Date: February 1998?

On Screen Locations:

• Logan Circle, Washington D.C.
• Petsworth, Washington D.C.
• 7th and Kennedy, Washington D.C.
• Fairfax County, Virginia
• David Markham Residence
• North Platte, Nebraska

Summary: Mulder and Scully investigate the death of Donald Gelman, computer nerd extrodinare at a Washington diner. Using the LGM, they track down a cryptic e-mail which leads them to a shipping container that Esther Nairn (Invisigoth) has been living in. She tells them that she's been involved with the creation of an artificial life, that has run amok. By discovering it's weakness (it loves bandwidth), Mulder is able to track down a likely 'resting spot' for the intelligence. The AI is smart enough to capture Mulder, in the hopes of locating the kill switch, the program that Gelman designed to destroy the life form. Esther and Scully catch up with Mulder, but not before the AI gets the kill switch. Before the life form can finish processing the information necessary to inoculate itself, Esther sets an auto- destruct and uploads her consciousness to the net.

Rumminations: I guess it would have made for a short epiosde if Gellman had just hit the enter button instead of panicking and screaming, "NO!" wouldn't it?

Unanswered Questions: How would Mulder have known so quickly that there was something he need to check out at the Metro Diner? The killing obviously happened at night, and Scully clearly states that it's 2:45 am.

Plot Oversights: One wonders how Mulder keeps his job. Taking evidence from a crime scene without logging it in is a BIG no-no. Exactly how does an AI go about constructing it's nest? Someone, somewhere has to sign for things, and who actually built the trailer that the AI used as it's main node? Without some ONE supervising it's not believable that the job of constructing it would even be started, let alone finished. There's an error on the computer file on Mulder. It says he went to Oxford between 1983-1986, getting A.B. in psychology, entered the Quantico Academy in 1986 then assigned to the Violent Crimes Unit in 1988. But at the very end, it says he graduated summa cum laude in 1982! And went to the Quantico FBI Training Academy in 1984! And Mulder's disappearing coat. He's wearing it in the field as he approaches the trailer. When he enters it, he isn't wearing it. When Scully rescues him, he doesn't have it on and then, next morning he does. (thanks to Jane)

Date: February 9, 1998

On Screen Locations:

• Chaney, Texas
• FBI Headquarters - X Files Office
• Peaceful Slumbers Funeral Parlor
• Sam Houston Motor Lodge - Night
• Rolling Acres RV Camp
• Dallas Fort Worth Pathology Lab

Summary: Scully and Mulder have vastly differing accounts of their time in Chaney Texas. The two agents were sent there to investigate the exsanguination of a tourist. Scully believes that there's some one who wants to be a vampire, while Mulder believes it is a vampire. More clues come to light, such as clorolhydrate in the bloodstream. When another gentleman is murdered, the second autopsy reveals that both victims ate pizza for they're final meal. This leads Scully to the conclusion that the pizzaman is the suspect they're looking for. Meanwhile, Mulder is at the hotel, eating the pizza Scully ordered before she had to depart. Ronnie Strickland tries to attack Mulder, but ends up being distracted by some tossed seeds. Scully busts in, guns blazing. Ronnie leaves and Scully chases after him. Mulder, in a drugged stupor, follows on foot and apprehends Ronnie by running a stake through his heart. His family is suing the FBI. Because Ronnie is a vampire, when the Coroner removes the stake, Ronnie awakens and tries to snack on his neck. The agents are sent back to Chaney to find out what's going on. Scully stands watch at the cemetery with Sheriff Harwell, while Mulder tracks Ronnie to his mobile home. Unfortunately, the rest of this sleepy community are also vampires. Mulder and Scully awake at there respective venues with nothing to show but a badge and some untied shoes.

Rumminations: I thought this episode was hysterical. One of the funniest things to me is the marksmanship displayed by the two agents. Mulder couldn't hit the tire on an RV which was making lazy circles in the parking lot, while Scully shot out the tires on a Gremlin as it was speeding away.

Geographical Inconsistancies: There is no Chaney Texas.

Plot Oversights: There were some editing problems in the beginning as subsequent shots between Scully and Mulder kept switching between her arms crossed and her hands in her lap depending on the perspective. ( Thanks to Autumn Tysko)

Date: End of February 1998?

