Humbug
From X-Files Wiki
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| Series: | The X-Files |
| Original Airdate: | 3-31-1995 |
| Production Number: | 2X20 |
| Date(s): | late February 1995 |
| Written by: | Darin Morgan |
| Directed by: | Kim Manners |
A bizarre murder in Florida brings Mulder and Scully to a town populated by circus freaks and sideshow performers of all shapes and sizes, bringing into question the very definition of "normal."
Contents |
[edit] Summary
The episode opens with the killing of the "Alligator Man," the latest in a series of killings which match no known patterns. Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) are sent to the town of Gibsonton, Florida to investigate the string of killings.
Mulder's supernatural focus for the episode is the Fiji Mermaid, a sideshow attraction that first appeared in the mid-1800s. During their investigation, Mulder and Scully shift their suspicion around three of the inhabitants of the city, "The Conundrum", a geek who never talks and will "eat anything", "Dr. Blockhead", a "body manipulator" (a "block head" who can drive nails up his nose, as well as a master escape artist), and "Jim Jim, the Dogface Boy", a former performer who later became the local sheriff.
During their investigation, Scully points out to Mulder that the both of them have been wrongly suspicious of many of the "circus freaks" in town simply because of their abnormalities, which could be considered racial profiling of a sort.
The supposed "Fiji Mermaid" ends up being Leonard, the underdeveloped fetus in fetu twin of Lanny (Vincent Schiavelli). Leonard is capable of exiting and then returning into Lanny's body. Lanny mournfully suggests that the motivation behind his brother's attacks is that he is seeking a new brother, as a replacement for the alcoholic Lanny, by attempting to burrow into their side. Lanny later dies from an unrelated drinking problem which severely damaged his liver, and Scully says that his autopsy revealed many differences in the arrangement of his blood system, esophagus, etc. which were almost umbilical in nature.
After Leonard disconnects from Lanny for the final time, he is chased by Mulder and Scully into a circus funhouse, where there attempts to catch him prove fruitless. Mulder and Scully chase Leonard outside, but before they can track him down he disappears. Mulder and Scully immediately observe "The Conundrum" lying on the ground. It is strongly suggested that Leonard attacked "The Conundrum", who ironically ended up eating Lanny's twin.
The episode ends with Dr. Blockhead philosophically commenting to Scully about how what the future really has to worry about isn't abnormal circus freaks like the inhabitants of Gibsonton, but instead everyone turning into people that look like Mulder: buttoned-down suit-and-tie wearing office drones with no individuality. Meanwhile, Mulder observes "The Conundrum" in a state of discomfort, leading Mulder to question him about it. The Conundrum replies that the cause of his discomfort is "Probably something I ate," uttering his first line in the show and leaving confused looks on Mulder and Scully's faces.
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[edit] Links and References
[edit] Guest Stars
- Jim Rose as Dr. Blockhead
- Wayne Grace as Sheriff James Hamilton
- George Tipple as Hepcat Helm
- Alex Diakun as Curator
- John Payne as Jerald Glazebrook
- Alvin Law as Reverend
- Blaire Slater as older Glazebrook child
- Devin Walker as younger Glazebrook child
- Debis Simpson as Waiter
- Michael J. Anderson as Mr. Nutt
- The Enigma as The Conundrum
- Vincent Schiavelli as Lanny
[edit] References
SEMICOLON-SEPARATED LIST OF ITEMS/LOCATIONS REFERENCED IN EPISODE (BUT NOT LINKED TO IF ALREADY LINKED IN SUMMARY OR GUEST STARS SECTIONS)
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