Nothing Important Happened Today
Encyclopedia
"Nothing Important Happened Today" is the collective name for the 182nd and 183rd episodes of the science fiction
television series The X-Files
. Part 1 first aired on November 11 and Part 2 aired on November 18, 2001 on Fox
in the United States
and Canada
. Both episodes subsequently aired in the United Kingdom and Ireland
. The story was written by executive producers Chris Carter
and Frank Spotnitz
, and directed by Kim Manners
(Part 1) and Tony Wharmby
(Part 2). The episodes' story continues on from the previous episode, "Existence
".
"Nothing Important Happened Today" was a storyline milestone for the series. It introduced both the story arc
about baby William which would continue to develop throughout the ninth season
and AD Brad Follmer
, a recurring character for the show's ninth season. Part 1 deals with the investigation of Deputy Director Alvin Kersh
by Special agent
John Doggett
(Robert Patrick
) and Doggett's related investigation into the death of EPA official Carl Wormus. In Part 2, Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson
), Monica Reyes
(Annabeth Gish
), and Doggett are led to a ship, where they find evidence of experimentation on human embryos. Although the episodes earned low Nielsen household and syndication ratings in the United States compared to previous X-Files premieres, and received meager attention in the United Kingdom and Ireland, they were generally well-received by fans and critics alike.
The episode was supposed to mark the first appearance of recurring regular
Lucy Lawless
as Shannon McMahon, a female
Super Soldier, but Lawless' high-risk pregnancy prevented her from returning to the show. These episodes marked, however, the first appearance of recurring regular, Cary Elwes
as Brad Follmer
, an FBI Assistant Director.
(EPA) official, picks up a beautiful woman, Shannon McMahon (Lucy Lawless
), in a Baltimore
bar. While driving home with her, she forces the car off a bridge and then holds Wormus underwater until he drowns. Later, Special agent
Monica Reyes
meets Assistant Director
Brad Follmer
in his office, where he hands her two videotapes from the night of the birth of Agent Dana Scully's
son. They show no evidence of the events Special agent
John Doggett
reported. Doggett goes to Agent Fox Mulder's
apartment to consult him, but finds it empty.
McMahon, who has swum into a water reclamation plant, drowns a worker there named Roland McFarland. Doggett goes to Scully to try and find Mulder, but she refuses to disclose Mulder's whereabouts and urges Doggett to drop his investigation into Kersh's actions. When Doggett refuses, Scully asks him to leave. Doggett tries to contact some of his old friends from the Marine Corps, including McMahon, to find out what happened to Knowle Rohrer. Meanwhile, an unseen figure slips Reyes (who is working in the X-Files office), an obituary of Wormus. Meanwhile, Scully's baby causes the mobile of his crib to spin of its own accord. Shocked, she contacts Doggett, now urging him to continue his investigation. He calls her in to perform an autopsy
on Wormus' body, where she finds fingerprints on his ankle. After leaving, they see McMahon, who removes the body from the morgue. Follmer, who has been ordered to rein in Doggett's investigation by Alvin Kersh
, arrives at the scene and accuses Scully and Reyes of moving the body.
The Lone Gunmen
find that Wormus had been receiving data from McFarland, the drowned reclamation worker. Agent Doggett breaks into McFarland's office with AD Walter Skinner
and finds files on Chloramine
, but Follmer arrives. Doggett slips into a filtration tank to hide, but is pulled deep under water by McMahon.
of a navy
ship delivers a communication to Doctor Nordlinger, who orders the ship's captain to return the ship to its base. Brad Follmer
leaves the water reclamation facility after failing to spot Doggett, who passes out under water. Shannon McMahon keeps him alive by passing air from her lungs into his. Back at FBI headquarters, Monica Reyes
is called into Follmer's office. Follmer warns her to distance herself from John Doggett
and his investigation of Alvin Kersh
, but Reyes believes Follmer has his own political agenda and walks out. Doggett wakes up at his home to find McMahon, who tells him that both she and Knowle Rohrer are Super Soldiers, and that they cannot be killed. Doggett calls Dana Scully
to his house, and McMahon tells them that the program is to be expanded by adding Chloramine
, a mutation
-inducing chemical, to the water supply. Meanwhile Rohrer approaches the captain onboard the ship, informing him that he is now second-in-command. He later queries the captain as to the vessel's mission. The body of the original officer is found in the water nearby.
