Rodent Rates The X-Files... An Ongoing Thread

S2: Ep7: “3”

Monster of the week episode.
Scully is still missing, and the gloomy Mulder takes on a case in which a spate of killings points to a Vampiric cult called The Unholy Trinity.
Nice break from the past two episodes, which adds more depth to Scully’s disappearance as she’s not seen at all, which makes Mulder’s behaviour a little more personal.
Unfolds nicely, Mulder making waves in the LAPD when he arrives on scene and explains he knows who the killers are, and some mystery around who the 3 killers are.

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S2: Ep8: “One Breath”

9th in the Alien Mythology of the series.
Scully is presumed dead, she hasn’t been seen since her kidnapping/abduction in “Ascention”, and her Mother has even laid out a gravestone for her… but Scully mysteriously reappears in a comatose state. Mulder pulls out all the stops to find out where she’s been, and the truth behind her abductors. But the mysterious “X” is on Mulder’s tracks.
Another great part of the Scully Abduction Arc and the Alien Mythology… this episode has everything from the regular Mulder-Far-Out theories, Aliens, The Lone Gunmen, X, The Smoking Man… rounds up the story that started with Duane Barry nicely, and sets up the future of the Alien Mythology perfectly too with some unanswered questions.

When are you gonna be done?

4 eps a day if I can do it... I might skip some days or do more than 4...


202 episodes, 2 movies. So like, 50 days altogether. Give or take.

Been slacking the past couple days. Will commence again soon. Had a lot of pool matches on, new season started.

Going by the incredible pace of the first day or two I thought you were going to be finished in time for the new episodes.

Anyway I think you see a real step up in class with season 2. I think you can see the film was rewarded with a higher budget and that those involved obviously gained a lot of confidence from the first season's success. You're only 8 episodes in and already you've had some classic mythology episodes (Duane Barry/Ascension in particular is excellent) and an absolute classic MotW episodes in The Host. Only one episode ("3") I'd say isn't that great.

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I kinda liked 3. It gave a depth of time to Scully's disappearance and a nice break for the Alien Mythology.
I think if it were placed in a different area of the series it wouldn't have worked as well. It's a decent production choice I think.

More coming soon!
Just about to watch Season2, Episode 9.


I held the thread off until after the MoFies.
I might do a bunch tonight instead of just 4

I saw Season 1 on Blu-Ray for kinda cheap and I thought about getting it... but........ I figure I won't rewatch it much. Probably. I dunno. We'll see.

S2: Ep9: “Firewalker”

Monster of the week episode.
When a Volcanologist is killed, Mulder and Scully investigate as the terms of his death are weird at best.
They discover something remarkable, and also disturbing.
Nice break again from the Alien Mythology stuff and Scully’s disappearance. As an episode though, it’s not great
Kinda poor in the writing and story, using a scientific research program discovering new forms below the surface of the Earth sort of thing.
It works as a basic buffer between Alien Mythology episodes but it was nice to see Scully’s abduction referenced when Mulder asks her if she’s sure she’s physically and mentally ready for a field trip.
Reminds me of the episode “Ice” though, just not as well written.
Some future famous faces again in this one with Shawnee Smith and the brilliant Leland Orser.

S2: Ep10: “Red Museum”

10th in the Alien Mythology of the series.
An area of Wisconsin is suffering a spate of kidnappings, and when a bunch of teens are discovered wandering the wilderness, half naked, confused, scared and with writing on their backs saying “He is one” and “She is one”, Mulder and Scully investigate.
The local Sheriff blames a nearby Cult calling themselves The Church Of The Red Museum.
Pretty cool episode, it’s an Alien Mythology episode, but also plays out like a Monster Of The Week at the same time.
Mark Rolston is pretty solid as Odin, the leader of the Cult and an apparent “brain washer”… but with something else behind his actions.
Unfolds nicely, has tons of mysterious stuff going on, and adds to the Alien Mythology nicely too.

S2: Ep11: “Excelsis Dei”

Monster of the week episode.
A Nurse in an old people’s hospital is raped, and Mulder and Scully are brought in to investigate as it appears the culprit is invisible.
Interesting use of the plot from The Entity (1982).
Decently written episode, pretty spooky at times, and unfolds nicely, and there’s more to it than just an apparent ghost story. Which is nice to see as ghosts were getting a bit samey for Monster Of The Week.
Bit-part actress Frances Bay, one of favourite underrated actresses, is a nice addition to the cast too.
Also, my DVD menu has the episode spelled “Exelsius” instead of “Excelsis” lol! I checked on Google and it’s a physical production mistake. I worked in the factory where these DVDs were made too and I checked with some friends of mine… I know the man responsible

S2: Ep12: “Aubrey”

Monster of the week episode.
An FBI Agent disappeared 50 years ago and a Cop finds his body. The Cop, it turns out, is currently working on a serial killer case, and it turns out the FBI Agent had also been working on an absolutely identical case when he disappeared in 1942.
To complicate matters, the Cop says she knew where the body was, as she saw it in a psychic vision.
Decent episode dealing with genetics and psychic connections and psychopathy. Unfolds nicely, has some good mystery about it, some good character dynamics between Lieutenant Tillman and Detective Morrow.
It’s the characters of this one that really drive the episode along tbh. They’re well written too which is a good thing.
Another interesting thing is Terry O’Quinn as Lt Tillman. O’Quinn went on to play a different character in season 9 in 2001, and also in the first X-Files movie in 1998.

