Blood

Ooh, another forgotten creepy one!

A combination of LSD in pesticides and subliminal messages causes people in the town to go crazy and embark on killing sprees. I never noticed this before, because they really don't hit you over the head with an Agenda Hammer, but the X-Files really has a sort of enviro-bent. Which I like. I feel like I'm watching Locusts! during this episode.

Mulder and Scully spent most of this episode apart, and instead of communicating as usual via telephone, it seems to be largely e-mails and reports, in the form of voice-overs. It's actually kind of a neat touch, although I wouldn't want them to always do this, and X-Philes tired of voice over pretty quickly.

But still, this even had kind of a cute moment where after a long narration about the nature of the crimes, Mulder mentions "There have been reported abductee paranoia in UFO mass abduction cases...". Here Scully stops reading momentarily to say:

SCULLY: I was wondering when you'd get to that.




Haha. But stunningly, Mulder continues to report "I find no evidence of this to be the case."

I am amazed that Mulder was lucky enough to get this profiling case, instead of being stuck back with his surveillance assignment. Maybe he got it because it seems impossible to come up with a profile (since there isn't really one to be made).

M VO: In all honesty, Scully, I've never had a more difficult time developing a profile.



The other thing that makes this episode different, is the lack of a murder before the opening credits. Normally a crime is committed or something, the credits roll, then cut to the beginning of the investigation. But here, no one dies until afterward.

The ep makes great use of heart-pounding sound effects, and even does a good job of conveying the paranoia of the characters in other ways. I particularly liked the scene where the woman is picking up her car, and the mechanic so so creepy, and the screen flashes "he's going to rape you... and kill you.. kill him first".



The scene with the stack of televisions in the Walmart or whatever was brilliantly done too. The sound of the static as they all change channels at once, flipping between various disturbing images is all outstanding.



Also shocking; Mulder gets stabbed in this one! I mean, just a bit on the arm, but still.

The Lone Gunmen's appearance here seems random, but I'll take it, especially since they show Mulder a video of people happily getting sprayed with DDT in swimming pools. To me, that is a powerful image, about powerful ignorance of chemicals and their uses/effects. That helps make this episode feel real to me, because if you think 'there's no way the government would just be spraying fear-inducing pesticides on helpless civilians', here's some real life proof that you are wrong.



Also, this is a gem:

FROHIKE: So, Mulder, where's your little partner?
M: She wouldn't come. She's afraid of her love for you.
FROHIKE: She's tasty.

Mulder later trades Scully's phone number for use of Frohike's night vision goggles. He's got a sense of humour, that one. Lol, or he's a jerk!



Strangely, Scully is able to play hooky and join Mulder for the last half of his investigation. He calls her in after he's been sprayed, so she can check him out.



S: I'd love to tell you that I flew three-hundred miles in the middle of the night to perform tests that prove that you're about to become the next Charles Manson... but I find little physiological evidence that L.S.D.M. has toxically affected you... even after massive ingestion.



Sadly, this mean no one is really on his side, even though everyone is angry about the secret 'pesticide' sprayings. The officer leaves to room

MULDER: Yeah, he's probably one of those people that thinks Elvis is dead.

I dunno why, but that kills me every time.

Scully sticks around to play partner for a little while, falling into that role so naturally, I think they forgot that the aren't actually working together, and Scully isn't actually assigned to this case.



The climax involves a crazy man in a clock tower. No, seriously.

The ending in this one is so completely different from others; almost cliffhanger-y, with Mulder reading "ALL DONE, BYE BYE" on his phone as he's trying to call Scully. No, there were no text messages then, he was just still feeling the effects of the LSDM spraying he got. He just stares at his phone, while Scully answers and become incredibly worried (almost frightened) when Mulder says nothing.



S: Scully. Hello? Mulder, is that you? Mulder, where are you? Mulder? Mulder, where are you?

It continues right over the credits for a moment. Really creepy, really cool.