On Screen Locations:

• Kazahstan, Former Soviet Union
• Massachusetts Institute Visiting Lectures' Forum
• Tunguska Gulag, Russia
• East 46th Street, New York City
• Uroff-Koltoff Star of Russia, New York Harbor

Summary: In the former Soviet Union, a group of people have gathered, they are waiting for a UFO. They are all burned to death. The only survivor is found by Alex Krycek and whisked away before Marita and the UN soldiers can do anything about it. Mulder appears on a UFO panel and decries the believability of Cassandra Spender- a multiple abductee. Krycek uses a russian doctor to infect the survivor with the black oil and sews up his orifices. Absconding to the US, Krycek offers the consortium the survivor in exchange for information regarding a vaccine. Agent Spender (Cassandra's son) wants Mulder to leave his mother alone. Scully visits with Cassandra and discovers important facts about the case, facts that Mulder seems uninterested in. Marita meets with Krycek and after a little lovin, she grabs the survivor and calls Mulder. Scully has taken off, being called against her will to Ruskin dam. When she arrives she finds Cassandra is already there. As they watch, a UFO descends and faceless aliens proceed to burn the people on the bridge. To be continued...

Rumminations: More mytharc - more muddying of the waters. Chris Carter is adding needless complexity by adding the faceless aliens, perhaps in the hopes of extending the back story for more than five seasons (which was his original stop date). This does appear to be the beginning of the end of the project.

Unanswered Questions: Just who are the faceless aliens and why are they interested in killing the abductees?

Date: Beginning of March 1998?

On Screen Locations:

• Ruskin Dam, Pennsylvania
• Uroff-Koltoff Star of Russia, New York Harbor
• Office of Dr. Heitz Werber, Silver Springs, Maryland

Summary: Scully is found alive at the bridge but remembers nothing. Cassandra's body is nowhere to be found. WMM offers Krychek freedom in exchange for the Russian vaccine. A UFO crash lands at Wiekamp AFB and a faceless alien is captured. The Syndicate realizes that there's two factions at work here and that the faceless alien is a rebel. WMM wants to deal with the rebels but is outvoted, because the serum doesn't appear to work (they're testing it on Marita who was infected when she took the Russian survivor.) Mulder discovers that all the victims had implants. He and Scully go to Dr. Werber who hypnotizes her. Scully recalls two seperate ships, one which kidnaps Cassandra. Spender explains to Scully why he's so leery of abduction phenomenon- since his mother 'brainwashed' him into believing such things. Krychek contacts Mulder and gives him the location of the rebel and clues him into the 'lighthouses' and mass abduction plans as well as the rebellion. Scully and Mulder drive to the base, only to be stopped at the front gate. Mulder recognizes the driver of a vehicle leaving and stows aboard it as it leaves. As he's about to look inside the cargo box in the back, another alien appears and Mulder looses all memory of the next few minutes. Spender receives a letter from his father. CSM.

Rumminations: We learn that CSM is still alive and is Jeffry Spender's father. Also, we find out that the faceless aliens are rebels intent on destroying the projects guinea pigs.

Unanswered Questions: Who has Cassandra Spender? Is it the colonists, the rebels or the government?

Geographical Inconsistancies: There is no Silver Springs Maryland, it should be Silver Spring (singular not plural).

Plot Oversights: How did CSM survive a gun shot wound which produced enough blood to have killed him? Who spirited him away- since he probably wasn't in any condition to get to a doctor on his own? It couldn't have been a consortium member since they're the ones who marked him for death.

Date: June 24, 1952 / November 21, 1990

On Screen Locations:

• Caledonia, Wisconsin
• Washington, D.C.
• Leesburg, VA June 24, 1952
• 1950’s FBI Headquarters Washington, D.C.
• Chevy Chase, Maryland 2:04 PM
• FBI Headquarters Washington, D.C.

