Sleepless (The X-Files)
Encyclopedia
"Sleepless" is the 4th episode of the second season
, and 28th overall of the science fiction
television series The X-Files
. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on October 7, 1994. "Sleepless" subsequently aired in the United Kingdom, Ireland and was eventually released for broadcast to mainland Europe
. The episode was written by supervising producer
Howard Gordon
, and directed by Rob Bowman. "Sleepless" featured what would become the recurring character
of Alex Krycek
, portrayed by Nicholas Lea
.
The episode centers around Fox Mulder
(David Duchovny
) and his new partner Krycek investigating a case where doctors and soldiers who were part of a sleep deprivation experiment are being killed off. Although the episode earned a mediocre Nielsen household and syndication ratings in the United States compared to previous episodes of the season, it was generally well-received by fans and critics alike.
The episode's writer Howard Gordon
was inspired by various cases of insomnia
. During the first season, Chris Carter
had written a similar themed episode, but stopped working on it when he became "un-happy" with the end-results.
's attention, but a young agent, Alex Krycek
opened the case first. Mulder calls former partner Dana Scully
(Gillian Anderson
) and asks her to perform an autopsy on Dr. Grissom's corpse. Mulder heads to the Grissom Sleep Disorder Center in Stamford, Connecticut
and is confronted by Krycek soon afterwards, upset at Mulder for ditching him. The two head down to Quantico
to see Scully, who says that Dr. Grissom's body shows no signs of a fire, but it seems as if his body believed it was burning.
In a Brooklyn apartment, Henry Willig, a Vietnam veteran, is approached by his fellow Marine, Augustus Cole. Suddenly a group of wounded Vietnamese appear and gun him down. Examining his corpse, Mulder and Krycek find a scar on his neck and realize he was stationed in the Special Forces in Vietnam in 1970, one of only two survivors, the other being Augustus Cole. They head to the V.A. Medical Center in New Jersey where Cole is being held, only to find that he was discharged, despite the fact that his doctor doesn't remember doing so.
Mulder receives a phone call from the mysterious "X
", who meets with him and gives him information on a secret military project that Dr. Grissom performed where he eradicated the need for sleep through lobotomy
. "X" provides him with the name of another member of the squad who was mistakenly reported as killed in action, Salvatore Matola. A man matching Cole's description robs a drug store and the SWAT team members coming after him shoot each other. Mulder believes that Cole's years of sleeplessness have provided him with telekinetic abilities. Mulder and Krycek meet with Matola soon afterwards, who says that he hasn't slept in 24 years due to the experiment. He reveals that there was another doctor who was part of the squad, Dr. Girardi.
Mulder and Krycek head to the subway station, where Dr. Girardi is expected to arrive due to Dr. Grissom's funeral. Mulder sees Cole there, and Cole shoots Dr. Girardi, but this event is actually all in Mulder's head. In reality, Cole has captured Dr. Girardi and holds him hostage, about to show him a similar fate as his other victims. By searching surveillance equipment they track his location and find Dr. Girardi wounded. Mulder finds Cole, who is ready to kill himself. Krycek, thinking Cole is holding a gun instead of the Bible he is actually holding, shoots him. Mulder and Scully find all of their files on the case missing. Krycek reports to the "Cigarette Smoking Man
" and others, telling them Scully is a bigger problem than they anticipated.
Writer Howard Gordon
was initially inspired to write this episode based on insomnia he was suffering at the time. Gordon, who wrote many episodes with Alex Gansa
in season one made his solo writing debut with this episode. Originally Chris Carter
had written a script for the first season
, which shared the same theme as "Sleepless." Which was "What makes the perfect soldier?" He also liked the twist on sleep, being that "sleep is where demons are released in our dreams." These characters were haunted by their memories because they were not able to sleep. Carter sees this episode as one of his favorites.
