The episode opens up back in the Vietnam War. Three young soldiers are given orders to deliver a crate, labeled UK-Naomi, and to not let the crate out of their sight. On the way to the drop point, the boys get ambushed. Two take cover in a hut, with a family inside. and the other gets shot. One of the soldiers, revealed to be young Skinner, runs out of the hut valiantly to get the fallen solider. The crate gets shot and a strange gas is release, causing the left behind solider of have visions of monsters, shooting everyone in the hut. Cut to present day, where Mulder and Scully are called into an irate Kersh’s office. He informs the duo that Skinner is missing, and also tells them that they’re the reason Skinner’s career never advanced.
Mulder and Scully search Skinner’s apartment, finding he was sent a severed ear from the small Kentucky town of Mud Lick. When Mulder and Scully arrive, they find that the town is home to many Vietnam Vets. While asking around, a body is discovered, killed by punji stick. At the crime scene, a deer cam is found. They review the tapes back at the local sheriff’s office, where on the tapes we find Skinner standing over the body. The sheriff puts out a BOLO on Skinner, despite Scully’s protests.
After some sleuthing, Scully and Mulder are able to track down the family of one of Skinner’s platoon mates, but skinner Beat them there and is currently impaled at the bottom of a pit, alive, being kept company by his army buddy Kitten’s dead body. When Scully and Mulder talk with Kitten’s son, Davey, they are told about Kitten being experimented on by the government. Experiments using MK-Naomi for mind control purposes, not just seeing monsters. Davey’s ramblings, plus Mulder finding a photo of young Skinner and Kitten, raise red flags. Mulder and Scully pretend to leave to surveille Davey.
The effects of MK-Naomi.
When Mulder returns to the property her hears Skinner’s cries for help. While attempting to get him out of the pit, Davey pushes Mulder into the pit. Just as Davey begins to pour gasoline on them, Scully shoots him. Once Scully gets the pair out, Davey is not where the thought he would be. They spot him, a chase begins. Davey is killed by one of his own Vietnam-style traps. As the episode gets wrapped up, Mulder, Scully and Skinner promise to stay on each other’s side. Right before they cut to black, Skinner pulls out a tooth.
Review
Kitten was a very well done episode. It embodied everything that I love about X-Files. It felt like the good old days. I am finally seeing the upward trend in quality I have been waiting for since season 10! I am starting to forgive the writers for the episodes that lead nowhere. Although. The Dr. They episode seems of more importance now, considering the whole mind contorl thing. We have three weeks until the last four episodes of the season. Hopefully, this trend continues and we have more great television to look forward to! Until then…
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