Summary: Edward Skur dies in a house with a dessicated body, muttering the name, "Mulder". Mulder visits a retired Agent Arthur Dales, who was the officer on record of investigating some murders Skur suppossedly commited. On a tip, Mulder discovers that his father, William Mulder might be connected to the case somehow. Mulder returns to Dale's apartment to get the full story. Dales arrested Skur for 'communist' activity. Skur then hung himself. In a fit of remorse Dales goes to Skur's house to find that the man isn't dead. When reporting his findings he is told to change his story. A German doctor, who helped Skur is found dead; all of his internal organs are gone. Bill Mulder tips Dales off, explaining that Skur is a patriot, who allowed himself to be experimented with. Unfortunatly, now that the experiements are over (failed?) no one wants him. Skur is dangerous and believes that Dales is his enemy. Skur does attack Dales partner, and some strange spiderlike appendage devours all of his organs. Dales is told to drop the case or suffer the concequences. A clerk leads Dales to the X-Files where the German doctor is mentioned. An autopsy is done on one of Skur's fellow lab rats, and a spider like creature which was grafted in was found. Bill Mulder escorts Dales to a meeting with Skur, who then tries to kill Dales. Fortunatley, Dale's wins the battle and arrests Skur. Later, Bill Mulder and Skur are driving down a deserted road, Bill exits the vehicle and gives Skur the keys.

Rumminations: Mulder sports a wedding ring and smokes. The smoking is metaphor for the obfuscation involved in the conspiracy. No, Mulder isn't involved, but he hasn't seen the light of day, and his vision is clouded by the smoke surrounding him. The wedding ring... see Changed Premises

Unanswered Questions: Where does this new alien fit into the established X-Files Universe? It's an anamoly. Thank goodness we'll never hear about spider aliens again.

Geographical Inconsistancies:

Plot Oversights:

Changed Premises: Mulder was married? DD quite clearly in two seperate scenes flashes his wedding ring. In both Unusual Suspects previous to this episode and Kill Switch after this episode, FBI records indicate that Fox Mulder is single. Bill Mulder is a member of the State Department in this tale, yet in Musings... he left his job at the State Department to become an Army Captain? Huh? Doesn't that usually work the other way around?

Equipment Oddities: Former Special Agent Arthur Dales opens the curtain and then proceeds to sit down. Simultaneously, a sound of the curtain closing is heard despite the fact that Dales was sitting at the moment and his hand was not near the curtain.

Date: April 1998?

On Screen Locations:

• Southbridge District Wilmington, Delaware
• Paradise Motel Highway 13
• French St. Bus Terminal Wilmington, Delaware
• Women's Detention Center Fairview, Delaware
• Southbridge District Wilmington, Delaware

Summary: When a drug dealer is murdered, a blind woman, Marty is found cleaning up the scene of the crime. She's arrested, but released due to lack of concrete evidence. Marty is seeing through the eyes of the killer, and when he kills again- she confesses to both crimes. As an act of spite, Marty informs the killer's contact that the police are watching, which scares him off. When genetic testing proves her innocence beyond a reasonable doubt, Mulder convinces Marty to help the authorities. By tracking down old medical information he discovers that the killer is Marty's father. Sending the agents on a wild goose chase, Marty sets her father up- who's stalking her with the intent of killing her. In a case of poetic justice, Marty kills her father by looking through his eyes at her. As far as Marty is concerned life in jail is more liberating than experiencing life through her father's eyes.

Rumminations:

Unanswered Questions:

Geographical Inconsistancies:

Plot Oversights:

Changed Premises:

Equipment Oddities:

Date: April 19, 1998

On Screen Locations:

• St John’s Church Alexandria, Va
• State Psychiatric Hospital Mount Lebanon, Va
• State Psychiatric Hospital 1:04 AM
• District Police Station

