The episode Fallen Angel introduced one of the most important re-occurring themes of the series: the parallel between Mulder's beliefs, and madmen. Mulder connects with Max, another fervent believer in UFOs. While Scully believes they are examining a situation where radiation is being emitted by nuclear weapons, Mulder (of course) believes that there is a UFO cover up at work.
What makes this episode interesting to me is that the situation is very clearly actually a UFO conspiracy. Rather than getting only the information that Mulder and Scully receive the viewer is also privy to information that shows that there is no nuclear warhead. The object in question is definitely a UFO. The interesting part comes in with the character Max.
Max is a sort of progenitor to the Lone Gunmen. He has a UFO chasing trailer which he lives in, and the long hair and glasses of a loner geek who doesn't get out much. At first, Max serve as a corroborator to Mulder. Considering that neither Mulder or Scully knows what exactly is going on, the addition of Max serves to rattle Scully (if even a little bit) about the possibility of a government cover up. Max and Mulder are basically on the same page. Max is even the head of a major UFO conspiracy tracking group. However, after a seizure it is revealed that Max suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and that he has been off his meds. Mulder's own theories about the case are now paralleled to those of a possibley crazy man. Yet, doubt is only exacerbated because it is not clear that Max is actually delusional.
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