In order to get you ready for the premiere of The X-Files limited series on Sunday, I’ve decided to share with you each day one of my favorite episodes of my favorite TV show of all time. If you would like to see any of my other posts, click here.
Season 5, Episode 5: The Post-Modern Prometheus
Promo Spot
Synopsis
Mulder and Scully’s investigation when a letter from a single mother leads them to a small mid-Western town where a modern-day Frankenstein lurks, Jerry Springer is an obsession, and Cher plays a significant part.
Analysis (spoilers)
The episode opens on a comic book opening and then leads to a black and white story about a pair of young adults about to go to a comic book convention. The mother watches an episode of Jerry Springer about a mother who has a wolf-like child. There appears to be someone else in her house, a deformed monster. Cher is playing in the background during this sequence. The mother’s son may have been conceived from a past interaction with the previous monster. The monster may be from a monster from her son’s comic book, The Great Mutato (Chris Owens). Scully is skeptical of everything. Mutato may have eaten some of the food that was left behind as part of a trap. Mulder and Scully meet a scientist, Professor Pollidori (John O’Hurley), whose research may help them with their case. His research has lead him to genetically re-engineer flies. Mulder and Scully wonder if he may have experimented on humans. Mutato appears to be a fan of Cher. Mulder believes Pollidori created Mutato and used him to impregnate the mother as an experiment. Mulder and Scully believe Mutato make people’s houses look like they are being fumigated so he can impregnate women and make them disappear for three days. Pollidori’s father has been taking care of Mutato and unleashed him without the scientist’s knowledge so he kills him. The father may also have created him. Mulder and Scully stumble onto the farm where Mutato was kept and a pitchfork-wielding mob later show up and set a barn on fire but not find him. They all find each other and Mutato explains himself to everyone. He then leaves with Mulder and Scully and they see a Cher concert and they are all happy. The mother gives birth to mutated babies. Story over.
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.