CHINGA   *   KILL SWITCH   *   BAD BLOOD   *   PATIENT X   *   THE RED AND THE BLACK

CHINGA

Directed by Kim Manners. Written by Stephen King and Chris Carter.

RATING: ***1/2

Scully is on holiday in Amma Beach, Maine (of course...this was written by Stephen King after all!), and helps out the local sheriff Jack Bonsaint (Larry Musser) when a supermarket full ofcustomers start to claw at their own faces, and one man kills himself with a knife. A little girl, Polly Turner (Jenny-Lynn Hutcheson) and her mother Melissa (Susannah Hoffman) were also at the supermarket during the violent outbreak, yet both were unaffected. Melissa has been dubbed a witch by some of the townspeople, but, as Scully learns, anything supernatural may not lay with the mother, but with her daughter...or is it the little girl's doll?

One of my personal favorite episodes of the season takes an old horror cliche, an evil doll, and takes it to new heights. King's story was extensively rewritten by Carter, but it still contains elements and settings that are classic King. Some characters seem to have directly fallen out of previous King tales. Believe it or not, it's Scully who comes up with the idea that its something supernatural behind it all, and this shows that the character has a open mind...on occasions. One suspects this more this more the work of King than Carter. Anderson has a nice rapport with Musser, who’s role is endearingly played throughout. Despite the grim tone of the proceedings, there’s wonderful comic relief in the form of Duchovny, who has a number of phone conversations with Scully during the show. Whether watching “Worlds Deadliest Swarms” or bouncing a basketball, he’s a hilarious distraction. His punch line is especially funny.

The real star of the show is director Manners, who throws a half dozen or so eerie images at the audience. The show’s most disturbing moments come in the pre-credits sequence, set in the supermarket, and it’s one of the most nasty set pieces of the season. Other memorably moments include Melissa smashing herself in the face with a hammer, a grappling hook in a man’s head and several unsettling ghostly manifestations of soon-to-be victims. An interesting footnote to this show is that the word Chinga is offensive in Spanish, and was redubbed 'Bunghoney' outside the states!

The teaming of Carter and King (who originally said he would have preferred to do a Millennium, which I would loved to have seen), two of the most important figures in modern horror, is something many were waiting for…and more than worthwhile enough for fans of either.

Kim Manners on 'Chinga': "We read Stephen King's script, which was terrific, but probably unproduceable for an hour of network television. Chris rewrote it. It was fun to do, and I think it translated well. People either really liked 'Chinga' or really hated it. That was another episode where it got a strong response, either positive or negative, but no one walked away and said, 'Oh, just another episode.' "

KILL SWITCH

Directed by Rob Bowman. Written by William Gibson and Tom Maddock.

RATING: ***

A strung out man is online via his laptop in a diner late at night. Suddenly, the place starts to fill with drug dealers and crooks, each of whom have been tipped off over the phone that their respective foes are present. Finally, federal marshals show up, and a massive gun battle ensues. Turns out lap top user, who died in the shootout, was Donald Gelman, pioneer in computers, and was attempting to destroy an Artificial Intelligence program that has become dangerously self aware. The program itself was responsible for orchestrating the elaborate dinner confrontation just to take Gelman out. Mulder and Scully are forced to work alongside the dead man's associate, a smart mouthed, foul-tempered hacker Esther Nairn (Kristin Lehman), who is out to destroy the AI. However it doesn't take too kindly to them, and will do anything to protect itself. Eventually, Mulder himself is trapped by the wily AI.

Co-scripted by "cyberpunk" icon Gibson, this one is somewhat out of character for the series, but is actually a very strong addition to the season. The technology-based scenario is compelling, and only slightly unbelievable. Gibson and Maddock know the technical territory well, and it shows in the detail. Luckily, their script doesn't drown in computerbabble and endless shots of pc screens. This episode has great movement and a true sense of urgency. This episode was one of the most expensive and difficult to make, and it shows. There's some heavy duty FX on display, including three huge scale guided missile explosions. Bowman supplies a number of superlative set pieces, notably the tense pre-credits shootup, the aforementioned missile attacks and Mulder's memorably surreal virtual reality experience. The latter is bizarre mixture of the creepy and the hilarious, and a must for fans of Scully in action-chick mode. As you'd expect in a high tech situation like this, the Lone Gunmen are helping out, and they're fun to watch as usual. Lehman's post-punk hacker chick looks like a bit of cliché, but the actress gives a pretty good performance, and the Gunmen's admiration for her provides some good humorous moments. Watch carefully for Byers subtly straightening his ever-present tie while he and his pals stare love struck at Nairn. Great show for the Gunmen. The conclusion is quiet absorbing and thought provoking, and leaves the door open for a potential followup. Those kind of wrap ups often annoy me, but here it works. 

