The Most Important Early X-Files Guest Isn’t Who You Think
One of the things that makes The X-Files such a great show is that it felt so fully formed right away…sure, some early episodes were a bit rough around the edges, but season 1 generally laid out the blueprint that would make the series such an enduring pop culture phenomenon. This included having some great early guest characters like Deep Throat and arguably even the Cigarette Smoking Man, who was originally intended to be an extra and only said four words in season 1. These and other characters are very important, but I’m convinced the most important early guest character was Max Fenig.
Max Fenig In Fallen Angel
For all his importance to The X-Files, it’s easy to forget who Max Fenig is, so let’s do a quick recap. He is introduced in the season 1 episode “Fallen Angel” as a UFO abductee who, like Fox Mulder, is determined to learn the truths that the government had hidden and expose them to the world. In season 4, he boarded a flight with alien artifacts that could prove his wild claims, but he died when a UFO took control of the plane, and then an F-15 fighter ended up destroying both crafts.
The Nerd We Needed
Why, then, do I think Max Fenig was the most important early X-Files guest character? For one thing, he is an abduction survivor who has spent his entire life trying to convince people he’s not crazy for sharing his tales of aliens and UFOs. In short, he is the type of character Fox Mulder is truly fighting for: should the erstwhile FBI agent ever convince the world that aliens are real, Max is the sympathetic face of those who would most benefit from such revelations.
Died For A Noble Cause
Speaking of which, the later appearance of Max Fenig reveals what a profound effect his earlier encounter with Mulder had on him. The poor guy literally died trying to bring Mulder quantifiable proof of the existence of aliens. Mulder himself is often characterized as a lone crusader for truth, but Max is proof that Mulder had allies along the way, ones who were quite willing to die for this righteous cause.
The Lone Gunmen Connection
Regarding Mulder’s allies, it’s almost impossible to see Max Fenig in season 1 without realizing that he effectively created the template for The Lone Gunmen, the trio of nerds who often help our favorite agents run down important information. Those characters would make their debut seven episodes later, but Max clearly established the template of a geeky character who wanted to use their own special skills to help Mulder out. Heck, if you squint a bit, Max even looks a lot like Langley, the blonde-haired, bespectacled member of the Lone Gunmen.
A True Trailblazer
Obviously, there are other early X-Files characters that might be more important to the mythology of the show, and still others that have both more screen-time and charisma. However, Max created the archetype for some of the show’s most important characters while validating Mulder’s quest for truth and ultimately dying in pursuit of it. The truth was always tantalizingly out of reach in this show, but Max was an awesome early character who spent his every waking moment trying to bring the truth that much closer.
