Case 05, File 08: Kitsunegari

AKA: I Blue Myself Before Dinner

The X-Files doesn't really do sequel episodes. Oh it loves to end its episodes on cliffhangers, implying the monster is still out there, lurking just around the corner, but that's not something it wants to follow up on, it's just a nice creepy way to end an episode. There are a couple of exceptions to this, episodes which demanded follow ups. We already hit one (way back in Tooms) but that still left two ahead of us.

Our episode opens with our old friend Robert Patrick Modell, somehow still alive despite cancer and, you know, bullet, in physical therapy in prison. But The X-Files isn't interested in inspiring stories about him getting his life on track, so he immediately busts out and Mulder and Scully are put in charge of the manhunt to bring him back. Meanwhile Modell is hitting up a sports store to uh, steal new clothes? 

Anyway, Modell tries to call Mulder to tell him something, but given that for Modell "Telling you something" is synonymous with "Controlling your brain" Mulder decides not to listen and they track him to the sports store, but he's already bolted. After a bit of an interview with one of Modell's nurse, they track Modell to a house where a man has painted the walls with Japanese characters (which translate to "Fox Hunt") and also painted himself blue. Oh and he drank paint until he died, yeah that happened.

Anyway the guy who's dead is the guy who prosecuted Modell (wasn't he in a coma? Or am I overthinking it?) and they suspect that Modell is after his wife Linda, which is confirmed when it turns out the wife has an appointment with a Fox Mulder at an abandoned warehouse (natch) and they rush off to save her. Some local PD show up to arrest Modell but end up arresting each other cause...you know...the Whammy.

"Sir, it just says the same phrase over and over again. 'I'm blue da-ba-dee-da'"
"Okay, we're done here."

When the FBI shows up Mulder tells Linda what happened to her husband and then tracks Modell to a nearby building, but ends up controlled by Modell into...letting Modell go and being told not to play the game? So Mulder starts to believe Modell isn't actually on a killing spree and after a very strange interview with Linda, starts to believe she's responsible. This makes Skinner decide Mulder is crazy (as opposed to all the other stuff Mulder does on an everyday basis) and kicks him off the case. Okay, sure.

Mulder is not going to take this lying down and goes and reinterviews the nurse, who says that some nuns used to come and visit him, one of whom referred to Modell as a "Conquered Warrior." That strikes Mulder as odd, but before he can ask a follow up question, the nurse gets a phone call which causes her to uh, stick her hand in a circuit breaker. While all that is happening, Modell goes to see Linda but Skinner interrupts them, and after Modell tells him he has a gun, Skinner shoots him.

That would appear to be the end of it, but Mulder is still suspicious and wants to talk to Modell when he wakes up. But Linda visits first and talks Modell into a quiet death. Mulder returns to his hospital room and finds Linda's fake-Nurse badge and finds an address on the back. He goes to the address and finds Scully there, who kills herself due to Linda. But all is not as it seems as when Mulder confronts Linda, Linda insists she's actually Scully and then shoots the real Linda. Follow all that? No? Whatever, the story is over. Anyway, the episode ends with the reveal that Modell and Linda were fraternal twins and that Linda is in jail (or dead? I didn't catch it) but that Mulder feels like he lost the game anyway.

"Where's Modell?"
"He had to go."
"...so is he in the bathroom or...?"

Of the three major sequel episodes (this, Tooms and Orison) this is definitely the middle child. Tooms is the obvious high point and we will fuckin' get to Orison when we get to it, but Kitsunegari is just in the middle, not elevating it's original but not dragging it down either. It amounts to an oddity of an episode, simultaneously given weight and weighed down by its comparison to a much much better episode it is a sequel to.

I think the big issue for me, from a plot point of view, is that the story doesn't really follow on from Pusher very well. Tooms makes sense as a sequel because Squeeze ended on a note that would allow for a sequel, but Pusher is about as perfect a self contained episode of The X-Files that exists. The plot flowed from scene to scene, climaxed in one of the best scenes of the entire series and the denoucement not only established Modell as no longer being a threat but also allowed for a real character arc for both him and Mulder. How do you follow that up? 

The answer the episode seizes on is to make an episode where the villain isn't actually Modell, which is a neat idea, but it runs into its own issues. For starters, Modell was a very strong character, while Linda is...not? Sure Modell is an asshole, but we get a good idea of who he is, what he's like, what motivates him. Linda on the other hand has to be hidden behind a twist so we don't get as strong a grip on her as a person. Not to say that the actress and script don't do their best (and the scene with Modell and Linda in the hospital is one of the better ones in the episode) but it just can't compare.

