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| Series: | The X-Files |
| Original Airdate: | 11-24-96 |
| Production Number: | 4x09 |
| Date(s): | Monday, November 25, 1996 |
| Written by: | Frank Spotnitz, Chris Carter |
| Directed by: | Rob Bowman |
After investigating the deaths of two men in connection with the recent arrival of a diplomatic pouch, Mulder is imprisoned in a brutal Russian gulag while Scully refuses to answer to formal enquiries as to his whereabouts. (Part 1 of 2)
Summary
Prologue
Scully is called upon to make a statement to congress regarding the disappearence of Mulder, under mysterious circumstances. She uses the opportunity to attack the superiors she sees as preventing her from doing her job, and then refuses to answer the question of his whereabouts, while a large group, including the Cigarette-Smoking Man, watch on.
Hawaii
10 days earlier, at Honolulu Internation Airport, a diplomat carrying a locked briefcase is taken into customs for a random search. After refusing to unlock the case, it is confiscated by security and he is given a cavity search. Found to be clean of illegal goods, he is released amid much protest and anger, and finds that one of the security officers is dismantling the contents of the case; a steel canister. Despite the diplomat's warnings that the shipment is bio-hazardous, the officer takes out the main case, and then drops it. It smashes and a black substance pours out, quickly forming into a series of worm-like shapes that climb into the officer's skin and seemingly paralyse him as his eyes cloud up. The diplomat is left slamming on the door and screaming in fear.
Queens, New York
Meanwhile, in Queens, New York, Mulder and Scully are preparing as part of a raid on a tipped off right-wing anarchist group as they unload weapons. The tipster has been sending the FBI receipts on recent firearm purchases. During a brief firefight, in which most of the terrorists are arrested, the pair go after the transport truck, which suddenly veers away and hits a wall. As they close in, they see the driver has been shot dead by his passenger. Shouting for him to come out with his hands on his head, Mulder is stunned to see that the man is Alex Krycek. Stopped by Scully from beating him, Mulder hears Krycek out as the former spy tells him that he was the tipster.
After an interrogation, they learn that Krycek was released from his apparent doom within the North Dakota missile silo by the terrorist group, and he affirms that he is a patriot and used the opportunity to expose them. Mulder is skeptical, and frequently knocks him around. However, Krycek insists that he has information on other "bombs".
Washington D.C
Using his intelligence, Mulder and Scully, with Krycek in tow (handcuffed) travel to the airport, and their prisoner points out a 'diplomat' carrying a diplomatic pouch. The man has apparently returned from a mission in Russia. When Scully approaches the man, he runs. Mulder and Scully give chase, but lose him at one of the emergency exits. However, they recover the contents of the pouch: a rock. Mulder furiously scalds Krycek, who quickly defends himself and implies the rock itself is massively important.
Mulder and Scully split up, with the latter heading off to get the rock checked out by experts, while Mulder travels back to the capital and up to Skinner's apartment, asking whether he can house Kycek for the time being. Initially blindsided by seeing the man again, Skinner agrees before beating him up and handcuffing him to a railing on his balcony, despite the cold.
NASA Lab
Scully speaks to a Dr Sacks about the examination of the rock, and is told that it is quite possibly a piece from an asteroid or meteor which originated from Mars. Scully gives him permission to dissect it to discover whether there is any biological matter within.
Washington D.C
Back in Washington, Skinner is approached on the street by CSM, who makes breezy small talk before enquiring whether the Assistant Director knows the location of the diplomatic pouch. Skinner denies this, and angrily rids himself of his former colleague. As Skinner storms off, CSM calls after him "Wars have been started for far less, Mr Skinner."
Back at Skinner's apartment, Kyrcek is awoken by an intruder, who turns out to be the diplomat who escaped from Mulder and Scully. The man turns over the apartment, apparently looking for the pouch. Kyrcek attempts to avoid detection by hanging by the handcuff from the balcony, but the man hears this and investigates. He is grabbed by Krycek and dragged over the edge, falling to the street far below.
As Skinner returns home he finds police swarming around the area, and is stopped by one asking which apartment he lives in. After telling the cop that he works for the F.B.I, the officer apologises, but then enquires as to why there is a man hanging from the outside of his balcony. Quickly calling Mulder, the pair manage to sneak Krycek out of the building.
NASA Lab
As Dr Sacks begin his incesion into the rock, he is splattered by the black matter, which quickly forms and begins to crawl into him. Despite his air tight bio-suit, he is overwhelmed and left in a catatonic state.
