Scolexicon
June 15, 1996
Well, this technically isn't a lost episode since this
compilation of story ideas and scenes never actually made it to a
final screenplay version. The idea was to bring our good friend
Flukie back to the small screen star status that he deserved but
since no one seemed to be able to compress these ideas into a
cohesive story the whole thing was scrapped. It includes several
hammered out ideas and some scenes that were actually shot but never
made into a finished product. In the end, we were left with a less
satisfying brief look at Flukie on the cover of a tabloid rag in
Pusher. Only a slight salve to the hermaphroditically challenged who
await his return. But with the mish-mash of material that was being
worked through it was probably better to just catch this glimpse and
wait patiently for another star turn in season 4. Patiently,
hopefully crossing our fingers and flukes....
A rundown of the screenplay ideas should start this review.
There were plenty of half-baked ideas being batted around here and I
guess we should be happy they never launched themselves completely
off the drawing board. Most of them are ripped off scenes from
movies that range from the classic to the absurd. For instance,
there is one teaser that begins with a tour of the sewer system that
is hauntingly familiar to anyone who saw the final scene of The Host.
But instead of the final camera destination being the slimy, white
face of Flukeman we zoom in on a clown in white face just as he is
pulled under the water in the drain pipe. The episode that ensued
was sure to be a rip-off of Stephen King's story "It" with Flukeman
pushing the clown out of the center ring. Possibly justice for the
clown but a less than riveting show for us to suffer through.
Another one took us once again into the denizens of the sewer system
but this time our tour guides were none other than the plethora of
rats inhabiting such stellar celluloid wonders as "Willard" and
"Ben". I think we have all had our share of rats following Teso Dos
Bichos and I know I've beat up on TDB enough so I'm glad we didn't
have to go down this road. Besides, seeing Flukeman down a fistful
of rats (did Flukie even have hands?) couldn't top watching the
Enigma digest the evil twin in Humbug. So far, two ideas better left
on the drawing board.
One of my personal favorites was a riff on Phantom of the Opera.
A recuperating Flukie is hiding out in the sewer system beneath the
Met listening to the plaintive music wafting down from the Russian
Ballet production up in the hall. It is a poignant scene with him
wistfully thinking back to his life and times on the Russian
freighter but his regenerative rest is interrupted by the arrival of
a nubile, young street urchin who is seeking a home in the sewer
system. Will he make her his host or his paramour? Luckily we'll
never know since this storyline was left unpursued. Still another
storyboard layed out a plot that had Flukeman on a roadtrip to Ft.
Lauderdale stashed in the back of a microbus driven by the potheads
from WOTC and Quagmire. In his eagerness to arrive at some open
water, Flukie ends up stuck at Lake Heuvellman where a wrestling
match over territory ensues with a local gator. This conjured images
of Jim wrestling with the giant anaconda as Marlon Perkins called the
shots on Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. A blast from the past that
was better left behind. In a final flash of brainstorming, the
writers pondered the following which for all our sakes was blessedly
discarded. The teaser opens with a large crated, cage being
transported to an unknown compound. The crate is removed from the
truck and carefully escorted to a waiting enclosure. The encaged
cargo is rattling and shaking the bars in anger or anticipation as
the guards look uneasy. From the shadows emerges Michael Jackson who
wants to be present as his latest rare find is released in his
private zoo/land of oddities and enchantment (tm). As the crate is
opened and the locks removed, one of the workers is suddenly pulled
inside as pandemonium ensues and his fellow workers unsuccessfully
attempt to pull him to safety. As the struggle suddenly ends and an
eery quiet envelopes the scene, the body is pulled from the cage and
we see the unmistakable bite mark of our friendly fluke on the dead
man's back. One would think that this rehash of a Jurassic Park
scene would be the weirdest thing about this scenario but the thing
that makes it the least palatable is the idea of MJ on the show.
This one never stood a chance.
