HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"Kitten" is the sixth episode of the eleventh season of the American
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
television series ''
The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The original series aired from September 10, 1993, to Ma ...
''. The episode was written by Gabe Rotter and directed by Carol Banker. It was aired on February 7, 2018, on
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
. The tagline for this episode is "A war is never over". The episode is a monster of the week style plot unconnected to the series overarching
Mythology Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...
The show centers on
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
special agents who work on unsolved paranormal cases called X-Files; focusing on the investigations of
Fox Mulder Fox William Mulder () is a fictional FBI Special Agent and one of the two protagonists of the Fox science fiction-supernatural television series ''The X-Files'', played by David Duchovny. Mulder's peers dismiss his many theories on extraterr ...
(
David Duchovny David William Duchovny ( ; born ) is an American actor, writer, and musician. He received his breakthrough with the role of Fox Mulder in The X-Files franchise, earning Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards a ...
), and
Dana Scully Dana Katherine Scully, M.D., is a fictional character and one of the two protagonists in the Fox science-fiction, supernatural television series ''The X-Files'', played by Gillian Anderson. Scully is a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Spe ...
(
Gillian Anderson Gillian Leigh Anderson ( ; born August 9, 1968) is an American actress, writer, and activist. She is best known for her roles as FBI Special Agent Dana Scully in the sci-fi series ''The X-Files'' (1993–2002; 2016–2018), Lily Bart in the dr ...
) after their reinstatement in the FBI. In this episode,
Walter Skinner FBI Assistant Director Walter Sergei Skinner is a fictional character portrayed by American actor Mitch Pileggi on ''The X-Files'' and its short-lived spin-off '' The Lone Gunmen'', both broadcast on Fox. In the science fiction-supernatural s ...
(
Mitch Pileggi Mitch Pileggi (; born April 5, 1952) is an American actor. He played Horace Pinker in '' Shocker'', Walter Skinner on ''The X-Files'', Colonel Steven Caldwell on ''Stargate Atlantis'', Ernest Darby in '' Sons of Anarchy'', and Harris Ryland i ...
) disappears after he receives a disturbing message from his past. Mulder and Scully are charged with finding him but as they start to uncover his secrets, they begin to question whether they can trust him.


Plot

In 1969, during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
, a platoon of U.S. Marines including
Walter Skinner FBI Assistant Director Walter Sergei Skinner is a fictional character portrayed by American actor Mitch Pileggi on ''The X-Files'' and its short-lived spin-off '' The Lone Gunmen'', both broadcast on Fox. In the science fiction-supernatural s ...
and John "Kitten" James are tasked with escorting a crate marked " MK-NAOMI" to a rendezvous point. They come under enemy fire as they reach the landing zone and are forced to take shelter with a group of civilians in a hut. As Skinner doubles back to help a wounded soldier, the crate is damaged by gunfire and Kitten is exposed to a green gas. When he returns to the hut, Skinner finds Kitten has murdered the civilians. In the present,
Fox Mulder Fox William Mulder () is a fictional FBI Special Agent and one of the two protagonists of the Fox science fiction-supernatural television series ''The X-Files'', played by David Duchovny. Mulder's peers dismiss his many theories on extraterr ...
and
Dana Scully Dana Katherine Scully, M.D., is a fictional character and one of the two protagonists in the Fox science-fiction, supernatural television series ''The X-Files'', played by Gillian Anderson. Scully is a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Spe ...
are called before
FBI Director The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a United States federal law enforcement agency, and is responsible for its day-to-day operations. The FBI director is appointed for a ...
Alvin Kersh Alvin D. Kersh is a fictional character in the Fox science fiction television series ''The X-Files'', played by James Pickens Jr. He serves as a figure of authority within the series, first introduced as an Assistant Director of the Federal Bur ...
, who informs them that Skinner has vanished without explanation. The agents search Skinner's apartment and find out he was mailed a severed human ear. Mulder identifies the parcel as coming from the town of Mud Lick,
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
. During their journey to the town, Scully finds that Skinner's service record and the records of his platoon are classified as
top secret Classified information is confidential material that a government deems to be sensitive information which must be protected from unauthorized disclosure that requires special handling and dissemination controls. Access is restricted by law or ...
. Mulder and Scully arrive to find a body in the local morgue missing an ear; Mulder realizes that the victim was killed by a
punji stake The punji sticks or punji stake is a type of booby trapped stake. It is a simple spike, made out of wood or bamboo, which is sharpened, heated, and usually set in a hole. Punji sticks are usually deployed in substantial numbers. The ''Oxford Engli ...
—a
Viet Cong The Viet Cong (VC) was an epithet and umbrella term to refer to the communist-driven armed movement and united front organization in South Vietnam. It was formally organized as and led by the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and ...
booby trap. Scully questions the sheriff about a
mass hysteria Mass psychogenic illness (MPI), also called mass sociogenic illness, mass psychogenic disorder, epidemic hysteria or mass hysteria, involves the spread of illness symptoms through a population where there is no infectious agent responsible for c ...
gripping the town amid claims of a monster lurking in the nearby woods and people inexplicably losing their teeth. The body of Banjo, another Vietnam veteran, is found at the bottom of a punji pit. A nearby camera, supposedly used to monitor deer in the area, has recorded Banjo's death and shows Skinner approaching the pit shortly after Banjo fell in. Mulder and Scully lose the support of local authorities when they admit Skinner is their boss, and are unable to convince the sheriff that he is innocent. Mulder continues to watch the video and sees a hooded and cloaked figure lurking in the woods: the "monster" terrorizing the town, which Mulder immediately dismisses as a person in a costume. Skinner approaches Davey James, Kitten's son, in his hunting cabin. Davey accuses Skinner of failing to help Kitten, explaining that Kitten became increasingly violent after being exposed to MK-NAOMI and was
court-martial A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the arme ...
ed upon his return home. Kitten was committed to a mental health facility outside Mud Lick, partly due to Skinner's testimony. Skinner describes that his superiors prevented him from telling the truth regarding the gas which turned him into a killer. Davey reveals that all of the soldiers exposed to MK-NAOMI were sent to the same facility and continued to be experimented on, implying that Kitten's initial exposure was orchestrated by the government. Initially an attempt to turn soldiers into more efficient weapons of war by channeling their fear into aggression, the scope of MK-NAOMI was expanded to become a means of controlling peoples' minds. Skinner asks Davey to take him to Kitten; Davey leads him to a tree where Kitten hung himself after leaving the facility. As he approaches Kitten's body, Skinner falls into another punji pit and is impaled on a spike. Davey abandons him as Mulder and Scully arrive, having looked into Vietnam veterans in the area. Davey claims no knowledge of Skinner and starts ranting about a government conspiracy to control the population with MK-NAOMI, which he claims is a perfected version of
MK-ULTRA MKUltra was an illegal human experimentation program designed and undertaken by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to develop procedures and identify drugs that could be used during interrogations to weaken individuals and force confes ...
. The agents ostensibly accept his explanation and leave, but Mulder suspects Davey after noticing photos of Kitten and Skinner in his cabin. He doubles back and investigates the cabin, finding the "monster" costume from the video. A search of the area leads him to Skinner in the punji pit. Davey attempts to ambush them, but is caught and killed by one of his own booby traps. Mulder and Scully ask Skinner about a claim made by Kersh that they were responsible for Skinner's lack of career advancement. Skinner admits that his prior experience with Kitten and MK-NAOMI in Vietnam shook his faith in the government, but their willingness to pursue the truth wherever it takes them restored his faith in people and holding shadowy government to account. He resolves to return to
Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...
and use his position to fight the government's abuse of power. As Skinner leaves, one of his teeth falls out, implying that he has been exposed to MK-NAOMI. In the epilogue, a
crop duster A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. In other words, a crop is a plant or plant product that is grown for a specific purpose such as food, Fiber, fibre, or fuel. When plants of the same spe ...
is seen spraying a field with a green gas as Davey's warnings about government conspiracies are repeated in voiceover.


