For more than thirty years, The X-Files has been one of the most influential television shows ever made about UFOs, alien abduction, government secrecy and the possibility that extraterrestrials are already here. In this episode of Sound, Light & Frequency, Bryce Zabel and Brent Friedman go back inside the mythology of Mulder and Scully to ask a deceptively simple question: what did The X-Files actually say was going on? The answer involves real aliens, a secret Syndicate, abductions, genetic experiments, alien-human hybrids, black oil, rival extraterrestrial factions, government infiltration—and a conspiracy so layered that even Mulder is constantly mistaking disclosure for disinformation.
But the bigger question is the one Bryce and Brent have been asking all season: did Hollywood borrow the UFO story from UFOlogy, or did UFOlogy eventually start borrowing it back from Hollywood? Much of what The X-Filesdramatized—crash retrievals, MJ-12-style secrecy, alien bodies, implants, reverse engineering, government disinformation and abduction lore—was already circulating before the show premiered in 1993. Yet decades later, some of the same ideas are being discussed by whistleblowers, former intelligence officials and members of Congress. So was The X-Files simply a brilliant synthesis of existing UFO mythology, or did its enormous cultural impact help shape the way modern people now understand the phenomenon?
Along the way, Bryce and Brent revisit the show’s Emmy breakthrough, its influence on prestige science fiction, Chris Carter’s relationship to the UFO subject, and the intriguing claims of former AFOSI officer Richard Doty about his own involvement with the series. They also compare The X-Files with Dark Skies, reflect on what each show did differently, and look ahead to Ryan Coogler’s new incarnation of the franchise. In the end, one thing seems certain: with The X-Files, the truth may indeed be out there—but it has never been simple.
Our important URLs are:
www.SoundLightFrequency.com
www.HollywoodUFOs.com
www.NeedToKnow.today
www.DarkSkies.today
Bryce Zabel X: @HollywoodUFOs
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love the show guys but 17 minutes to get to the subject is just gratuitous
Wow you guys bored me to sleep. I thought you were going to talk to SCULLY & MULDER at one of the Hollywood Or New York public gatherings. BOOORRRING! Thanks for all the Facts which are very boring.
Dean Hagland went on Infowars with Alex Jones and said the CIA often gave them ideas for the show. Including the remote control flying of a plane into the World Trade Center.
Scully: what the hell are you doing here? Cigarette Man: Gods work, what else?
I am a sci-fi fan for a very long time and also a writer myself, I have no contact or connection with any one in the Govt nor I know anyone who "knows" one or two things about Aliens etc, but I am damn sure that the Ideas or things we see in these sci-fi shows or movies, their ideas are inspired by someone from some secret govt section or people who want us to understand there something out there.
Yep ,Duchovny is still
my crush 😊 18:29
The "sentient black oil" is very close to the Symbiote that latched on to Spider-Man and later becomes Venom. Carter could've borrowed from there.
Definitely 'Thumbs up' for me! I love everything about the show which brings such an original view on the Phenomenon, not done before! And also both your personalities and life stories! 😍😃
LOVE THE X-FILES, and loved this episode ‼
Learned soooo much.
You guys rock !! 👍👍👍
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Nice cheque board tie goes with all your other freemason bits and bobs you seem to have stashed all over your room.
Wasn't Richard Doty a counterintelligence officer? If so, his job was to mislead. Judging by your critique of his honesty, it sounds like he lived up to that reputation.
X Files was good for a few seasons then lost it's own plot. Dark Skies was good was a shame it got cancelled. Did you guys have an idea where it would have gone in the end if it had continued? Do we need to start a drinking game for when Bryce mentions the Emmy's similar to when Jesse Michel's talks about Townsend Brown? 😂
Although I always enjoyed the X-files, back when it first came out, I much preferred Dark Skies, and when talking to other people, would argue Dark Skies was better. 😁
Mainly because the alien side of the X-files story was always the most interesting to me, but it felt like they never delivered and only ever teased. In a single season, Dark Skies had plenty of ongoing mysteries but also delivered to make you feel things were progressing. X-files ended up feeling as though it was going nowhere and constantly 'mystery boxing' before that was even a term. And Scully, much as I liked the character, gets really annoying with the constant scepticism in the end.