These story ideas are so absurd that I wonder why the writers
didn't jump over the edge of bizarre to out and out insanity...I
would have welcomed them with open arms. I'm nothing if not a good
hostess...but not a good "host" mind you. They might have written a
scene where we see Flukie recuperating, not in the sewers, but rather
on Monster Island. He could hang out with new buddies Mothra and
Godzilla comparing radiation levels while swapping stories of daring
deeds. Better yet we could have Flukeman pull himself into some
damp, dank corner of the sewer to recuperate only to stumble upon the
tattered remains of Tooms who similarly beat the odds and survived
his encounter with Mulder and Scully. Together, the regenerating
genetic anomalies could plan their revenge as a mutant tag-team out
to get our daring duo. Or how about a tear-jerker based on An Affair
To Remember? Flukie was trying to escape the New Jersey sewer system
in order to make a rendezvous with his girlfriend who was also born
from the primordial soup on the freighter. Tragically, he is cut in
half by Mulder's clumsy attempt to halt his escape so he pulls
himself out of the drain pipe, seeking refuge in the sewers but
missing the meeting with his true love. She somehow tracks him down
and as she gazes upon his slimy, white half-submerged body she is
unaware that he has been injured and he's too proud to tell her. He
feels he can no longer make her happy being only half the fluke he
used to be...and in his pride she almost leaves until she sees
through the stagnant water the truth behind Flukeman's disappearance
and they are re-united as the credits roll. The main flaw with this
storyline wasn't the rip-off nature of the story or the sappiness of
it....it was the fact that Flukeman and his love-interest don't
really need each other since they are hermaphroditic. Such a
shame...
Two ideas did manage to springboard themselves into the
beginnings of an actual episode since several scenes from each were
filmed. It wasn't possible for them to be combined into a coherent
finished product since there were too many gaps. But since they
survived past a simple teaser they seem to be the best of a bad lot.
In the first sequence, Mulder and Scully are standing at the mouth of
a drain pipe in what appears to be a forested area. Dressed in
camouflage and wearing backpacks they appear ready to give chase. It
seems the Flukeman has recently emerged from this section of pipe and
our agents are going to attempt his capture before he can make his
way to a populated area. I sort of liked the idea of this
scenario...our daring duo out of their usual monkey suits and in the
wilds, braving the elements in a Predator-like contest between them
and their prey. But will they end up being the hunters or the
hunted? The scenes they filmed were captivating...there was not much
dialogue but the way in which Mulder and Scully had to work together
to accomplish their objective made their wordless communication
during the pursuit riveting. One of my favorite scenes was when they
entered a part of the forest where their camouflage was useless and
they were forced to submerge themselves in the resident pond mud in
order to avoid detection. Talk about not your average scene...we've
seen our pair looking bedraggled on occasion but this was on the next
level. The scenes worked well with the tension and the acting was
right on despite the limited dialogue. We knew they were in pursuit
of the Flukeman but there were never any scenes where M&S were in
the same shot or had to confront Flukie so it was obvious that the
scenes were spliced and incomplete. If they ever do a Flukeman
sequel they might be able to use some of this footage. The remaining
shots involved some hotel scenes that must have lead up to the forest
footage. There is a shot that has Mulder and Scully in a diner
discussing the case and how it ended up on Mulder's desk.
