The X-Files, ‘Plus One’ Plot Summary:
Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) head to a small town where people are encountering their “evil twins” and the results are quite murderous. Could an oddball brother and sister (Karin Konoval playing two roles) be behind it?
The X-Files, much like it did in Season 10, diverted from the main, end-of-the-world storyline, to give us a fun “supernatural case of the week” episode.
“Plus One” focuses on a small town in a more rural part of the U.S. where residents are seeing their “evil twins” — and those evil twins just happen to be out to end their lives. It’s a pretty intriguing concept and one that our leads debate over. Are these “twins” actual people? Are they ghosts? Are they hallucinations? Is it aliens?
The execution of the twins is actually really cleverly done. They’re shot in a way that in one scene leads you to believe their hallucinations, and in another that they’re some sort of physical manifestation.
How this impacts Mulder and Scully brings us back to the basics of the series. Mulder is open to each and every possibility out there while Scully is the ultimate skeptic. However, this dynamic plays into much more than this week’s case — it plays into their future as well.
Scully is skeptical of her personal future. She’d like another child but due to her age and lack of a partner doubts she could have another. She knows her time with the FBI is ending, again to age and the FBI’s status with the government. She is so skeptical of what the future holds.
Then there’s Mulder — who’s open to whatever the future holds…including helping Scully have a child. And yes X-Files shippers, the two do spend the night together.
And this is where the episode succeeds — putting Mulder and Scully in the forefront of an episode and letting their dynamic chemistry carry things. It’s an effective strategy, especially for a limited season. If this was a full-blown season it’d be problematic.
“Plus One” concludes in a solid, but messy manner. The villain is fairly obvious, but their motives, and how they executed the plan isn’t clear. However, this episode wasn’t about the case, it was about Mulder and Scully back together and doing what they do best.
Rating: 7 out of 10
