Agent Pendrell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The X-Files character
Agent Pendrell
Affiliated with FBI
First appearance Nisei
Last appearance Max
Portrayed by Brendan Beiser

Agent Pendrell (pronounced ['pɛn.drəl]), also called LabBoy by fans, is a fictional character on the television series The X-Files. Played by actor Brendan Beiser, Agent Pendrell first appears as an employee of the FBI's Sci-Crime Lab who assists Agent Scully in her investigations in the third-season episode "Nisei" (1995). He has red hair and blue eyes, and is frequently seen wearing a lab coat.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Although a minor character, Pendrell rapidly endeared himself to fans thanks to his helpful demeanor, his self-deprecating nature and his apparent crush on Agent Scully (similar to Frohike). Pendrell provided analytical assistance to Mulder and Scully over the course of several episodes, showing a particular aptitude for working with computers and biological materials. His crush on Scully, however, remained undeclared and unresolved; in the fourth-season episode "Tempus Fugit" (1997), Pendrell ran into Scully in a bar and, apparently bolstered by the effects of alcohol, seized the opportunity to buy her a birthday drink. On his way back to Scully's table, Pendrell was caught in the crossfire of a shootout with a Syndicate assassin, taking a bullet that may have been meant for Scully. He subsequently died of his injury, leaving Scully - who may or may not have been aware of his feelings for her - to mourn that she had never even learned his first name.

Contents

[edit] Appearances

Pendrell Appears in the Following Episodes:

Season 3

  • "Nisei"
  • "731"
  • "Apocrypha"
  • "Avatar"

Season 4

  • "Herrenvolk"
  • "Teliko"
  • "Tunguska"
  • "Tempus Fugit"
  • "Max"

[edit] Trivia

  • Agent Pendrell is named for Pendrell Street in Vancouver. The apartment building used to represent the exterior of Scully's building is actually Pendrell Suites, located at 1419 Pendrell Street.
  • "Nisei" (3X09) was originally intended to feature Agent Kautz (Paul McLean) from the episode "Anasazi" (2X25); when McLean was unavailable, the role was changed to Agent Comox (portrayed by Paul McGillion, and named for another Vancouver street), who had appeared in "Duane Barry" (2X05). However, McGillion was also unavailable, so Beiser was hired to replace him. The character was still officially credited as "Agent Comox" for "Nisei", but had been changed to "Pendrell" by "731" (3X10). Beiser, as Pendrell, also replaced "Dr. Rick Newton" in "Avatar" (3X21). The reverse situation occurred with "Tunguska" / "Terma" (4X09/10); Pendrell is credited in both episodes, but only appears in the first part. [1] [2]
  • Pendrell is included in footage shot specifically for the X-Files computer game, released by Fox Interactive in 1999.
  • Agent Pendrell's first name was never revealed. Fans have postulated that it is either Danny or possibly Sean, although Brendan Beiser reportedly believes it to be Peter. Semi-official sources have attempted to settle the debate but have been at odds with one another: both The Official Guide to the X-Files and the X-Files CCG refer to him as Danny, whereas the X-Files computer game favors Sean. [3] The assumption that Pendrell's first name is Danny is probably an inference that he is the same man who occasionally helps Mulder and Scully over the phone. This confusion most likely originated from "Avatar" (3X21), in which Mulder solicits Pendrell's help to extrapolate the latent image of an assailant's face from the airbag in Skinner's car; later, when Scully asks Mulder if the man has been identified, he replies, "Danny couldn't find anything on him, he's still running it." However, as this Danny is contacted after Pendrell's death, a connection between the two seems unlikely. The notion of Pendrell's first name being Sean comes from a scene in "Max" (4X18) when A.D. Skinner inquires about Pendrell's fate. Skinner clearly says "What happened? Who shot Pendrell?", but many misinterpreted this as "What happened to Sean Pendrell?"
  • In a previous episode (4X15, "Memento Mori"), Skinner made a Faustian bargain with the Cigarette Smoking Man, leading some to speculate that Skinner indirectly caused Pendrell's death. (In particular, Skinner was supposed to send a U.S. Marshal to meet Scully and her contact at the bar, but the Syndicate assassin showed up instead.)
  • Pendrell was apparently well-loved enough that a potentially life-threatening wound to the character formed part of a cliffhanger, his ultimate fate not being revealed until the following week. This makes him one of only a few X-Files characters (others including Melissa Scully and Fox Mulder) to warrant such a cliffhanger.
  • Fans of Agent Pendrell call themselves LabMice or Pendrells, and are characterized by their great denial over what they refer to as Pendrell's "apparent" death. Theories abound explaining precisely how and why Pendrell still lives. [4]
  • Following the airing of "Tempus Fugit" (4X17), fans leapt into action to show their support for Pendrell in the hopes that Ten Thirteen Productions would not kill him off; this fire was apparently fanned by a rumor that two endings to "Max" had been filmed, and fan reaction would dictate whether Pendrell lived or died. A Save Agent Pendrell petition page was launched to collect fan signatures, and a group of LabMice based in Vancouver even went so far as to paint a rock to look like a lab-coated mouse, and position it by the side of the road leading to the Ten Thirteen Production offices. When it became clear that these efforts were in vain, the Save Agent Pendrell page was turned into the tribute site Rest In Peace Agent Pendrell. [5]

[edit] Quotes

Scully: Well done, Agent Pendrell. Keep up the good work.
Pendrell: Hey, thanks. Keep it up yourself! (Scully leaves) "Keep it up yourself"? What a doof. - "731"

[edit] External links

v • d • e
The X-Files
The X-Files
Main Characters
Conspiracy
Other Characters
Cast and Crew
Related
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../a/g/e/Agent_Pendrell_05f0.html"