9x04 Hellbound

[southoffebruary]

Synopsis

Convinced it is an X-File, Reyes is drawn to a murder where the victim has been skinned alive. Yet she is unsure why she has such a strange connection to the case.

Writer/s: David Amann
Director: Kim Manners
Originally aired: 27th January 2002 (in the US) - 19th October 2002 (in Australia)

Quotes

Doggett: Damn. I've seen a bunch of these when I was a cop. It's a favourite of some of the pan-asian gangs.
Reyes: The difference is Victor Potts had a premonition of his death.
Doggett: And?
Scully: That was my question.

Doggett: This thing with the birthdays is weird, no doubt about it. Looks to me like we're dealing with a real sick puppy here.
Reyes: I don't think so.
Doggett: Choosing your victims because of their damn birth dates, it's the very definition of a serial killer.

Reyes: Whoever I was, I failed. In 1868. In 1909. In 1960, I failed. I was always there, but I couldn't stop the killings. And he knew that. Just like he knows I'm here right now. He feels me - the way I felt him when I saw that picture of the first victim. And somehow he knows my deepest fear that I'll fail.

Links

Episodes: Fanpop and SideReel.
Transcripts: Episode transcript.
Screen captures at: Chrisnu.com
Episode related fanfic: Page 1
Season 9 Gag Reels: Part 1 and Part 2

Mods thoughts and discussion attempts

I was going to try and fake my way through this one, just writing something from memory because I totally forgot I had to do my post. When I sat down to write something I realized I had absolutely no clue what this episode was about therefore I had nothing to say. Now that I’ve watched it, I remember it, but I still don’t have a lot to say.

Um, the skinned bodies are pretty gross. I think that’s the most awesome thing about the episode. Reyes’ involvement bores me. I found it as interesting as Mulder’s past lives in The Field Where I Died. Oy. Her touchy-feely-sensey crap bothers me.

I kind of feel like this episode was almost completely laid out and solved for everyone. What happened to the days where the agents got half the clues, Mulder made a gigantic leap about Bigfoot or a Bunyip, Scully scoffed and they chased their tails for a while and came out of it none the wiser? An X File is no fun if its solved.

Best part of this episode? Scully. Looked. Great. And wore scrubs.

Extra

A doctor in the episode is named Sackheim after a producer/director on The X Files.

A dog in the episode is named "Happy" after Gillian Anderson's dog