By this point in the series, and it was only the eighth episode, it became pretty obvious that the writers had a penchant for the use of flashlights. I know it sounds goofy, but one of my memories of watching the series the first time around was the ubiquitous presence of Mulder and Scully in some dark place in which they had to illuminate their surroundings, and the resultant light saber-like flourishes they created in the darkness. It got to the point that I was even looking for it in subsequent episodes yet to be aired. Funny the kinds of things one remembers.
I too got the impression this show was paying an homage to "The Thing", though in my case I was thinking of 1951's "The Thing From Another World". It has the same claustrophobic feel of being trapped in a harsh environment, and in this case, a self imposed limitation on prospects of escape due to the nature of a threat the group discovered. I love the pseudo-science involved in stories like this - how can you beat the idea of an alien tapeworm attaching itself to the hypothalamus gland, releasing poisonous acetylcholine into the brain, thereby producing violent behavior. It sounds so cool I'm not even going to look it up to see if those components make sense.
The one thing I didn't find credible here was Mulder going so ballistic when geologist Murphy (Steve Hytner) wound up dead. That was really out of character and was played with too much aggression. It would have been one thing if he'd been infected, but his behavior made it seem like he went past the tipping point. I thought that sequence could have been handled more effectively.
Along with 'The Thing' connection, there was a bit of 'Alien' inserted in the story line too with the tapeworm thingy making it's entry via the ear route. That always creeps me out no matter what movie I see it in, suggesting one put on a pair of earmuffs whenever you go to sleep.
I too got the impression this show was paying an homage to "The Thing", though in my case I was thinking of 1951's "The Thing From Another World". It has the same claustrophobic feel of being trapped in a harsh environment, and in this case, a self imposed limitation on prospects of escape due to the nature of a threat the group discovered. I love the pseudo-science involved in stories like this - how can you beat the idea of an alien tapeworm attaching itself to the hypothalamus gland, releasing poisonous acetylcholine into the brain, thereby producing violent behavior. It sounds so cool I'm not even going to look it up to see if those components make sense.
The one thing I didn't find credible here was Mulder going so ballistic when geologist Murphy (Steve Hytner) wound up dead. That was really out of character and was played with too much aggression. It would have been one thing if he'd been infected, but his behavior made it seem like he went past the tipping point. I thought that sequence could have been handled more effectively.
Along with 'The Thing' connection, there was a bit of 'Alien' inserted in the story line too with the tapeworm thingy making it's entry via the ear route. That always creeps me out no matter what movie I see it in, suggesting one put on a pair of earmuffs whenever you go to sleep.