Scully examines McMahon and finds her to be physically normal. Reyes tries to find out more about McMahon's history and learns that she is a Department of Justice
employee and had been contacted by Wormus and McFarland in their attempts to expose the plans to contaminate the water supply. The Lone Gunmen
intercept a call from the Captain to Wormus, telling him to contact the FBI. The Captain then pulls a gun on the Navy Seal guarding the entrance to the lab, demanding that Nordlinger hand over the project's data. He doesn't notice Rohrer creeping up behind him.
After hearing Reyes' findings, Scully, Reyes and Doggett go to the ship. They expect to meet the captain, but instead find Rohrer, who Doggett shoots repeatedly to no effect. Just as Rohrer is about to crush Doggett's skull, he is decapitated by McMahon. Rohrer is presumed dead, but soon awakens and stabs McMahon. Both bodies tumble into the water. The three agents board the ship, which is abandoned, and find the captain's decapitated body. Scully gains access to the now empty lab, but is forced to leave when Doggett finds a time bomb on the bridge. The agents narrowly escape the explosion.
Later, Doggett confronts Kersh, who was not implicated in the conspiracy. Kersh explains to Doggett that he left the evidence that helped Doggett, and that he had told Fox Mulder
to flee, but ultimately it was Scully who actually convinced him to do so. Meanwhile, Scully dreams of McMahon's and Rohrer's lifeless bodies below the harbor. Suddenly, she sees McMahon's eyes snap open. Scully wakes up immediately, but goes back to sleep as the camera pans up to focus on the child's mobile, which starts to move of its own accord.
The phrase "Nothing Important Happened Today" comes from King George III's fictional diary entry on 4 July 1776, the same day that America declared Independence from Britain (this is a likely reference to Louis XVI's hunting log, which contained the entry "rien" [nothing] for the date of the Storming of the Bastille
). Part 1 marks the first appearance of Assistant Director Brad Follmer
, who was named after Chris Carter's
writing assistant. Five different actors portrayed Baby William: Rikki Held, Rowdy Held, Ashley Knutson, James Riker and Travis Riker. The tagline for Part 2 is "Nothing Important Happened Today", replacing the usual phrase "The Truth is Out There."
Carter, after learning about the 2001 cancellation of Xena Warrior Princess, thought that Lucy Lawless
might be interested in new and different opportunities as an actor. According to Lawless, one reason why she made an appearance on the show was that her daughter was a "mad X-Files fan". She further commented that she knew about the show and based her character Xena
on Fox Mulder
.
Originally, Shannon McMahon was to be a recurring character
and was due to be featured in "The Truth
", the series finale of The X-Files. However, Lawless, who has a history of miscarriages, became pregnant shortly after part two of these episodes was filmed; her high-risk pregnancy prevented her returning to the series for future episodes. Carter called Lawless "hot stuff", saying it was "fun" having a female
Super Soldier
, something that had never occurred to him or to the show's production crew.
