When Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) utters my summary line to Agent Mulder, he once again tantalizes the viewing audience with a sense that an unseen and unknowable power resides at the top of the government conspiracy chain that mere mortals like Scully and Mulder will never have access to. The fascinating thing about this story for me was when Scully unknowingly sided with Skinner and the Smoking Man's assessment that the disease agent at work in the story had to be kept from the public, fearing that the truth would be harder to manage than keeping it secret, perhaps even leading to the death of innocent people if a panic broke out. It's an interesting point of view, and you have to wonder how many secrets the government keeps under wraps for that very reason.
But man oh man, the gross out factor for this episode scores a ten if you will, as there weren't many that could make you this squeamish with pulsating boils and squirting yellow pus as a bonus. This one's not recommended for watching while having lunch, so be forewarned. But there is one question I have, what about those vultures down in Costa Rica that were feasting on the body of the dead scientist; why didn't they become additional carriers of the parasite? I guess that might be considered a plot hole.
For all his effort to be a stand up guy and not succumb to what he sees as dishonesty around him in the Agency, you can see Mulder struggling with the issue after it was addressed by his partner. I thought Skinner had a provocative response when Mulder challenged him about what side he was on - "I stand right on the line that you keep crossing." In his own way, Skinner was reasserting the idea that Mulder had him as a friend at the FBI, even if he couldn't recognize it just yet.
But man oh man, the gross out factor for this episode scores a ten if you will, as there weren't many that could make you this squeamish with pulsating boils and squirting yellow pus as a bonus. This one's not recommended for watching while having lunch, so be forewarned. But there is one question I have, what about those vultures down in Costa Rica that were feasting on the body of the dead scientist; why didn't they become additional carriers of the parasite? I guess that might be considered a plot hole.
For all his effort to be a stand up guy and not succumb to what he sees as dishonesty around him in the Agency, you can see Mulder struggling with the issue after it was addressed by his partner. I thought Skinner had a provocative response when Mulder challenged him about what side he was on - "I stand right on the line that you keep crossing." In his own way, Skinner was reasserting the idea that Mulder had him as a friend at the FBI, even if he couldn't recognize it just yet.