SEASON 1

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SEASON 3

SEASON 4

SEASON 5

FIGHT THE FUTURE

SEASON 6

SEASON 7

SEASON 8

SEASON 9

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We're back with the creepy guy from Voss's garage. He's sitting watching TV in a dingy apartment room, smoking. The smoke carries through the vent into the neighbor's room. Gross. That happened to me in my family's condo when I was little, except it was from bathroom to apparently-adjacent bathroom, and only when the fan was on. Man, those neighbors were great. Drinking and then having loud fights, smoking... we knew too much about their life. Anyway. The neighbor is understandably angry and yells at him that he'll be kicked out because there's no smoking allowed.

Unperturbed, the guy puffs on the cigarette again, replying, “America, man! E. Pluribus, uh...” then trailing off and spitting. Charming. And yes, the motto has anything to do with freedom to smoke. Right.

Perhaps the neighbor is angry about the ignorance of Latin, as well, because he yells and threatens some more, then starts hacking and coughing. When he takes his hand away from his mouth, it's covered in blood. The guy responsible for all this – you just know he has to be, even before finishing the episode – just keeps right on watching his explosions on TV while his neighbor coughs until he falls over. There are hundreds of tobacco beetles all over his body, centered around his head. And guess what? The area around his mouth and nose is eaten away! EEWW. But sadly, this is not accompanied by Mark Snow's Plucky Strings of Doooooom. There isn't enough of the Plucky Strings in this episode – in fact, I don't think there's any. :(

Mulder, Scully, and Skinner are at the apartment, next day. There's a beetle on the sheet covering the neighbor's body, which Skinner brushes off. Mulder makes a crack about guests checking into the place but not checking out. I turn on “Hotel California”. Scully (back to not-good S7 hair) deduces that this guy died in the same way as Scobie, and Skinner points out that the difference is that he was no whistle-blower – in fact, he's pretty much a nonentity. Sorry, neighbor, but it's true. Mulder says this all just goes to show that neither of the victims were murdered.

Again with the “What do you mean?” And again, Mulder says the beetle killed him, while picking it up. I mean, he's not even wearing gloves. Ew. I'm gonna be using that word a lot in this episode. There's a little discussion, in which we learn that Skinner still doesn't believe but Scully agrees it could be a long shot. What she means is some insect-borne disease, though, and thinks they should check other residents of the building. Great idea, Scully.

Mulder knocks at the door of the creepy dude, identifying himself as FBI. He is reluctantly let in, to a really nasty, dingy-looking room showing evidence of a lot of smoking having been done here. I wonder if this is when CSM will show up, because surely he will, what with all the Morley references. Mulder asks how well he knew his neighbor, and the reply is that he knew the voice from all the yelling about his smoking. He insists again on “E. Pluribis, uh...” and lights up, since Mulder doesn't mind. He'll mind later. Just a little.

Mulder points out that he doesn't seem to be surprised that his neighbor is dead, and the guy maintains his indolent attitude - “Just glad it wasn't me.” Mulder learns his name is Darryl Weaver, and then asks if Darryl saw anything unusual last night. Mr. Weaver says there was nothing except the Korean fellow down the hall who dresses like Wonder Woman, “but that's every night.” Okay. Mulder smiles.

Mr. Weaver wants to know if there's any reward money. Mulder: “The FBI would appreciate your voluntary cooperation, sir. That's the way it works.” Hee. In that case, Mr. Weaver doesn't have anything else to say. Mulder gives him his card in case anything else comes up, then rejoins Skinner and Scully.

They don't have anything to report. Scully says the only thing they have to go on is Mulder's theory, and she knows an entomologist at USC. Mulder interrupts her and demands she talk to Dr. Bambi Berenbaum instead. Actually, he doesn't, but that would be awesome. He just walks off after telling her to talk to the USC one, saying that he's going to see about “something else that's been bugging” him.

Next shot is Mulder knocking on Dr. Voss's door. Mrs. Voss answers, kid in tow for some reason, but they both leave when the doctor comes to the door. They go outside to talk. Voss says he shouldn't be talking to Mulder without Lawyer Phil being present. Mulder says he understands his reluctance, since Voss has a family, “a lot to lose.” Ah, so that was the point of the kid also being at the door.

Voss asks what Mulder wants, and Mulder informs him of the second death. Voss is sorry to hear that, but doesn't understand the relevance. Mulder hands him the evidence bag with the beetle, explaining that they were all over the victim and he believes they killed him. Voss says that the tobacco beetle is a herbivore and that it eats tobacco. When Mulder presses the point, Voss starts to get antsy (see what I did there? I can do the lame puns, too!) and turns to leave. As Voss goes back inside Mulder asks why he's hiding, and how many have to die before he “[does] the right thing?” Despite David Duchovny's monotone line reading, Voss seems to have been struck by that before he closes the door. Seriously, though, I know DD is not exactly, well, Gillian Anderson-caliber in his acting, but that was as bad as I remember for anything recent. Mulder just sounded bored.

Anyway, he drives off, and Voss watches him go through his window. Voss's phone rings. The person on the other line, with nary a “hello”, snaps, “What did he want?” Going back to the window, Voss sees a guy in a car, phone to his ear. “Are you spying on me?” Voss asks angrily, and we see that it's David Brimley, head of Corporate Security. He denies this charge, and calls it “looking out” for Voss. Voss sighs and reports that there's been another death, and he doesn't know how it happened. But Voss has had enough and wants to “come forward”.

Because he's a Sleazy Corporate guy, Brimley immediately responds menacingly, and demands to know where to find Darryl Weaver. You mean he's involved in this?? Voss wants to know why, and Brimley says it was his mistake, so he'll deal with it. At this, Voss pauses and then (rep)lies that he doesn't know where Weaver is. Brimley just hangs up.

Lab of Not!Bambi Entomologists. A beetle is under the microscope, and Dr. Not!Bambi (aka Dr. Nance) is exclaiming that it doesn't make sense. Skinner and Scully want to know the details. Dr. Nance says “it's a lasioderma serricorne-- a tobacco beetle” and do all scientists on TV have to do that, really? Anyway, but it's got lots of physical differences that are small but noticeable. Scully nods, not seeming surprised, and asks about the possibility of genetic engineering, specifically transgenomics, or “alterations made on the genetic level.” Uh, okay, I guess I'm not a scientist, but I thought all genetic engineering involved alterations made on the genetic level. But whatever.

Dr. Nance agrees that tobacco companies have been known to be interested in that kind of research, to change the tobacco plant to suit their needs. Skinner sums this up, “A form of, what, super-tobacco?” Scully, nodding, posits that this could have created super bugs. And the real question is whether these could be dangerous to humans. Skinner looks... annoyed I guess. Or pensive.

We jump to Voss knocking on Weaver's door. The man himself comes down the hall, cracking a joke that there's no vacancy. Upon being asked what happened next door, with all the crime scene tape and stuff, Weaver says, “You tell me. You're the one with the PhD. I'm just a big ol' guinea pig.” They both enter the apartment, Voss shutting the door behind them. Then he proceeds to try to tell Weaver to get out of town, even giving him $4,000. Mr. Weaver seems unwilling, calling the money a good start. Voss gets urgent, saying Weaver really has to get out of here. But Weaver argues that he's in a good position – he's got “cash money” (who says that?), and all the “coffin nails” he could want. He puts one in his mouth as he speaks, and remarks casually that this particular type seems to be causing others health problems. Indeed, Voss stares at the unlit cigarette nervously, and jumps when Weaver opens his lighter.