Mulder and Scully investigate a case of hauntings and murder…

You may well find yourself going back and checking the credits on this episode when you come to the end – but it’s true: X-Files creator Chris Carter really has penned a pretty much standalone episode that holds up well to initial scrutiny. The “My Struggle” parts of this reunion series – both seasons 10 and 11 – haven’t exactly been the best in terms of plotting or writing, and certainly the best episodes of season 10 definitely came from other writers.

There’s still a lot of holes in the logic of this story (we never really get to the bottom of how those responsible commit the murders), and there’s a bravura performance from Karin Konoval that really does push forward the story and engage your attention – the first such in this reboot of the show, and I have to hope, not the last.

But it’s the scenes between Mulder and Scully that make this one really work: yes, it’s finally confirmed that the agents do continue to have a sexual relationship, albeit, as is clear, not one that they indulge in too frequently. And it’s the dialogue between them pre and post-coitally that shows us the changes in the characters over the past twenty years…

…even if Scully is still, unbelievably, a sceptic about things that she’s directly experienced in the past!

Verdict: Although it’s by no means perfect, this is Chris Carter’s best X-Files script for some considerable time. 7/10

Paul Simpson