Season Five

97 REDUX 5-2

WRITER: CARTER

DIRECTOR: GOODWIN

Mulder is alive and gains access to a holding facility inside the pentagon where he finds a vile in Scully's file but then discovers it contains only deionized water. Scully traces her cancer source to someone in the FBI but collapses before she can name Skinner. Critique: Part 2 of 3 is filled with narration which slows down the pace of this one. Historic Moment: Mulder admits the one answer he is looking for is the cure to Scully's cancer (not the whereabouts of his sister). C+

98 REDUX II 5-3

WRITER:CARTER

DIRECTOR: BOWMAN

Scully is in the hospital and Mulder comes out of hiding. The Smoking Man bargains with Mulder to get him to come work for the dark side. CSM claims to have been raising Mulder's sister and offers her as part of the deal. Mulder also learns from him there is a small chip in the vile that will save Scully. Scully recovers but whether it was from the chip or her own prayers is unknown. Mulder names the real FBI plant, thus saving himself. Historic Moment: The Smoking Man gets shot. Critique: The loose ends are all tied up except how Mulder gets out of prosecution for killing the man who was spying on him, the surprise appearance of Mulder's sister was top notch. B

99 UNUSUAL SUSPECTS 5-1

WRITER: GILLIGAN

DIRECTOR: MANNERS

1989 is the setting for this episode and it explains the origins of the Lone Gunman. A woman on the run from government agents including Mulder and Mr. X educates the gunman on the deceptive dealings of our government . Critique: An entertaining look at the geeky side of the show, but the absence of Scully and the small amount of Mulder is noticeable. C

100   DETOUR 5-4

WRITER: SPOTNITZ

DIRECTOR: BRETT DOWLER

While on their way to a Florida FBI workshop Mulder sniffs out a suspicious crime scene. He and Scully are trapped in the woods while chasing down a Swamp Thing-type creature. Critique: Isolation pays off again in a scene reminiscent of "Quagmire" where Mulder and Scully delve into deep discussion in the middle of nowhere, in both episodes these scenes are the best part of the whole episode. C

101 POST-MODERN PROMETHEUS 5-6

WRITER: CARTER

DIRECTOR: CARTER

A woman's letter to Mulder about being drugged and impregnated by The Great Mutato brings our heroes to town. Their investigation leads to the discovery of a scientist using the whole town as his petrie dish. Historic Moment: Mulder and Scully dance. Critique: Done entirely in black and white, the style is very comic book-like to convey this classic horror story of the mad scientist in action. B

102 CHRISTMAS CAROL 5-5

WRITER: GILLIGAN, SHIBAN, SPOTNITZ

DIRECTOR: MANNERS

Scully spends the holidays in California with her mother, brother Bill, and his pregnant wife. A phone call from who she believes is her dead sister Melissa leads her to a suicide crime scene where a little girl catches her attention. After further investigation she believes the girl is Melissa's child and attempts to adopt her, then to her surprise, DNA testing proves the girl is Scully's biological daughter. Historic Moment: Scully tells her mother she can't have children due to her abduction. Critique: The surprise end revelation makes this somewhat slow episode worth the wait. B

103 EMILY 5-7

WRITER: GILLIGAN, SHIBAN, SPOTNITZ

DIRECTOR: PETER MARKLE

Part 2 brings Mulder back to help Scully unravel the mystery of where Emily came from. The hybrid testing she was a part of is stopped and Emily's health deteriorates. Scully must accept her death as fate. Historic Moment: Mulder discovers more UberScully embryos. C+

104 KITSUNEGARI 5-8

WRITER: GILLIGAN, TIM MINEAR

DIRECTOR: DANIEL SACKHEIM

The Pusher is on the lose after a prison break. No one believes Mulder's theory that it's Modell's sister who is the dangerous one out to get vengeance for her brother's prison sentence. Critique: The dramatic Scully suicide(?) ending makes this otherwise disappointing episode worth the trip. C+

105 SCHIZOGENY 5-9

WRITER: JESSICA SCOTT, MIKE WOLLAEGER

DIRECTOR: RALPH HEMECKER

Bleeding trees and death by mud are the only clues as a small orchard town has teens allegedly killing their parents while their therapist transfers her past horrors onto her patients. Critique: Yawn. C-

106 CHINGA 5-10

WRITER: STEPHEN KING, CARTER

DIRECTOR: MANNERS

Killer dolls, the timeless staple of horror stories, returns in this episode with mixed results. A vacationing Scully stumbles onto a case of mysterious deaths with only a girl and her doll in common. Historic Moment: Stephen King pens his first and hopefully last episode, I would hate to see the version of this episode before the Carter rewrite. Critique: This is one of least realistic of all episodes, the laughable microwave demise of the doll and it's predictable resurrection nearly ruin the only saving grace, the brief interactions of Scully and Mulder. D

107 KILL SWITCH 5-11

WRITER: WILLIAM GIBSON/ TOM MADDOX

DIRECTOR: BOWMAN

A computer program develops a life of it's own after it's creators lose it on the internet. The program seeks to kill it's creators who now want to use a "Kill Switch" to eliminate it. Mulder becomes trapped in it's virtual reality clutches while Scully rescues him with the help of Ester the last remaining creator. Creative Casting: A real porn star plays Mulder's Nurse Nancy. Critique: Scully kicking virtual ass in a kung-fu match with Mulder's fantasy nurses is a treat. B

