| "Little Green Men" | |
|---|---|
| The X-Files episode | |
&sq=Facebook&lang=en&file=File:Little_Green_Men_(X-Files).jpg) An alien appears before Fox Mulder. "Little Green Men" was the first episode of The X-Files to actually show a live extraterrestrial. | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | David Nutter |
| Written by | Glen Morgan James Wong |
| Production code | 2X01 |
| Original air date | September 16, 1994 |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Little Green Men" is the first episode of the second season of the science fiction television series The X-Files, premiering on the Fox network on September 16, 1994, in the United States and on BBC Two in the United Kingdom on August 28, 1995. The episode was written by Glen Morgan and James Wong, and directed by David Nutter. The episode helped explore the series' overarching mythology. "Little Green Men" earned a Nielsen household rating of 10.3, being watched by 9.8 million households in its initial broadcast. The episode received largely positive reviews from critics.
The show centers on FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. Mulder is a believer in the paranormal, while the skeptical Scully has been assigned to debunk his work. In the episode, Mulder goes to the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico to continue his search for proof on extraterrestrial life. Meanwhile, Scully attempts to aid him after being separated following the closure of the X-Files.
"Little Green Men" was written specifically as a way for Mulder to question his belief in aliens. The episode features the first appearance of an extraterrestrial, because series creator Chris Carter felt it was time to unveil one. In addition, the episode introduces the character of Senator Richard Matheson. Matheson was named after the sci-fi/horror writer Richard Matheson, who wrote many episodes of The Twilight Zone.