In the first underwater scene, most of which was shot at the water tank
at Universal
, Lawless had to be seat-belted into a car that was supposed to be submerged thirteen feet. In actuality, the water tank was four feet deep. Lawless, being six feet tall, had to kneel and breathe into a hookah
while filming the scene. One of the hardest part for the special effects team for the episode was to hide the fact that Lawless was wearing a swimming suit.
of 6.5, with a 10 share. It was viewed by 6.850 million households and was viewed by a total of 10.600 million viewers in the United States
alone. Part 1 became the second most watched episode of the ninth season
behind the series finale "The Truth
". Part 2 earned a rating of 5.9, with a 9 share. It was viewed by 6.225 households and 9.400 in total viewership. The second part of the episode, which aired on Sunday, November 18, competed with Saving Private Ryan
which aired on ABC
. This episode earned the lowest rating of the evening, and received lower ratings and viewership numbers then The Simpsons
and Malcolm in the Middle
. When talking about the ninth season
, Carter stated, "We lost our audience on the first episode. It's like the audience had gone away, and I didn't know how to find them. I didn't want to work to get them back because I believed what we are doing deserved to have them back". "Nothing Important Happened Today", together with other mytharc episodes, were featured in the DVD release, The X-Files Mythology, Volume 4 - Super Soldiers
.
A reviewer from Critical Myth gave part one 6 out of 10 points and stated that the episode was "decent", but that it "suffered" thanks to being a "three-part mythology arc". However, part two was given a more positive reaction, and received 9 out of 10 points. The reviewer called it a "wonderful addition to the mythology" arc. An unnamed staff writer of Airlock Alpha
was mostly positive about the episode, with the exception of Cary Elwes
as Brad Follmer
, calling Elwes' acting "forced". Rob Lowman from the Los Angeles Daily News
said that Carter had been able to "breathe new life" into the series mythology arc
, and had a positive view of Lucy Lawless
performance. Marisa Guthrie from the Boston Herald
felt that Gillian Anderson
's character, Dana Scully
had been "rendered impotent".
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
. Part 1 first aired on November 11 and Part 2 aired on November 18, 2001 on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Both episodes subsequently aired in the United Kingdom and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The story was written by executive producers Chris Carter
Chris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
and Frank Spotnitz
Frank Spotnitz
Frank Spotnitz is an award-winning American television writer and producer, best known for his work on The X-Files television series.-Biography:...
, and directed by Kim Manners
Kim Manners
Kim Manners was an American television producer, director and child actor best known for his work on The X-Files and Supernatural.-Early life:...
(Part 1) and Tony Wharmby
Tony Wharmby
Tony Wharmby is an English television director and producer.Wharmby is best known for his directorial work on television series such as JAG, NCIS, The O.C., Bones, Providence, Coronation Street, High Sierra Search and Rescue, The X-Files, Coins in the Fountain, New Scotland Yard, Gossip Girl,...
(Part 2). The episodes' story continues on from the previous episode, "Existence
Existence (The X-Files)
"Existence " is the 181st episode and the eighth season finale of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States on May 20, 2001 on Fox, and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom. It was written by executive producer Chris Carter, and directed by...
".
"Nothing Important Happened Today" was a storyline milestone for the series. It introduced both the story arc
Colonist (The X-Files)
The Colonists are an extraterrestrial species in the science fiction television show, The X-Files, as well as the first X-Files feature film. The mystery revolving around their identity and purpose is revealed across the course of the series...
about baby William which would continue to develop throughout the ninth season
The X-Files (season 9)
The ninth season of The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on November 11, 2001, concluded on May 19, 2002, and consists of twenty episodes. The X-Files is an American serial science fiction-horror-thriller television series. Season nine took place after Fox Mulder's leave after the...
and AD Brad Follmer
Brad Follmer
FBI Assistant Director Brad D. Follmer is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction series about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Follmer was introduced during the last season of the show, as an ex-lover to main...
, a recurring character for the show's ninth season. Part 1 deals with the investigation of Deputy Director Alvin Kersh
Alvin Kersh
Alvin D. Kersh is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction series about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of extraterrestrial existence...
by Special agent
Special agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
John Doggett
John Doggett
FBI Special agent John Jay Doggett is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of alien existence...
(Robert Patrick
Robert Patrick
Robert Hammond Patrick, Jr. is an American actor, known for his leading and supporting roles in a number of films and television shows....
