The X-Flies Argumentative Essay

FOX’s The X-Flies, was a pioneering monster of the week, science fiction drama that achieved mass success in its nine seasons from 1993 to 2002 and its tenth season which premiered earlier this year. The show thrives because of its unclear twists and beckoning conclusion along with characters that audiences still root for, despite fighting against the strongest offense. It is a show about the strong government and the weak government, both sides working towards the same goals but each getting in the way of each other. More than anything else, however, it is a show about relationships. Semiotic analysis of these relationships would include concepts of both opposition and paradigmatic relationships. Opposition in the case would be the relationship

As stated previously, the government kidnapped Scully in a previous season and experimented on her, resulting in the cancerous tumor. The opposition from cancer does not stop at that, it extends to the men and women responsible for Scully’s abduction and her subsequent affliction. The form of the United States government is that of The Cancer Man, a primary antagonist of the series labeled because of his tenacity for smoking cigarettes in almost every shot of him. While throughout most of the series he is seen as Mulder and Scully’s primary enemy, this episode he does not interact with either of them. He serves as a symbol of care, for only he knows about how Scully recieved the cancerous tumor and how to get it out of her. Mulder takes advantage of this situation, calling upon FBI Assistant Director Walter Skinner to help find The Cancer Man and cure Scully. Although Cancer Man is seen as a threat in this time of weakness only the enemy can help, which bring up an interesting opposition, that of relying on evil to help good, when good cannot help itself. Cancer Man, as the powerful individual, agrees to help Scully, but only if Skinner becomes his lap dog, creating another conflict and opposition that forms in the later half of the