This episode marked the first appearance of Nicholas Lea
as Alex Krycek
. Carter had much interest in Krycek, because he replaced Dana Scully
as Mulder's new partner. Lea had previously appeared as a different character in the first season episode, "Gender Bender." Bowman, who had directed "Gender Bender," thought that Lea "was a [...] strong choice for a fresh-out-of-Quantico FBI agent." When creating him, the writers always had in mind that he would be a recurring character, while they agreed if the character did not work they would kill him off.
"Sleepless" marked the first on screen appearance of Steven Williams
as Fox Mulder
's new source, "X
." The character was originally intended to be a woman, and an actress was cast in the role, but after shooting her first scene the role was recast with Williams, an actor who had previous experience with writers Glen Morgan
and James Wong
. Natalija Nogulich, the actor who originally earned the role, was replaced because the writing staff felt she was not able to create the "right chemistry" between her co-stars.
of 8.6, with a 15 share. It was viewed by 8.204 million households and gathered a total of 8.600 million viewers in the United States
alone. Stephen Mark was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award
in 1995 in the category "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Series - Single Camera Production", but did not win. Chris Carter
enjoyed the episode, saying "I really love that show. It's a great idea, well executed. We had a good cast; Tony Todd was wonderful" and saying it was "beautifully directed by Rob Bowman. Entertainment Weekly
rated "Sleepless" with a B+, considering that Tony Todd's performance "elevates a just-good story into a great one." Critical Myth gave the episode 7 out of 10, saying it was best remembered for its introduction of Alex Krycek
. But the web site further stated that the episode was fairly decent and was a "fairly standard exploration" for the early season episodes.
The X-Files (season 2)
The second season of the science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing on Fox in the United States on September 16, 1994, concluded on the same channel on May 19, 1995, and contained 25 episodes.- Production :...
, and 28th overall of the science fiction
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...
. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on October 7, 1994. "Sleepless" subsequently aired in the United Kingdom, Ireland and was eventually released for broadcast to mainland Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The episode was written by supervising producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
Howard Gordon
Howard Gordon
Howard Gordon is an American screenwriter and producer.-Life and career:Gordon was born in Queens, New York, New York. After graduating from Princeton in 1984, Gordon came to Los Angeles with fellow filmmaker Alex Gansa to pursue a career in writing for television. Both broke into the industry...
, and directed by Rob Bowman. "Sleepless" featured what would become the 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...
of Alex Krycek
Alex Krycek
Alex Krycek is a fictional character in the long-running American science fiction show, The X-Files portrayed by Nicholas Lea. Initially introduced in the second season as a partner for main character Fox Mulder in the absence of his previous partner, Dana Scully, Krycek grew to become one of the...
, portrayed by Nicholas Lea
Nicholas Lea
Nicholas Lea is a Canadian actor best known for his portrayal of Alex Krycek on The X-Files and on Kyle XY playing Tom Foss.-Biography:...
.
The episode centers around 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...
(David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
) and his new partner Krycek investigating a case where doctors and soldiers who were part of a sleep deprivation experiment are being killed off. Although the episode earned a mediocre Nielsen household and syndication ratings in the United States compared to previous episodes of the season, it was generally well-received by fans and critics alike.
The episode's writer Howard Gordon
Howard Gordon
Howard Gordon is an American screenwriter and producer.-Life and career:Gordon was born in Queens, New York, New York. After graduating from Princeton in 1984, Gordon came to Los Angeles with fellow filmmaker Alex Gansa to pursue a career in writing for television. Both broke into the industry...
was inspired by various cases of insomnia
Insomnia
Insomnia is most often defined by an individual's report of sleeping difficulties. While the term is sometimes used in sleep literature to describe a disorder demonstrated by polysomnographic evidence of disturbed sleep, insomnia is often defined as a positive response to either of two questions:...
. During the first season, 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 :...
had written a similar themed episode, but stopped working on it when he became "un-happy" with the end-results.
Plot overview
In Manhattan, Dr. Saul Grissom finds a fire outside his apartment. By the time the fire fighters arrive they find no fire or fire damage, but do find Dr. Grissom, dead. Fox Mulder receives a tape cassette with his newspaper that includes Dr. Grissom's 911 call. Mulder brings it to Assistant Director Walter SkinnerWalter 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...