) and Doggett's related investigation into the death of EPA official Carl Wormus. In Part 2, Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
), Monica Reyes
Monica Reyes
Special Agent Monica Reyes is a fictional character in the American FOX television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence...
(Annabeth Gish
Annabeth Gish
Annabeth Gish is an American actress known for starring roles in Shag, Mystic Pizza and Double Jeopardy. She is best known for her roles as Special Agent Monica Reyes on The X-Files, Elizabeth Bartlet Westin on The West Wing and as Eileen Caffee on the Showtime drama Brotherhood.-Personal...
), and Doggett are led to a ship, where they find evidence of experimentation on human embryos. Although the episodes earned low Nielsen household and syndication ratings in the United States compared to previous X-Files premieres, and received meager attention in the United Kingdom and Ireland, they were generally well-received by fans and critics alike.
The episode was supposed to mark the first appearance of recurring regular
Recurring character
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in an episode, sometimes being the main focus...
Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless, MNZM is a New Zealander actress and singer best known for playing the title character of the internationally successful television series Xena: Warrior Princess....
as Shannon McMahon, a female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
Super Soldier, but Lawless' high-risk pregnancy prevented her from returning to the show. These episodes marked, however, the first appearance of recurring regular, Cary Elwes
Cary Elwes
Ivan Simon Cary Elwes , known professionally as Cary Elwes, is an English actor. The son of Dominick Elwes and Tessa Georgina Kennedy, Elwes acted in off-Broadway plays during college and moved to the United States in the early 1980s. He is known for his role as Westley in the cult classic The...
as Brad Follmer
Brad Follmer
FBI Assistant Director Brad D. Follmer is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction series about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Follmer was introduced during the last season of the show, as an ex-lover to main...
, an FBI Assistant Director.
Part 1
Carl Wormus, an United States Environmental Protection AgencyUnited States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
(EPA) official, picks up a beautiful woman, Shannon McMahon (Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless, MNZM is a New Zealander actress and singer best known for playing the title character of the internationally successful television series Xena: Warrior Princess....
), in a Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
bar. While driving home with her, she forces the car off a bridge and then holds Wormus underwater until he drowns. Later, Special agent
Special agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
Monica Reyes
Monica Reyes
Special Agent Monica Reyes is a fictional character in the American FOX television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence...
meets Assistant Director
Assistant director
The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew...
Brad Follmer
Brad Follmer
FBI Assistant Director Brad D. Follmer is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction series about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Follmer was introduced during the last season of the show, as an ex-lover to main...
in his office, where he hands her two videotapes from the night of the birth of Agent Dana Scully's
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
son. They show no evidence of the events Special agent
Special agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
John Doggett
John Doggett
FBI Special agent John Jay Doggett is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of alien existence...
reported. Doggett goes to Agent Fox Mulder's
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
apartment to consult him, but finds it empty.
McMahon, who has swum into a water reclamation plant, drowns a worker there named Roland McFarland. Doggett goes to Scully to try and find Mulder, but she refuses to disclose Mulder's whereabouts and urges Doggett to drop his investigation into Kersh's actions. When Doggett refuses, Scully asks him to leave. Doggett tries to contact some of his old friends from the Marine Corps, including McMahon, to find out what happened to Knowle Rohrer. Meanwhile, an unseen figure slips Reyes (who is working in the X-Files office), an obituary of Wormus. Meanwhile, Scully's baby causes the mobile of his crib to spin of its own accord. Shocked, she contacts Doggett, now urging him to continue his investigation. He calls her in to perform an autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
on Wormus' body, where she finds fingerprints on his ankle. After leaving, they see McMahon, who removes the body from the morgue. Follmer, who has been ordered to rein in Doggett's investigation by Alvin Kersh
Alvin Kersh
Alvin D. Kersh is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction series about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of extraterrestrial existence...
