The Pine Bluff Variant (3 May 1998)
"The X Files" The Pine Bluff Variant (original title)

Scully is worried about Mulder when during an undercover sting operation, Mulder apparently lets a suspect, Jacob Steven Haley, escape. Haley is a right-wing anti-government militiaman who ... See full summary »

Director:

Rob Bowman

Writers:

Chris Carter (creator), John Shiban

Stars:

David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi

Cast

Episode credited cast:
David Duchovny	...	Fox Mulder
Gillian Anderson	...	Dana Scully
Mitch Pileggi	...	Walter Skinner
Daniel von Bargen	...	Jacob Steven Haley
Michael MacRae	...	August Bremer
Sam Anderson	...	Leamus
J.B. Bivens	...	Field Agent
Douglas Arthurs	...	Skin-Head Man (as Douglas H. Arthurs)
John B. Lowe	...	Dr. Leavitt
Ralph Alderman	...	Manager
Dean McKenzie	...	Army Tech
Kate Braidwood	...	The Usherette
Armin Moattar	...	Goatee Man
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael McRae	...	August Bremer

Storyline

Scully is worried about Mulder when during an undercover sting operation, Mulder apparently lets a suspect, Jacob Steven Haley, escape. Haley is a right-wing anti-government militiaman who was observed in a park handing an envelope to someone who the FBI thinks was selling weapons. After Haley's escape, they find the other man dead with most of his flesh eaten away. Concerned that militiamen are in possession of biological weapons, FBI assistant Director Skinner takes Scully into his confidence and tells what is really going on.

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Plot Keywords:

biological weapon | streptococcus | folger park washington d.c. | jogging | level four containment | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 May 1998 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 2, North Shore Studios, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

20th Century Fox Television, Ten Thirteen Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kate Braidwood, who plays the movie theater usherette, is the daughter of X-Files first assistant director Tom Braidwood.

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Quotes

Mulder: [leaving the room to go under cover] If you don't hear from me by midnight... Feed my fish...

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Connections

References Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)

User Reviews

If you don't hear from me by midnight... feed my fish.

The Pine Bluff Variant may be John Shiban's best solo work for the x-files. He is well known for his great threesome work with Frank Spotnitz and Vince Gilligan. But this solo effort deserves good praise. In the audio commentary for the episode, he explains how he had a note tacked up for a couple of years that said "x-files thriller", since they hadn't explored that genre before. When "doubting" Mulder came along in season five, it was the perfect time to use Shiban's story. And a thriller it is. Mark Snow is brilliant at setting the tone for this tense episode. Even though this episode isn't related to the paranormal, it does ties in because the terrorists recruited Mulder after hearing him talk about his government conspiracy theory at the UFO convention in "The Red and the Black". Even though Mulder is in some very dangerous and risky situations, he manages to keep his sense of humor and get some good one-liners in. This episode is exciting from start to finish, with the first half having you doubting Mulder's allegiance along with Scully. The whole episode shows that there are "lies within lies". John Shiban's inspiration for this episode is a 1965 film called "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold". I haven't seen it yet, but I'll have to check it out, especially if it's anywhere near as good as The Pine Bluff Variant, the x-files first and only "spy thriller".