"Home" is the second episode of the
fourth season of the American
science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
television series ''
The X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The original series aired from September 10, 1993, to Ma ...
'', which originally aired on the
Fox network on October11, 1996. Directed by
Kim Manners, it was written by
Glen Morgan and
James Wong. "Home" is a "
Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the overarching
mythology of ''The X-Files''. Watched by 18.85 million viewers, the initial broadcast had a
Nielsen rating
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the #Nielsen TV ...
of 11.9. "Home" was the first episode of ''The X-Files'' to carry a
viewer discretion warning for
graphic content. It would have been the only episode to receive a
TV-MA rating upon broadcast, but it aired two months before the December 19, 1996 introduction of the
TV Parental Guidelines
The TV Parental Guidelines are a television content rating system in the United States that was first proposed on December 19, 1996, by the United States Congress, the American television industry, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ...
. Critics were generally complimentary, and praised the disturbing nature of the plot; several made comparisons to the work of director
Tobe Hooper
Willard Tobe Hooper (; January 25, 1943 – August 26, 2017) was an American filmmaker, best known for his work in the horror film, horror genre. The British Film Institute cited Hooper as one of the most influential horror filmmakers of al ...
. Some reviewers felt the violence was excessive.
The series centers on
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
special agents
Fox Mulder
Fox William Mulder () is a fictional FBI Special Agent and one of the two protagonists of the Fox science fiction-supernatural television series ''The X-Files'', played by David Duchovny. Mulder's peers dismiss his many theories on extraterr ...
(
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny ( ; born ) is an American actor, writer, and musician. He received his breakthrough with the role of Fox Mulder in The X-Files franchise, earning Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards a ...
) and
Dana Scully (
Gillian Anderson), who work on cases linked to the
paranormal
Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Not ...
, collectively called "
X-Files". Mulder is a believer in the paranormal; the skeptical Scully was initially assigned to debunk his work, but the two have developed a deep friendship. In this episode, Mulder and Scully investigate the death of a baby born with
severe physical defects. Traveling to the small isolated town of
Home, Pennsylvania, the pair meet the Peacocks, a family of deformed farmers who have not left their house in a decade. Initially, Mulder suspects the brothers kidnapped and raped a woman to father the child, but the investigation uncovers a long history of incest involving the Peacocks' own mother.
"Home" marks the return of writers Morgan and Wong, who left the show following its
second season. They attempted to make the episode as ambitious and shocking as possible and were inspired by real-life events, including the documentary ''
Brother's Keeper'' and a story from
Charlie Chaplin's autobiography about an encounter with a family in rural
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
. The graphic content of the script attracted controversy from early in the production process. Commentators have identified themes within the episode that satirize the
American Dream
The "American Dream" is a phrase referring to a purported national ethos of the United States: that every person has the freedom and opportunity to succeed and attain a better life. The phrase was popularized by James Truslow Adams during the ...
, address globalization, and explore the nature of motherhood. It has been cited as a seminal episode of ''The X-Files'' by critics and crew members.
Plot
In the small town of
Home, Pennsylvania, a woman gives birth to a deformed baby. Three similarly-deformed men bury it near their dilapidated house during a rainstorm.
Fox Mulder
Fox William Mulder () is a fictional FBI Special Agent and one of the two protagonists of the Fox science fiction-supernatural television series ''The X-Files'', played by David Duchovny. Mulder's peers dismiss his many theories on extraterr ...
(
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny ( ; born ) is an American actor, writer, and musician. He received his breakthrough with the role of Fox Mulder in The X-Files franchise, earning Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards a ...
) and
Dana Scully (
Gillian Anderson) are sent to investigate after children find the corpse during a
sandlot-ball game. While talking to local sheriff Andy Taylor (
Tucker Smallwood), Mulder asks whether the Peacock brothers—the inhabitants of the house nearest to the crime scene—have been questioned. Taylor informs him that the house dates to the
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
and is without electricity, running water or heat. He also insinuates that the family has been
inbreeding
Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely genetic distance, related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genet ...
since the war. The three Peacock brothers watch the agents from their front porch.
During an
autopsy
An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of deat ...
, the agents discover that the baby suffocated by inhaling dirt—meaning that it was buried alive. Scully suggests that the baby's defects could have been caused by inbreeding. Mulder insists this would be impossible since the Peacocks seem to live in an all-male household. Suspecting that the Peacocks have kidnapped and
rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...
d a woman, the agents investigate their now-abandoned residence and discover blood, scissors and a shovel on a table. In retaliation, the Peacocks enter Taylor's house during the night and murder him and his wife, Barbara (Judith Maxie).