Apparently, it showed up mysteriously but Mulder is sure that Skinner
had a hand in it. Scully is convinced that it wasn't Skinner and
that CSM is responsible and perhaps is even setting them up. The two
agree to disagree until further evidence is uncovered and so they
turn in for the night. We are then witness to a Scully shower
scene...it can't beat the shower scene with the guy throwing up the
fluke, but a Scully shower scene a la Psycho has its merits. It sort
of had a feel of Tooms/The Host/Psycho all rolled into one...and of
course fans and perverts combined would all enjoy a scene with Scully
in a towel. Although she's in the bathroom Scully doesn't look
particularly worried as she turns the water taps on. As the water
heats up we get a camera shot looking down the drain which seemed to
telegraph the upcoming events. Scully enters the bathroom wrapped in
a towel and as she pulls back the shower curtain we all heave a sigh
of relief since there isn't a giant fluke awaiting her. But the
tension is turned up a notch since we know she's not going to get out
of the bathroom without an incident. As she starts to slowly shampoo
her hair (isn't she the least bit uneasy?) we see the draincover
shift and I thought this had to be it but I was forgetting that
Flukie is no Tooms so could never fit through this opening. Scully
rinses and prepares to exit the shower. With a bit of soap in her
eyes she reaches blindly for the towel only to have her arm snatched
by...you guessed it, the Flukeman who was waiting for her in the
bathroom. Did he come out of the toilet or use the door like the
rest of us? Who the heck cares since this is startling even when
you're expecting the worst. Luckily, Mulder doesn't have the Playboy
channel turned up to full volume and hears the commotion and busts
through the adjoining doors to their suite just in time to scare the
Flukeman out the french doors of the bathroom. As Scully clutches
the hotel robe to her shivering form they both look out into the
night as the Flukeman escapes into the surrounding woods. Following
this experience there is a short scene where M&S sit up in the
hotel and discuss how many times each of them has saved the other's
butt and come to the conclusion that they are fairly even although
Scully believes she still has a few freebies coming her way. The
main lesson they learn is one we all have been screaming at them from
our collective living rooms for ages....stay out of the bathroom!!!
So end the attempts to bring the Flukeman out of retirement. We
all know he is alive and kicking assuming he's regrown his lower
extremities. We knew this at the end of The Host and it was
reaffirmed in Pusher. The question remains... was his washing up on
the vineyard just a coincidence or was he tracking down the scent of
Mulder perhaps? Just looking for a nice expensive piece of real
estate? Or is there a sinister plot in the making? Since this is
the X-Files, I find it hard to believe that his reappearance is
simply a coincidence...too contrived, right?
Oblivion
June 22, 1996
Written by Fernando Incantare, Directed by Paul Somnus
Now here was an episode that would have broken the mold. This
was probably from mid-second season and would have stood apart from
all other X-Files episodes in the storytelling format if it had found
its way to our screens. Unfortunately, this never happened but this
season we were served up JCFOS which went a long way toward
mold-breaking. Oblivion was probably re-shelved because of its
non-formula status but that, most likely, was only one of the
reasons. TPTB might have decided that it was too character-driven or
that no paranormal case was present. There may be more than a grain
of truth in that analysis but in terms of a summer replacement
episode it stands out for its lack of formulaic writing as well as
its successful attempts at character development.
Oblivion begins with Mulder and Scully preparing to enter a
warehouse to capture a suspect in their current investigation. We
are not given any additional information on the case since we join
them just as they begin their countdown. Backup has not arrived but
they feel some urgency due to the hostage situation involved. As
they rush into the building, Scully sees the victim and as she checks
for a pulse is unaware of the suspect as he targets her from the
catwalk above. Mulder realizes just in time, shoots the suspect who
falls from the catwalk to the warehouse floor overturning boxes and
crates in the process. As the teaser draws to a close we see Mulder
as he is buried beneath a cascade of large wooden crates.
This episode does not fit the usual mold since the case is over
by the teaser being simply a set-up for the real story. By this point
in the series, we know enough about our favorite agents to want to
know even more. How do they interact, what drives them to continue
their quest, how would their lives have differed if their paths
hadn't crossed? This episode gave us an opportunity to explore a few
of these questions without steering too far off course. This was
accomplished by having Mulder's accident lead to amnesia. Scully
visits Mulder at the hospital thinking it's just another chance for
Mulder to sample jello and soft foods. But when she enters the room,
it's obvious that Mulder doesn't recognize her. With some cuts and
bruises, Mulder has faired pretty well following his escapade with
the exception of his memory loss. Scully talks with him but this
doesn't help trigger anything although Mulder seems to trust
her...this alone shows the change in him. Scully goes to consult
with the physician and meets up with Skinner. He informs her that
when Mulder is released he feels the pair should take some time
off...Mulder to recuperate and Scully to attempt to help him
re-assimilate and get his memory back. The majority of the episode
deals with the aftermath of the accident...the way it impacts our
dynamic duo and what we learn about them along the way. This was
definitely the best part of the episode...not the ending which felt
tacked on in order to try to salvage the X-Filish feel of the show.
