SEASON 1

SEASON 2

SEASON 3

SEASON 4

SEASON 5

FIGHT THE FUTURE

SEASON 6

SEASON 7

SEASON 8

SEASON 9

< PREVIOUS

No. Scully, being a total nerd, goes back to the office and dutifully loads up the microfiche machine to read all about the crazy shit that's gone down at Ellens Air Base. Surprise, surprise, it's all about UFOs. This is two cases in a row -- any more and she's going to start thinking this dude is OBSESSED with UFOs or something. The gang at book club is NEVER going to believe this.

Scully calls Mulder, who's making soup or something in his depressing kitchen. One of the walls is brick, painted a lovely greyish yellow. He also has a cutting board that seems to be nailed to the (brick) wall, and his fridge is from...well, let's just say "the past" and leave it at that. I think Mulder was already born when this fridge was manufactured, but I'm not positive. Scully bitches that Mulder didn't tell her about the whole UFO angle that her intensive research just uncovered (remember when you couldn't look stuff like that up on the Internet? HOW DID ANY OF US SURVIVE WITHOUT THE INTERNET?). The loudest, most obvious clicking noise ever recorded starts up on Mulder's phone, and several nearby dogs are immediately trained to sit and wait quietly for a treat. Mulder stares at the phone, moves two feet to the window and peeks through the blinds, and sure enough, there's a mysterious unmarked van right outside. SHODDIEST. SURVEILLANCE GUYS. EVER. Mulder tells Scully they'll talk later and hangs up on her. His curtains are quite hideous. Also, he's still wearing his work shirt and tie but he seems to have washed his hair, or at least brushed all the mousse out. I love when he has the floppy bangs.

A plane lands somewhere. Wait -- it's Southwest Idaho! Mulder and Scully knock on the Budahases' front door; they hear a loud airplane that startles them into turning around. Mrs. B. answers and invites them in.

I do like that shot of Scully and Mrs. Budahas reflected in the picture of Col. Budahas on the wall. Mulder studies it as Mrs. B., who is so distressed that she accidentally put on orange lipstick, explains how her husband got nuttier and nuttier and wouldn't tell her what he was doing at his job -- all she knew was that he was working on top-secret stuff. Now, he's disappeared. Scully says one of my favorite lines in the episode: "You know, the government is not above the law. They cannot withhold information." HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! Oh, Scully. You innocent little lamb. She's so earnest when she says it, too. It's not too late for that pet store, you two. Mulder could channel his obsessiveness into breeding the perfect hamster, while Scully kept the books and did any necessary spaying or neutering. No, I know, then you wouldn't find the truth, blahbbity blah. Do go on. Mulder asks if Mrs. B. has heard of this happening to anyone else. Verla McClennon's husband, as a matter of fact, has also gone crazy. Cut to Verla McClennon's husband, who's sitting at a table, pulling out his hair and carefully wrapping it around a spool of thread? I think? I understand it's something to do with fishing but I don't quite get it. Anyway, the pulling his own hair out part is the important thing. Mrs. McClennon has no idea why her husband is like this either, but she ain't asking questions! It's fine! She is perfectly happy with her loony, trichotillomania-afflicted fella, and she will thank you not to meddle. She gives Mrs. Budahas the stink-eye for dragging the fibbies into it. Boy, did everyone wear a lot of eyeliner in 1993.

Mrs. B. gives her new federal pals some phone numbers to try. Scully tells her they'll be staying at the Davy Crockett Motor Court. Sorry -- that's the Beach Grove Motel. (Beach Grove? Really?) Scully's got a shoulder bag -- remember when she used to carry a bag like a normal woman? Before she figured out the trick to carrying her wallet, keys, glasses, hairbrush, lipstick, tampons, gun, flashlight, rubber gloves, ziploc baggies, and giant cell phone in her jacket pockets? She has so much still to learn.

Mulder asks Scully her thoughts on Mr. McClennon the hair-yanking fishing enthusiast. Scully tells him it's called stereotypy (d'oh! whatever), it's caused by stress and it's been observed in POWs and zoo animals. Mulder quite rightly points out that the test pilots are not zoo animals. He says these are supposed to be the best of the best, not the kind of guys who crack under stress. Scully asks Mulder if he's heard of the Aurora Project (AS IF SHE NEED ASK if Mulder's heard of any given secret government thing), which apparently is a program where the gubmint is flying mysterious surveillance planes. She suggests that maybe Col. B. and Crazy Neighbor washed out of the project. Mulder can't imagine that a great American like Col. Budahas could have washed out of something. I think Mulder has a crush on Col. Budahas. The lone curl on Mulder's forehead that's artfully escaped from the beehive of the rest of his hair is utterly motionless as he talks. Truly, what WERE they thinking with that hair? I know it was the early '90s, but dear lord.