The X-files
Post-Modern Prometheus
Episode: 5X06
First aired:11/30/97
Written by: Chris Carter
Directed by: Chris Carter
In a classic
black and white episode, townspeople in rural Indiana believe that a
Frankenstein-like creature roams the
countryside and bring in
Mulder and
Scully to
investigate.
Interesting notes:
Cher was asked to guest star in this episode but declined. Her music is used but the woman at the end singing is not Cher. I read an article saying that Cher regretted not participating in the episode and would agree if she was asked again.
Chris Owens, who stars as the Great Mutato, is now famous for portraying the young CSM and his son, the late Agent Spender.
John O'Hurley stars as Dr. Pollidori. O'Hurley is famous for his character on Seinfeld amoung many shows and movies.
Shaineh Berkowitz, a typical middle aged woman from rural
Indiana, watches a daytime talk show on
television. She doesn't notice a person covering her entire house by a termite tent. The person comes into the house and puts a white cake thing into a
skillet, triggering a reaction that produces a gaseous cloud. Berkowitz notices this and is scared, so looks around. Suddenly a huge
disfigured creature runs at her.
We next see
Mulder and
Scully driving though rural Indiana. Scully reads aloud a letter addressed to Mulder concerning their
investigation. The letter is from Berkowitz, descriving how that 18 years ago a creature entered her smoke filled
bedroom while the music of Cher played in the background. Apparently three days later she had woken up pregnant with her son,
Izzy. Berkowitz writes that she saw Mulder on
the Jerry Springer show and is writing in hopes that he will investigate her case.
Mulder and Scully reach Berkowitz's home and look around. Scully finds a
comic book with a picture of a creature on the front that matches Berkowitz's
description of the creature that entered her home. Berkowitz explainst that the creature is known as
The Great Mutato, a
creation of her son. They talk to Izzy who says that he like others in the town have seen this creature, who apparently has a liking for
peanut butter sandwiches.
Izzy and friends lead Mulder and Scully to the woods and lure the creature from the
woods using
peanut butter sandwiches. Mulder chases the creature but it disappears. Mulder then encounters an
older man who says that the real "mosnter" is his son, the
famous Dr. Francis Pollidori who has been experimenting with
genetics.
Mulder and Scully visit Pollidori who decrives his experiments in
genetic manipulation. Later on, Pollidori is preparing to leave and says
goodbye to his wife. After he has left, we see
termite tenting falling past her
window.
Mulder and Scully stop by a
diner in the town and are greated very interestingly by the locals. People believe that
Jerry Springer will do a story on the town and the creature. With evidence from a
newspaper article, they believe that Izzy has been secretly tape recording their
conversations.
The agents drive past Pollidori's tented house and race inside. They find his wife
unconscious and they themselves lose conciousness shortly. We see the older man, Pollidori's father step from the
smoke, wearing a gas mask. When Mulder and Scully regain consciousness Pollidori's wife descrives her attacer as a
deformed man with two mouths.
We see the father bringing the creature a peanut
butter sandwich while it watches a Cher movie. Pollidori attacks and kills his father.
Meanwhile there is a small
riot in town and a man claims he has found the monster, and pulls off a mask of person, exposing Izzy.
Scully and Mulder find that the white cake is a substance used to
anesthetize herds of
animals leading the agents back to the father. They find at the house a journalist who tells them that she
witnessed the creature burying the old man. Soon a mob makes its way towards the house. Mulder and Scully realize that Pollidori
killed his father and find the monster and befriend it. They attempt to escape but are spotted by the
crowd and retreat into a
cellar.
Pollidori, with the
townspeople, rush into the cellar and he explains that the creature was brought to life by his father. The creature tells the crowd that he never harmed anyone and explains that the father, 25 years ago, realized that his son, Pollidori, was conducting
scret experiments which created himself, the
mutato. The old man loved the creature and wanted to create a
mate.
The mob gives in and conclude that the Mutato is not a monster and Pollidori is
arrested. Mulder and Scully take The Mutato into
custody but bring him to a
night club where
Cher sings to the creature. In a special moment, Mulder and Scully dance together.
Important Quotes:
Scully -- "Isn’t it
obvious? I think that what we’re seeing here is an example of the culture for whom
daytime talk shows and
tabloid headlines have - have become a reality against which they measure their lives - a culture so obsessed with the media and a chance for
self-dramatization that they’ll do anything in order to gain a
spotlight."
Mulder -- "I am alarmed that you would
reduce these people to a cultural stereotype. Not everybody’s
dream is to get on Jerry Springer."
Scully -- "But
common sense alone will tell you that these legends, these
unverified rumors are
ridiculous."
Mulder -- "But
nonetheless,
unverifiable, and therefore true in the sense that they’re believed to be true."
Scully -- "Is there anything that you don’t believe in,
Mulder?"
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