I appreciate that most episodes should have that focus but since this
one was working so well outside those confines it seemed a shame to
force an ending simply to tie it back to the conspiracy. But before
I get to that...
There were many things that made this episode seem like familiar
territory...and I mean that in the best way possible. The first was
a voice-over by Scully as she sits at her computer typing her case
report then surfing the net in search of info that will aid her in
helping Mulder. In the meantime, Mulder's home from the hospital and
is looking a bit lost in his apartment. As he's trying to
familiarize himself and spark his memory I nearly choked when he
looked askance at his video collection. Scully decides to brave the
lair of the Lone Gunmen and goes on a midnight mission to seek their
advice. They promise to look for all available sources but suggest
that she bring Mulder by in the morning to talk with them to possibly
jog his memory. One of the funniest things was in the morning when
Scully tries to call Mulder and gets his answering machine. He has
changed the message and it sounds frighteningly similar to the cheery
message that Melissa had on her machine, "....and have a really nice
day!!!" Mulder seems eager to spend the day with
Scully to learn more about who he is and to try to break through to
his lost memories. As they drive out to see the LGM, their
conversation is a bit stilted. Scully continues to address him as
Mulder and he interrupts her asking her to call him Fox, "...since
that *is* my name." Scully seems to find this a bit uncomfortable
but complies with his wishes. She is really stunned when he turns
down the bag of sunflower seeds that she has brought along for him.
Mulder without sunflower seeds? When Mulder meets the LGM he doesn't
appear to remember them. They don't have much information for Scully
other than a few contacts who might be able to help with memory
recall. She goes to check these out leaving Mulder with the LGM
since he wants to stay with them and go online to netpick.
Weirdness.
Throughout this episode I felt that we were witness to a Mulder
that could have been had his life at age 12 taken a different turn.
Although he is obviously subject to a certain amount of confusion due
to his memory loss, he seems to be a much happier and peaceful person
in this incarnation. This is the saddest thing to realize as the
episode progresses. As much as we want Scully to find a way to bring
our Mulder back, it is tragic to think that in so doing the current
Mulder with his cheerful exuberance and positive outlook will be lost
in the process. One memorable scene is when Mulder goes to surprise
Scully at work. He's carrying his ID so gets past the guards and
finds his way down to the basement. Scully's not there yet so Mulder
wanders through the office orienting himself. When Scully arrives,
she finds Mulder sitting behind his desk wearing the NICAP hat that
usually hangs in the office. The play of emotions across Scully's
face as she confronts this is so complex. On the one hand, she's
surprised to see Mulder at his desk but sad knowing that it's not a
recovered Mulder. But the most painful emotions that cross her face
are those that mourn the loss of her partner and the memory of
another believer who passed out of their reach, Max Fenig, whose hat
Mulder is unwittingly wearing.
Scully reaches down into herself for strength and brings Mulder
up to speed on her research. They decide to take Mulder to a
hypnotherapist to see if there is a way to speed up his memory
recall. After a discussion with the therapist, Mulder decides he
wants to regressed and Scully grudgingly agrees. What occurs is a
bit of a surprise. It turns out Mulder's memories are intact
including the incident of Samantha's abduction. What is startling is
when the hypnotherapist is bringing him back from his regression to
the present and another traumatic event is breached. As the
therapist attempts to access the event we realize that while Mulder
was in the hospital recovering from the accident, he was visited by
some Men in Black. He remembers being wakened by the feel of a
needle stick and as he struggled to call for help his last vision was
of the men locking the door and surrounding his bed. The next memory
he has is of waking up to the physician and then Scully's visit to
his room the following day. As the hypnotist brings Mulder back,
Scully is forced to explain to Mulder the conclusions she has
reached. It is obvious to her that Mulder did not suffer his amnesia
during the warehouse accident but that instead, someone got to him in
the hospital and attempted to erase his memories. How better to shut
down the X-Files than to take away Mulder's memories and motivation.
Scully asks him if he can remember anything more but Mulder is still
in the dark, remembering nothing of the accident or his childhood.
