X-Files--"Patient X"

“Patient X” is the first part of the spring mythology episodes for the fifth season. It brings back old characters like Krycek and Cavarrubias will introducing new important players like former abductee Cassandra Spender (Veronica Cartwright) and her son, Special Agent J0effrey Spender. (Chris Owens) Cartwright is a veteran character actress who has played a wide variety of roles, but has frequently featured in science fiction projects involving aliens, such as Alien, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and The Invasion. She is the older sister of Nancy Cartwright, who played penny Robinson on Lost in Space. Owens has portrayed the young Cigarette Smoking Man several times already and the Amazing Mutato.

The episode highlights Mulder’s change od heart regarding the existence of aliens. He now adamantly doubts their existence and claims before a conference in Toronto held by true believers that abductions are staged by the government as a distraction from other, insidious activities. The major case study at the conference is Cassandra spender, a woman who was taken from the same mountain Duane Barry took Scully. Mulder is cordial to her, but dismissive of her claims.

Scully is accosted in ane FBI hallways by her son, Jeffrey. Yes, he just happens to be an FBI agent. What a coincidence, huh? He wants Scully to urge mulder to back off his mother. He does not believe the alien story, either. She is a disturbed woman. He would like to keep things quiet for the sake of his career.

Thr juxtaposition of Mulder and scully from their traditional roles begins when Mulder readily agrees to stay out of any further abductee business period, but scully discovers Cassanndra was taken from the same place she was and has a metal object in the back of her neck. (Why Scully never advises her to never remove it because she will contract cancer upon doing so is never addressed.) Scully is sympathetic, though not quite a believer, when other alleged abductees gather together at her abduction sight,. They are immolated en masse by faceless aliens. A similar incident occurred in Kazakhstan in the teaser. Krycek kidnaps a witness to hold him as a bargaining chip against the Syndicate. Both Scully and Cassandra feel summoned to a third gathering in which the faceless aliens begin immolating this crowd of abductees.

“Patient X” is an interesting shift of gears. Scully’s change of heart strikes me as far more genuine than Mulder’s. it is difficult to accept he was so adamant in his belief in vampires in yesterday’s episode, but so strongly against belief in aliens now. As I recall, he is going to shift gears again in short order back to his old ways. Alas, so will Scully. It will be refreshing will it lasts.

As with most first part episodes, it is hard to judge without seeing the whole picture. The only fair thing to determine is whether “Patient X” makes me excited to see the conclusion. It does, based not only on the tense cliffhanger, but how intrigued I am by the new characters.

Rating: *** (out of 5)