Grotesque

From X-Files Wiki

Series:	The X-Files
Original Airdate:	2-2-1996
Production Number:	3x14
Date(s):
Written by:	Howard Gordon
Directed by:	Kim Manners

Scully becomes very concerned as Mulder gets more and more involved with a case that may involve demonic possession.

Contents 1 Summary 2 Background Information 3 Book 4 Links and References 4.1 Guest Stars 4.2 References

[edit] Summary

Teaser // The episode opens in a (de riguer, dimly lit) art class, where a fit nude man is being sketched. One student, visibly disturbed, scrawls what appears to be a goblin instead. He cuts his finger sharpening his pencil and gets blood on the drawing. The artist is very agitated as the class ends and he leaves. The model also leaves, and finds a pencil jammed into his car lock. The art student lurking nearby kills him with his craft knife. In the morning, he is located & arrested and in the process bites a member of the police force. The art on his walls reveals a man disturbed by an obsession with demonic creatures.

Episode // Mulder and Scully discuss the M.O. of an artist in Russia who killed seven young men. He attacks their faces, resulting in death from massive blood loss. This is how the model was found.

Mulder and Scully find a secret room at Mostow's (dimly lit) apartment. It is filled with lifesize clay gargoyles, but upon further investigation one of them is merely a clay shell over a human body. 5 bodies are found; young men whose faces were mutilated

A glass blower is attacked by something as he works and ends up in the hospital. Patterson, Mulder and Scully are all perplexed by who could be the killer. Mulder does some research on gargoyles.

Mulder receives a tongue-lashing from Patterson who seems to disapprove of his methods. Mulder studies the drawings in Mostow's apartment and begins sculpting a gargoyle himself. He falls asleep and is wakened by someone with a gargoyle's head staring down at him. Mulder gives chase and is attacked by the figure who cuts his face with a knife.

Scully is peeved to learn that Mulder was in Mostows atelier at 3:30 am, and she defaults to her usual rational explanation. Mulder flees. Scully challenges the abusive Patterson and learns that he brought Mulder on the case not because he is trying to humiliate him, but because only Mulder can solve it. As Scully leaves the scene she finds the weapon used on Mulder under a police car.

Mulder consults Mostow in his (dimly lit) prison cell to learn why he wasn't killed. Mulder roughs him up when he won't cooperate. At the crime lab Scully learns that the fingerprints on the blade are Mulder's.

Scully visits the (dimly-lit) evidence warehouse but is called to meet with Skinner. They are both concerned about Mulder.

Mulder sleeping again in Mostow's atelier has a dream he is awakened by another attack by the gargoyle. Tracking blood on the floor of the studio, he finds a dismembered arm. Scully calls him and learns that Mulder went to the evidence room and handled the murder weapon himself, for dubious reasons. Scully tells him she's coming over. Mulder is shocked to find a new body embedded in clay in the atelier. Patterson arrives. Mulder accuses him of being the murderer. Patterson's hands are raw and ripped. Patterson's technique of identifying with the murderer has gone too far, ostensibly opening something inside of him to possession by the demonic entity that plagued Mostow. At this point, it is known that Patterson is the killer, having adopted Mostow's M.O. Mulder then holds Patterson at gunpoint, but Scully arrives and draws the wrong conclusion. Patterson flees but is shot by Mulder.

The episode ends with Patterson behind bars, crying desperately claiming he was not responsible for the killings.

[edit] Background Information

• This episode and the Season 2 episode "Irresistible" are often listed as the "roots" of Chris Carter's sister show, Millennium.

[edit] Book

This book was written by Ellen Steiber, writer also of the books of Squeeze and Haunted. Like other x files books, it is novelized detail-by-detail. Some other books are: Darkness Falls, Tiger, Tiger

[edit] Links and References

[edit] Guest Stars

• Mitch Pileggi as AD Walter Skinner
• Levani Outchaneichvili as John Mostow
• Kurtwood Smith as Agent Bill Patterson
• Greg Thirloway as Agent Nemhauser
• Susan Bain as Agent Sheherlis
• Kasper Vichaels as Young Agent
• Zoran Vukelic as Model

[edit] References

Washington D.C.; Lorton; Virginia; Heritage Hall; emigrant; gargoyle; knife; sculpture; fingerprint; possession; insanity

Previous episode: Syzygy

The X-Files Season 3

Next episode: Piper Maru