The mind rinse that was done on him was very effective and the
hypnotherapist suggests sessions every other day until the block can
be dissolved. The scene with Scully theorizing to Mulder is such a
reversal...she sounded downright paranoid and it's no consolation
that she was right. This is territory that we are used to Mulder
navigating, not Scully.
From the realization of the conspiracy angle, the episode begins
to wind down. We assume that Mulder goes for hypnotherapy while
Scully continues on with the X-Files and tries to discover who
exactly was involved in the late-night visit to Mulder's hospital
room. As usual, no conclusive evidence is turned up by the pair but
Scully does seem to be getting accustomed to the new Mulder. His
enthusiasm for the work is returning but without the sometimes
frightening intensity. I got the feeling that Scully was growing
used to the more positive, less guilt-ridden Mulder and so it was
sort of sad to reach the final scene. She is sitting at Mulder's
desk in the basement going over a file when the door opens and the
man that enters is easily recognizable as the old Mulder. All the
memories that plague him on a daily basis, the guilt, the weight of
his beliefs and the pressure they bring is apparent in his
countenance. "I remember everything. Samantha...", Mulder trails
off and Scully just shakes her head. No more words are necessary.
She knows he remembers and understands the implications. The burden
of his memories is beyond the realm of words for Mulder to easily
express. Just as the tension of their unspoken communication reaches
a breaking point, Scully reaches into the desk drawer and pulls out a
bag of sunflower seeds. Tossing them to Mulder she says, "I've been
saving these for you. Welcome back, partner."
A final scene of CSM gazing out the window as the partners leave
the building wasn't needed for us to realize that he had a hand in
this...so I'm glad they didn't add such a scene. The whole
conspiracy angle felt tacked on since I don't think the story would
have been less powerful if it had been a simple case of amnesia. It
would "only" have been a chance to get some insight into the
characters which is probably why TPTB decided to bring in another
angle. I guess I would have to disagree. Although I would not want
to see all the episodes patterned like this, I felt that it did quite
well in its unique attempt to break the mold. The acting in Oblivion
stood up to the challenge and it was interesting to see DD portray
this variation of Mulder. It was almost like having a whole new
character to develop and yet the portrayal felt familiar and seemed
in some ways so much like the Mulder we know. GA's portrayal of
Scully in this crisis was great and it was quite a challenge since
she had to cover just about every emotional permutation through the
course of this episode. So another great, lost episode...not a
paranormal X-File and only barely a conspiracy episode, but a very
satisfying offering all around.
Chupacabra
June 29, 1996
Written by Zorro Espectro, Directed by Dana Espadilla
Now here is a "not ready for prime-time" episode that was
probably well kept in the canister. I'm not sure why TPTB decided to
nix this one but it might have been simply that it felt too current
and topical in the world of forteana. As far as forteana fauna go,
the Chupacabras is gaining fame in a hurry and its rising star status
might have made the brass a bit reluctant to march this one out on
the heels of TDB and even in the same season as Quagmire. Another
reason might have been the Chupacabras' choice of victim which
appears to span the animal kingdom with the obvious exception of
human victims and you know how we love to hear those body bags
zipping shut. So with a less than threatening monster for the MOTW
they probably settled on TDB...I'll get on with this review before I
start hammering that episode yet again.
The teaser begins with a small goat grazing in a pasture, tied to
a fence by a lead...but it might as well have had a sign hanging on
it that said "bait". I was having flashes of Jurassic Park and
Shapes, but the main problem with this teaser was the perspective.
The way the camera shot the scene, we were supposed to be seeing the
oncoming attack from the juxtaposed views of first the predator and
then the prey. I guess it was just hard for me to get into the head
of a goat and feel its fear and unease as it is being stalked. I can
witness the attack but to empathize fully is difficult since it's
hard to place myself in the victim's shoes or hooves...I don't get
tied to fences *that* often. But even overlooking that point it just
wasn't inspired.
