Conception and writing The Unnatural (The X-Files)

unnatural written , directed series co-star david duchovny.

unnatural first episode of series duchovny wrote himself. had co-developed stories second season episodes colony , anasazi - both series creator chris carter, , received teleplay credits third season episodes avatar , talitha cumi . x-files entered sixth season, duchovny decided appropriate time try writing full episode. before then, had felt did not have skills necessary; said, didn t have surety, confidence in mind, write teleplay ... it took me sixth year of show sit down , write 1 of ideas. in late 1998, duchovny met series creator carter , agreed duchovny write late-season installment series.

while both duchovny , carter had wanted write episode baseball several years, duchovny first conceived basic premise unnatural during home run race in 1998 between mark mcgwire , sammy sosa when read newspaper report joe bauman. bauman baseball player who, despite hitting 72 home runs during 1954 season—at time, record professional player—never made major leagues. duchovny connected story of bauman, played roswell rockets, 1947 roswell incident, saying made association ... what if guy alien? , started working on idea. duchovny later said these happy chronological coincidences facilitated development of story. duchovny worked on idea alone, later admitting satisfied did not receive help.

duchovny decided make lead guest character black , set story before integration of baseball leagues, inspired jackie robinson, first black player accepted major leagues in 1940s. after duchovny finished first draft, carter added additional plot points, such inclusion of alien bounty hunter , retired fbi agent arthur dales. episode title play on novel , movie natural. tagline appears in opening credits episode in big inning , serves pun on phrase, in beginning .

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