Invocation (The X-Files): Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox television episode

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| next = [[Redrum (The X-Files)|Redrum]]

| episode_list = List of The X-Files episodes

| season_article = The X-Files (season 8)

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"'''Invocation'''" is the fifth episode of the [[The X-Files (season 8)|eighth season]] of the American [[science fiction on television|science fiction]] television series ''[[The X-Files]]''. It premiered on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox network]] on {{nowrap|December 3, 2000}}. The episode was written by David Amman and directed by [[Richard Compton]]. "Invocation" is a "monster-of-the-week" story, unconnected to the series' wider [[Mythology of The X-Files|mythology]]. The episode received a [[Nielsen rating]] of 8.2 and was viewed by 13.9 million viewers. Overall, the episode received mixed reviews from critics.

The series centers on [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] special agents [[Dana Scully]] ([[Gillian Anderson]]) and her new partner [[John Doggett]] ([[Robert Patrick]])—following the alien abduction of her former partner, [[Fox Mulder]] ([[David Duchovny]])—who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called [[X-File]]s. In this episode, a little boy mysteriously reappears after having been kidnapped for ten years. However, he has not aged one bit after his disappearance. While the case stirs up painful memories for Doggett, suspicion stirs that the boy is not all he seems.

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In 1990, Billy Underwood goes missing at a school fair in [[Oklahoma|Dexter, Oklahoma]]. Ten years later, Billy's mother Lisa Underwood is called to the local [[elementary school]]. She learns that Billy has mysteriously re-appeared at the school, but does not seem to have aged in the decade he was missing.

[[Dana Scully]] ([[Gillian Anderson]]) and [[John Doggett]] ([[Robert Patrick]]) arrive at the police station to see Billy. Doggett interviews the boy, who seems to be [[Muteness|mute]]. In attempt to get Billy to speak, Doggett keeps his backpack from him. This infuriates Lisa and leads Scully to question Doggett’s expertise in [[child abduction]] cases. Scully suggests that Billy is an [[alien abduction|alien abductee]], but Doggett believes Ronald Purnell, a local [[:wikt:delinquent|delinquent]], may have been involved in the boy's disappearance. Doggett questions Purnell, who expresses confusion when the agent suggests that he should meet Billy. As Doggett sits in his car, he pulls out a school photo of his deceaseda son,young Lukeboy.

When Billy is returned home, his brother and father are uneasy about his presence; Lisa is blind to these problems. While Lisa and her husband Doug argue about Billy, he wanders into his brother’s room holding a knife. Lisa finds a bloody knife in his brotherJosh's bed the next morning, although the boy is unscathed. Billy stands in the room staring at Josh. [[Forensic]] analysis shows the blood to be Billy's, although there are no injuries on him. The knife bears a crude star-like symbol that Billy drew while being interrogated by Doggett, whicha symbol that was also drawn by a psychic investigator who worked with the police following Billy's disappearance ten years earlier. MeanwhileThe Underwoods reluctantly agree to let Billy speak with the psychic, Calbut Jeppywhen showsDoug upattempts to drive him to the meeting, Billy seemingly disappears from inside the family minivan, only to reappear in Josh's room, frightening Josh with his silent staring. Meanwhile, at Purnell's trailer, his mother's boyfriend, Cal Jeppy, shows up and hassles him. Purnell goes into the woods and digs up a skull. Later, Jeppy [[blackmail]]s Purnell into silence over something related to Billy.

Scully and Doggett bring the psychic, Sharon Pearl, to meet Billy. After touching Billy, Pearl says that she feels powerful forces acting through him, and that she senses emanations from Doggett as well, claiming he lost someone just like Billy. She then goesappears intoto suffer a [[seizure]], and the mysterious symbol formingforms on her forehead. As Scully and Doggett laterdiscuss Sharon's condition, Scully plays a taped recording of her utterances while having the seizure, then reverses the tape to reveal a child's voice singing a lullaby, [[All the Pretty Little Horses|All The Pretty Little Horses]]. They notice Purnell drivedriving up to the Underwood home and Doggett gets out to question Purnell. Purnell panics when he sees Billy ininside his car, driving off when Doggett also sees the child, but after a short pursuit, Purnell is arrested. Theand the agents fail to find Billy in the vehicle. Elsewhere in town at a gas station, Josh Underwood is abductedlured atfrom ahis gasfather's stationcar whileby lookinga atpony aand [[horse trailer]]. TheAs his abduction unfolds, the star-like symbol appearsBilly and the psychic drew is shown to be a painted logo on the trailer for Cal's Pony Ride-Along.