The meat of this episode was in the investigation. I'm pretty
sure this was a third season cast off and even felt the lingering
"rift" hanging in the air. The case is given to our daring duo by
Skinner but we only catch the end of this meeting as Mulder is
scanning the file. He looks from his partner to Skinner and says,
"Chupacabras?" He seems surprised that Skinner would see fit to
personally assign this case to them. Scully just raises an eyebrow
giving a quizzical look. Skinner holds Scully back as she leaves the
office to share some information. He grips her arm, whispering that
this may have something to do with her sister's murder and the
conspiracy. He is sure he heard the shooter, Cardinal, mention this
mysterious creature but he is confused by an unexplained feeling that
the creature is friendly. Scully seems a bit embarrassed as she
allays his worry and confusion by pointing out to him that in the
case report on his shooting it is recorded that Cardinal said, "Chupa
dura, amigo," not Chupacabras. Skinner flushes to an interesting
shade of red which is a departure from the blues the show usually
employs in lighting and mood, but he also realizes that it is too
late to get the Chupacabras case out of Mulder's clutches so he
thanks Scully and sends her on her way.
So our agents are on their way to South Texas where the latest
attacks and disappearances have been reported. Mulder has read the
file so explains to Scully the origin of the name "goat-sucker" and
the local legend surrounding the strange attacks. Mulder is excited
to have the case since the sightings originated in Puerto Rico and he
figured the bureau wouldn't allow him to investigate especially since
none of the victims had been human. Being the skeptic, Scully begins
shooting holes in the idea of the "goat-sucker" saying that it is
probably a pack of dogs but Mulder is convinced otherwise. Her
mention that there have been no attacks against humans is likewise
dismissed since Mulder is convinced that there is a population
explosion in the Chupacabras community which will lead to more
competition for food and a spread to humans as potential prey.
Mulder feels that the two peculiar puncture wounds on the neck, the
exsanguination, and the missing organs are a sign that these killings
are not the work of dogs. Upon landing and coordinating with the
local law they begin pounding the pavement. The majority of the
people they talk to found the animals already dead but a few have
questionable sightings of the attacker. The problem is that with
widespread reports in a small community, the panic and paranoia leads
to preconceived ideas when making a sighting. Scully tries to get
just the facts while keeping Mulder from leading the witnesses. In
the community of Santa Rosa, Mulder and Scully talk with families
whose dogs and cats have been killed by an unseen culprit. In all
cases, the dessicated corpse was found first thing in the morning on
the front lawn. The people simply buried their pets without any
autopsy or further investigation. One man mentions further sightings
in the town of Combes where they are directed to a veterinarian who
has been keeping tabs on the deaths. The vet has seen several of
these corpses and noted the strange puncture marks and
exsanguination. He claims to have autopsied one dog and found some
organs removed even though there were no wounds on the body to effect
this removal. Although the doctor has been cataloging the
occurences, he has not had the foresight to keep any of this
"evidence". The list of victims includes dogs, cats, goats, sheep,
chickens, and one farm that was hit pretty hard with the loss of
several pets as well as farm animals. They decide to check out this
home since a "sighting" of the Chupacabras was claimed.
So far this case has been footwork, investigation and endless
interviews. Granted this is how their work actually transpires but I
guess I would rather have the Reader's Digest condensed version
rather than have the frustration of doing all the work with them.
The farm owner they interview has a small piece of land with his
home, a barn and a collection of a few head of cattle, some goats
and a diminishing number of pets. His trouble began when he came out
one morning to find one of his dogs dead in the yard, drained of
blood. He had heard the stories around town so staked-out his yard
the next night to try to catch the culprit. He fell asleep on his
watch only to be awoken by the sound of pandemonium in his yard. By
the time the dust settled he had lost two of his goats but claimed to
have seen the predator that killed them. He told Mulder and Scully
that it looked like a half-beast, half-man creature and that it
hopped like a kangaroo as it tried to flee the scene. The farmer was
convinced that the thing killing his animals was some sort of vampire
creature. Since the sighting, the creature had terrorized his farm
for almost a week killing two cows, two more goats, a cat and a whole
cage of parakeets.
