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"Biogenesis"


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Episode 6ABX22

Title: Biogenesis

First screened in Australia: July14, 1999
First screened in the USA: May 16, 1999

Credits: Director: Rob Bowman
Original Story: Chris Carter & David Duchovny
Writers: Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz Starring: Guest Stars: Plot:
Following a year that saw guests galore, that wiz-bang Bermuda Triangle ep, and the revelation of the show's mythology, this sixth finale can't help but feel scaled-down. Still Krycek, Cancer Man, and Agent Fowley in the house, the cliff hanger (which proceeds from the discovery of a telling ancient artifact) should provide us with yet another restless summer."
Entertainment Weekly
"An ancient artifact could turn a skeptic into a believer, and a believer into a madman."
Advertising Tagline
Familiar faces cloud the picture in a season-ending cliffhanger that centers on a metallic object with mysterious symbols found in West Africa. A biologist brings the artifact to the United States to consult with a colleague, who claims to have an almost identical piece. Both believe the objects somehow contain proof that life originated on Mars. When both scientists disappear, AD Walter Skinner assigns the case to Agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder. Scully finds reason to believe the artifacts are fake, while Mulder is suddenly plagued by voices in his head - and an odd cognitive sense.
Fox Press Release

An ancient artifact is unearthed, striking at the very heart of The X-Files -- but the search for its meaning takes a grave toll on agent Mulder on the sixth Season Finale cliffhanger "Biogenesis."
US TV Guide
My Rating: 8/10

I was at first slightly disappointed with this season finale -- it seemed like a bit of a hodge podge, throwing all the usual suspects such as Ratboy, Fowley and Cancer Man into the blend -- but on reflection (and another viewing) it was quite effective. The ending in particular, with Scully standing on the beach as the camera pulls up to reveal a space craft (?), is a brilliantly evocative scene. My personal guess? It's a spacecraft covered in alien writing much the same as Earth's Voyager spacecraft offers our presence to the cosmos.

There was some interesting stuff - Krycek is obviously threatening Skinner with his Palm Pilot of Death; Cancer Man still has plenty of cronies and Diana Fowley is evil! Boo hiss!

As with all mythology episodes, the episode raises more questions than answers, some because crucial scenes in the original script didn't make it to air. What happened to Mulder and why is he gibberring like a fool? Find out in season seven!

Where Have I Seen That Face Before?
Michael Ensign (Dr Barnes) appeared in "Titanic", the most successful (at the box-office) movie ever, and had small parts in "Ghostbusters", "Mr Mom", "War Games" and "Superman".

Michael Chinyamurindi (Dr Merkmallen) has appeared in "George Of The Jungle", "Lost World: Jurassic Park II" and "Congo".

Murray Rubinstein (Dr Sandoz) appeared in the movies "Delirious" (a John Candy flop) with Charles Rocket from "Three Of A Kind" and "Star Trek: Borg". On TV he guest starred in an episode of "Ally McBeal" and on "Seinfeld" in "The Wizard" episode.

The Pain Factor:
Mulder is in excruciating pain throughout the episode, affected by the alien artifact.

Trivia:
The original title was "Plans".

The title "Biogenesis" is Latin for "creation of life".

Cut Scene:
What happened to Mulder? Maybe this scene, cut from the final script might shed some light.

FOWLEY: Fox? Fox..? Are you alright?
MULDER: Where did you go?
FOWLEY: You were asleep, and I...
MULDER: Where did you GO?!
FOWLEY: I... I went home. Maybe I shouldn't have.
MULDER: Were you alone? Were you by yourself?
FOWLEY: Yes. Of course. What kind of question is that?
FOWLEY: [well, MULDER starts reading her thoughts] "it's starting... the artifact... he doesn't suspect..."
MULDER: You were talking. Who were you talking to?
FOWLEY: To you. I'm talking to you. [the mind reading continues:] "Not possible... gain his trust... I just left him..."
MULDER: You're lying.
FOWLEY: I'm lying? What am I lying about? Fox, you're not well. I think I need to take you to a doctor.
MULDER: I'm not going anywhere with ya.
FOWLEY: Fox, please...
MULDER: No. Uh-uh. First Skinner and now you. You've betrayed me. [louder] You're here to spy on me aren't you? AREN'T YOU?!!
FOWLEY: Fox, calm down --
MULDER: Tell me the truth...
FOWLEY: You're not making sense. You need help. Please -- calm down.
MULDER: TELL ME! -- [FOWLEY zaps him with a stun gun!]
SCULLY: [on phone] Albert Hosteen's residence.
FOWLEY: [on phone] Agent Scully, this is Diana Fowley.
SCULLY: [on phone] Agent Fowley... how did you get this number?
FOWLEY: [on phone] Fox gave it to me. I'm at his apartment. I'm afraid something's happened to him.
SCULLY: [on phone] What do you mean? Is he all right??
FOWLEY: [on phone] He's very sick. When I got here, he was incoherent... violent.
SCULLY: [on phone] Let me talk to him.
FOWLEY: [on phone] He can't... he's been sedated. They're taking him to Georgetown Memorial. I thought you'd want to know.
SCULLY: [hangs up] I have to leave.
[FOWLEY dopes MULDER up at Georgetown Memorial.]
SCULLY: The nurse told me Agent Mulder presented with some kinda irregular brain activity.
DOCTOR: More like a lightning storm inside his head. No one here knows what to make of it.
SCULLY: How did his CT look?
DOCTOR: No anomalies, no signs of a stroke or cerebral bleed.
SCULLY: Let me see his EEG.
DOCTOR: We've run four -- each one shows a progressive worsening of his condition. This one's the latest... about 10 minutes old.
SCULLY: This is...
DOCTOR: [grim nod] -- Pretty much impossible, I would've said. As one of my colleagues pointed out to me... there's activity in portions of the brain we've never even seen activity from.
SCULLY: This level of seizure activity could leave him with brain damage.
DOCTOR: Which is why we put him in a barbituate- induced coma. But it hasn't really helped. Nothing has. We're thinking a virus may have caused this. Our lab came across something when they did his blood work-up... but no one we've shown it to even remotely recognizes it.
SCULLY: Mulder told me he had been exposed to an experimental virus, then treated for it. This was... two years ago. In Siberia, Tunguska.
DOCTOR: What was this virus? Do you have any more info on it?
SCULLY: He said it was... extraterrestrial in nature.
DOCTOR: I don't quite know what to say to that. But either way, we're sort of at a loss here as to how to help your partner. [gently] I don't know what to try next.
SCULLY: I think I do.

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