108 BAD BLOOD 5-12

WRITER: GILLIGAN

DIRECTOR: CLIFF BOLE

Two versions of the same x-file emerge as Mulder and Scully each tell their version of events that unfolded in a Texas town. Mulder is convinced vampires are at work when some cows and tourists are found dead with "fang" marks in their necks. After Mulder stakes one of the vamps he and Scully have very different recollections. Critique: Another classic comedy episode is born with the timeless dueling flashbacks idea done perfectly (take note Stephen King: there are no old ideas if they are done well). A great insight as to how Mulder and Scully see each other, plus Scully saves Mulder two weeks in a row. A+

109    PATIENT X 5-13

WRITER: CARTER/ SPOTNITZ

DIRECTOR: MANNERS

Mass deaths by fire happen in Russia and Skyline Mountain to victims with implants. Krychek returns with a witness who has been infected with the black cancer, and tries to deal with the Elders for the antidote. Mulder wrestles with a new found skepticism of abduction stories by Patient X, a mother of another FBI agent who Scully believes may have the answer to the mysterious deaths. Historic Moment: Krycek and Marita hook up in a steamy scene on the ship but later she is infected with the black cancer. B-

 110 THE RED AND THE BLACK 5-14

WRITER: CARTER/ SPOTNITZ

DIRECTOR: CARTER

Scully is found alive but must use hypnosis to remember the events that took place including the abduction of Mrs. Spender. The Elders make the decision not to put their faith in the antidote which eventually cures Marita. Krycek tries to warn the skeptical Mulder of the invasion to come.  Mulder's skeptisism is tested when he witnesses the abduction of the Russian witness and the bounty hunter. Historic Moment: Agent Spender receives a letter from his father, Cancer Man lives! Critique: These 2 conspiracy episodes creates more questions than they answer, but that complexity will make the eventual solution worth the wait. B-

111 TRAVELERS 5-15

WRITERS: SHIBAN/ SPOTNITZ

DIRECTOR: WILLIAM A. GRAHAM

Back to 1990 and 1952 as Mulder investigates deaths where one of the victims were associated with his father. Mulder seeks out the original agent on the case of a mysterious death similar to his current case where he learns of a government experiment and subsequent cover-up with his father finally releasing the mutant killer. Historic Moment: Mulder wears a wedding ring, and smokes a cigarette. Critique: A well done episode but hardly seemed like the same show with the virtual absence of any regular characters. C+

112 MIND'S EYE 5-16

WRITERS: TIM MINEAR

DIRECTOR: MANNERS

A blind woman is found at the scene of the murder of a drug dealer. Mulder is convinced she can see the crime through someone else's eyes, her father. She tries to prevent the killings before they happen until the killer targets her, and she kills him to end her visions. Critique: Mulder and Scully return to their regular believer /skeptic roles and the show settles back into an almost forgotten rhythm. B-

113 ALL SOULS 5-17

TELEPLAY: SPOTNITZ/SHIBAN STORY: BILLY BROWN/ DON ANGEL

DIRECTOR: ALLEN COULTER

Scully recounts in confession her story of a divine x-file. She is persuaded by her priest to help the family of a recently deceased girl where she finds, with Mulder's help, the girl was 1 of 4 quads, 2 more die with their eyes burned out. Scully believes divine intervention has made her the protector of the remaining girl but upon the urging of a vision of her daughter Emily she releases the girl to a fate unknown. Critique: Another juxtaposition of roles for Mulder and Scully with Mulder returning to his complete inability to believe in the possibility of a religious explanation. Not as good as the earlier effort "Revelations".  B

WRITER: SHIBAN

DIRECTOR: BOWMAN

Scully suspects Mulder is betraying his country by working with a terrorist group after she puts him under surveillance forcing Skinner to tell her of Mulder's secret infiltration of the group. A special bioweapon is being used by the group which attempts to contaminate the country's money supply. Critique: A bit confusing on who is ultimately at fault but good drama with Mulder's torture and gun to the head scenes. B-

115 FOLIE A DEUX 5-19

WRITER: GILLIGAN

DIRECTOR: MANNERS

Mulder is sent to investigate a threatening tape describing a monster who "hides in the light", and is seen only by a man who ends up holding his coworkers and Mulder captive. When the gunman is killed Mulder can seen the creature and tries to convince Scully and the bureau he's not crazy. Critique: Perhaps the most romantic X-Files line ever is uttered by Mulder when he tells Scully she's his "one in 5 billion." B-

116 THE END 5-20

WRITER: CARTER

DIRECTOR: GOODWIN

A boy genius who reads minds, is the target of an assassin and Agent Spender is assigned to the case.  He requests Mulder not be assigned to the case but Skinner brings him in anyway. Mulder's ex-partner, Diana Fowley, is also brought in, she is later shot in order to kidnap the boy. The Justice Department is trying to shut down the X-Files, again. CSM resurfaces, working with the syndicate to kill the assassin who missed his target. He tells Spender he is his father just as he returns from Mulder's office where he appears to be the arsonist who destroys both the office and the X-Files. Historic Moment: Fowley was once "Mulder's chickadee". Creative Casting: Mimi Rodgers as Agent Fowley would make a great recurring character. Critique: Not as emotional as last season's end but it's obvious the truth is near, as near as the local theater and the X-Files movie. B+