After interrogation by Doggett, Purnell confesses to snatching Billy in 1990 on behalf of someone else. Doggett recognizes Purnell was also a victim, and with enough prodding, gets a name: Cal Jeppy. The police and the two FBI agents go to Jeppy’s home and find Josh in a compartment under the floor of his horse trailer. Doggett chases Jeppy into the woods, catches him, and, discoversafter thecatching skulla glimpse of Billy, thatdiscovers the skull Purnell dug up earlier where the now vanished boy was standing. As the Underwoods standgrieve over the shallow grave of their long -dead son, Doggett expressexpresses incredulity that the case's conclusion was an instance of justice from beyond the grave and laments antheir inability to explain it;. Scully, however, reasons that the body is explanation enough and that the important thing is that Josh Underwood was saved from the same fate.<ref>{{cite web|title=Invocation|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/xfiles/episodeguide/eight/page05.shtml|work=BBC Cult|publisher=BBC|access-date=11 May 2012}}</ref>

==Production==

[[Image:Caltech from the air.jpg|thumb|Many of the episode's scenes were filmed in [[Pasadena, California]].]]

"Invocation" was written by producer David Amann, and marked his fifth script contribution to the series. "Invocation" was the first of two episodeepisodes of ''The X-Files'' to be directed by [[Richard Compton]]; he would later go on to direct the eighth season episode "[[Medusa (The X-Files)|Medusa]]".<ref name="BigbookDirector">Hurwitz and Knowles, pp. 236–240</ref> Although the episode was the fifth aired in the season, it was actually the sixth one filmed, as evidenced by its production number.<ref name=cast/><ref name="BBCdate"/> A majority of the episode was filmed in [[Pasadena, California]]. Many of the extras from the episode auditioned via General Casting, a casting agency.<ref name="fraga">Fraga, p. 186</ref>

In the episode, Doggett is told by a psychic that his very own son was kidnapped and murdered; thus, "Invocation" would mark the first appearance of Luke Doggett, the son of John.<ref name="Invocation">{{cite episode | title=Invocation | series=The X-Files | series-link=The X-Files |credits = [[Richard Compton]] (Director); David Amann (Writer) | network = [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] | season = 8 | number = 5}}</ref> Luke's story would develop into an arc featuring Doggett trying to find out the truth about his son's murder. Robert Patrick noted "['Invocation' started] a very important arc, because you start to see the vulnerability of the Doggett character, what drives him. That's where we first realize something's happened to him. There's a tragedy that's involved with him."<ref name="Bigbook">Hurwitz and Knowles, p. 189</ref>

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==Reception==

"Invocation" first aired on Fox on December 3, 2000.<ref name="BBCdate">{{cite AV media notes |title=The X-Files: The Complete Eighth Season |title-link=The X-Files (season 8) |others=[[Kim Manners]], et al |type=booklet |publisher=[[Fox Broadcasting Corporation|Fox]] }}</ref> The episode earned a [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen household rating]] of 8.2, meaning that it was seen by 8.2% of the nation's estimated households.<ref name=ratinggood/> The episode was viewed by 8.27 million households,<ref name=ratinggood>{{cite journalnews|agency=Associated Press|title=Television Ratings|journalwork=Associated Press Archive|date=5 December 2000}}</ref>{{#tag:ref|At the time of airing, the estimated number of households was 100.8 million.<ref name=ratinggood/> Thus, 8.2 percent of 100.8 million is 8.27 million households.|group="nb"}} and 13.9 million viewers.<ref name=tvtango8>{{cite web|last=Canton|first=Maj|title=The X-Files – Series – Episode List – Season 8|url=http://www.tvtango.com/series/x_files/episodes?filters%5Bday%5D=&filters%5Bseason%5D=8&filters%5Bbroadcast%5D=No&filters%5Bmedia%5D=&commit.x=25&commit.y=12|publisher=TV Tango|access-date=February 24, 2013}}</ref> The episode ranked as the 41st most-watched episode for the week ending December 3.<ref name=ratinggood/> The episode aired in the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Ireland]] on [[Sky1]] on March 8, 2001 and received 0.64 million viewers, making it the eighth most watched episode that week.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.barb.co.uk/whats-new/weekly-top-10/? |title=BARB's multichannel top 10 programmes |publisher=barb.co.uk |access-date=4 January 2011}} Note: Information is in the section titled "w/e March 5–11, 2001", listed under Sky 1</ref> Fox promoted the episode with the tagline "How can a child disappear for ten years... and not age a single day? Tonight, a family's miracle may be a gift from hell."<ref>{{Cite sign |title=Invocation |year=2000 |type=Promotional Flyer |publisher=[[Fox Broadcasting Company]] |___location=[[Los Angeles, California]]|url=http://i550.photobucket.com/albums/ii421/maurisap/xfiles%20forum/138childdisappear.jpg}}</ref>