Upper West Side, New York City
Mulder, with Krycek once again along for the ride, travels to New York and visits Marita Covarrubias, looking for information regarding the source of the diplomatic pouch. After a long time spent on the phone, Marita informs Mulder that the rock was gathered during an undisclosed visit to a city in Russia near Tunguska. Seizing on this mention, Mulder makes to leave but quickly asks Marita why she is so keen to help. She replies that he is not the only one in search of the truth, before giving him travel arrangements. Mulder returns to the car, all set to fly to Russia, and once again hits Krycek for being insouciant.
NASA Lab
Scully phones Mulder informing him that Sacks appears to be dead, as a result of the experiment on the rock, but that she has no idea how. Scully and Pendrell investigate in detail and are stunned to see that the scientist appears to be still alive.
JFK Airport
Mulder drives to the airport, and as he prepares to leave informs Krycek of his intention to leave the double agent there to freeze. As he walks off, he is stopped as he hears Krycek swearing and cursing at him in Russian. He walks back, asking Krycek speaks Russian, who replies that his parents were Cold War immigrants. With this is mind, Mulder brings him along.
In an unknown location, CSM vists the Well-Manicured Man as he observes his daughter showjumping. Full of reluctance, CSM informs WMM of Mulder's trip to Russia, and is promptly scalded, with WMM once again implying CSM's incompetance and his ignorance as to the seriousness of the situation.
Tunguska, Siberia
Dropped off by a passing truck, thanks to Krycek's Russian linguistics, Mulder and his prisoner rush off road and discover a razorwire perimeter, quickly digging in underneath. Krycek once again urges Mulder to tell him what's going on. Mulder tells him that in 1908, an explosion that razed a forest in Tunguska recorded 1,000 times more atomic damage that the bomb dropped on Hiroshima, and that only theories of a meteor exist. As they make their way forward, they discover what appears to be a Gulag camp, with men of horseback marshalling miners who are whipped when they fall or slow down. They are forced to run as more cavalrymen chase them down, and both are captured and thrown in a cell.
After waking up bloodied, Mulder hears somebody on the other side of the wall whispering to him in Russian. After yelling that he doesn't speak the language, Mulder is suprised when the man speaks fluent English, telling him that the prisoners in the camp are being made to work mining out rocks, untill they are too weak and then subjected to experiments with the black matter. Krycek is thrown in with Mulder, shouting at the guards in Russian as he does, and after the door is locked, Mulder grabs him and demands an explantion. After assuring him that the men will not listen to their story, he tells Mulder that he is "going to need him in here".
Washington D.C
Scully and Skinner are subpoenad by Senator Sorenson to discuss the death of the courier. The pair refuse to give any clear answers, especially Skinner, who's apartment appears to be where the man was when he was thrown off the building. They also cover for Mulder, who was also supposed to appear but is now unaccounted for.
Gulag, Tunguska
Guards enter the cell, and Krycek quickly demands something unknown. When Mulder asks what he is saying, Krycek tells him he is asking for the guard's supervisor. As Krycek is taken away by the suddenly hesistant guards, he bids Mulder farewell in Russian. With his compatriot gone, the other prisoner tells Mulder that Krycek was lying, and that "his friend" is not what he says he is.
Guards burst in the room and, overseen by a bald man with glasses, inject Mulder with a sedative, rendering him unconcious. As Mulder awakens, he finds himself secured to a table by chicken wire, surrounded by dozens of others in the same conditions. Overseen by Glasses Man, black matter is dumped onto the faces of the prisoners, who scream, and Mulder is unable to fight back as the oil takes the form of worms and clambers into his eyes.
To be Continued...
Background Information
- This episode features the condensed intro.
Links and References
Guest Stars
- Mitch Pileggi as A.D. Walter Skinner
- William B. Davis as the Cigarette-Smoking Man
- Nicholas Lea as Alex Krycek
- John Neville as the Well-Manicured Man
- Laurie Holden as Marita Covarrubias
- Cavid Abbott as a Detective
- Brendan Beiser as Agent Pendrell
- David Bloom as Stress Man
- Jano Frandsen as an Older Agent
- Raoul Ganeev as a Guard (Russian)
- Philip Heinrich as 1st Flak Agent
- Vitally Kravchenko as a Driver (Russian)
- Campbell Lane as a Committee Chairman
- Dawn Murphy as a Customs Officer
- Anatol Rezmeritsa as Glasses Man
- Tomoko Sato as a Flight Attendant
- Lee Serpa as Swarthy Man
- Brent Stait as Terry Edward Mayhew
- Malcolm Stewart as Dr. Sacks
- Andy Thompson as the 2nd Customs Officer
- Fritz Weaver as Senator Sorenson
References
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