"Can you pick up the "I'm Evil" sign I dropped on the floor?"

But that's one of the things I do like about this episode, that it avoids a common sequel trap of just redoing or one-upping scenes from the original. The blue paint bit is well known because it's a very striking scene but also because it's an idea that the episode had that is completely different from anything in Pusher. This cuts both ways, the finale is unique from Pusher's but it's also much lamer and goes very very fast. I'm not normally in favor of two part episodes, but between Linda's underdeveloped character and the rushed final few minutes (Scully just shows up where Mulder is) maybe we should have some more time for this plot to breathe.

Okay, I'm being overly mean, this episode is fine. Modell is still an incredibly screen presence and I love that the episode plays on your expectations. The best twists out there are the ones that don't require you to lie to your audience and instead just let them make incorrect assumptions and this is definitely one of those. Honestly, the bare bones of the plot are very good and most of the story is executed competently, it just suffers in comparison to the original.

It feels weird given that the last few reviews have been largely negative (and I don't think that's going to be turning around in the next review) to keep insisting that Season 5 is one of the great seasons, but it is. I've been holding these episodes to very high standards and focusing a little too much on their negatives because the series is still riding high and needs to be held to a high standard. And even by that high standard, this episode is still pretty good.

Case Notes:

• I was watching Seinfeld recently (I am always watching Seinfeld frankly) and the opening of this episode, in the physical therapy, made me think of the final scene of The Summer of George.
• Modell being both alive and out of a coma a few years on from the previous episode (which gave him like 3 months to live from cancer) is a blatant retcon, but they don't dwell on it, so I'll let it go.
• I like the idea that Modell's exploits have made him famous in the prison, but I feel you could be more forthcoming with the "He has mind control powers" to the other guards. It's important information dammit.
• Mulder has to straight faced explain to a bunch of Marshals that Modell can control your mind, while Scully explains he's a samurai nerd. Love it. Love everything about it.
• Robert Wisden still fucking KILLS as Modell, not gonna lie. The scene in the sports shop is kind of superfluous but it's a great scene for reestablishing Modell as a threat.
• I genuinely forget Modell's need for energy bars and drinks until they bring it back. It's such a weird little detail, but it does a lot to make him feel alive.
• The prosecutor covered in blue paint is such a great image. A really simple one, but it hits you pretty hard.
• I love that Mulder assumes that the painting on the walls is a manifesto. I'd complain that they have a Japanese agent on hand to translate it instantly but nowadays we'd just google in, so whatever.
• The wife's assistant just gives out the name of the client AND the place they're meeting to a stranger on the phone, she's terrible at her job. At least make Mulder pull "I'm with the FBI."
• Again, the two cops go to confront Modell without getting properly prepared. I don't care how crazy you look, drop the bomb that he has mind control powers, it's important information.
• The optics on the white cop holding the black cop at gunpoint are uh, not great, but the scene where the cops get confused is also really good. It's obvious what's going on, but the buildup is good.
• Wait, why would Modell's case be the biggest case? He held two FBI Agents at gunpoint and was in a coma for the trial?
• I like the implication that Mulder is harder for Modell to control. Although I do think Mulder should have just shot Modell the moment he saw him.
• Mulder intuits that Modell isn't actually doing killing spree and of course Mulder is right. Mulder is always right true believers.
• Linda is wearing a "I'm evil" sign the entire second interview. I do love Mulder's little hint to her that he's figured her out though.
• The scene with the blue paint gets all the attention but the part where the nurse sticks her hand in the circuit breaker is better, because the scene seems normal and then hits so suddenly.
• Skinner is the one who shoots Modell in this episode which seems fitting retribution since he got that lady to kick the shit out of Skinner in the other episode.
• Wait, why is Skinner pushing back at the idea that Modell has mind control? It's established fact, even Scully doesn't dispute it.
• Linda just writes the address she wants Mulder to go to on the back of the Nurse note. Come on lady, be more creative with your hints.
• I like that the episode doesn't take the idea that Scully is actually dead seriously but that Mulder does. I also again like it that Mulder takes a threat to Scully more seriously than a threat to himself. Vince Gilligan is such a shipper.
• Scully solves the problem with Linda Bowman the way she solves all her problems: Through shooting.
• As always, these reviews are supported by my Patreon. Check it out so I can put more time into talking about my favorite show.

Current Celebrity Watch:

Linda herself is played by Diana Scarwid, an actress who has a long and illustrious career, from being nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Inside Moves, to playing Cher's character's girlfriend in the critically acclaimed Silkwood. I'm a bastard though, so I'm also going to bring up that she played the adult Christina Crawford in Mommie Dearest.