Production

After season 10, actor
Mitch Pileggi Mitch Pileggi (; born April 5, 1952) is an American actor. He played Horace Pinker in '' Shocker'', Walter Skinner on ''The X-Files'', Colonel Steven Caldwell on ''Stargate Atlantis'', Ernest Darby in '' Sons of Anarchy'', and Harris Ryland i ...
said to series creator Chris Carter regarding the lack of use his character, "I was whining last season about not having enough screen time or not having enough to do on the show. And at one point when I was talking to Chris about it, I said, 'Is Skinner really hard to write for?' And he was like, 'No.' And I was like, 'Well, how come we haven't done it?'," he says, laughing. "It's funny, because Gabe Rotter was standing there, listening to this conversation, and he said that was when the light went off in his head." Filming for the season began in August 2017 in
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
, British Columbia, where the previous season was filmed, along with the show's original five seasons. The episode features the return of James Pickens Jr. as
Alvin Kersh Alvin D. Kersh is a fictional character in the Fox science fiction television series ''The X-Files'', played by James Pickens Jr. He serves as a figure of authority within the series, first introduced as an Assistant Director of the Federal Bur ...
, who last appeared in the original series finale episode which aired in May 2002. Also guest starring is
Haley Joel Osment Haley Joel Osment (born April 10, 1988) is an American actor. Beginning his career as a child actor, Osment's role in the comedy-drama film ''Forrest Gump'' (1994) won him a Young Artist Award. His breakthrough came with the psychological thr ...
playing a father-son role of John "Kitten" James (in flashbacks) and Davey James (in the present), whose casting was announced in October 2017. The role of young Walter Skinner was played by Mitch Pileggi's nephew, Cory Rempel. The episode was written by producer Gabe Rotter, his first writing credit for the series. Rotter had previously served as a writers' assistant during season 9. It was directed by Carol Banker, who was a script supervisor on the original series and who also directed an episode of ''
The Lone Gunmen The Lone Gunmen are a trio of fictional characters, Richard "Ringo" Langly, Melvin Frohike and John Fitzgerald Byers, who appeared in recurring roles on the American television series ''The X-Files'', and who starred in the short-lived spin-off ...
''.


Reception

"Kitten" received generally positive reviews from critics. On
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, it has an approval rating of 75% with an average rating of 6.44 out of 10 based on 8 reviews. In its initial broadcast in the United States on February 7, 2018, it received 3.74 million viewers, which was slightly up from the previous week, which had 3.64 million viewers.


References


External links

* {{Portal bar, Speculative fiction, Television 2018 American television episodes The X-Files season 11 episodes Television episodes about the Vietnam War