If you would like to read my review of the last episode, click here.
Synopsis: Mulder and Scully investigate a case where people are plagued by their own doppelgangers. (IMDB)
Writer: Chris Carter
Director: Kevin Hooks
Rating: TV-14
Running Time: 45mins
After an exciting quasi-standalone episode, this episode went back to the show’s roots. Although not much really happened in the episode in terms of the case of the week, it allowed for some tender moments between Mulder and Scully.
The case of the week involved a town in Virginia where several people commited suicide under mysterious circumstances where they reported to have seen their doppelganger the moment before they died. The only survivor after a car accident that started the episode, a man named Arkie Seavers (Jared Ager-Foster), wasn’t the most reliable witness so Mulder and Scully were split about whether he was telling the truth. All the previous victims weren’t the most upstanding citizens.
While visiting a psychiatric institution, Mulder noticed a particular patient, a woman with Dissociative identity disorder named Judy (Karin Konoval) who claimed to be playing hangman with her twin brother Charlie (also Konoval) telepathically. One of the games they played involved Seavers. She also claimed that one of her other identities may know information to help their case. Meanwhile, Seavers was placed in a cell where he found his doppelganger once again. A recurring theme of the episode was Mulder waking up Scully at their motel whenever something bad happened and the first time was for when Seavers was found dead in his cell after seemingly hanging himself.
Seavers’ lawyer Dean Cavalier (Ben Wilkinson) strongly believed that there was more going on. Mulder visited Charlie, who just happened to find Seavers, who claimed that Judy was cheating at hangman. Charlie shared the same condition as Judy. Scully visited another version of Judy who scared the other nurses. Scully wasn’t scared, however, Judy’s comments about her age and appearance appeared to have an effect on her. Both Mulder and Scully still had no idea how the twins controlled these people but it was fun to watch them sort of argue, however, they’ve already been through a lot already so Scully’s feelings could’ve been more evolved.
The twins’ next target was Cavalier who began to see his doppleganger. Another meeting between Scully and Judy garnered nothing though Judy handed Scully magical pills she claimed protected her from her evil other identity. When he confronted Mulder and Scully, they brushed him off by telling him to not let it get to him as it was all in his head. Despite trying to get rid of his comically large amount of potential weapons, he still succumb to his doppleganger. At the crime scene, Scully saw her doppleganger in the crowd which led her to snuggle with Mulder at the motel. Scully brought up the idea of their future after their careers are over. Scully wanted another kid but she had no one to have it with and it wasn’t exactly the best time.
Once the twins spelled out a name, the person would die and they were coming close to filling out Mulder and Scully’s names. Mulder freaked when he saw his doppelganger and he and Scully went to confront each of the twins. Mulder fought his doppelganger at Charlie’s while Scully took the pills and reasoned away her doppelganger from her car. Each twin was found dead after they hangman-ed each other in a fit of jealousy.
Back at the hotel, Mulder and Scully appear to hookup.
Overall, this was a decent episode where not much happened in terms of the case as Mulder and Scully were merely witnesses to what was happening until it appeared to solve itself. A little more explanation of the twins’ powers would have been nice since it felt a little too convoluted. However, what redeems the episode are the more intimate moments between Mulder and Scully where they discuss their future. Their careers may be coming to an end both figuratively and literally so this added an interesting perspective and is something that we’ve never really heard these character talk about before. Since a murky premiere, this season has been on a roll so hopefully this will continue.
Score: 7.5/10
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.