.15.06

Today's Cherished Episode: Hellbound (9x04)
Original Air Date: January 27, 2002
Written By: David Amann
Directed By: Kim Manners

Convinced it is an X-File, Reyes is drawn to a murder where the victim has been skinned alive. Yet she is unsure why she has such a strange connection to the case.

(Thanks to chrisnu for today's pics.)

"Whoever I was, I failed. In 1868. In 1909. In 1960, I failed. I was always there, but I couldn't stop the killings. And he knew that. Just like he knows I'm here right now. He feels me -- the way I felt him when I saw that picture of the first victim. And somehow he knows my deepest fear that I'll fail."

Some "Hellbound" Tidbits & Musings:

-- The episode title was a reference to where those who do evil are headed, as illustrated by the tattoo on the arm of ex-con Terrance Pruitt.

-- "Hellbound" was written by supervising producer David Amann, who joined the show at the end of season 5 as a story editor. He wrote several XF episodes including "Terms of Endearment," "Agua Mala," "Rush," "Chimera," "Invocation," and "Release."

-- As David Amann explained, "Frank Spotnitz was interested in taking Monica Reyes's character and giving her some darkness to play. So 'Hellbound' presented the idea that she had a past life that had really somber, terrible overtones."

-- "Was she a good person or a bad person?" added John Shiban. "Did she fight evil or let evil happen? This episode gave a little insight into the possibilities."

-- For the meatpacking scenes, the construction crew built a refrigeration unit the size of a warehouse.

-- "It was an old dairy," said director Kim Manners. "The special effects guys went it and they put up all the rails and all the hooks. And we brought in, I think it was 300 slaughtered pigs. And then we had like 200 rubber pigs."

-- To create the effect of human beings skinned alive, head of the makeup/special makeup department Cheri Montesanto-Medcalf and her staff created over 200 prosthetic pieces. Each piece was made like a flat sheet of muscle that would wrap around various parts of the actor. "We laid the veins all over them," said Montesanto-Medcalf. "Then we took a lot of time with our highlight and shadow to really emphasize certain parts of the muscles and stuff. And then we made them all shiny."

-- Added makeup artist Matthew Mungle: "And because we applied a lot of blood on it and a lot of veins, we could blend those pieces easily."

-- Supervising producer Paul Rabwin called the makeup job on this episode, "unbelievable – the idea of making it still look moist, as it would be if your skin was taken off, and there's still that sclera and the veins are still running."

-- "There were seven makeup artists working for seven hours on each person," said Montesanto-Medcalf. "And that went on for ten days."

-- "Hellbound" was the fourth episode filmed in Season 9 and should have aired after "Daemonicus." Too bad that it didn't, as it would have logically followed up Monica's premonitions in that episode.

-- At least Doggett looked like he was rousted out of bed at 1 a.m. Scully looked like she was on her way to a fashion shoot for Vogue.

-- Oopsie: It's not really clear what role Reyes played in the ongoing mystery, but if her former life predecessor died in 1960 too, that would make her more than 40 years old.

-- When Van Allen died at the end of the episode, at the same moment a reborn soul was created as a baby boy was born. The baby boy was played by James and Travis Riker, who also on occasion played Baby William.

-- Don Swayze (Terrance Pruit) is the younger brother of Patrick Swayze.

-- Kari Whitman (Roxanne) was Playboy Playmate of the Month in February 1988.

-- Once & Future Retreads: Robert Beckwith played an FBI Cadet in this episode, "Daemonicus," and "Scary Monsters." James McDonnell (Detective Van Allen) played the glassblower in "Grotesque."

-- As a dedicated X-File watcher for many years, oh how I wished to see the male lead dressed in super-tight tee shirt (finely etched nipples flaring) bursting into the room of the female lead dressed in skimpy black negligee (a fine sheen of sweat illuminating her pale skin). I guess I should have been more specific. < g > Please share your first impressions, favorite (or cringe-worthy) moments, classic lines, favorite fanfic, nagging questions, repeated viewing observations, etc., as today we celebrate "Hellbound"!

Polly