X-Files Rerun "Irresistible"

Warning: This is episode is too creepy for a comedic quote.
Originally Aired 1/13/95

This is one episode that I had to watch with the lights turned off and zero distractions; no clothes drying in the other room, no cellphone nor computer. "Irresistible" deserved my full attention and for the entire duration of it's chilling forty-five minutes, I was simultaneously impressed and creeped out. I'm actually at the perfect moment to rewatch "Irresistible" because I had just been questioning why it is I ranked Season Two as my favorite for so long. As I'm currently making my way through several "new" episodes in Season Six, the significance of Season Two has been dulled so that I could only recall loving the Flukeman in "The Host", Krycek's betrayal, Scully's abduction, and the emergence of the shadowy Syndicate in "Anasazi". However, "Irresistible" reminded just how original The X-Files was in a time before they decided to break the mold with body swapping and a lovelorn weatherman.

Leave it to series creator Chris Carter to not only bring the series out of its slump, but also to slap you across the face with what is arguably the creepiest, and best, standalone episode to date. The mold I mentioned that was broken in later seasons was simply a formula in which Mulder and Scully were introduced to a case by local law enforcement. These local law men were always at odds with Mulder and Scully, well, mostly Mulder and his unconventional methods. This episode is already turning that formula on its head when it is he who suggests extraterrestrial involvement, and also name drops MUFON to Agent Mulder. I can only recall one previous mention of that group, which was in "Fallen Angel"; perhaps that was NICAP on Max Fenig's baseball cap. (I could also just be referring to my future knowledge of MUFON for the role it played in Scully's cancer arc.) The local lawman is actually an FBI Agent named Moe Bocks, whom I wish we had seen more of on the series in some capacity. I usually try to find a funny quote from either Mulder and Scully to go along with each episode, yet there is nothing funny from either character in this episode. Perhaps that's why Agent Bocks was somewhat eccentric, to offset the dark story that's being told.

Not only does the local FBI play a role in this story, Mulder's profiling knowledge comes into play as well. It is actually a crucial part of his character, for that is the reason he was originally an FBI agent, though it doesn't seem to be utilized as much as it could have been throughout the series. While Mulder's profiling work leads them in the direction of the killer, this is actually a Scully-centric episode, meaning that Gillian Anderson is given plenty of time to shine. It is notable for being a spiritual follow-up to her abduction in "Ascension", which has only been mentioned casually in recent episodes.

That leads me to this episode's villain named Donnie Pfaster, a man who could possibly make Norman Bates' skin crawl. Norman at least had taxidermy as a hobby and filled his rooms with stuffed birds, which could make him seem somewhat less creepy, while Donnie doesn't even attempt to hide his madness. His bedroom is filled with wreaths of wilting flowers that are stolen from funeral home floral arrangements. I'm sure he also kept a jar full of finger nail clippings and hair that was cut from deceased people that came through the funeral home. The episode's director David Nutter did a marvelous job of heightening Donnie's creep factor by keeping him partially hidden in shadows and also by putting him out of focus behind Scully during a crucial scene.

It is said that Darin Morgan is a man responsible for stretching the boundaries of the series with the darkly comedic "Humbug", however it seems like you could also make a case for "Irresistible" being equally ground-breaking. If the episodes of the series weren't dealing with a government cover-up, then there was a paranormal element to each episode, whether it was ghosts, creepy worms, or a precognitive ability. Donnie Pfaster was an evil human being that was just that, pure evil. It opened the doors for later creeps like John Lee Roche, Gerry Schnauz, the Peacocks; well, I guess I could just say overall dour nature of the entire Fourth Season. This episode has also been cited as the genesis for second series created by Chris Carter, Millennium. This episode could have even made a terrific feature film!