Laboratory tests indicate that the baby's parents were members of the Peacock family. Believing that the three Peacock brothers must be holding the dead baby's mother hostage, the agents and Deputy Barney Paster (
Sebastian Spence) go to arrest them. When Paster breaks down the front door of the house, he is
decapitated by a booby-trap, before the brothers rip the body apart. Mulder and Scully then release the Peacocks' pigs to lure them out of the house before searching.
The agents find a quadruple
amputee hidden under a bed. She is revealed to be Mrs. Peacock, the mother of the boys. She was presumed dead from a car accident several years previously; however, she survived and continued to have inbred children. Mrs. Peacock reveals that neither she nor anyone in the family can feel pain. The brothers realize that Mulder and Scully are inside their house and attack. The two youngest sons withstand several gunshots before dying, one of them impaled on another booby-trap. Afterwards, the agents discover that Mrs. Peacock and her eldest son have escaped in their car, planning to start a new family elsewhere.
[ Meisler (1998), pp. 39–46]
Production
Background
"Home" marked the return of writers
Glen Morgan and
James Wong, who had left production of ''The X-Files'' after the
second season to work on other television projects. Before their departure, Morgan and Wong had written many episodes of the series and were instrumental in the success of its
first season.
The two developed ''
Space: Above and Beyond'', a science fiction television series canceled after one season. Subsequently, the two rejoined the staff of ''The X-Files'' and became writers for the
fourth season.
[ To make an impact for their return, they decided to write an ambitious story and attempted to produce a script shocking enough to push the boundaries of television.] ''Space: Above and Beyond'' co-star Kristen Cloke advised them to study books about the "dark" side of nature so they could write about subjects like survivalism
Survivalism is a social movement of individuals or groups (called survivalists, doomsday preppers or preppers) who proactively prepare for emergencies, such as natural disasters, and other disasters causing disruption to social order (that is, ...
.[
Many actors from ''Space: Above and Beyond'' appeared in the fourth season; the first was Tucker Smallwood, who portrays Sheriff Andy Taylor in "Home".] When Morgan first pitched the episode to Chris Carter, he specifically described three actors from the show— James Morrison, Rodney Rowland and Morgan Weisser—as the trio of "big freak brothers".[ The episode contained references to popular television, such as the use of the names Andy Taylor and Barney, and referring to Mayberry, which are references to characters and fictional town from '']The Andy Griffith Show
''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American sitcom television series that was aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color.
The series ...
''.[ Cornell et al (1998), pp. 284–288]
Writing
Sources consulted by the writers included '' Brother's Keeper'' (1992), a documentary film
A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
depicting the story of the Wards, four "barely literate" brothers who lived on a farm that had been passed on through their family for generations.[ Niemi (2006), p. 421.] The brothers drew international attention following the alleged murder of William Ward by his brother Delbert.[ With an estimated IQ of 68, Delbert escaped prosecution by claiming that the police had tricked him during ]interrogation
Interrogation (also called questioning) is interviewing as commonly employed by law enforcement officers, military personnel, intelligence agencies, organized crime syndicates, and terrorist organizations with the goal of eliciting useful informa ...
. Wong chose to base the Peacock family on the Wards, incorporating their lifestyles into the script.[ The name "Peacock" came from the former neighbors of Morgan's parents.]
Further inspiration came from a story in Charlie Chaplin's autobiography; while touring with a musical theatre production, he stayed at a miner's tenement home in Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
. After dinner, the host introduced Chaplin to a disfigured and legless man named Gilbert who slept in a kitchen cupboard; Glen Morgan incorrectly recalled this as a totally limbless boy who was kept under a bed. Chaplin described the man as "a half man with no legs, an oversize blond flat-shaped head, a sickening white face, a sunken nose, nda large mouth" who could jump using his arms, but this was misremembered by Morgan as though the man had no limbs and "flopp daround" while the family sang and danced. Morgan used his memory of this incident within the screenplay, although at Wong's suggestion they changed the character to the boy's mother. The episode was also made as an homage to 1970s horror films such as Tobe Hooper
Willard Tobe Hooper (; January 25, 1943 – August 26, 2017) was an American filmmaker, best known for his work in the horror film, horror genre. The British Film Institute cited Hooper as one of the most influential horror filmmakers of al ...
's '' The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' (1974) and Wes Craven
Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter and producer. Amongst his Wes Craven filmography, prolific filmography, Craven worked primarily in the Horror film, horror genre, particularly sla ...