It's all summed up by that final big spaceship reveal scene in the movie and they still can't let Scully see the UFO. I think the success of the X-files is oddly down to frustration. It taps into that human desire to know the mystery and stubbornly not give up till we find out. So, the series rarely ever delivers and is often just an exercise in frustration. Which oddly enough worked in its favour but I think showed itself to no longer be enough, with the mediocre reception the more recent re-launches got.
So we are still waiting to see what is on the mysterious piece of paper?
I've enjoyed the show, but this unnecessary tease causes concerns about authenticity.
I loved both X-Fiies and Dark Skies. It's only more recently that I found out people thought DS was a ripoff. Odd, because that never even entered my mind.
If Doty was a disinformation agent, then there is no way he could be trusted. Nothing he says can be trusted and everything he says would have to be verified so he is really of no value.
This is such a great show! Bring on season 2!
I would love to see you gentlemen bring back Dark Skies . We need a brilliant sci-fi series to watch. I’m literally rewatching old sci-fi series (Stargate SG-1, The X-Files, Dark Skies, Taken, ST-TNG) now because I’m desperately seeking quality sci-fi.
I got a comment for you alrightie, don't interview Doty, do not give him a platform. you can believe half of what he says. but which half? he is irredeemable. I won't unsubscribe but I won't watch, and will give a thumbs down to any interview with him I see. and I'm too old to care if that bothers anyone. if it does, feel free to argue with me here, because more comments will help this channel, but I won't read any replies to this comment either in support or against my stance against that disinformation agent. cheers.
Bryce and Brent , I looks forward everytime a new episode drops , yer podcast is absolutely brilliant, always interesting and good fun , 👍
Space time metric engineering on my x
The sentient black oil was called by the name black goo by some researchers and did crop up in various talks.
I was skeptical that such an idea could appear first in a TV show so maybe they knew something or were tapping into higher truths?
I would suggest looking into talks by David Griffin and others regarding the whole Falklands war as well as Miles Johnston and Harold Kautz Vella.
Thank you Bryce & Brent. Greetings from Poland 😊
You're right, calling the non-mythology episodes "Monster of the Week" doesn't cut it. And even "woo" doesn't IMO. Some of these, like "José Chungs from Outer Space" or "Clyde Bruckman's final Repose" would have deserved to be made into feature-length movies. Just great writing, wonderful characters, witty dialogues, genuine suspense etc. They were exceptions, though, and became rare after the frst four or five seasons.
In the middle of rewatching The X-Files series. Perfect timing
Very much looking forward to the Formula episode!
I loved the original Star Trek; I got to the point where I knew the name of the episode within the first 30 seconds. I never watched any of the spinoffs. And I loved The X Files. My problem with many of the current TV shows is that I refuse to pay to stream anything; I already pay enough for cable TV. I've stopped watching series because they moved to streaming.
I’ll loving this show on the X-Files! It would be fantastic if you could get Chris Carter on your show to share some of his insights and experiences.
I loved Kolchak!! It used to scare the crap outta me, but I'd still watch it. Great show. Loved Darren McGavin. 😊❤
Glad you're highlighting the X-Files but I often wonder why I haven't heard you discuss Resident Alien. It was full of humor, drama, and snippets of wisdom.
Thank you for the reminder about The X-Files! When it first premiered, I was a young mom working on my doctorate, and for whatever reason, Twin Peaks caught my attention more back then—so now I’m finally going back to give The X-Files a proper watch.
Your question about whether Hollywood borrows from UFOlogy (or vice versa) actually prompted me to re-watch William Cameron Menzies’ Invaders From Mars (1953) after seeing Screen Rant note its influence on Spielberg— currently streaming free on Tubi! Watching it on TV as a child in the early 1960s was terrifying, largely because it’s told from the child’s perspective (a framing device Spielberg adopted so brilliantly in E.T.).
Digging into the background, I was fascinated to discover that the movie actually referenced three distinct craft shapes based on real UFO reports of that era! Thanks for inspiring me to dig deeper into these pop-culture and lore overlaps. Looking forward to your upcoming events and big congrats to Bryce on the new podcast in production! ❤
Can't wait to run that formula with 9 different AI agents!
