Chinga
- Episode aired Feb 8, 1998
- TV-14
- 44m
Rumors of witchcraft and sorcery surrounding a bizarre murder at a supermarket in a small New England fishing town lead Scully, who's on vacation, to a little girl and a cursed doll that may... Read allRumors of witchcraft and sorcery surrounding a bizarre murder at a supermarket in a small New England fishing town lead Scully, who's on vacation, to a little girl and a cursed doll that may be hiding a murderous presence.Rumors of witchcraft and sorcery surrounding a bizarre murder at a supermarket in a small New England fishing town lead Scully, who's on vacation, to a little girl and a cursed doll that may be hiding a murderous presence.
- Dave the Butcher
- (as Harrison R. Coe)
- Shopper
- (as Elizabeth McCarthy)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis marks the introduction of the pencils in the ceiling in Mulder's office, a sign of Mulder's boredom without Scully. They would feature in various episodes throughout the show's run.
- GoofsAt about 23:45, after Scully has finished taking her bath, she walks past a mirror and a crew person wearing a blue shirt is briefly visible.
- Quotes
Fox Mulder: It sounds to me like that's witchcraft or maybe some sorcery that your'e looking for there.
Dana Scully: No, I don't think it's witchcraft, Mulder, or sorcery. I've had a look around and I don't see any evidence of anything that warrants that kind of suspicion.
Fox Mulder: Yeah, well, maybe you don't know what you're looking for.
Dana Scully: Like evidence of conjury or the black arts, or shamanism, divination, Wicca, or any kind of pagan or neo-pagan practice? Charms, cards, familiars, bloodstones, or hex signs, or any of the ritual tableau associated with the occult, Santeria, Vodun, Macumba, or any high or low magic?
Fox Mulder: Scully...
Dana Scully: Yes?
Fox Mulder: Marry me.
Dana Scully: I was hoping for something a little more helpful.
Fox Mulder: Well, you know, short of looking for a lady wearing a pointy hat, riding a broomstick, I think you pretty much got it covered there.
Dana Scully: Thanks, anyway.
- ConnectionsReferenced in The X Files: Resist or Serve (2004)
- SoundtracksFirst movement 'Allegro moderato' from Piano Concerto No. 3 in B minor Op. 89
(uncredited)
Composed by Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Scully listens to this in her car when she drives into the gas station and later when taking a bath
"Chinga" could, and should, have been a lot of fun. Here is another episode that sees Scully and Mulder separated from one another as was often the case with the fifth season as the season's production was hampered by the ongoing production of the film, Fight the Future. The greatest thing to really happen to this episode is the way in which Chris Carter has written the dynamic of Scully and Mulder. Though it's no "War of the Coprophages" which did the same concept to greater effect, it's still very solid and there's plenty of humour in watching this, the best part of the script, come together nicely on screen thanks to an ever palpable chemistry between the stars.
And that's really all I particularly enjoy about "Chinga". Even the Scully/Mulder element is nothing profound but it's enjoyable in an episode that is otherwise somewhat of a chore. Stephen King's screenplay really misses the human element that is so often present in 'The X-Files' in that he fails at surface level characterizations, in this case the widowed mother who is going through hell with her young daughter. In most episodes, there would be a decent level of empathy that the viewer could project onto the supporting characters but there's nothing of the sort here.
Even more disappointing is how truly non-frightening this episode is and the doll in particular is terrible. The voice work done on the doll is the complete anthisesis of what it is intended for, which is to be creepy. Whenever the doll would say "I want to play" or whatever other remarks it would come up with, just prior to performing another killing, I was not scared but completely frustrated and uncomfortable that something so ineffective made its way into 'The X-Files', especially via the hands of an auteur (albeit in a different medium) like Stephen King.
"Chinga" isn't offensive but I was particularly frustrated watching this episode. What I sought was not what I got and while that's not an inherent negative, this episode offered little to no fun. The mystery is weak, the suspense is non-existent, there are no real palpable stakes at play here and the idea of having a passive protagonist, which the show often does superbly in episodes like "Die Hand Die Verletzt", is not well handled here. If what you seek is a fun Child's Play sort of remake from one of the genre's great writers, then "Chinga" will be sure to disappoint. It's a surprisingly non 'X-Files' episode of 'The X-Files' that is probably the result of Stephen King's guest writing opportunity.
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- Feb 11, 2018