This Is My New Jersey

There aren’t many current television shows I really enjoy. I despise “reality TV” and some of the scripted shows are less than spectacular. I find myself watching older shows, and since I’ve discovered the Comet channel (yes, cable, I know), I get to watch The X-Files just about every night.

So-Called “Reality”

They just started at the top of the order this week and tonight one of my least favorite episodes aired. It’s focused on one of our most famous, or infamous, state legends; the Jersey Devil.

Except it’s not.

Now, to recap for those who have been living under a rock, tales of the Jersey Devil have been handed down for over a century. There are several incantations, but they all have several similar characteristics. Mother Leeds had 12 children. When she discovered she was pregnant again, she cursed her soon-t0-be 13th child. When she gave birth, the infant immediately grew wings, a tail, and claws and flew out the window to the Pine Barrens. To this day, there are people who swear they have seen the winged beast, and the Pine Barrens can certainly give off creepy vibes.

Then there’s the X-Files version of our beloved horned creature.

Episode five of the first season starts off as a flashback to the 1940s when a man is killed in front of his family while changing a tire. After the opening credits, Scully tells Mulder about a man that was found outside Atlantic City, partially eaten. He immediately pulls out a file citing the 1940s murder and cites the Jersey Devil. With that little nugget mentioned, they are off to Atlantic City. Of course, he receives little support from the local authorities, with the exception of a State Parks employee and an anthropology professor brought in to consult. Later in the episode, when Mulder questions a homeless man about the individual that was killed, he produces a “sketch” of the Jersey Devil.

Yeeeah, no.

They actually compare the “myth” of the Jersey Devil to Bigfoot and Sasquatch. Mulder continues to argue the possibility of Jersey’s version of Bigfoot with those around him. Ultimately they track and kill a young woman. Scully shares with Mulder the autopsy shows she “appeared” to have given birth. In Mulder’s eyes, this means the woman was just protecting her child, arguing that she didn’t mean to harm anyone.

The episode ends with a father and son walking through the woods and you can hear the father saying “my dad told me about The Jersey Devil when I was a kid…” and a young girl pops her head out from under a tree after they pass.

I will admit I don’t remember this one when I first watched the show back in the 1990s. However, when I saw it in the rotation on Comet, I definitely was not pleased.

So Hollywood, if you are going to actually use one of our legends, I ask that you consider trying to at least be in the ballpark. After all, we let you film Jersey Shore here. You owe us.