The X-Files Gives Dark Nod To Infamous Serial Killer In Season 1
Throughout the course of The X-Files, the show gave us many fictional serial killers, including memorable monsters like Eugene Tooms and Donnie Pfaster. On at least one occasion, however, the show snuck a reference to a real-life serial killer into the dialogue where most fans might have overlooked it. The episode “Ghost in the Machine” has a character ask Mulder and Scully, “what took you guys so long,” a deliberate reference to a famous phrase said by David Berkowitz, better known as the Son of Sam killer.
Ghost In The Machine
For this tale about a forgotten X-Files episode to make much sense, we need to review both the episode and David Berkowitz. “Ghost in the Machine” is a season 1 episode about an evil AI, one that the Defense Department would do anything to acquire. The climax of the episode is a race against time, with Mulder and Scully trying to upload a virus to destroy the artificial intelligence before a traitorous government mole can steal the device for his own nefarious purposes.
The David Berkowitz Connection
At one point in this X-Files episode, Mulder and Scully introduce themselves to Brad Wilczek, the inventor of the lethal AI. When they arrive, he asks a fairly innocuous question, “what took you guys so long?” As many younger fans may not realize, this was a deliberate homage to serial David Berkowitz, who told his arresting NYPD officers, “you got me” before asking “what took you so long?”
A Real-Life Mulder Would Eat Up This Serial Killer Case
There are many reasons why The X-Files may have included a reference to such a serial killer, including the fact that David Berkowitz is the kind of figure Mulder would be fascinated by on the show. After getting caught, the murderer initially blamed his neighbor’s dog, claiming that the canine named Sam was actually the manifestation of a demon giving him orders to kill. He subsequently identified himself as the Son of Sam in taunting letters that he would sign with ironic nicknames like “Mr. Monster.”
Seinfeld Did It Too
At first glance, the idea of an X-Files episode casually referencing David Berkowitz may sound crazy, but the Son of Sam was very much still in the cultural zeitgeist in the early to mid-90s. Two years after “Ghost in the Machine,” Seinfeld had a weird plot where Newman had held onto Berkowitz’s mailbag from the killer’s time in the postal service. This kicked off references to the serial killer in several other episodes, including “The Engagement,” where Newman tells his arresting police officers, “what took you so long?”
The X-Files Loved Its Serial Killers
Younger X-Files fans may particularly find references to a serial killer from the ‘70s a bit weird, but we like how this winking reference to David Berkowitz makes one thing stunningly clear: even the most minor scripts have some wild surprises hidden in them for fans. Later, the show would establish its own bizarre rogues’ gallery of serial killers to freak fans out, which meant fewer references to real-life mass murderers. That’s likely for the best because let’s be real: could anyone take Tooms seriously if he returned to the show and immediately claimed that the dog made him do it?