Clever plotting and sharp direction make 'Kill Switch' a great piece of software.

Won a single-camera picture editing Emmy.

Chris Carter on 'Kill Switch': "That was a great show. It had a good script with a great twist. I liked that virtual reality theme. Rob did a great job directing it. We actually worked on that episode in storyboards over the last two years. When we met last with Gibson, that twist [Mulder's VR sequence] came up, and it made the episode great."

BAD BLOOD

Directed by Vince Gilligan. Written by Cliff Bole.

RATING: ***

Mulder and Scully are in a Texas town investigating deaths of people (and cows) that could be the work of vampires, or not, as Scully would point out. Is a local pizza delivery dude a bloodsucker? Mulder certainly thinks so, and proceeds to drive a stake through the heart of the suspect. However, now Mulder finds himself in deep trouble from his superiors, and the FBI faces a huge lawsuit from the supposed vampires next-of-kin. With their asses on the line, Mulder and Scully relate their own versions of what went down, yet both viewed the case more than a little differently.

From the duo that gave us the 4th season comedy gem 'Small Potatoes' comes this wild, over-the-top and hilarious effort. Two thirds of this story is told through flashbacks, as both agents tell their accounts of the situation that resulted in Mulder killing a young man with a wooden steak. Both versions of the story are clever and funny, as we see just how Mulder and Scully view each other. Funny as they are, it does seem as if the agents don't have a lot of respect for each others points of view and approaches to the job. Oh well...as long as milked for some laughs. Anderson and Duchovny do marvellous jobs of parodying themselves, and their performances are infectious. Rising star Luke Wilson (classy pics The Royal Tennabaums and Rushmore, and more generic mainstream stuff like Legally Blonde and Charlies Angels) plays the town sheriff, who is very different in the agents flashbacks, and is highly amusing playing both a ruggedly handsome charmer, and a backwoods hick. There's plenty of comic highlights in here...Mulder's rendition of the Theme From Shaft, a conversation about the movie Rain Man between Duchovny and Wilson, and a hilariously gruesome Scully autopsy, which she finds mundane. Skinner also has a brief bit of comedy, explaining a vampiric attack on a poor morgue worker.

The episode loses a bit of it's momentum towards the end, and it does seem to drag on longer than most X-pisodes. Despite this 'Bad Blood' is Great Fun.

PATIENT X

Directed by Kim Manners. Written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz.

RATING: ***1/2

In Kazakhstan, a group of smoldering skeletons have been found by a United Nations peacekeepers force, headed by Martia Covarrubias (Laurie Holden). Another team also shows up...a local military unit led by Alex Krycek. Also, Krycek discovers a witness to the massacre: a teenage boy, who he takes into custody. Elsewhere in America, at a UFO seminar, Mulder shocks the audience by stating that he doesn't believe in aliens or abductions anymore. He's also asked by his old hypnosis doctor (Jim Jansen) to talk with one of his patients, a multiple abductee named Cassandra Spender (Veronica Cartwright). Cassandra tells Mulder that the aliens are peaceful and want to pass on a message to humanity. However, she says something has gone wrong.

The teenager in Kazakhstan is infected with the black oil by Krycek, and then smuggled on a ship going to America. At the bureau, Scully meets agent Jeffrey Spender (Chris Owens), who says he's Cassandra's son, and he doesn't want Mulder talking to her. Scully talks with Cassandra, who feels she knows her from somewhere, and asks if Scully also has the same sense of needing to be some place. Although she says no, she realizes she does. A group of alien abductees meet at Skyland Mountain...where Scully was taken years ago...and suddenly they're attacked by several faceless figures wielding handheld flame throwers. Krycek elsewhere loses the witness to a back-stabbing Covarrubias, who isn't prepared for the black oil factor. Finally, Cassandra and Scully join another group group of abductees on a bridge at Ruskin Dam...and then see for themselves who were responsible for the slaughter at Skyland...

