Spoilers

“The Pine Bluff Variant”

This X-Files episode was refreshing because it did not have that air of supernatural/alien that we have come to expect from the X-Files and it was a dead serious one that could actually take place in the real world. That made this episode different than most of the series and it was a nice change. I’m not saying that I would want an entire series like this one, but the tension was tight and the story worked.

In the end, it still did tie in with the greater mythology of the X-Files with the government conspiracy at its heart, but most of it was straight forward.

David Duchovny was really great taking Mulder undercover inside a group of terrorists who were looking to test a dangerous bio-weapon.

Sam Anderson (LOST, Picket Fences) appeared as US Attorney Leamus, one of the men at the heart of this bio-weapon test happening. At least, that is what was implied though it was only through Mulder and Scully’s confrontation that this is revealed. Leamus said his job was to protect the people from the truth, certainly setting him up as a foil for Mulder moving forward.