Summary: Scully recounts a recent case to her priest in the confessional. She's asked by Fr. Mc Cue to help the parents of a handicapped child, who died under mysterious circumstances. When she looks into things further, it turns out that the girl was one of quadruplets, and a second child is found in the same perdicament. This second victim was about to be adopted by a Father Gregory, who turns out to have some very unorthodox ideas. Later Scully attempts to do an autopsy and has a vision of her dead daughter Emily. A social worker (Aaron Starky) and Mulder track down a third sister, but not before she too is killed, with Fr. Gregory in the vicinity. The priest is arrested, and while Mulder and Scully are interegating him, news of the fourth girl surfaces. Starky finds his way into the interegation room, and kills Gregory before he can do much more than warn the Agents of the danger around them. Mulder tracks down the girls father only to find she's gone, and Scully must deal with the paperwork on the dead priest. As she leaves the precinct, she has a vision of a four headed man. When she confides in Fr. Mc Cue he explains that what she's describing is a Seraphim- and recounts an ancient story of the Nephalim, half angel / half human hybrids who must return to heaven. Starky gives Scully the whereabouts of the final girl, but because he's actually a devil/demon he cannot enter the premises. Scully realizes that she can't take the girl back to Starky, but before they can leave the Seraphim calls to the child. Another vision occurs, where the girl becomes Emily who asks to be let go, because it is God's will. When it's over, the final quintuplet is dead.

Rumminations: Date stamp comes from Easter.

Unanswered Questions:

Geographical Inconsistancies:

Plot Oversights:

Changed Premises:

Equipment Oddities:

Date: April 1998?

On Screen Locations:

• Folger Park Washington, DC
• Joint FBI/CIA Counter Terrorism Council
• Gabels Corner, Ohio
• Aaron Burr Motor Court Angola, Delaware
• FBI Headquarters

Summary: A task force stakes out a meeting between Jacob Haley, a member of an extreme militia group and an arms dealer. The meeting end when the arms dealer doubles over, killed by some flesh eating bacteria and Haley bolts. Scully suspects Mulder only because of his suspicious activity at the time. She tails him and is stopped by some other agents. Turns out Mulder is working undercover, but wasn't allowed to say anything. Mulder is taken to task by the new Spartans, but is reluctantly allowed to stay, not before they break one of his fingers. As it turns out, there's a power struggle going on and Haley is trying to oust current leader August Bremer. We see Bremer infect a theater full of people in Ohio, testing the potency of their new biological weapon. Mulder is coerced into helping the group rob a bank, whose real purpose is to infect thousands via the money in the reserve. Bremer plays a tape implicating Mulder and discrediting Haley. Through trickery, Bremer allows Mulder to go free, revealing himself to be a deep undercover operative, working for the government. When Mulder gets to the bank, Scully is already there- having figured out the plan for infecting the populace. Although it can't be proven, it looks as though the CIA orchestrated the whole plan, for some undisclosed reason.

Rumminations:

Unanswered Questions:

Geographical Inconsistancies:

Plot Oversights:

Changed Premises:

Equipment Oddities:

Date: May 10, 1998

On Screen Locations:

• Oak Brook, Illinios
• FBI Headquarters
• FBI Field Office Chicago, Illinois
• Gary Lambert Residence Oak Brook, Illinios
• FBI Forensic Pathology Lab Quantico, Virginia
• Calumet Mercy Hospital Chicago, Illinois
• Camdenton, Missouri

Summary: Mulder investigates a threat against a telemarketing firm. One of the employees, Gary Lambert, is trying to warm everyone of the danger he sees. Mulder arrives at the office just as Lamber goes postal. During hostage negotiations, Lambert requests a TV link up- so he can show the world that his boss, Mr. Pinkus is actually a brain- sucking insect. Taking a chance, the police SWAT team storm the building and Mulder saves Pinkus' life. In the shadows created by the capture, Mulder sees the real Pinkus and he is in fact a monster. Looking at old cases, Mulder tries to convince Scully that there's something strange going on, but she'll hear none of it. Things heat up, when Mulder tries to shoot Pinkus in Skinner's presence. Mulder is sent to the psych ward. He persuades Scully to take another look at one of the 'zombies' and she finds odd bite marks. When she returns to the hospital to discuss the case with Mulder he is being attacked. She rushes in and shoots. Although there's no hard evidence, Scully cooberates Mulder's story enough that he's released. Meanwhile Pinkus is at a new company, sucking the life out of his new employees.

Rumminations: Mulder gives the date, when he's looking at similar cases.