, arrives at the scene and accuses Scully and Reyes of moving the body.
The Lone Gunmen
The Lone Gunmen
The Lone Gunmen are a trio of fictional characters, Richard "Ringo" Langly, Melvin Frohike and John Fitzgerald Byers, who have recurring roles on the American television series The X-Files. They also starred in a short-lived spin-off, also called The Lone Gunmen. The name was derived from the lone...
find that Wormus had been receiving data from McFarland, the drowned reclamation worker. Agent Doggett breaks into McFarland's office with AD Walter Skinner
Walter Skinner
FBI Assistant Director Walter Sergei Skinner is a fictional character in the American FOX television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence...
and finds files on Chloramine
Chloramine
Chloramines are derivatives of ammonia by substitution of one, two or three hydrogen atoms with chlorine atoms. Monochloramine is an inorganic compound with the formula NH2Cl. It is an unstable colourless liquid at its melting point of -66° temperature, but it is usually handled as a dilute...
, but Follmer arrives. Doggett slips into a filtration tank to hide, but is pulled deep under water by McMahon.
Part 2
A captainCaptain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
of a navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
ship delivers a communication to Doctor Nordlinger, who orders the ship's captain to return the ship to its base. Brad Follmer
Brad Follmer
FBI Assistant Director Brad D. Follmer is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction series about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Follmer was introduced during the last season of the show, as an ex-lover to main...
leaves the water reclamation facility after failing to spot Doggett, who passes out under water. Shannon McMahon keeps him alive by passing air from her lungs into his. Back at FBI headquarters, Monica Reyes
Monica Reyes
Special Agent Monica Reyes is a fictional character in the American FOX television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence...
is called into Follmer's office. Follmer warns her to distance herself from John Doggett
John Doggett
FBI Special agent John Jay Doggett is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction show about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of alien existence...
and his investigation of Alvin Kersh
Alvin Kersh
Alvin D. Kersh is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction series about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of extraterrestrial existence...
, but Reyes believes Follmer has his own political agenda and walks out. Doggett wakes up at his home to find McMahon, who tells him that both she and Knowle Rohrer are Super Soldiers, and that they cannot be killed. Doggett calls Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
to his house, and McMahon tells them that the program is to be expanded by adding Chloramine
Chloramine
Chloramines are derivatives of ammonia by substitution of one, two or three hydrogen atoms with chlorine atoms. Monochloramine is an inorganic compound with the formula NH2Cl. It is an unstable colourless liquid at its melting point of -66° temperature, but it is usually handled as a dilute...
, a mutation
Mutation
In molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
-inducing chemical, to the water supply. Meanwhile Rohrer approaches the captain onboard the ship, informing him that he is now second-in-command. He later queries the captain as to the vessel's mission. The body of the original officer is found in the water nearby.
Scully examines McMahon and finds her to be physically normal. Reyes tries to find out more about McMahon's history and learns that she is a Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
employee and had been contacted by Wormus and McFarland in their attempts to expose the plans to contaminate the water supply. The Lone Gunmen
The Lone Gunmen
The Lone Gunmen are a trio of fictional characters, Richard "Ringo" Langly, Melvin Frohike and John Fitzgerald Byers, who have recurring roles on the American television series The X-Files. They also starred in a short-lived spin-off, also called The Lone Gunmen. The name was derived from the lone...
intercept a call from the Captain to Wormus, telling him to contact the FBI. The Captain then pulls a gun on the Navy Seal guarding the entrance to the lab, demanding that Nordlinger hand over the project's data. He doesn't notice Rohrer creeping up behind him.
After hearing Reyes' findings, Scully, Reyes and Doggett go to the ship. They expect to meet the captain, but instead find Rohrer, who Doggett shoots repeatedly to no effect. Just as Rohrer is about to crush Doggett's skull, he is decapitated by McMahon. Rohrer is presumed dead, but soon awakens and stabs McMahon. Both bodies tumble into the water. The three agents board the ship, which is abandoned, and find the captain's decapitated body. Scully gains access to the now empty lab, but is forced to leave when Doggett finds a time bomb on the bridge. The agents narrowly escape the explosion.
