The X-Files (TV Series) Salvage (2001) User Reviews

"This time, you stay dead."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 18 August 2017]

The idea of 'smart metals' sounds like the stuff of science fiction, and one is often tempted to discard such concepts when they come up in The X-Files, but I thought I'd look it up and sure enough, 'shape memory alloys', or SMA's, are ones that 'remember' their original shape, and when deformed return to their pre-deformed shape when heated. This episode expanded on the idea somewhat with Ray Pearce's (Wade Williams) blood turning to metal, making him appear a bit like The Thing from the Fantastic Four.

There's no getting away from the idea that this story was paying subliminal tribute to Robert Patrick's T-1000 character from 1992's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day". The liquid metal alloy concept of the T-1000 made for a lot of clever mutations, and I recall being totally blown away by the special effects in that picture. Robert Patrick portrayed a relentless character in that story, much like the resolve he brings into investigating cases for The X-Files.

The thing that wasn't fully fleshed out in the story was who the real villain might have been that the 'metal-man' Ray Pearce was seeking revenge against. As a corporate entity, Chamber Technologies had some culpability, but the doctor who came up with an alloy with a genetic algorithm turning electrical energy into mechanical energy had already been poisoned and died as a result of his project, which was then shut down. The accountant Owen Harris (Kenneth Messerol) seemed to be offered as a scapegoat, and I didn't see why his life suddenly wound up on the chopping block. By that time though, one could surmise that Ray Pearce might have been suffering a mental disorder from his condition, with just a mere flicker of humanity left to hold off on his rampage.

A great episode with some awesome references

[high_king_auric · 8/10 · 2 June 2011]

This episode of season 8 was one of the better episodes for me. Beginning by alluding to Gulf War syndrome and then evolving into something a little more sinister.

The episode seemed to draw a lot of inspiration in it's imagery from Shinya Tsukamoto's 1989 film Tetsuo: The Iron Man. For example some references include the shaving scene where he clips metal fibres from his cheek which is very similar to the businessman in Tetsuo finding a small metal protrusion on his cheek while shaving. Another reference is the view of Ray's arm and face covered in metal.

I personally enjoyed some comedic references to T2: Judgement Day as a result of Jon Dogget's (Robert Patrick) remarks.

All in all without spoiling too much of th plot I feel that this episode was entertaining with stunning visuals and a must see f season 8.

Well made, but not a story I'm a fan of.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 6/10 · 28 September 2022]

Believed to have died suffering from gulf war syndrome, Ray Pearce is back, and has several scores to settle.

I can't really give a hugely dissimilar review to the previous episode Surekill, as I feel very similar here to this one. I thought the opening screens were actually pretty rather great, and asked several really interesting questions. I thought what followed was a lot less interesting.

There are definitely some good aspects, and some imaginative story elements, I really wanted to learn about Ray's grudge, and why he wanted revenge.

Some of it felt like it was lifted from the previous episode, and remixed with Terminator 2.

The visuals were tremendous once again, some amazing makeup, I think that was perhaps the best element.

Overall, not bad, in a way I can't really explain, I just didn't care for it a great deal, 6/10.

Weak episode...

[Sanpaco13 · 6/10 · 9 July 2007]

I honestly could not remember what episode this was before I reviewed it which is pretty rare for me. I figured it must be in Season 8 or 9 and sure enough. The funny thing is I know that I've seen this episode at least twice before and both times I completely forgot what it was about. On rewatching I have to admit that the first thought that came to my mind was to wonder whether it was a coincidence that this story seemed so much like Terminator and Robert Patrick was starring. There is even a little joke in there about metal men only being in the movies but this just seemed like a poor attempt at an inside joke or something. This was a lame episode with no real explanation to it at all. I mean yes the X-Files tends to have open ended episodes but at least we have some sort of idea what really happened even if it is not confirmed. In this episode the guy just kind of disappears and the show ends. I guess it is a good idea but it wasn't really handled very well by the writer and director. I give it a 6/10 simply because I did think the whole clipping off the metal from his face was kind of cool.

"Don't Mess with a Man Made of Metal"

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 21 February 2012]

This is one of my Favorite 8th Season Eps, having last saw it when it was broadcast, I finally saw it again last night.

It takes Skully to figure out what is going on, with Doggett's basic skepticism intact.

The Subject Matter, is a high salute to actor Robert Patrick - Who played the Shape-Shifting T-1000 in T2: Judgment Day.

This episode, was not solved by Skully and Doggett - And the answer was not stolen from them by CGB Cancerman (Who has not appeared since Krycek "Sent the Devil Back to Hell" in the last Ep of S7).

This X-File was solved, by a vestige of Humanity in what has become, a machine. Which is another nod to T-2.

I Liked this ep when I saw it the first time, and I liked it the same way last night. It's a Homage Ep to the Terminator movies, and that in itself, is the story.

A (barely) salvageable episode

[Muldernscully · 4/10 · 10 September 2007]

Salvage is not that good. This episode just does not do it for me. Did the writers just decide to do some Robert Patrick/Terminator 2 tribute episode? That's what it feels like, complete with Doggett's "Metal Man" line, a heavy-handed reference to T2.

If I was supposed to feel sympathy for Ray Pearce, I didn't. If I wasn't, well, I didn't anyway. I could not stand the actress playing his wife, Nora Pearce. She is way too melodramatic. You'd think she was on a daytime soap opera, not The X-Files. Unfortunately, Ray didn't try to kill her. I did feel sympathy for the chick at the halfway house who was only trying to help him. This guy just goes on a killing spree for people he "feels" are responsible for his condition, without any proof. A scene I did like was how Ray was shaving with nail clippers. Cool effect.