's '' The Hills Have Eyes'' (1977).
It took some time for the concepts to come together into a story;[ Booker (2002), p. 129.] elements first appeared in the second season episode " Humbug", written by Morgan's brother Darin and featuring a cast of circus sideshow
In North America, a sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, traveling carnival, carnival, fair, or other such attraction. They historically featured human oddity exhibits (so-called “Freak show, freak shows”), pr ...
performers. The episode incorporated several themes that had an influence on "Home", including the use of a "benign soul trapped in the body of a monster".
When director Kim Manners read the script for "Home", he called it "as classic a horror script sI'm ever going to see." The producers, on the other hand, felt the show had gone too far, and called it "tasteless". William B. Davis, the actor who portrayed the series' main antagonist The Smoking Man, argued that the screenplay read like Morgan and Wong deliberately wanted to go back to the stylistic origins of the series.[ Davis (2011), p. 129.]
Filming and post-production
Like the rest of the fourth season, "Home" was filmed in British Columbia. Most of the scenes depicting buildings were shot in the town of Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in British Columbia, Canada. It is located south of the Fraser River on the Canada–United States border. It is a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver regional district and metropolitan area. Mainly a suburban city, Surr ...
, with the exterior of the Langley Community Hall in Fort Langley doubling as Home's sheriff's station. As the town's architecture comprised both old and new styles, careful reverse angles were employed to preserve the impression of "small-town America". The building used as the Peacock house had been previously utilized in the season two episode "Aubrey
Aubrey () is a traditionally male English language, English name. It was quite common in the Middle Ages, but had lost favour for a time before experiencing a resurgence of popularity in the 19th century.
In the United States, following the 1973 ...
". At that time, the producers noted that the house had been "untouched for years" and was "so good" they had to return to film it again. The car that the Peacock family drives in the episode was found on a farm outside Vancouver. It was rented and restored for use in the episode. Cadillac
Cadillac Motor Car Division, or simply Cadillac (), is the luxury vehicle division (business), division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Its major markets are the United States, Canada and China; Cadillac models are ...
later sent the producers a letter thanking them for including one of their cars in the show.
After the episode aired, Tucker Smallwood recalled that the filming was an unpleasant experience. He entered production of the episode with little knowledge of the nature of ''The X-Files'', and was surprised when he received the screenplay. During his first day on set, he asked other cast members if the series was always so violent. An unidentified crew member said, "this is awful even for us", and commented that it was probably the most gruesome episode of the series run.[ During the sheriff's death scene Smallwood insisted on performing his own stunts, until he hit his head attempting a dive. Another uncomfortable moment for the actor involved lying face down in a pool of fake blood for more than 90 minutes.]
The episode incorporates the song " Wonderful! Wonderful!" by musician Johnny Mathis
John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer. Starting his 69-year career with singles of standard (music), standard music, Mathis is one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century and became highly popular as ...
.[ Delasara (2000), p. 125.] Having read the screenplay Mathis refused to allow his version to be used, owing to the episode's graphic content, and a cover version had to be created. Producer David Nutter, who had a background as a singer, intended to record the vocals but at the last minute another singer who sounded more like Mathis was hired. Manners explained that he wanted to use the song because "certain songs ike 'Wonderful! Wonderful!'have a creepy, icky quality that none of us have really openly acknowledged".[ Hurwitz & Knowles (2008), pp. 91–92]
"Home" was first submitted to the censors featuring audio of the baby screaming while being buried alive. Fox executives asked Ten Thirteen Productions to alter the audio so that the baby would sound sick; they noted that the audio change was needed to show the child was diseased and that the Peacocks were not simply killing an innocent child. Manners called the shot, shown from the child's perspective, of the baby's burial as "the most awful shot of my career". He said that he approached filming as seriously as he could because he felt the script was a classic. When production was finished, Manners declared that it was one of his favorites. Duchovny agreed with Manners, saying, "I really like that one. Although it didn't scare me." He explained that it "touched" him with its themes concerning the desire to "live and to propagate."
Themes
"Home" presents a satirical view of traditional family values
Family values, sometimes referred to as familial values, are traditional or cultural values that pertain to the family's structure, function, roles, beliefs, attitudes, and ideals. Additionally, the concept of family values may be understood ...
, showcasing the conflict between classic American values and more modern culture. It contains parallels to Sam Shepard
Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American playwright, actor, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned half a century. He wrote 58 plays as well as several books of short stories, essays, ...