's attention, but a young agent, Alex Krycek
Alex Krycek
Alex Krycek is a fictional character in the long-running American science fiction show, The X-Files portrayed by Nicholas Lea. Initially introduced in the second season as a partner for main character Fox Mulder in the absence of his previous partner, Dana Scully, Krycek grew to become one of the...
opened the case first. Mulder calls former partner 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...
(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...
) and asks her to perform an autopsy on Dr. Grissom's corpse. Mulder heads to the Grissom Sleep Disorder Center in Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
and is confronted by Krycek soon afterwards, upset at Mulder for ditching him. The two head down to Quantico
FBI Academy
The FBI Academy, located in Quantico, Virginia, is the training site for new Special Agents of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was first opened for use in 1972 on 385 acres of woodland. It is a relatively small government academy, housing three dormitory buildings and...
to see Scully, who says that Dr. Grissom's body shows no signs of a fire, but it seems as if his body believed it was burning.
In a Brooklyn apartment, Henry Willig, a Vietnam veteran, is approached by his fellow Marine, Augustus Cole. Suddenly a group of wounded Vietnamese appear and gun him down. Examining his corpse, Mulder and Krycek find a scar on his neck and realize he was stationed in the Special Forces in Vietnam in 1970, one of only two survivors, the other being Augustus Cole. They head to the V.A. Medical Center in New Jersey where Cole is being held, only to find that he was discharged, despite the fact that his doctor doesn't remember doing so.
Mulder receives a phone call from the mysterious "X
X (The X-Files)
X, sometimes referred to as Mr. X, is a fictional character on the American science fiction television series The X-Files. He serves as an informant, leaking information to FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder to aid Mulder's investigation of paranormal cases, dubbed X-Files...
", who meets with him and gives him information on a secret military project that Dr. Grissom performed where he eradicated the need for sleep through lobotomy
Lobotomy
Lobotomy "; τομή – tomē: "cut/slice") is a neurosurgical procedure, a form of psychosurgery, also known as a leukotomy or leucotomy . It consists of cutting the connections to and from the prefrontal cortex, the anterior part of the frontal lobes of the brain...
. "X" provides him with the name of another member of the squad who was mistakenly reported as killed in action, Salvatore Matola. A man matching Cole's description robs a drug store and the SWAT team members coming after him shoot each other. Mulder believes that Cole's years of sleeplessness have provided him with telekinetic abilities. Mulder and Krycek meet with Matola soon afterwards, who says that he hasn't slept in 24 years due to the experiment. He reveals that there was another doctor who was part of the squad, Dr. Girardi.
Mulder and Krycek head to the subway station, where Dr. Girardi is expected to arrive due to Dr. Grissom's funeral. Mulder sees Cole there, and Cole shoots Dr. Girardi, but this event is actually all in Mulder's head. In reality, Cole has captured Dr. Girardi and holds him hostage, about to show him a similar fate as his other victims. By searching surveillance equipment they track his location and find Dr. Girardi wounded. Mulder finds Cole, who is ready to kill himself. Krycek, thinking Cole is holding a gun instead of the Bible he is actually holding, shoots him. Mulder and Scully find all of their files on the case missing. Krycek reports to the "Cigarette Smoking Man
Cigarette Smoking Man
The Smoking Man is a fictional character and the antagonist on the American science fiction television series The X-Files. He serves as the arch-nemesis of FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder. Although his name is revealed to purportedly be C.G.B...
" and others, telling them Scully is a bigger problem than they anticipated.
Production
Howard Gordon
Howard Gordon is an American screenwriter and producer.-Life and career:Gordon was born in Queens, New York, New York. After graduating from Princeton in 1984, Gordon came to Los Angeles with fellow filmmaker Alex Gansa to pursue a career in writing for television. Both broke into the industry...
was initially inspired to write this episode based on insomnia he was suffering at the time. Gordon, who wrote many episodes with Alex Gansa
Alex Gansa
Alex Gansa is a screenwriter and producer.He produced and wrote a number of scripts for the Beauty and the Beast television series. He later worked as a writer and supervising producer on The X-Files in its first two seasons, and on Dawson's Creek in its third season...
in season one made his solo writing debut with this episode. Originally 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 :...
had written a script for the first season
The X-Files (season 1)
The first season of the science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing on the Fox network in the United States on September 10, 1993 and concluded on the same channel on May 13, 1994 after airing all 24 episodes....