Industry insiders with honest backstory and incredible tie-ins! 👍🇺🇸🙂
I was a HUGE fan of “The X-Files” from the very first episode. The combination of supernatural, serial killers, monsters and the ongoing UFO and alien invasion plot about the Black Oil and Agent Krychek, the Cigarette Smoking Man and the push-pull relationship between Mulder and Scully made it unique. I was aware that some people thought, unfairly, that “Dark Skies” was NBC’s attempt to “cash in” on “The X-Files.” I never thought that because they were two very different shows. “The X-Files” was about FBI agents trying to uncover the truth about our government’s involvement with the UFO/UAP subject. “Dark Skies” was more focused on the idea of the alien invasion and its effect on world events. Both had handsome lead actor and beautiful women (holy cow, you had Jeri Ryan pre “Seven of Nine”!) and a convoluted conspiracy. They had Willam B. Davis smoking clove cigarettes and spreading disinformation. You had Frank Bach trying to keep the Hive under control, also spreading disinformation. Parenthetical personal story. I have always been fascinated by and enamored of women with red hair. My favorite actress is Rita Hayworth (or is it Rhonda Fleming?). So when I got a chance to meet Gillian Anderson at an X-Files Convention in Burbank in 1997, I drove up from Irvine without hesitation. I was so utterly fanboy gobsmacked by her breathtaking loveliness, when I met her, I could barely speak. She is also extremely nice. It was a small but fun event. Mitch Pileggi was also there, and a few of the writers. It was before the whole reveal about Mulder’s sister, so there were a lot of rumors floating around about Kychek and the DAT tape, etc. A very influential series as far as Hollywood’s take on UFOs is concerned. Both “Dark Skies” and “The X-Files” contained nods to “The Invaders.” David Thinnes appeared as the alien/human hybrid Jeremiah Jones on “The X-Files,” and in one episode of “Dark Skies,” Tim Kelleher as Hive agent Jim Steel is shown with a bent pinky finger, the infamous “tell” of the Invaders.
13:29 Sugar is a better series than Pluribus in my opinion.
Never thought I would ever say this considering I'm a Vince Gilligan superfan, but here it is. Colin Farrell would deserve at the very least to win best drama actor, especially since he was robbed last year (The Penguin)…
September 17th can’t come soon enough!
I was waiting for this episode!!!
Another banger of an episode! ❤ So grateful for your podcast. Many thanks, gentlemen!
I LOVED the X-Files. I never knew about Dark Skies. I have since been able to watch it; Dark Skies was very good, also.
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X Files Parody S3 E23 A Must!
Startrek ,dark skies,,xfiles mijn favorieten in deze volgorde leef lang en voorspoedig.
Ohhh… this was SUCH a good show this time! I thoroughly enjoyed it! DON'T GET ME WRONG – I've enjoyed every single one you've put out so far! But this one, I enjoyed even more. Thank you, lads! I'm not a BIG movie goer (we live in the country (Scotland) and our closest cinema is quite a ways off so we don't get off to it so often), but I do enjoy a good one and particularly when it's on a topic that I find fascinating – and this is it. And so this week, this really was fascinating to hear a little more of the 'back story' to the 'alien' themes of the various shows. Soooo… thanks so much! More power to your pens!
PS: I LOVED the X-files! The first shows were soooo good. However, I have to admit – I just didn't like the come-back series. I just found the ending silly and disappointing. I'd hoped for so much more – something to keep me thinking – or at least wondering. And in fact, I just 'wondered' what the heck he was thinking, given the poor ending. Which kinda ruined the whole show for me. It had such thought-provoking promise – and good storylines! And those promises just didn't materialise, unfortunately. BUT – the earlier, original shows were VERY good and watched with baited breath to see if Mulder ever got the answers he was seeking. Nope… *Oh well… sigh*…
Sadly the new X-Files reboot is shaping up to be made for the „modern audience“. Code for woke disaster. Looking forward to some stargate sg-1 history on future S,L&F.