Another of the conspiracy two part pieces, and a very good one at the that. This episode throws in all the expected conspiracy figures; Krychek is back, this time playing both sides, and Covarrubias makes an intriguing return to the show. The relationship between these two is surprising and poses more questions. "The Well Manicured Man" (John Neville) is back, and as menacing as ever...if not more so.  One of the most important guest appearances on the show is that of Owens, as agent Spender, who becomes a key character in the series. As his mother, Cartwright, the veteran star of such movies as The Birds, The Right Stuff and Alien, brings a lot to the role, and makes her very sympathetic. What's great is that everyone is given the ball and each run with it. There's plenty of juicy material for everyone to sink their teeth into.

Scully and Mulder continue to grow in fascinating directions; Dana forced to become more open minded due to her abduction experience and the unexplainable feelings she's now going through, while Fox has finally doubted the truths and beliefs he's carried for years. The best thing about 'Patient X' (and it's sequel), is that it finally starts answering questions the show has presented us since the beginning. Hell, we're even given the exact year of the colonization invasion in a throw-away manner! The truth is coming to the surface, the conspiracy is finally starting to make sense, and the entire saga is reaching it's peek. 

Well written and well directed, this is an exciting, revealing entry that sheds much light on the conspiracy plot, and is followed by an even more impressive second part.

Cartwright received an Emmy nomination for this 2-parter.

THE RED AND THE BLACK

Directed by Chris Carter. Written by Chris Carter, Frank Spotnitz.

RATING: ****

Kicking off with the continuation of the cliffhanger ending of "Patient X", with Scully and Cassandra Spender facing death by fire on a bridge. Naturally, she survives, but Cassandra vanishes. With no memory of what went down, Scully undergoes hypnosis and is able to recall what became of Cassandra. Meanwhile, her son Jeffrey is putting pressure on our heroes to find out what happened. Mulder discovers a crucial piece of info of what, and who's, responsible for the fiery deaths from an unexpected source...Alex Krycek. Faced with the sudden appearance of aliens opposing colonization plans, the conspiracy ponder other options. Learning of downed alien spacecraft, Mulder sets out to find the pilot, apparently alive but captured. 

'The Red And The Black' is an absolutely stunning follow up to 'Patient X', giving us one of the best two-parters the show has ever done. This episode has so many twists, turns and exciting character development, revealing lots of background on the black oil aliens and the sinister human figures that always appear in these sorts of episodes. Like 'Patient X', this episode throws lots of intriguing curve balls at the audience, and manages to keep the whole conspiracy plot fascinating when it could have become tiresome. What's more, the conspiracy yarn is starting to really make some sense, and the introduction of the rebels is a major development that would end up be the defining factor of the mythology.

Although this show is not truly an action showcase, it fells like it is because of the drive and intensity of the proceedings. Carter has staged a number of riveting set pieces, and one of them is absolutely unforgettable. Under hypnosis, Scully recounts the events on the bridge in which she and the others have a close encounter. This is a truly chilling sequence, with Anderson's performance really hitting the material out of the ball park. The cinematography and FX are dynamite, and this piece is the key reason why this episode is so good. The important scene of the spaceship's crash is brief but very well, and Mulder's attempts to get to the captive alien is compelling. One negative point though: why did Carter have Mulder pass out yet again when the otherwordly opponents show up? That's been done...what, three times before? All the recurring performers deliver the goods big time, with Neville and Lea stealing the show. Pileggi logically joins the story here, and Owens' Spender starts to become the fascinating figure we'd get to see in the sixth season. Brian Thompson is as menacing as ever.

All credit to Carter, who does his best work yet as a director, making up for his missteps on 'Post-Modern Prometheus'. 'The Red And The Black' is a superior piece of entertainment, and a true highlight of the fifth season, not to mention the best thing Carter has ever directed.

Nominated for sound editing and sound mixing Emmys.