's play '' Buried Child'', which ends with a child's corpse (who himself was the product of incest) being exhumed from the cornfield in the backyard.[ Writer Sarah Stegall viewed the opening as a commentary on the ideology of the ]American Dream
The "American Dream" is a phrase referring to a purported national ethos of the United States: that every person has the freedom and opportunity to succeed and attain a better life. The phrase was popularized by James Truslow Adams during the ...
, using the death of a child to "speak to us of buried hopes and fears, and the dark secrets that can hold a family together."[ The town of Home encompasses the traditional values of the ]nuclear family
A nuclear family (also known as an elementary family, atomic family, or conjugal family) is a term for a family group consisting of parents and their children (one or more), typically living in one home residence. It is in contrast to a single ...
—only for it to be victimized by the Peacock family—who represent the darker side of paradise. The town depicted in "Home" showcases the positive qualities of a world without globalization, but the Peacock family exhibit the negative aspects. The episode's closing scene has been described as "quintessentially American", featuring the final Peacock brother driving away in a white Cadillac with his mother "safely stowed in the trunk", ready to explore a brand new life.[ Booker (2002), p. 209.]
The concept of motherhood is also explored in the episode. According to Elyce Rae Helford, in her book ''Fantasy Girls: Gender in the New Universe of Science Fiction and Fantasy Television'', Mrs. Peacock functions as a being who has been reduced "to all female functions" by her sons. She is "the grotesquely willing mother who has lost any sense of individual purpose" other than to do anything for her children. Sonia Saraiya of '' The A.V. Club'' writes that "Scully's sympathy for a mother that she imagines to be persecuted is turned violently on its head, to reveal a monster whose priorities are not quite so straightforward." The episode is also one of the first to explore Scully's desire to become a mother. Grant Bain states that the episode presents the dual nature of Scully's "modern desire for motherhood", as opposed to Mrs. Peacock's "perverted notion of family". Helford writes that the entry predicts "Scully's fate as the mother of 'immaculately' (technologically) conceived and monstrous progeny".[ Helford (2000), p. 83.] In the fifth season, Scully indeed learns that she is a mother, albeit accidentally, after her ova were harvested following her abduction in second season, and an alien/human hybrid named Emily is the result. With the revelation that Scully is pregnant at the end of the seventh season finale, " Requiem", the concept revolving around Scully as a mother took center stage in seasons eight and nine
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Hindu–Arabic digit
Circa 300 BC, as part of the Brahmi numerals, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bot ...
with the birth of baby William.
Emily St. James of '' Vox'' writes that the episode "perfectly reflected its particular moment in time" as regards technology entering the backwoods:
The use of the up-tempo "Wonderful! Wonderful!" during a violent murder sequence attracted attention for its contrasting presentation. Jan Delasara in ''X-Files Confidential'' called the murder of Sheriff Taylor and his wife the most "chilling moment in the series' run", highlighted by the use of a bouncy, classic pop song.[ It further establishes the episode's subversion of nostalgia, by using a well-known pop song during a death scene.]
Broadcast and reception
Initial ratings and reception
"Home" originally aired on the Fox network on October 11, 1996. It had a Nielsen rating
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the #Nielsen TV ...
of 11.9, with a 21 share, meaning that roughly 11.9 percent of all television-equipped households, and 21 percent of households watching television, were tuned in to the episode. It was watched by 18.85 million viewers.[ Meisler (1998), p. 298.] "Home" was the only episode of ''The X-Files'' to carry a TV-MA rating upon broadcast and the first to receive a viewer discretion warning for graphic content if the system had been present at the time, with the opening scene being cited in particular due to its gruesomeness and its similarity to "stock horror film conventions". The only other instance of an episode of ''The X-Files'' earning a viewer discretion warning was in the season eight episode, " Via Negativa". Owing to that content, the network would only repeat the episode once on Halloween 1999, three years after the original airing. This was the only time, in the history of the series, that this happened. In 1997, when the channel FX ran an all-day marathon of the most popular ''X-Files'' episodes, "Home" was the number one choice.
