In the myth-arc episodes this one stands out. Steve Railsback does an excellent job of portraying a mentally frazzled ex-FBI agent who mysteriously suffered a brain injury inflicted with his own weapon after which his life spiraled downward. He was institutionalized. It is put forward, not overtly however, that he was taken by aliens, tested and implanted, and returned in the state that caused his downfall. He is fearful of future abductions and diagnosed as delusional and violent as a result. He escapes with his doctor and several hostages in which Mulder is called in to aid in the stand-off as a negotiator.
This is a slow moving and revealing story in the myth-arc. Barry reveals he is a virtual prisoner of both his fears as well as the government's knowledge in which he will never again see the light of day except for the fact he is tracked and may be abducted and returned at the alien's will. This is a life he can no longer stand and thus his escape with hostages. Mulder is the only agent who believes him and he very much wishes to avoid his assassination. Due to his volatile state, however, Mulder realizes he has to set him up hoping if he survives he can gain some inside information. Mulder, with Scully's help manages to pull it off, but Barry escapes after the one implant that is removed calls home setting off the alien's bedside reappearance. The calling home sequence is a kind of cool nod to the development of bar-codes. Bar-codes were developed as far back as the fifties and the connection to knowledge, perhaps, gleaned from Roswell being integrated into our everyday society is inspired.
This is a need to watch story that extends into another episode where Barry is instructed to abduct Scully so he can offer her as a kind of "peace offering" so the aliens will leave him alone. This one gets high marks for excellent production values (i.e. well done, technical and not cheesy). The one comic relief, for some viewers, will be the needless shot of Mulder in the first minute in a Speedo.
Mulder is empowered knowing he has a real insider who bridges both the aliens and the government's cover-up. He really wants to pick Duane for his knowledge, but things get way out of control with the subsequent kidnapping of Scully. So even though it moves pretty slow it escalates with some degree of urgency as well as importance in the building of the myth-arc that permeates the series. Thus a highly recommended episode.
This is a slow moving and revealing story in the myth-arc. Barry reveals he is a virtual prisoner of both his fears as well as the government's knowledge in which he will never again see the light of day except for the fact he is tracked and may be abducted and returned at the alien's will. This is a life he can no longer stand and thus his escape with hostages. Mulder is the only agent who believes him and he very much wishes to avoid his assassination. Due to his volatile state, however, Mulder realizes he has to set him up hoping if he survives he can gain some inside information. Mulder, with Scully's help manages to pull it off, but Barry escapes after the one implant that is removed calls home setting off the alien's bedside reappearance. The calling home sequence is a kind of cool nod to the development of bar-codes. Bar-codes were developed as far back as the fifties and the connection to knowledge, perhaps, gleaned from Roswell being integrated into our everyday society is inspired.
This is a need to watch story that extends into another episode where Barry is instructed to abduct Scully so he can offer her as a kind of "peace offering" so the aliens will leave him alone. This one gets high marks for excellent production values (i.e. well done, technical and not cheesy). The one comic relief, for some viewers, will be the needless shot of Mulder in the first minute in a Speedo.
Mulder is empowered knowing he has a real insider who bridges both the aliens and the government's cover-up. He really wants to pick Duane for his knowledge, but things get way out of control with the subsequent kidnapping of Scully. So even though it moves pretty slow it escalates with some degree of urgency as well as importance in the building of the myth-arc that permeates the series. Thus a highly recommended episode.