Later, Doggett confronts Kersh, who was not implicated in the conspiracy. Kersh explains to Doggett that he left the evidence that helped Doggett, and that he had told Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
to flee, but ultimately it was Scully who actually convinced him to do so. Meanwhile, Scully dreams of McMahon's and Rohrer's lifeless bodies below the harbor. Suddenly, she sees McMahon's eyes snap open. Scully wakes up immediately, but goes back to sleep as the camera pans up to focus on the child's mobile, which starts to move of its own accord.
Production
Storming of the Bastille
The storming of the Bastille occurred in Paris on the morning of 14 July 1789. The medieval fortress and prison in Paris known as the Bastille represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. While the prison only contained seven inmates at the time of its storming, its fall was the flashpoint...
). Part 1 marks the first appearance of Assistant Director Brad Follmer
Brad Follmer
FBI Assistant Director Brad D. Follmer is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction series about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Follmer was introduced during the last season of the show, as an ex-lover to main...
, who was named after Chris Carter's
Chris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
writing assistant. Five different actors portrayed Baby William: Rikki Held, Rowdy Held, Ashley Knutson, James Riker and Travis Riker. The tagline for Part 2 is "Nothing Important Happened Today", replacing the usual phrase "The Truth is Out There."
Carter, after learning about the 2001 cancellation of Xena Warrior Princess, thought that Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless, MNZM is a New Zealander actress and singer best known for playing the title character of the internationally successful television series Xena: Warrior Princess....
might be interested in new and different opportunities as an actor. According to Lawless, one reason why she made an appearance on the show was that her daughter was a "mad X-Files fan". She further commented that she knew about the show and based her character Xena
Xena
Xena is a fictional character from Robert Tapert's Xena: Warrior Princess franchise. She first appeared in the 1995–1999 television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, before going on to appear in Xena: Warrior Princess TV show and subsequent comic book of the same name...
on Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
.
Originally, Shannon McMahon was to be a recurring character
Recurring character
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in an episode, sometimes being the main focus...
and was due to be featured in "The Truth
The Truth (The X-Files)
"The Truth" is the collective name for the 201st and 202nd, and final, episodes of the science fiction television series The X-Files. They first aired in the United States on May 19, 2002 on Fox in the United States and Canada. "The Truth" subsequently aired in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It...
", the series finale of The X-Files. However, Lawless, who has a history of miscarriages, became pregnant shortly after part two of these episodes was filmed; her high-risk pregnancy prevented her returning to the series for future episodes. Carter called Lawless "hot stuff", saying it was "fun" having a female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
Super Soldier
Colonist (The X-Files)
The Colonists are an extraterrestrial species in the science fiction television show, The X-Files, as well as the first X-Files feature film. The mystery revolving around their identity and purpose is revealed across the course of the series...
, something that had never occurred to him or to the show's production crew.
In the first underwater scene, most of which was shot at the water tank
Water tank
A Water tank is a container for storing water. The need for a water tank is as old as civilized man, providing storage of water for drinking water, irrigation agriculture, fire suppression, agricultural farming, both for plants and livestock, chemical manufacturing, food preparation as well as many...
at Universal
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
, Lawless had to be seat-belted into a car that was supposed to be submerged thirteen feet. In actuality, the water tank was four feet deep. Lawless, being six feet tall, had to kneel and breathe into a hookah
Hookah
A hookah A hookah(Gujarati હૂકાહ) A hookah(Gujarati હૂકાહ) (Hindustani: हुक़्क़ा (Devanagari, (Nastaleeq) huqqah) also known as a waterpipe or narghile, is a single or multi-stemmed (often glass-based) instrument for smoking in which the smoke is cooled by water. The tobacco smoked is referred to...
while filming the scene. One of the hardest part for the special effects team for the episode was to hide the fact that Lawless was wearing a swimming suit.
