Episode Summary
An ex-student of Scully's asks Mulder and Scully to help her with her first investigation concerning a number of disappearances with very few clues. Mulder ponders the idea of spontaneous human combustion but rethinks it when they find a man who is afraid of his own shadow.
Episode Details
- Writer: Vince Gilligan
- Director: James Contner
- Original Broadcast: AU: 30.08.1995 US: 05.05.1995
Cast
- Scully Gillian Anderson
- Mulder David Duchovny
Guest Cast
- Government Scientist Forbes Angus
- Second Officer Steve Bacic
- Security Guard Craig Brunanski
- Detective Barron Nathaniel Deveaux
- First Officer Guyle Frazier
- Dr Christopher Davey Kevin McNulty
- Doctor Robert Rozen
- Dr Chester Ray Banton Tony Shalhoub
- Detective Kelly Ryan Kate Twa
- Mr X Steven Williams
- Night Nurse Donna Yamamoto
Quotes
Scully: This is Agent Mulder.
Detective Ryan: Hi. Thank you for coming. Heard a lot about you.
Mulder: [to Scully] We'll talk later.
Detective Ryan: Agent Scully, what are you looking at?
Scully: Uh, the heat register.
Detective Ryan: You don't think anyone could have squeezed in there?
Mulder: You never know.
Detective Ryan: Can I ask what you think may have happened?
Mulder: At first blush, spontaneous human combustion.
Scully: [to Ryan] You're doing just fine.
[Follows Mulder] Having a little fun?
Mulder: What are you talking about?
Scully: Spontaneous human combustion?
Mulder: I have over a dozen case files of human bodies reduced to ash without any attendant burning or melting. Rapid oxidation without heat.
Scully: Let's just forget for the moment that there's no scientific theory to support it.
Mulder: Okay.
Mulder: Hey Scully, can you spare a prophylactic?
[Uses latex glove to screw light bulb back into place] What are the odds of that, huh?
Scully: Darkness covers a multitude of sins.
Mulder: Check this out. My newest tool in the fight against crime. $49.95 at your local hardware store.
[Shines a laser pointer through bulb to reveal fingerprints]
Scully: Neat trick. For your birthday I'll buy you a utility belt.
Mulder: Yeah but half of Richmond earns their pay cheque making cancer sticks.
Scully: And what ever happened to spontaneous human combustion?
Mulder: Maybe it's not so spontaneous. Get on the phone to your young detective and tell her to get a detail down to the train station.
Mulder: He's got to be on at least one of these tapes!
Scully: Chances are he's not walking around carrying a sign with an arrow on it.
Mulder: See this guy, he's always here. What's he doing?
Scully: Looking at the floor.
Mulder: Why's he doing that?
Scully: Probably the same reason he spends his whole afternoon in the train station.
Mulder: Powered by what?
Dr Davey: Couple billion megawatts. Virginia Power loved us.
Scully: What are you looking at?
Mulder: In the video tape Dr Banton kept staring at the floor. I've been trying to figure out what he might have been looking at.
Scully: Well, maybe the exposure affected his mind. Nonsensical repetitive behaviour is a common trait of mental illness.
Mulder: You trying to tell me something?
Detective Barron: Yeah, I was just wondering what your involvement is here.
Mulder: We caught the guy.
Scully: Look, the fact is we have no jurisdiction here, we were called in as a favour.
Mulder: And as a favour we just handed over the A-bomb to the boy-scouts.
Mulder: That man is scared. And not just of his own shadow.
Mulder: He believes the government is out to get him.
Mr X: It's tax season. So do most Americans.
Mr X: Dead men can't keep promises. The next time the blood and regret could be yours.
Mulder: Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you, Scully.