Europe 1 Studio 10:30 a.m., February 7, 2024

Hidden meanings, mysticism, popular beliefs... what if the truth behind our favorite TV series was not as obvious as it seems? Christian Doumergue, author of “Myths and symbols hidden in our favorite series”, looks back on 30 years of television fiction through in-depth analyzes of legendary programs. Find 5 theories to remember about your favorite series in this article.

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X-Files, Lost, Game of Thrones or even The Walking Dead, so many television series which are full of complex intrigues, sometimes heavy with second meaning. Metaphysics, mysticism and parallels with our current world, what are your favorite TV series really hiding? To find out more, listen to the interview with Christian Doumergue, in the “Mystères & Unexplainés” podcast.

Warning: the rest of this article contains “spoilers”

X-Files: Fox Mulder, modern Christ?

In The X-Files, eccentric FBI agent Fox Mulder becomes convinced that there is a conspiracy to hide the existence of aliens. For him, an initiatory journey towards the truth begins, a quest that the author identifies with that towards God. This journey strewn with pitfalls leads him to be left for dead in the last episode of season 2. When he is resurrected in season 3, it is obvious to Christian Doumergue: Fox Mulder is the representation of Christ, through his quest and by what it embodies.

This theory would make all the more sense by considering all of the mystical references present in the series, according to this author. Note for example the episode "Fallen Angel", speaking of a UFO crash, or "Biogenesis", which Christian Doumergue interprets as a rewriting of the film "The Last Temptation of Christ" by Martin Scorsese. In this episode, Mulder is subjected to the temptation to live a classic existence, highlighting a game of superposition of his life with that of Christ. There is no longer any doubt for the author: The X-Files is intimately and intentionally linked to the Bible through its multiple references.

Lost and the quest of the lost

What at first glance looks like a Hollywood version of Koh-Lanta, ultimately seems to be much more "than a Robinsonade adapted to the 21st century", to use the words of Bob Bellanca's guest. For Christian Doumergue, it is above all the quest for lost characters, on the island but also in their respective lives as revealed in the series.

The metaphorically aptly named “Lost” would above all be a quest for destiny, embodied by the character of John Locke, a man of faith with a miraculous healing upon his arrival on the island. Representation of ancient myths, esoteric reflections on the trials that the characters undergo, importance of the choice between good and evil... so many symbolic elements which constitute the common thread of Lost, beyond the first-rate survivalism.

Game of thrones (part 1): a mirror of humanity

“Winter is coming”… the motto of the famous heroic fantasy series still resonates in the hearts of its fans. If it seems innocuous, its redundancy over the seasons is not there by chance. For Christian Doumergue, it portends a danger that threatens to fall on the kingdom of Westeros. In Game of Thrones, as the great families of the kingdom clash in endless conflicts for power, a group of heroes discover the existence of a greater threat beyond them, one that is not human and which no one believes before seeing the damage: the white walkers, beings who take advantage of the great cold to attack humanity. Doesn’t that remind you of anything? For Bob Bellanca's guest, the parallel with our world is obvious. This monstrous threat symbolizes the climatic danger that no one takes seriously, while the world is tearing itself apart in war...

Game of thrones (part 2): The return of miracles

Dragons, army of the dead, witch devoted to the powers of resurrection... so many elements which constitute the marvelous aspect of the show. However, in the first seasons, the series sets its scene in a medieval universe, a priori rather realistic. It is only gradually that the “showrunners” make these elements the heart of the plot. In any case, this is what Christian Doumergue observes: while men no longer believe in miracles and religious practices are lost, presenting a world without hope, marginal characters in the universe of Game of Thrones will serve to reintroduce the fantastic.

Queen Daenerys allows the dragons to return to Westeros after they had disappeared. The White Walkers emerge from a region abandoned by men. Jon Snow was resurrected by a witch when it seemed impossible. And an ancient abandoned cult is reintroduced to the capital. For the guest of the “Mysteries & Unexplained” podcast, this gradual return of fantasy and the materialization of ancient myths symbolizes the return of hope, and of what men no longer believed in.

Christian Doumergue goes even further than that, he theorizes that this return of esotericism responds to the increasingly pressing metaphysical questions of spectators, and fills the void that the abandonment of beliefs has left...

The Walking Dead: Judgment Day

The dead coming back to life is a subject widely exploited in horror cinema. However, it is on the series “The Walking Dead” that Christian Doumergue focuses. The series seems to play on the Western imagination which directly associates this concept with the religious reference of the last judgment.

From the scenes in a church, highlighting passages from the New Testament on the last judgment, through the believing character of Hershel, who directly formulates this theory, the series directly leads us to question ourselves through its hidden meaning on the mystical aspect of the resurrection.

In his book, Christian Doumergue addresses many other symbols hidden in series, but also in films. Watch his interview to learn more in the episode “What are your favorite TV series hiding?” from the “Mysteries & Unexplained” podcast.