Reception
"Nothing Important Happened Today, Part 1" earned a Nielsen household ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 6.5, with a 10 share. It was viewed by 6.850 million households and was viewed by a total of 10.600 million viewers in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alone. Part 1 became the second most watched episode of the ninth season
The X-Files (season 9)
The ninth season of The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on November 11, 2001, concluded on May 19, 2002, and consists of twenty episodes. The X-Files is an American serial science fiction-horror-thriller television series. Season nine took place after Fox Mulder's leave after the...
behind the series finale "The Truth
The Truth (The X-Files)
"The Truth" is the collective name for the 201st and 202nd, and final, episodes of the science fiction television series The X-Files. They first aired in the United States on May 19, 2002 on Fox in the United States and Canada. "The Truth" subsequently aired in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It...
". Part 2 earned a rating of 5.9, with a 9 share. It was viewed by 6.225 households and 9.400 in total viewership. The second part of the episode, which aired on Sunday, November 18, competed with Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944....
which aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. This episode earned the lowest rating of the evening, and received lower ratings and viewership numbers then The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
and Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
. When talking about the ninth season
The X-Files (season 9)
The ninth season of The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on November 11, 2001, concluded on May 19, 2002, and consists of twenty episodes. The X-Files is an American serial science fiction-horror-thriller television series. Season nine took place after Fox Mulder's leave after the...
, Carter stated, "We lost our audience on the first episode. It's like the audience had gone away, and I didn't know how to find them. I didn't want to work to get them back because I believed what we are doing deserved to have them back". "Nothing Important Happened Today", together with other mytharc episodes, were featured in the DVD release, The X-Files Mythology, Volume 4 - Super Soldiers
The X-Files Mythology, Volume 4 - Super Soldiers
The fourth volume of The X-Files Mythology collection is a DVD release containing episodes from the eighth and the ninth seasons of the show. The episodes collected in the release are those which involve alien super soldiers...
.
A reviewer from Critical Myth gave part one 6 out of 10 points and stated that the episode was "decent", but that it "suffered" thanks to being a "three-part mythology arc". However, part two was given a more positive reaction, and received 9 out of 10 points. The reviewer called it a "wonderful addition to the mythology" arc. An unnamed staff writer of Airlock Alpha
Airlock Alpha
Airlock Alpha, formerly SyFy Portal, is an entertainment news website focusing on science-fiction, fantasy and comic book television series and films.-History:...
was mostly positive about the episode, with the exception of Cary Elwes
Cary Elwes
Ivan Simon Cary Elwes , known professionally as Cary Elwes, is an English actor. The son of Dominick Elwes and Tessa Georgina Kennedy, Elwes acted in off-Broadway plays during college and moved to the United States in the early 1980s. He is known for his role as Westley in the cult classic The...
as Brad Follmer
Brad Follmer
FBI Assistant Director Brad D. Follmer is a fictional character in the American Fox television series The X-Files, a science fiction series about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Follmer was introduced during the last season of the show, as an ex-lover to main...
, calling Elwes' acting "forced". Rob Lowman from the Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles Daily News
The Los Angeles Daily News is the second-largest circulating daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a branch of Colorado-based MediaNews Group....
said that Carter had been able to "breathe new life" into the series mythology arc
Mythology of The X-Files
The mythology of The X-Files, sometimes referred to as its mytharc by the show's staff and fans, follows the quest of FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder , a believer in supernatural phenomena, and Dana Scully , his skeptical partner. Their boss, FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner was also often...
, and had a positive view of Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless
Lucy Lawless, MNZM is a New Zealander actress and singer best known for playing the title character of the internationally successful television series Xena: Warrior Princess....
performance. Marisa Guthrie from the Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
felt that Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
's character, Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
had been "rendered impotent".