[[Television Without Pity]] writer Jessica Morgan rated the episode a B–B−, and, despite the moderate praise, finished her review with the statement, "I miss Mulder."<ref name="TWP">{{cite web |url=http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/the-xfiles/invocation.php?page=11 |title=Invocation |work=[[Television Without Pity]] |publisher=[[NBCUniversal]] |first=Jessica |last=Morgan |date=3 December 2000 |access-date=11 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204065130/http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/the-xfiles/invocation.php?page=11 |archive-date=4 February 2013 }}</ref> Zack Handlen of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' awarded the episode a "B–B−", writing that it is "an okay entry that’s kept from being completely forgettable by some memorable shots […] and some decent Scully/Doggett banter."<ref name=avclub/> Handlen held a mixed feeling toward's Doggett's backstory, noting that its introduction "does push the character in ways that undermine some of his strongest traits".<ref name=avclub>{{cite web|last=Handlen|first=Zack|title='Invocation'/'Redrum' {{!}} The X-Files/Millennium {{!}} TV Club|url=httphttps://www.avclub.com/articles/invocationredrum,104379/the-x-files-invocation-redrum-1798178377|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|publisher=[[The Onion]]|access-date=October 19, 2013|date=October 19, 2013}}</ref>

[[Robert Shearman]] and [[Lars Pearson]], in their book ''Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen'', rated the episode two-and-a-half stars out of five. The two praised Amman's ability to "elicit real-world reactions out of fantastical situations".<ref name="shear">Shearman and Pearson, p. 232–233</ref> However, Shearman and Pearson took issue with the way Doggett's backstory was extrapolated. They noted that Doggett had been portrayed, up to the point in the series, as a "solid and reliable" character. However, "Invocation" sees him "[break] protocol and [behave] like a bully" because of a case reminiscent of that of his deceased son's, a situation that, the authors reason, is too similar to Mulder's own search for the truth about his sister, [[Samantha Mulder|Samantha]].<ref name="shear"/> Paula Vitaris from ''[[Cinefantastique]]'' gave the episode a mixed review and awarded it two stars out of four.<ref name=cinepaula>{{cite journal|last=Vitaris|first=Paula|title=The X-Files Season Eight Episode Guide|journal=[[Cinefantastique]]|date=April 2002|volume=34|issue=2|pages=42–49}}</ref> Vitaris bluntly wrote, "'Invocation' is a masterpiece, but only if you grade it on a '[[Roadrunners (The X-Files)|Roadrunners]]' bell-curve."<ref name=cinepaula/> She elaborated, calling it "a run-of-the-mill stand-alone, a combination of '[[Revelations (The X-Files)|Revelations]]' and '[[The Calusari]]'"<ref name=cinepaula/>

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==Bibliography==

*{{cite book | year=2010 | first1=Erica |last1=Fraga | title=LAX-Files: Behind the Scenes with the Los Angeles Cast and Crew |publisher=CreateSpace |isbn=9781451503418 |ref=Fraga |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781451503418_u4y7/page/8/mode/2up |url-access=registration}}

*{{Cite book |title=The Complete X-Files |first1=Matt |last1=Hurwitz |first2=Chris |last2=Knowles |publisher=Insight Editions |year=2008 |isbn=978-1933784809 }}

*{{cite book | year=2009 | first1=Robert |last1=Shearman |first2=Lars |last2=Pearson | title=Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen|publisher=Mad Norwegian Press|isbn=978-0975944691}}

{{WikiaFandom content

|sitename=X-Files

|articlename=Invocation

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[[Category:Television episodes about ghosts]]

[[Category:Television episodes set in Oklahoma]]

[[Category:The X-Files (season 8) episodes]]

[[Category:Fiction set in 1990]]

[[Category:Television episodes set in the 1990s]]