When I started going in order back in 2008, this was the first episode out of many that were "brand new." Three and half years later and I still like it just as much as I did then. It's a great action-packed, thriller episode that would be the first of many, even though this is a bit primitive compared to what I've seen now. It lacks the staples of the arc, such as the Syndicate, but Deep Throat is present and it foreshadows the closing of the X-Files department. There is something new I caught this time- the alien is invisible (or "cloaked") but when it attacks, there's a flash of blinding light and it radiates its victims, which is just like the people infected by the black oil in "Piper Maru." Pretty cool how they referenced it later and even the military operator girl is the same lady from "Piper Maru"! See for yourself...
Besides her, I really enjoyed the other guest stars, Marshall Bell as "Henderson" and Scott Bellis as "Max". They are completely opposite, yet both just as fun to watch. Max has a geeky charm, which makes you feel sorry for him; Henderson is chilling in the way he commands orders without batting an eye, such as "what she tracked was a meteor, its aberrant movement was due to instrument malfunction. Your report will reflect these facts." I forgot about the entire middle with the hospital scenes and at first I thought it would slow down the episode with too much exposition, yet it adds emotional weight to an already loaded episode. It serves as a way for Scully and the government to write off the UFO as a nuclear warhead accident, too.
Great review- I also love the way Scully's OPR meeting is shot, it definitely has a 'Twilight Zone' vibe.
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