By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
If you’re a TV lover from way back, you probably remember the strange phenomenon of “very special episodes.” The kinds of tales that usually ground your favorite shows to a halt so they could hit you over the head with obvious messages like the dangers of smoking or anorexia. Every now and then, though, savvy writers were able to raise awareness of major issues facing society while still telling an amazing story. One such show is The X-Files, whose Season 1 episode “Young At Heart” was partially made to raise awareness of progeria.
The X-Files “Young At Heart”
Even if you’re a hardcore X-Files fan, you may need a brief primer on what the heck “Young At Heart” was all about. In this episode, Mulder faces the prospect that a deceased criminal that he once helped put away could somehow still be alive. This strange case leads him and Scully to discover that a sketchy doctor had been doing experiments on those with progeria) a disease that causes advanced aging) and that he may have found a way to reverse the aging process altogether.
The script called for old black-and-white footage of the doctor working with a child who had progeria. To make this happen, X-Files producers contacted the Progeria Society, and with their help, brought young Courtney Arciaga to Vancouver to star in “Young At Heart.” She actually suffered from progeria, and her presence helped add some genuine authenticity to one of the show’s more fantastic stories.
While Arciaga was only on set for a brief time, she seemingly made a major impression on everyone she worked with. X-Files co-executive producer R.W. Goodwin later said “when we contacted the parents [of Arciaga] we found out they were big fans of the show, as was the little girl. It was almost like a ‘Make a Wish’ kind of thing: it was wonderful.”
The X-Files producer also gave some further insight into why bringing Arciaga in and even why making “Young At Heart” in the first place was so special to everyone involved: “We felt it was good because it made the disease visible, so it helped create more public awareness of it.” In this way, the show was able to accomplish something positive for countless people suffering from this disease simply by making fans aware of its existence and its ravaging effects.
In retrospect, The X-Files writers and producers were able to thread the needle with “Young At Heart”, creating a special episode that didn’t let the fans down or turn itself into an overwrought punchline. Not every fan will agree, of course, but we see this as the best way to go about raising awareness of diseases that society might otherwise overlook. Plus, this approach is arguably more respectful to those suffering from things like progeria because it effectively normalizes their ailment rather than hiding it behind a special episode that audiences almost instantly forget.
When you look back on The X-Files’ first season, it’s admittedly a bit uneven. Gor every instant banger like “Squeeze” or “Beyond the Sea”, there was something both ambitious and half-baked such as “Space.” Fortunately, “Young At Heart” holds up remarkably well, showcasing the show’s incredible ability to blend reality and fiction into something captivatingly unique. And the fact that it was made partially to raise awareness of a real disease makes it all the more poignant every time you rewatch it.
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