, which shared the same theme as "Sleepless." Which was "What makes the perfect soldier?" He also liked the twist on sleep, being that "sleep is where demons are released in our dreams." These characters were haunted by their memories because they were not able to sleep. Carter sees this episode as one of his favorites.
This episode marked the first appearance of Nicholas Lea
Nicholas Lea
Nicholas Lea is a Canadian actor best known for his portrayal of Alex Krycek on The X-Files and on Kyle XY playing Tom Foss.-Biography:...
as Alex Krycek
Alex Krycek
Alex Krycek is a fictional character in the long-running American science fiction show, The X-Files portrayed by Nicholas Lea. Initially introduced in the second season as a partner for main character Fox Mulder in the absence of his previous partner, Dana Scully, Krycek grew to become one of the...
. Carter had much interest in Krycek, because he replaced 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...
as Mulder's new partner. Lea had previously appeared as a different character in the first season episode, "Gender Bender." Bowman, who had directed "Gender Bender," thought that Lea "was a [...] strong choice for a fresh-out-of-Quantico FBI agent." When creating him, the writers always had in mind that he would be a recurring character, while they agreed if the character did not work they would kill him off.
"Sleepless" marked the first on screen appearance of Steven Williams
Steven Williams
Steven Williams is an American actor of films and television.Williams was born in Memphis, Tennessee and raised in Chicago. He is known for his role as Captain Adam Fuller on the Fox Network's hit TV series 21 Jump Street from 1987-91.He played Lt. Burnett on the CBS drama series The Equalizer in...
as 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...
's new source, "X
X (The X-Files)
X, sometimes referred to as Mr. X, is a fictional character on the American science fiction television series The X-Files. He serves as an informant, leaking information to FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder to aid Mulder's investigation of paranormal cases, dubbed X-Files...
." The character was originally intended to be a woman, and an actress was cast in the role, but after shooting her first scene the role was recast with Williams, an actor who had previous experience with writers Glen Morgan
Glen Morgan
Glen Morgan is an American television producer, writer, and director.-Biography:Morgan is best known for his screen work with long-time writing partner James Wong, including The X-Files, Millennium, Space: Above and Beyond, the Final Destination series, The One, Willard, and the 2006 remake of...
and James Wong
James Wong (producer)
James 'Jim' Wong is a Cantonese-American television producer, writer, and film director notable for his screen works of The X-Files, Space: Above and Beyond, Millennium, Final Destination 1 & 3, The One, and the remakes of Willard and Black Christmas along with writing partner Glen...
. Natalija Nogulich, the actor who originally earned the role, was replaced because the writing staff felt she was not able to create the "right chemistry" between her co-stars.
Reception
"Sleepless" 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 8.6, with a 15 share. It was viewed by 8.204 million households and gathered a total of 8.600 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. Stephen Mark was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
in 1995 in the category "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Series - Single Camera Production", but did not win. 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 :...
enjoyed the episode, saying "I really love that show. It's a great idea, well executed. We had a good cast; Tony Todd was wonderful" and saying it was "beautifully directed by Rob Bowman. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
rated "Sleepless" with a B+, considering that Tony Todd's performance "elevates a just-good story into a great one." Critical Myth gave the episode 7 out of 10, saying it was best remembered for its introduction of Alex Krycek
Alex Krycek
Alex Krycek is a fictional character in the long-running American science fiction show, The X-Files portrayed by Nicholas Lea. Initially introduced in the second season as a partner for main character Fox Mulder in the absence of his previous partner, Dana Scully, Krycek grew to become one of the...
. But the web site further stated that the episode was fairly decent and was a "fairly standard exploration" for the early season episodes.