Armed with the day's interviews, Mulder and Scully head back to
their hotel to correlate the information and work on a theory. They
talk mostly about Chupacabras and the case at hand but midway through
their discussion the talk steers toward pets. Scully says she always
wanted a cat but couldn't have one since she was allergic to them.
Her family considered getting a dog but moving around so much made it
impractical so she's glad she has a dog now in the form of her
adopted mop dog. Mulder makes a face but before Scully can respond
he says that he and Sam always wanted a dog too but that after she
was gone he never had the heart to get one since he felt it would be
selfish. So now he settles for a tank of fish, which begs the
question: Who is feeding the fish when Mulder *and* Scully are gone?
If she feeds them when Mulder dashes off in search of a beating, who
takes over the duty when both partners are gone? Maybe he puts a
masking tape fish in the window and X comes over to shake the flakes.
Realizing they are off on a tangent, they get back to business.
What they have is theory, local legend and some hazy sightings that
seem less than trustworthy. Mulder reads Scully theories from the
case file on the Puerto Rico killings. Interestingly enough,
although there has been no capture or pictures taken of the creature,
there is a wealth of "knowledge" about the Chupacabras and its
behavior. According to Mulder's file, it has some sort of wing
structure on its back giving it the power of flight and helping it to
evade capture by humans. It seems to exhibit intelligent behavior
and the skill of becoming undectable. Scully scoffs but Mulder shows
her that he is simply reading directly from the case file. One
theory has Mulder intrigued. It's been suggested that the creature
is a "pet" of some alien intelligence that visited Earth long ago and
was left behind. Mulder says it could be like the alien's pet
alligator released into the sewers. I guess the aliens had bad
manners or were just forgetful and now their "pet" is going through
our animal population and may soon decide that human blood would make
a good alternative food source. Scully is not buying any of this
especially the alien "pet" theory. It seems obvious to her that some
animal is killing these farm animals and her best guess is a pack of
dogs. Mulder disagrees since he is intrigued by the puncture wounds
and the possibility of missing organs which he knows dogs could not
manage. And exsanguination...as Mulder reads from a case report in
Puerto Rico...the goat was "sucked dead". Mulder finds this
fascinating and as he reaches for the remote muttering something
about getting the Playboy channel, Scully decides it's time to call
it a night.
The episode is winding down fast. The next morning they receive
a call from the local sheriff who informs them that a local man heard
a commotion in his yard the previous night and went out with a
shotgun killing something that was attacking his goats. The
predators turned out to be a small pack of feral dogs. Mulder and
Scully arrive on the scene and examine the corpses of the attacked
goats and the dog that the man was able to shoot and the evidence
just doesn't match up. The goats that were attacked were practically
torn to pieces and did not have the mysterious puncture wounds on the
neck. Even Scully who theorized the pack of dogs doesn't seem
convinced that this case explains all the other attacks. But the
sheriff seems satisfied and eager to see the case wrapped up and the
agents out of his town. Mulder seems discouraged but Scully, knowing
that they were sent by Skinner under false pretenses, feels they
should cooperate with the local law and leave the case as solved.
The final scene is in the basement office with Mulder sharing the
reports of further attacks by the mysterious Chupacabras with Scully.
The sightings have spread from the border of the state all the way
up to Harris County, a much more highly populated area. Mulder is
convinced that the choice of victim will soon escalate to humans but
once again the case has been taken from his hands. Scully just seems
resigned to the fact.
So altogether a less than thrilling episode, but better than
watching more recent reruns. I guess the scope of the story was just
too small. Not that I have anything against farm animals but it's
difficult to get too involved when the threat doesn't seem to
approach the viewers themselves. The acting and pace of the show was
marginal at best with too many scenes of interviews that didn't
necessarily lead to any revelations regarding the case. Heck, I was
surprised we didn't see them stop to fill up the gas tank and grab
some snacks at the Stop 'n Rob. I always enjoy the progress of the
investigation and the scenes of them hammering out the details of
their case and challenging each other to think, but overall these
aspects could not make up for a less than thrilling offering.
Besides, I would have rather had a glimpse at the
Chupacabras...especially in flight.
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