S2: Ep13: “Irresistible”

Monster of the week episode.
When fresh graves begin getting dug up and the bodies are discovered to be desecrated, Mulder and Scully are brought in as FBI Agent Bocks believes it to be similar to UFO cattle mutilations.
However, Mulder digresses that the culprit is probably “death fetishist”, or even a necrophiliac. However, a short while later a prostitute is abducted and murdered and her body is mutilated in the exact way the dead bodies were.
The duo has to track the guy down but Scully is disturbed by the case, and is beginning to suffer PTSD from her own abduction a few episodes back.
Brilliant episode, no paranormal stuff in this one at all and is a seriously needed break from all the recent shenanigans with Alien Mythology, ghosts and psychic stuff.
Decently written, unfolds nicely, solidly acted. It also delves into some uncomfortable ideas with the lead villain, Donnie Pfaster.
Fox Broadcasting even had the script rewritten before it was filmed, as it was originally too dark and disturbing.
Scully’s arc with her abduction and the effects it’s having on her own sanity is a nice touch as well.
We’ve also got an actor who became a rent-a-baddie, Nick Chinlund, playing the antagonist Donnie Pfaster, and he’s absolutely brilliant.
One of the best episodes of Season 2.

S2: Ep14: “Die Hand Die Verletzt”

Monster of the week episode.
A teenager dies in mysterious circumstances when he and a bunch of friends practice some Black Magic in the woods.
Apparently, a Cult, originally into Devil Worship, resided in their town, but they stopped their practices years ago.
Mulder and Scully are brought in when it appears that the Devil himself has appeared, and is exacting justice on the Cult for turning their back on him.
Not a great episode, but not a bad episode either, especially when the final act is revealed and the truths behind all the weird stuff is “explained”. Raining frogs, plagues of rats, plus other Biblical stuff going on is fun to watch. But there’s a darker side to the story when one of the girls explains some of the things she remembers from her childhood and Mulder throwing out his far-out theories and examining the townsfolk and teachers to make his theories hold weight is good too.

S2: Ep15: “Fresh Bones”

Monster of the week episode.
A Marine crashes his car into a tree and dies. Mulder and Scully are called in as the tree, strangely, has a Voodoo symbol carved into it. The Marine was also suffering hallucinations before his death. The duo is brought to an INS base, where Haitian refugees are held, as there has been another Marine die in odd circumstances. But when Scully gets to the morgue, the Marine’s body is gone, and in its place is the body of a dog… and they uncover a Black Magic cover-up.
Another solid episode, and one of those is-it-isn’t-it endings too. Mysterious, unfolds pretty solidly and has a decent twist as well. Could have been kinda hokey with the subject matter, but is handled well and doesn’t get too cheesy.
We also get to see X make an appearance, even though this isn’t a Mythology episode.

S2: Ep16: “Colony”

11th in the Alien Mythology of the series.
Mulder has been up to something… all we know is he’s airlifted to intensive care in an Arctic Hospital, he’s in a comatose state and has hypothermia… and Scully is telling the doctors that they must keep his body in cold water to keep him alive.
Intro of… The Alien Bounty Hunter!!!!
A doctor is killed by The Alien Bounty Hunter, and Mulder receives obituaries him, and for more deaths… and all the dead men are seemingly identical, and all work in abortion clinics.
Fantastic episode. Flashback style this one that has that scene at the start, and then goes flashback to tell what happened to Mulder.
Seriously well-made and definitely the best one so far out of all of the episodes tbh. There’s huge backstory, huge history and future set-ups, massive depth added to the Alien Mythology and Mulder’s Sister.
A must see episode.

Well, after a break from it... may as well carry on with the rest of season 2.


S2: Ep17: “Endgame”

12th in the Alien Mythology of the series.
Following on from Colony, and that brilliant cliff-hanger… an American submarine picks up a signal in Alaskan waters and ends up stranded under the ice… meanwhile, the appearance of Mulder’s sister and the kidnap of Scully by The Alien Bounty Hunter, cause Mulder to dig up some shocking truths behind his sister’s reappearance.
Another great episode. I’m loving these Mythology arcs of late, they’re making for some great cliff-hangers and two-parters.
Unfolds nicely, adds more depth to the Mythology and is pretty exciting too. Was hard to follow Colony though but they just managed it. I liked the use of the Bounty Hunter’s shape changing that causes a load of paranoia too.

S2: Ep18: “Fearful Symmetry”

Monster of the week episode.
After a construction worker is killed and a ton of damage is reported all over Fairfield in Idaho, an escaped elephant is blamed… but the problem is, is that no animal was seen when the damage and death occurred… Mulder and Scully are brought in and they uncover something odd at the nearby zoo.
Decent mystery on this one, and a nice break from the Mythology episodes.
Invisible animals, possible alien testing and stuff going on with Mulder throwing his theories around again.
Some dodgy animatronics and man-in-suit going on though, but the animal handlers with the real animals were good. Lance Guest is a nice casting too as an animal rights activist.

S2: Ep19: “Død Kalm”

Monster of the week episode.
The USS Ardent is in crisis… and the crew abandon ship. A couple days later they are picked up in their lifeboat… oddly though, they have all aged decades. Mulder and Scully are brought in, and Mulder falls foul of whatever “ageing phenomena” overtook the crew of the Ardent.
Half-decent episode, with good mystery and unfolds well, has the usual X-Files odd-stuff going on and a history of missing ships and a connection to Roswell.
I read that the makeup effects were hammered by critics too. I kinda agree, as an aged version of our duo wasn’t great to look at tbh but the episode overall was ok.