Unanswered Questions:

Geographical Inconsistancies:

Plot Oversights:

Changed Premises:

Equipment Oddities:

Date: May 1998

On Screen Locations:

• Vancouver, British Columbia
• Laurentian Mountains Quebec, Canada
• Inget Murry Psychiatric Hospital Gaithersburg, Maryland
• Federal Detention Center Ft. Marlene, Maryland
• Inget Murry Psychiatric Hospital
• Centerville, Virginia

Summary: A chess master is shot during a match. Krychek hunts down CSM and returns him to the syndicate's folds. Spender is put in charge of the inquiry into the shooting. Mulder shows up and posits that the real target was Gibson Praise. Another agent, Diana Fowely agrees, much to Spender dismay. It turns out there is some history between Fowely and Mulder. She was there when he discovered the X-Files. The consortium ask CSM to take care of the Gibson problem- he agrees. It turns out that Gibson can read people's minds. Scully goes to the LGM to find out more information on Praise and Fowley. The evidence seems to be scientific proof that extra sensory perception does exist. The shooter tries to arrainge a deal in exchange for immunity but CSM kills him before that can happen. That same night, Fowley is shot while watching Gibson who is taken, to be studied by the project doctors. Mulder sees Spender with CSM and assumes that he's at fault and promises to take him down. CSM steals the file on Samantha, sets fire to the X-Files office and reveals himself to be Spenders father. The X-Files are to be shut down and all Mulder and Scully have is each other as they survey the ruins.

Rumminations:

Unanswered Questions:

Geographical Inconsistancies:

Plot Oversights:

Changed Premises:

Equipment Oddities:

Date: August 1998- September 6, 1998

On Screen Locations:

• North Texas, 35,000 BC
• North Texas, Present Day
• Federal Building, Dallas, Texas
• FBI Headquarters Washington, D.C. Office of Professional Review
• North Texas
• Montgomery County, Maryland Bethesda Naval Hospital
• Dupont Circle Washington, D.C.
• Dallas, Texas FBI Field Office
• County of Somerset, England
• London, England
• Wilkes Land, Antarctica
• Foum Tataouine, Tunisia

