Miracle Man
From X-Files Wiki
| |
| Series: | The X-Files |
| Original Airdate: | March 18, 1994 |
| Production Number: | 1x17 |
| Date(s): | March 7, 1994 |
| Written by: | Howard Gordon and Chris Carter |
| Directed by: | Michael Lange |
Mulder and Scully encounter a religious healer who seems to have the power to perform miracles.
Contents |
[edit] Summary
[edit] Teaser
Crowds gather at an apartment fire as an EMT carries out a burnt dead man on a stretcher. A firefighter tells the EMT to go help a women who needs oxygen. As the firefighter turns to leave, a man and his young son go to to dead man and say a prayer to raise him from the dead. Seeing this, the fireman begins to tell them to go away as the man is dead when the boy's father tells him "then the boy can do no harm, now can he?" Meanwhile, the boy continues saying the prayer. The burnt man returns to the living as the fireman leaves.
[edit] Act One
Ten years later, Scully shows Mulder a tape which shows the man and the boy, now a teenager, have opened up a church called Miracle Ministry and are about to heal a woman (Lucy Kelly) with a malignant tumor on her spine. Scully pauses the tape to give Mulder some information and is surprised when he has already heard of Reverend Calvin Hartley and his adopted healer son Samuel Hartley. Local authorities are beginning to think the reverend and his son are a scam and have been trying to shut the ministry down. Mulder finds this curious and asks Scully why. She responds with "Murder. Watch the tape."
The tape continues showing the Reverend explaining what is about to happen to his amazed audience. Scully stops the VHS again to explain to Mulder that twenty minutes after Lucy was "healed", she was rushed to the hospital only to die mysteriously. Despite knowing this is not an official X-File, Mulder and Scully hop a flight to Kenwood, Tennessee.
Once there, they visit the tent Miracle Ministry to witness for themselves the magical healing powers of Samuel Hartley. However, he does not make an appearance. They meet the Reverend outside after the sermon where they learn that Samuel is missing. Calvin Hartley tells them he can not help and drives off in his Cadillac. As this is happening, Sheriff Maurice Daniels walks up to them and gives them the autopsy report for Lucy Kelly. Sheriff Daniels goes on to tell them that more people related to the ministry have died but no autopsies were performed due to Miracle Ministry interference.
They arrange for the bodies to be exhumed; however, in the process of digging the bodies up, a group of the ministry's followers, who caught word of what was going to be done at the cemetery, show up and demand that the graves to not be disturbed. Mulder and Scully begin to explain the importance of the autopsies when the Sheriff interrupts with news that Samuel's car was spotted downtown.
[edit] Act Two
Sheriff Daniels, Mulder and Scully enter a seedy bar to find Samuel Hartley smoking a cigarette and drinking a beer while sporting various cuts and bruises all over his face. The sheriff departs to get Samuel's car towed, leaving Mulder and Scully to question the healer. Samuel admits guilt of murder and explains that he "muddied the water" of his faith because of pride and weakness and now his gift has been corrupted. Scully doubts the young man and Samuel, in retaliation, tells Mulder of a great pain Mulder has related to a sister. Intrigued, Mulder asks him to continue but an unnerved Scully calls the Sheriff over to their table to officially arrest Samuel.
[edit] Act Three
[edit] Background Information
- This episode's script was the first to be written by Howard Gordon without his longtime partner, Alex Gansa.
[edit] Nitpicks
- At 15:26 on the DVD, the caption says "Kenwood County Courthouse" but the building shown is labeled "Dekalb County Courthouse". It is a building in Auburn, Indiana that has distinctive U's that look like V's on the inscription. Cybervox.org 19:37, 11 January 2009 (UTC)
[edit] Cast
[edit] Guest Starring
- R. D. Call as Sheriff Maurice Daniels
- Scott Bairstow as Samuel Hartley
- George Gerdes as Reverend Calvin Hartley
- Dennis Lipscomb as Leonard Vance
[edit] Co-Starring
- Walter Marsh as Judge
- Campbell Lane as Hohman's Father
- Shilton Crane as Margaret Hohman
- Howard Storey as Fire Chief
- Iris Quinn Bernard as Lillian Daniels
- Lisa Ann Beley as Beatrice Salinger
- Alex Doduk as Young Samuel
- Roger Haskett as Deputy Tyson
[edit] References
SEMICOLON-SEPARATED LIST OF ITEMS/LOCATIONS REFERENCED IN EPISODE (BUT NOT LINKED TO IF ALREADY LINKED IN SUMMARY OR GUEST STARS SECTIONS)
| Previous episode: E.B.E. | The X-Files Season 1 | Next episode: Shapes |
