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Although The X-Files has been a dominant force in pop culture for over three decades, it’s unreasonable to expect that every episode would be a success. Sometimes, the show ventures into unusual themes that don’t quite connect with viewers, and during its reboot, it attempted to revamp the entire storyline, which didn’t sit well with fans. However, audiences often view The X-Files as a complete entity and admire its ability to push the limits of what was possible on network television.

One particular episode remains difficult for fans to accept. ‘Teso Dos Bichos’ aimed to mix various crime themes with Native American culture, but many viewers feel it fell short. It appears that the foundation of this episode was shaky, making it even more challenging to please the audience.

Teso Dos Bichos Struggled to Get Into the Swing of Things

In “Teso Dos Bichos”, the narrative shifts to Ecuador, where archaeologists are excavating a solitary burial site. All of a sudden, one laborer unearths the skeleton of a female shaman, urging his colleagues from America to leave her undisturbed. However, Dr. Roosevelt disregards their entreaties and orders the remains sent to Boston instead. In the evening, as the workers celebrate with a traditional beverage, Roosevelt is mysteriously assaulted by an unidentified creature. Upon returning to the U.S., Mulder and Scully grapple with a series of gruesome murders, each victim’s body disappearing without a trace. The only commonality among the victims: they all had rats nearby. To delve deeper into the mystery, the agents venture into the city’s sewer system, exploring a network of shady tunnels filled with hidden passages. Here, not only do they find the bodies of the victims, but they are besieged by wild cats that seem intent on keeping humans at bay. After returning to safety, Mulder hypothesizes that the spirit of the female shaman has been transformed into a colossal jaguar, targeting those connected to her remains. Once the urn was returned to its homeland, the shaman could finally find peace and halt her grisly rampage.

Written By Directed By Original Air Date IMDb Score
John Shiban Kim Manners March 8, 1996 5.9/10

In this installment, The X-Files didn’t exactly tread new ground when it comes to Native American narratives; it previously delved into such stories in “Shapes”, presenting the culture and traditions accurately and respectfully. But, for some reason, the episode titled “Teso Dos Bichos” deviated significantly from this pattern and essentially anthropomorphized a powerful leader into an array of cute cats. Notably, this particular episode underwent numerous revisions, with each new draft given a specific color code. For instance, the initial script could be labeled as blue, while the subsequent one might have been green. Director Kim Manners dubbed it “Second Salmon” because the team had to recycle the color scheme due to the multiple rewrites. He also referred to it as “Teso Dos Bitches”, reflecting its challenging production journey.

It’s clear that the main issue with this story is the persistent suggestion that the victims are being pursued by a menacing jaguar. The creators consistently emphasize this idea, such as in Dr. Craig Horning’s death scene where the camera focuses on his car’s hood ornament, which is a Jaguar symbol. After his death, the ornament is highlighted again, hinting at a shape-shifted antagonist. However, it turns out that the villains are actually a group of stray cats, despite the numerous obvious references to a jaguar throughout the story. This unexpected twist not only reduces the tension but also contradicts the initial premise set in the opening segment where a silhouette of a jaguar is shown attacking Roosevelt. Instead, the climax features harmless domestic cats, which seems disappointing after the earlier build-up.

The X-Files Cast Also Struggled to Perform on Set

It’s clear that Gillian Anderson and [co-star] delivered outstanding performances in making these captivating characters come alive at a young age. However, viewers who watched “Teso Dos Bichos” might notice that both actors appear quite static and perhaps disgruntled during their scenes. Given the challenging filming conditions they faced, this is understandable. For instance, Gillian Anderson has a severe cat allergy, making the last scenes particularly hard for her to shoot. This could be why she appears breathless and agitated in the final scenes of the episode. To add to the difficulty, the cats were less than cooperative, either refusing to follow directions or causing chaos on set. When considering the demanding production process, it’s easy to understand why the most dramatic scene in this episode feels a bit jarring.

It turned out that one issue with this episode was its title, which caused some confusion. “Teso Dos Bichos” is a phrase from Brazilian Portuguese that means ‘mound of small animals’, but in certain Spanish-speaking areas, ‘Bichos’ is slang for male genitalia. Initially, the writer wasn’t aware of this double entendre, and jokingly suggested that a bit of controversy might boost ratings.

In essence, even though small problems might appear insignificant, when a production is working within tight deadlines and limited resources, these kinds of challenges can either make or break a project. David Duchovny, despite his impressive acting skills, faced difficulties in portraying a group of well-groomed cats as scary or possessed, as agreed by Kim Manners. However, given the challenging circumstances, it’s evident that the team did their utmost best to deliver a good product. Although this episode received much criticism, it’s clear that it was a tough task to pull off under such conditions.

X-Files Fans Can Now See the Funny Side of Things

Fans get to experience the thrilling ups and downs of The X-Files without leaving their homes, but they often overlook the fact that this series was tough to produce. Not only did it span nine seasons, but each episode typically required 18 days to film. Consequently, despite encountering various obstacles like depicted in “Teso Dos Bichos”, the team had no choice but to press on due to constant time constraints. As a result, viewers shouldn’t be surprised if they notice some areas where the actors appear less expressive.

Despite some challenges, including numerous allergic reactions and pesky cats, the team was able to reflect on the situation with laughter, and some members were given souvenirs as recognition for their efforts. Following the completion of this difficult episode, Kim Manners bought a series of T-shirts emblazoned with “Teso Dos Bichos Survivor” as a token of appreciation for the team’s dedication. In summary, against all odds, the cast and crew successfully delivered a complete episode.

In the past, television shows, even less-familiar ones, used to air at least 20 episodes per season. This might seem unusual to today’s viewers who patiently wait for a new season, often containing just six episodes. For instance, the show “Teso Dos Bichos”, regardless of its quality or viewer satisfaction, was a self-contained story that didn’t significantly affect the overall series narrative. As a result, its subpar production history has not had a lasting impact on the series as a whole, allowing it to be largely forgotten by fans.

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2025-05-26 01:09