Summary: 35,000 years ago aliens walked the earth. When one was killed, a black oil like substance seeped into the ground. Present day Texas, we see a group of boys digging. One of them falls through a sink hole and lands on the exact spot the alien died. Since it was only dormant, the black oil activates; infecting the child. Firemen are dispatched and enter the cavern looking for the boy, but contact is lost almost immediately. Vehicles with no discernible markings begin to arrive, as well as men dressed in Biohazard suits. Entering the cave, they return with the victim. A week later, a Federal Building in Dallas is targeted by a bomb threat. Mulder and Scully are across the street looking into a 'hunch'. As it turns out, their hunch is valid and the building is about to blow. The senior agent stays with the bomb under the pretense of defusing it. He lets the timer run out. Two weeks later, OPR wants to know how Mulder and Scully knew which building was endangered, implying that they were at fault. Scully is disheartened and talks about leaving the FBI. Mulder goes to a bar and gets drunk. A Dr. Alvin Kurtzweil approaches him and tells him to look at the evidence again. Mulder is intrigued enough to take the tip seriously and asks for Scully's help. An autopsy of the bomb blast victims seems necessary, after the agents find incongruous tissue damage on the bodies. Mulder leaves in order to track down his informant. As it turns out, Kurtzweil is wanted by the police. Although he looks like a crackpot, the doctor claims the information he has makes him a target. He spins a story about aliens, the government and an engineered plague. Reenergized, Mulder calls Scully and tries to convince her to meet him in Dallas. The field office there has old bone fragments which originally came from ground zero, where infection occurred. Meanwhile, the sink hole site has been put under quarantine and the project leaders are watching an alien gestating inside of one of the firemen. The doctors decide they're going to test the vaccine they have. Before they have a chance to use it, the alien hatches and goes on a rampage. The scientists seal the cavern and a new playground is erected over the tomb. In London, CSM, WMM and Strunghold (a consortium leader) discuss the new (old) alien mutation and Kurtzweil / Mulder's snooping. Mulder and Scully arrive at the sink hole, just after the fresh grass has been laid. Suspicious, the duo ask some local children a few questions and realize they need to start looking for unmarked tanker trucks. Scully and Mulder then spend the next several hours on the road chasing the vehicles. Eventually, they find a large dome in the middle of a corn field. After a closer look, they find themselves under attack. First from bees (who inhabit the dome) and then by black helicopters. When the helicopters withdrawal, the two agents scurry away. Next morning, a disheveled Scully appears before OPR again. She is trying to make a case concerning the black oil with the ancient bones. A bee ominously crawls out from under her collar. Mulder has gone back to the bar and Kurtzweil. He explains what they found. When Kurtzweil gets up to leave, Mulder believes he's been duped again. Kurtzweil insists his life is in danger. Returning to his apartment, Mulder finds a picture which cooberates Kurtzweil's association with Bill Mulder. A dejected Scully arrives and announces that she's being transferred to Salt Lake City. Before that can take effect, she's decided she's going to resign. Mulder pleads with her, and tells her she's kept him honest. Touched, Scully starts to cry. The two share a long look and just as they're about to kiss, Scully is stung by a bee. The reaction to the sting is instantaneous and life threatening. Mulder calls 911. Paramedics bundle Scully off and just as the ambulance is about to leave, Mulder recognizes the driver as a member of the syndicate. The driver shoots him. Scully is placed in cryogenic suspension and loaded onto a plane while CSM looks on. Fortunately, Mulder's wound was superficial and he wakes up in the hospital with Skinner and the Lone Gunmen standing over him. Since he's being watched, Mulder switches places with Byers and uses Frohike and Langley for cover when he leaves the hospital. Running back to the bar, Mulder looks for Kurtzweil, but finds the WMM. The WMM invites him into his limousine and proceeds to explain what the project is all about. Despite orders, the WMM hands Mulder a vaccine against the alien virus and the location of Agent Scully. He kills his driver then trips the car bomb that was meant for him. Forty-eight hours later, Mulder is in Antarctica, looking for Scully with the coordinates the WMM gave him. When Mulder's GPS tells him he's where Scully should be, he sees nothing. Climbing a rise, he spots another dome like building in the distance. Before he can reach the building, the snow gives way and Mulder finds himself in a labyrinth of tunnels. One of them is a vent and it deposits him in a long hallway with multiple pods on either side. Each pod is a receptacle which holds a human, with an alien growing inside. Moving deeper into the cavern a large space opens up, revealing story upon story of cryopods. Below there's movement. Following this slim lead, Mulder climbs down and almost tumbles to his death. At the bottom, Scully's clothes and cross confirm he's on the right path. Checking the current corridor, he finds his partner and starts to use his flashlight to smash the pod's face plate. On the surface, CSM has discovered Mulder's snow cat and has alerted the rest of his team that someone's breached security. Mulder desperately pounds on the cryopod's walls and finally breaks through. Using the vaccine, he injects Scully with a large dose and the ship reacts violently. CSM is monitoring the system and realizes that Mulder has the drug. Equipment begins to go haywire, CSM tells his team to evacuate. Removing Scully from the pod, Mulder dresses her with his extra layers and starts on the way out. Scully is weak and Mulder must carry her most of the way. When they get to the vent, Scully has passed out and he performs CPR on her to keep her going. As they're scrambling, an awakened alien almost catches up with them. Topside, the crackling sound of shearing ice indicate the instability of where they're standing. Using his last bit of energy, Mulder throws Scully's arm over his shoulder and hauls a**. The ship is taking off, and as it rises, the slope becomes more pronounced and the two agents find themselves falling. They land on the snow and Mulder watches in wonder as a flying saucer leaves earth's atmosphere. Drained, he starts to succumb to hypothermia. Scully, moves closer then cradles Mulder in her arms, rocking them both for warmth. Another OPR meeting, and Scully is defending her report on the events that happened in the last few days. AD Cassidy who is running the inquiry insists that there's no evidence, therefore there will be no investigation. Scully produces the bee which stung her and reminds the panel that there's no department qualified to pursue the evidence in hand. On the Capitol Mall, Mulder bemoans the fact that he and Scully are no closer to the truth then when they started. Scully reminds him, that he saved her and they have to keep fighting, because if they don't no one will. In Tunisia, CSM informs Strughold that the FBI has decided to reopen the X-Files.

Rumminations: Date stamp comes from the telegram at the end of the movie.

Unanswered Questions:

Geographical Inconsistancies:

Plot Oversights:

Changed Premises:

Equipment Oddities: