Master Plan
The following interview with Chris Carter (creator of The X-Files) was included on the Master Plan videotape (UK release) and was transcribed by myself, Richard Preece.
"Master Plan."
David originally approached me about a story he wanted to do about a Bounty Hunter,
he had a good idea. So using David’s idea about a Bounty Hunter I was able to come
up with, I felt, a very fresh, nice approach on the show. The whole episode was actually
sort of inspired by or centred around a ‘Grand Inquisitor’ scene that is between the
Cigarette Smoking Man - Cancer Man if you will, and the Roy Thinnes’ character
who was named Jeremiah Smith who plays what we believe to be an alien.
"The Healing Man."
We meet Jeremiah Smith, who comes to us through an act of what looks like a
wonderful miracle as it were and we believe that he is a good, kind and altruistic
character. I think that you will see in the second part of the show that the character
takes on a new face.
"Jeremiah’s Transformation."
In the scene where Jeremiah Smith morphs, it is for the effect it will have on the
Cigarette Smoking Man. So it is for effect to deliver his lines with more force.
Roy Thinnes actually came out different than I had imagined. I originally imagined the
Jeremiah Smith character to be more Christ-like, but he came out actually with a little
bit more arrogance, some condescension to the Cigarette Smoking Man and I realised
that the character actually had become more interesting to me in Roy Thinnes’
portrayal.
"Tool Of Destruction."
It was a weapon that was given much thought and consideration by myself and by
Frank Spotnitz as we were talking about how this Bounty Hunter may dispatch aliens,
when we went into the sound stage and we were trying to build a very high tech,
elaborate sound effect. The sound effects guys came to us with seventeen units put
together that created a kind of mechanical, industrial, sound and it was just too much
and we kept saying to them "no, the noise has to sound something like phffft" and Paul
Rabwin actually got up to the microphone and made that very sound, so the sound that
you hear is actually the human voice of someone blowing air through their lips.
"Mulder’s Parentage."
The question of course, now has been brought up, is there a connection between Mrs.
Mulder and the Cigarette Smoking Man? Could he in fact be Mulder’s father? I knew
it was a question that would come up if I had them say anything personal, anything
relating to their past. I won’t go so far as to say that’s the truth but on ‘The X-Files’
anything could happen and I reserve the right to keep the audience in suspense.
|