Upon its first broadcast, "Home" received several positive reviews from critics, although some were critical of its violence. ''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' gave the episode an "A", describing it as "one of TV's most disturbing hours" and as "a cinematic feast for the eyes, packed with audacious wit". Sarah Stegall awarded the episode three stars out of five, comparing it positively to the more gruesome work of directors David Lynch
David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 16, 2025) was an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Lynch was often called a "visionary" and received acclaim f ...
and Tobe Hooper.[ Stegall praised the atmosphere and commented that Morgan and Wong's "long-awaited return" to the series was "definitely disturbing, thought-provoking, and nasty."][
Among less favorable reviews, author Phil Farrand called "Home" his least-favorite episode of the first four seasons of the show in his book ''The Nitpicker's Guide to the X-Files'', writing that he "just id notget this episode" because "Mulder and Scully seem reckless" and the Peacock brothers "are better suited for comic books".][ Farrand (1997), pp. 222, 271.] Paul Cornell, Keith Topping, and Martin Day, in their book ''X-Treme Possibilities'', were critical of the violent content of the episode. Topping called the episode "sick", Cornell felt that Mulder and Scully's wisecracks made them come off as cruel, and Day felt that the violence went overboard. Day, however, offered a few complimentary observations, noting that "Home" did, indeed, have merit, and that the juxtaposition of "Wonderful! Wonderful!" with the violent antics of the Peacocks was something "David Lynch would be proud of".
Later reception
"Home" has continued to receive positive reviews. In a 2011 review, Emily St. James of ''The A.V. Club'' gave the episode an "A" rating and wrote that it would be difficult to write an episode like "Home" today, since small towns are no longer as isolated as they used to be, thanks to modern communications technology. She praised the depiction of urban sensibilities and the frightening Peacock family, observing that it represented a "sad farewell to a weird America that was rapidly smoothing itself out." Author Dean A. Kowalski, in ''The Philosophy of The X-Files'', cited "Home", " Squeeze", and " The Host" as the most notable "monster-of-the-week" episodes.
"Home" has often been cited as one of the best ''X-Files'' episodes. ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' ranked it the third best of all the episodes on their "Every Episode Ranked From Worst to Best" list, calling it "one the very best episodes throughout the entire series, with its unrelenting commitment to telling a story of pure darkness. ... There aren't many hours of television that are tougher to watch than 'Home,' but it's phenomenal viewing." Emily St. James of ''The A.V. Club'' placed it among the 10 best chapters of the series and called it one of the scariest hours of television she had seen. In 2009, ''The Vancouver Sun
The ''Vancouver Sun'', also known as the ''Sun'', is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The newspaper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network, and is the larg ...
'' named "Home" one of the best stand-alone episodes of the series and wrote that, because of its horrific theme of incest, the episode "doesn't pull any punches". Den of Geek writer Nina Sordi placed the entry as the fourth best of the series in 2009, viewing its bleak humor and "thought-provoking moments" of dialogue as the factors that made it one of the most popular episodes. In 2008, ''Starpulse'' gave the installment an honorable mention as one of the 10 best ''X-Files'' episodes. In 2009, Connie Ogle from PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
rated the Peacock family among the greatest monsters of the series and stated that it was a miracle that the program "slipped past" the censors. Kat Hughes of The Companion wrote that "perhaps the most frightening thing of all about 'Home' though, is its ending. Here he seriesventures into territory that many horror movies dare not – it doesn’t resolve the issue. There is no happy ending, the good guys didn’t win, and the bad guys are still out there, ready to – as Mrs. Peacock states – “begin again”."
Critics have also named "Home" one of the scariest installments of the series. Novelist Scott Heim
Scott Heim (born September 26, 1966) is an American novelist from Hutchinson, Kansas, currently living in Massachusetts. Heim's first novel, ''Mysterious Skin'', was published in 1995.
Biography
Scott Heim was born in Hutchinson, Kansas, in 19 ...
in ''The Book of Lists: Horror'' rated it as the tenth most frightening television broadcast. Heim wrote that several aspects of the episode were creepy, including the gothic house and the family itself.[ Heim (2008), p. 330.] Tom Kessenich, in his 2002 book ''Examination: An Unauthorized Look at Seasons 6–9 of the X-Files'', listed the program as the fifth best of the series. Kessenich reported that it was the pinnacle of the horror episodes featured on ''The X-Files''.[ Kessenich (2002), p. 219.] William B. Davis said that "Home" was both well written and well directed, but was so gruesome that it led to some fans questioning whether or not they wanted to continue watching the series. He argued that modern horror films were far more violent than anything depicted in "Home" but, at the time, "it was quite disturbing." In 2017, Vulture.com named "Home" the most terrifying television episode to watch on Halloween.
Footnotes
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External links
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{{The X-Files episodes, 4
1996 American television episodes
Appalachia in fiction
Television shows about incest
Rating controversies in television
Television episodes set in Pennsylvania
Television episodes pulled from general rotation
The X-Files season 4 episodes
Television controversies in the United States
Television episodes directed by Kim Manners
Southern Gothic media
Folk horror