SEASON 1

SEASON 2

SEASON 3

SEASON 4

SEASON 5

FIGHT THE FUTURE

SEASON 6

SEASON 7

SEASON 8

SEASON 9

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As Skinner hands out assignments, Mulder and Scully move off to the side and Mulder asks her what Modell's condition is. She says he's extremely weak, and that the doctors say he can barely even walk. Mulder seems skeptical, and Scully agrees that she's amazed he's even alive, what with the whole being-shot-through-the-head-and-comatose thing. Poor Scully. It's only when her sister gets shot in the head that she doesn't survive. For everybody else on this show, especially if they're a bad guy? Bullet in the head is no problem.

Mulder asks about the tumor that was supposed to be killing Modell. Scully says it still is. Mulder wants to talk to his physical therapist, but Scully stops him. Looking very concerned (and still absolutely stunning, I might add), she asks, “Mulder... what if Modell plans to pick up where he left off? Where does that leave you? You were his prime target. Should you even be heading this investigation?”

As usual, Mulder doesn't seem to get it. “As opposed to what? What's your point?” Scully replies that it would mean Mulder is playing Pusher's game again. Mulder just nods shortly and walks off, leaving Scully sighing worriedly.

We switch over to a lovely Vancouver street – I mean, “Occuquan, Virginia” street, where the TVs in a sporting goods store are playing news footage of Robert Patrick Modell’s escape. (I wonder if Robert Patrick watched these episodes before he was on the show, and ever found it odd that he shared most of a name with one of the more infamous baddies.) Just as the kid behind the counter hears the newscaster warn residents not to approach the man, the door opens and in walks Modell himself.

To his credit, the kid only blanches for a second, and then tries to act normal as he reaches down for the baseball bat behind the counter. Unperturbed, Modell (still dressed in his prison outfit) asks, “You're not scared of snakes?”

The kid is confused, but Modell nods down at the bat. “Looks like a timber rattler.” The kid, whose name tag reads “Todd”, is now petrified, since he indeed appears to be holding a large rattlesnake just below the head. Modell tells him to hold on tight and not let it bite him, and not to drop it or it'll get him. Then, as if legitimately annoyed that Todd is otherwise occupied, he asks, “Do you think I could get some service now?”

Poor Todd nods distractedly. Modell tells him in that voice of his to go into the back and put the snake down. We're treated to the bizarre sight of him holding a baseball bat by the grip, pointing downwards, at arm's length like it's... well, about to bite him. Modell watches, then grabs some “carbo bars” from a display and eats one. He looks up at the screen, where the news is still covering his escape. Mulder and Scully are seen getting out of their car and going into the prison, and Modell seems very interested. It's hard to say exactly what's going through his head, though.

We cut to imaging scans of Modell's brain, and the therapist is assuring Mulder and Scully that Modell couldn't have been totally faking it, because “the gunshot wound did a hell of a lot of damage.” Mulder nods, and nods again when she remarks that he must be the one who shot him. Scully, looking through his charts, notes that he had a visitor yesterday, marked “L.S.C.” The therapist says that's the 'Little Sisters of Charity', who try to visit all hospitalized inmates.

Mulder asks if he ever had any other visitors, but the therapist says he didn't have much in the way of family, having been raised in foster care. Mulder shrewdly points out that she seems to have gotten to know the man. She replies a little defensively that Modell never gave her any grief and worked hard to get better, so they chatted sometimes – just small talk. “He'd ask how I was.”

Mulder somewhat ironically says, “He's a very considerate man.”

Still defensive, the woman states, “I don't doubt for a second Robert Modell belongs in prison. But I never had any problem with him personally.”

Mulder might be about to respond, but a guy bursts in and says, “Agents! It's Modell.” M & S run out of the room together, to where the first meeting was. Skinner announces that he's asking for Mulder, and they're running a trace and just need 30 seconds. Mulder walks over to the phone, exchanges a look with Scully to show he remembers her warnings, and picks it up. “Yeah.”

Modell cracks a joke about “It's alive”, and meanwhile Scully is about as close to Mulder as she can get without being all over him, looking extremely worried. I don't blame her at all, considering what happened the last time Modell had a phone conversation with anyone. And also considering that Mulder is really hot. (What? He totally is! Oh right, the plot.) Mulder cuts in on Modell's laughing at his own joke and says he's not interested in playing the game.

Modell just remarks that Mulder's being touchy, and says there's something he needs him to hear. Mulder responds that Modell can tell him in person. When Modell tries again to get him to listen, Mulder insists, “No, you listen to me. Either you come back here on your own or I drag your sorry ass back on the bumper of my car.”

Scully asks how much longer is needed. Four more seconds.