Series:	The X-Files
Original Airdate:	1-13-1995
Production Number:	2X13
Date(s):	November 14, 1994
Written by:	Chris Carter
Directed by:	David Nutter

A mortuary worker who collects hair and fingernails from dead bodies begins to kill people to expand his collection and sets his sights on Scully.

Contents 1 Summary 2 Background Information 2.1 Nitpicks 3 Links and References 3.1 Guest Stars 3.2 References

SummaryEdit

In Minneapolis, Minnesota a funeral is held for a young woman who died. Later that night the funeral director hears an intruder, and for a split second, he sees a demon. Instead he finds his assistant, Donnie Pfaster, cutting off the woman's hair and fires him. Mulder and Scully are brought to Minneapolis by Agent Moe Bocks, who discovered a dug up grave and a desecrated body at the cemetery. Mulder discounts Bock's theory that aliens are involved and suggests they search the area for footprints. Pfaster interviews for a new job performing deliveries for Ficicello Frozen Foods. Two more bodies turn up with their hair and fingernails removed. Mulder believes this is the work of an escalating fetishist who may result to murder to keep up his desires for warm bodies. Although bothered by the case, Scully keeps this to herself and writes up a field report on necrophilia.

Pfaster brings a prostitute to his apartment who freaks out when she spots his collection of funeral wreaths. She tries to escape but he kills her. Her body later turns up with her fingers removed. Pfaster is hired by the Frozen Foods company and makes his first delivery. One of the prostitute's colleagues fails to identify the suspect from a line of men. Pfaster attends a class that night but when he creeps out one of his fellow classmates in the parking lot he is kicked in the groin and arrested. Scully performs an autopsy but has vision of herself on the autopsy table, with some sort of monster looking down on her. The agents go to jail to see their latest suspect, who ends up coincidently being in the cell next to Pfaster. Scully sees Pfaster looking at her from his cell, and becomes very uneasy. She volunteers to take the body back to Washington for fingerprint and evidence analysis. After they leave, Pfaster learns Scully's name from the man they had questioned and is released soon after.

Scully returns to Washington and meets with the fingerprint analysis lab technicians and then with social worker Karen Kosseff, being extremely bothered by this case. During the meeting she tells the social worker that she doesn't want Mulder to feel like he has to protect her. Scully then returns to the fingerprint analysis lab, where the technician tells her he has found a fingerprint on the body, possibly left during the struggle. Afterwards, Scully, about to return to Minneapolis is told that she was called by someone, whom was neither Mulder nor Bocks. Tracing the fingerprint to Pfaster from his recent arrest, Bocks has Pfaster's home raided, finding some human hair and a finger in the refrigerator. Pfaster follows Scully as she leaves the airport and rear-ends her, capturing her. Scully's empty car is found and Mulder and Bocks send the paint stains found on the back in for analysis. Pfaster brings Scully to an abandoned house where she is stuck in a closet, tied and gagged while he prepares a bath for her. As Pfaster opens the closet door to check on her, Scully momentarily sees a demon again. Using the paint on the car, the agents track it down to Pfaster's mother, who died a year ago, and search for any local residences she may have had before she died. Scully escapes from Pfaster but is recaptured. Agents break in moments later and arrest Pfaster. Scully insists that she is okay, but then breaks down and cries in Mulder's arms.

Background InformationEdit

• The concept of a "Death fetishist" was created specifically for the episode, according to Carter, whom originally envisioned Donnie Phaster as a Necrophiliac, but the network did not allow him to use the term or concept as it was deemed too extreme, so it was referred to in a roundabout manner.
• This episode is the first of three in which a person can be seen walking towards camera before the screen cuts to black, as happens at the end of this episode's teaser section. The later two examples of this occur at the cliffhanger conclusion of the Season 3 episode "Piper Maru" and, as with this episode, at the end of the teaser section of "Orison", an episode of the seventh season. "Piper Maru" features Alex Krycek approaching the camera and "Orison", also in common with this episode, features Donnie Pfaster doing so.
• The commentary for the football game (Vikings/Redskins) expressly mentions series creator Chris Carter's namesake Cris Carter.

NitpicksEdit

• The actor of the dead hooker is visibly breathing under the shroud as Mulder and the investigator are looking at her lying on the ground.
• It is noted in episode 2.9: Firewalker that the events took place between November 11-13 and that Mulder and Scully were going to be in quarantine for a month. However, during the autopsy in this episode, Scully marks the date as November 14.

Links and ReferencesEdit

Guest StarsEdit

• Nick Chinlund as Donald Pfaster
• Robert Thurston as Jackson Toews
• Bruce Weitz as Agent Moe Bocks
• Christine Willes as Karen Kossoff
• Deanna Milligan as Satin
• Glynis Davies as Ellen
• Tim Progosh as Mr. Fiebling
• Dwight McFee as Suspect
• Maggie O'Hara as Young Woman
• Mark Saunders as Agent Busch
• Clara Hunter as Coed
• Denalda Williams as Marilyn
• Kathleen Duborg as Prostitute

ReferencesEdit

Minneapolis; Minnesota; mortuary; escalating fetishist; football; Vikings; Redskins; prostitute; Washington D.C.; hair; fingernails; jail cell; Hennepin County Morgue; fingerprint; Brussels sprouts; Lariat Rent-a-car; Vin Scully

Previous episode: Aubrey

The X-Files Season 2

Next episode: Die Hand Die Verletzt