“Kitsunegari’ (Japanese for “fox hunt.” Guess the plot of the episode. Go on. Guess.) is the sequel to the third season‘s “Pusher,” which introduced serial cop killer Robert “Pusher” Modell. Modell had a brain tumor which gave him the ability to force his will on others. He used this ability to build an exciting life for himself as an assassin by forcing people to kill themselves. He soon grew bored with that and began looking for a worthy adversary. He found one in Mulder. Eventually, Mulder defeated Modell by shooting him in the head. Modell was presumed to be in a vegetative state for the rest of his--presumably short--life. Modell does recover, however. He awoke from his coma six months ago and has been rehabbing in prison since. He has recovered enough in the teaser to have convinced the guard at the prison hospital to let him walk out the door a free man. The Fbi takes charge of the manhunt. Skinner handles the matter personally with Mulder and Scully in as advisors since they caught Modell the first time.
Modell’s first victim is the prosecutor who convicted him for murder in 1996. (Keep that in mind. I will vent about the trial in a moment.) He forces the prosecutor to paint the word “kitsunegari’ all over the walls on his living room, then fatally drink the rest of the paint. His next target is the prosecutor’s wife, Linda Bowman, whom the FBI take into protective custody.
The thing is, she does not appear the slightest bit upset that her husband has been murdered or that a serial killer is after her now. In fact, she appears to have a contempt for her husband. She toys with play on words over him being a “true blue” guy and such. Mulder suspects she is in cahoots with modell. She is so over the top, I have to wonder why Skinner and scully do not see it, but they do not even entertain the idea. The whole situation devolves into another Mulder is always right, so why does no one else listen to him? Episode. When Mulder theorizes Modell is innocent and being used, he is suspended, but investigates independently.
So what is the truth? Brace yourself for the stupidity. Linda Bowman and robert Modell are fraternal twins. They were separated at two weeks hold. Bowman did not discover the truth until after Modell’s trial. Conveniently, she developed a brain tumor which give her the same suggestive abilities as her brother. Although she had no emotional connections to him at all, she decided to kill her husband for prosecuting him and then take revenge on Mulder. But she also decided to pin ther murders all on Modell. Perhaps you can chalk the failed logic there on her being a complete psychopath, but how did she seem like a normal, well-adjusted person all this time? Blame it on the tumor, I guess.
Modell is shot by skinner. Mulder remains in his hospital room waiting for him to awaken to test his theory Bowman isa behind the prosecutor’s murder. He is forced to leave when a nurse enters to change his bandage dressings. The nurse is actually Bowman. After all that has happened, the possibility does not even cross his mind he might be tricked. It is doubly funny considering the shape shifting bounty hunter folled him with the same trick in the last episode. Bowman kills her brother, then leaves an address to a warehouse for Mulder to find.
He does, but when he arrives at the address, he finds Scully there. She claims to be under Bowman’s control as she shoots herself in the head. Distraught, over his partner’s apparent suicide, he turns to find Bowman with a gun pointed at him. He is going to kill her out of anger, but Bowman insists she is the real Scully. Bowman wants him to kill her, knowing he would never forgive himself for doing so. Scully cannot convince him she is the real deal, so she shoots over his shoulder, killing Bowman and allowing him to see things as they really are.
In the end, Skinner acknowledges Mulder had him beat in figuring out the truth behind Bowman, but mulder is too busy beating himself up over nearly killing Scully to care.
The story just does not add up. It is reasonable to assume Modell could be tried in absentia even though he is in what is assumed a permanent vegetative state, though I am skeptical that would happen. Even if it did, why would Mulder and Scully not have been part of the trial/ Modell was being prosecuted for the murders he committed while they were attempting apprehend him. They were present at both murders. Mulder was the apprehending agent. They should have been star witnesses. Instead, thery learn about the trial now in 1998 and act as though they have never met the prosecutor before. Obviously, the trial went on without the arresting law enforcement officers and star witnesses to both murders taking part. Umm…how?
I can still buy that better than secret siblings, one of whom happens to be married to the prosecutor trying the other sibling for murder. Who wrote this episode, the brothers Grimm? Linda Bowman develops special powers and decides to use them to avenge the brother she cares nothing about/ then apparently decides, what the heck, she will just kill him, too. How did scully know to show up at the warehouse, for that matter? I being asked to swallow a lot of stuff here that I cannot manage.
I hate to say it, but the episode is still worth watching in spite of the huge plot holes. Modell makes for a great villain. The idea of his having a sibling with the same power is not a bad idea, either, but the story is put together so poorly, it falls flat. If you have not seen “Pusher” and do not know the inconsistencies, I imagine you would think this episode is great. I judge accordingly.
Rating: *** (out of 5)
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