I can't remember how often Agent Doggett busts out his knife in the X-Files, but in this episode he uses it twice. It can't be all that often, since I noticed it. Another thing I noticed with my most recent viewing of Salvage is the music. Even in a bad episode, Mark Snow manages to class up the episode with his music.

The story in Salvage wasn't interesting, the characters weren't sympathetic, and there was some poor acting, most notably by the actress playing Nora. However, the effects and make-up were above average which makes Salvage salvageable.

What are you saying, Ray Pearce has become some kind of metal man? Because that only happens in the movies, Agent Scully.

[DWilliams1089 · 4/10 · 6 October 2010]

Somehow I was able to tell fairly quickly that this was a Jeffrey Bell episode. Bell's relatively shallow scripts, hackneyed plots, and unfortunate tendency to fall into what has been coined the "cool idea trap" that plagued Chris Carter in his early episodes "Space" and "Fire" all resonate right from the teaser. Last season's "The Goldberg Variation" was the exception that proved the rule.

If you view "Salvage" purely as an homage to the Terminator franchise, perhaps you will see greater value here. Even so, I spent most of these forty-something minutes thinking about how much I'd rather be watching Terminator than this. At least character breadth was to be found there.

Wade Anthony Williams is a talented actor, and I enjoyed his run as Captain Bellick on Prison Break, but his central character here is, quite literally, lifeless. It's hard to sympathize with a character who rarely has any non-tacit responses and murders innocent people. Like "Surekill" before it, this episode allots too much time for the monster-of-the-week and precious little for Scully and Doggett, whose relationship had been the driving force between the first third of this season. Furthermore, Scully's breakneck inclination to jump to paranormal explanations lacks any believability and, even at this point in the series, undermines her scientific sensibilities.

It is also unclear who is really to blame for the metal-man's predicament. If his co-workers can truly be exonerated it is rather silly that one would be so trigger-happy upon his arrival at the salvage yard. His final line doesn't help.

There are enough decent special effects and subtle in-jokes regarding Robert Patrick's role in Terminator 2 that make this worth a view. Like the previous episode, however, there's too much filler and not nearly enough killer to make it worth a second.

Another "cool idea" Jeffrey Bell couldn't make work

[lola-nandez · 5/10 · 13 July 2020]

So, right from the start, you notice this is a Bell episode. I think another comment talked about this. With the happy exception of "Goldberg Variation", all of his episodes are bellow average or just average (Rain King). Scully is a good example: she has very bizarre lines and behaviour. I think it makes total sense that she became open minded not only because of all she saw, but because this is what makes the possibility of Mulder being alive a very real one. So I buy that. But how she goes about it is just... odd. It feels almost silly. I didn't mind much the T2 reference, this metal going nuts can belong in the X-files universe, if done well. But I fear RP's character here is made less likeable than necessary, his emotional range goes from angry to concerned to angry again during a good chunk of the season. Also, I notice that most episodes that turn out on the crappy side are episodes with bad guest stars; not that they are bad actors and actresses, but bad characters. You don't feel anything, you don't care, which is terrible. Do they live? Get arrested? Die? I can barely remember five seconds after this episode is done. It suffices to compare it with the great "Redrum", where you are with Martin till the end, hoping he didn't kill his wife (although the moral lesson was unnecessary). Lastly, there isn't much here to advance anything in terms of plot or personal relationship between Scully and Doggett. One of the weakest episodes of the show so far.

This episode was ehhhh!!!!.

[garyway8 · 5/10 · 4 February 2012]

I am just going to get straight to it. The inconsistency that stood out was how, a car crashed into Ray and he didn't budge and then he gets a shotgun blast to the chest and goes flying. I thought he was thousands of times as dense as steel, so how could he sustain damage from an object that is less dense?. I am not going to crucify those responsible for the folly, i guess you need weak episodes here and there. To me this episode seemed to start off in the middle, I feel it should have started right before Ray's accident. Yes I know that doing that would involve getting rid of some of the later dialogue, but who cares?... I'd rather see it than have it explained.

Dirty remains of a once good series

[mrdonleone · 4/10 · 4 February 2022]

Let me guess. If you push it on a wall you get a very dirty stain; one might assume this is the same result as replacing Mulder by Dodgett or whatever his name is here. Real interesting episodes contents storylines found in the first seasons but no longer now and anybody still watching this letter equality s2b just to be obsessed by the whole series which of course makes sense if you think that people are are perverts with a television sets and that is the real question here what is our relationship with our television set??? Some nice answers following if I might add.

In a World Where All is Lit From Below and One Side...

[pmicocci-18908 · 3/10 · 15 July 2021]

...plot holes are more difficult to discern. Because nothing in the X-World is ever lit from above.

So we walk by night through poorly-illuminated salvage yards (not that our own offices are lit any better), wearing regular business suits, with no personal protection equipment whatsoever, and, completely unsupervised by personnel who might have some idea what sort of possibly hazardous materials might be involved, we kick over suspicious-looking storage drums...

Oh, and we address each other by title and surname as frequently as possible in every conversation, in a completely unironic and non-sarcastic manner. Because that's how serious people converse.

So remember, viewers, when trying to conceal something from the authorities, be sure to answer or evade their questions in as hostile and snide a tone as you can muster, so as to throw them off the scent.

Man, that's what I call good writing and directing! If only the show runners had hit upon using the jerky, constantly-moving camera effect that made contemporaneous cop shows so edgy...