This is a classic episode in X-Files lore because it has an idea so simple and despite how goofy it appears on paper, your suspend disbelief so willingly because the actors make it believable AND so little is explained that you spend so much time wondering WHY? as opposed to deconstructing the How?. The ideas presented here, dark matter taking on a life of it's own, is so compelling that when the shadows would literally gobble up someone whole, I wondered what exactly happened to the people. . .and how would it be stopped.
For the second episode in a row, the producers seem to be hinting at the Syndicate playing a part in all this since X makes an appearance here for ambiguous reasons (oops, X hasn't been revealed as a Syndicate member yet. . .um. .. spoiler. . .oops). And just like in 'Ghost in the Machine', the Syndicate seems interested in very odd things that don't necessarily play a part in the whole colonization/conspiracy arc that will play out later.
An old theme, long since forgotten, comes back to the fore as well. Another Scully friend/acquaintance from her past gets pretty ruthlessly killed. It's starting to get funny now. The girl, Detective Ryan (I think), is given all this dramatic weight (it being her first case, being a woman in a man's world, etc. etc.) and then BAM, gets sucked down a shadow with no chance of fight. Poor thing.
The last fun bit is seeing Monk actor Tony Shaloub as a neurotic genius who hasn't slept and literally has an evil shadow following him. I really like Mulder's thinking in one scene when he figures out Monk's shadow would swallow Scully whole and shoots out some lights. Cool moment. I also like that X gets some solo screen time here. . .we are starting to see him fleshed out a bit. He seems a lot more stressed out and conflicted then Deep Throat and here you can see it in his eyes if not his lines. Great ep. Watch it.
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