Dæmonicus

Season 9, Episode 3, Aired
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Episode Summary

Doggett and Reyes investigate the murder of a couple in West Virginia that has all the signs of a satanic ritual killing. They link the murder to a doctor incarcerated in a mental institute and Doggett becomes convinced that the doctor is orchestrating the crimes from within the hospital.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (7)

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  • Please Release Me

    7.9
    "Good"
    By Anon67683, Mar 07, 2011 Report Abuse
    This is the first MOTW episode of Season Nine and the first in which Reyes takes an active role as a co-investigator with Doggett. Veteran Frank Spotnitz takes a second shot at writing/directing and the result is a creepier episode that has a decidedly different feel than previous X-Files.

    Reyes looks yummy in her tight-fitting leather jacket and black pants, although she doesn't seem to do much other than constantly yap about the satanic overtones of the case. Doggett is strangely relaxed at the beginning of the episode, even going so far as to gently rib Reyes about her initial feelings that some great evil is present. It's oddly offputting, especially given the high-tension, testosterone-fueled Doggett we were left with at the end of the previous episode. Scully is now teaching at the local FBI academy and off the X-Files, which can't be good. I'm not digging her new sexed-up look and I hate her new hairstyle. I threw up a little inside when she started lecturing the college kids about "extreme possibilities."

    Anyway, the storyline is a cross between the films "Seven" and "The Exorcist" and an earlier episode from Season Three, "The Walk," which featured the astral-traveling quadraplegic marine. The sole redeeming features of this episode are the production and special effects, which are quite different from previous episodes and a welcome breath of fresh air. At times, the use of special effects becomes a bit heavy-handed and over the top, but this is probably a good thing given the utter blandness of the Doggett and Reyes show.moreless

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  • This is impressively the worst written episode in the history of the X-Files. Monica throws around ridiculous theories without dirtying her hands with actual investigation, leaving Doggett to solve the case by himself with gasp actual police work.moreless

    3.0
    "Bad"
    By whiteraven2005, Mar 07, 2011 Report Abuse
    There have been many substandard episodes over season 8 and the first two of season 9 were impressively unimaginative, but this episode takes the cake. The story is a jumble of nonsense which the writers attempt to weave into some sort of pattern of evil but is completely and reasonably explained by Doggett at the end. Monica, unable to admit they were fooled, still insists that this was evil and that Doggett felt it. Oh please.

    There's no actual content to the story itself - no attempt is made to explain the demonic appearing creatures who committed the murders which is the only really X-Files-y thing about the case. One of them was even *killed* and nothing is even said about what it was! And don't get me started on the ludicrous 'demonic possession' or whatever that rubbish was supposed to be. Had the creatures been addressed somehow, perhaps Monica's hysterical claims would have been less outlandish, but they are completely ignored and the episode is expected to stand on Monica's astonishing lack of actual investigation and completely unsubstantiated claims. Instead Monica and Scully berate Doggett who is the only person who bothered to actually work the case and look (and find) evidence of what actually happened.

    Monica's character improved by the end of season 8 but this episode has destroyed what little credibility she had gained with me. I am pleased to see that Scully has managed to regain some of her scientific skepticism, but she then ruins it by siding with Monica. Scully used to be an investigator, who needed evidence *before* jumping to conclusions, boy do I miss her.

    The only thing that made this episode even worth finishing was the comments about Doggett's feelings for Scully, something that has been blatant and until now, unaddressed.

    The strength of the series was that no matter how insane the case actually was, the case was approached rationally and logically, evidence gathered and assessed, and that would lead to the truth and often more importantly, a way to stop whatever it was. The series usually stayed within the realms of extreme possibility, even if clinging to reality by only a thread, and that made you willing to suspend belief. From late season 8, that has all gone out the window. The idea that the X-Files could ever justify being kept open based on cases 'investigated' like this is laughable in itself.

    This was an hour of my life I want back.moreless

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  • Typical X-files episode.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By xloverin, Feb 18, 2008 Report Abuse
    After the episode Calusari I hoped that Chris Carter would return to the theme of satanic possesion. And he didn't dissappoint me. Daemonicus is scary and a bit funny contraption. Althought it could be more. There were some situations where I thought, oh my God, what the hell was that? Like the poking scene or that Kobold had informations about Mulder from the internet. I felt like CC had a leak in his script and he wanted to hide it just with a blanket. Except these few situations, while watching Daemonicus I was scared, laughing, shocked and melting. (The last one for seeing Scully :-) )moreless

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  • a very scary episode!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By unexpressedrage, Feb 06, 2008 Report Abuse
    agents scully, reyes and doggett investigate to solve another mind-blowing case. another favorite episode of mine this time dealing w/ satanic rituals just like in episode 3's die hand die verletzt. it's interesting to know about the things that usually defy an explanation. we usually think that the devil is this hideous monster but it can be disguised in many ways. the whispering voices is so eerie somehow you can feel it getting thru your head as well. it's so scary. the mindgames is just like the silence of the lambs and that projectile vomit is bloody horrifying. perhaps an allusion to the exorcist? and the conversations w/ the 3 agents in the end, agent reyes telling agent scully after agent doggett explained the killings & walked away that his explanations make sense but sensing that he felt something evil as well only he's just afraid to say so.moreless

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  • Spoooky.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By -TheDeadMan-, Jun 07, 2007 Report Abuse
    This episode focuses on Agent John Doggett and agent Monica Reyes trying to figure out what happened to an older couple that was murdered out in the middle of the country. Agent Reyes believed they were possessed by Satan himself, but Doggett did not want to believe that that was actually possible. It ended up being that Doggett took it really personal and ended up lashing out that it was impossible.

    A patient who chopped up people into pieces was apparently possessed by Satan. This episode was a really good episode because it combined a lot of great thing people love about the x-files.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • At the end, when Agent Doggett is illustrating how Kobold chose his victims from the word Dæmonicus, they seem to forget about the guard who "helped" his neighboring cellmate escape. Edit
    • Just an observation if the agents and the police were hell-bent for leather in getting to Dr. Sampson's house because of a threat to her life, why didn't they pursue the truck that was obviously leaving her house just as they were pulling up? Edit
    • In the scene where Reyes is explaining how the Mountjoys were killed, she states that one of the assailants held Mr. Mountjoy in his seat while the other one shot him. In the little flashback scene, the one "demon" is behind Mr. Mountjoy holding his shoulders to keep him in the chair while the other "demon" shoots him in the forehead. If this were the case, the "demon" holding him would have been hit by the round as it exited the rear of Mr. Mountjoy's head. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Agent Doggett: A snake swallowing it's own tail. Yet another reference to the Ouroboros tattoo Scully had on her back in the season 4 episode Never Again. Edit
    • A dog in this episode is named 'Happy' after Gillian Anderson's dog. Edit
    • Custer (the guard assigned to watch Cobalt's cell) at one point is seen reading a magazine during a thunderstorm. The magazine he is reading is 'American Ronin,' which is the magazine that Modell, the psychic murderer, placed ads in on the episode 'Pusher' from Season 3. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Scully: Agent Mulder used to refer to it as psychic plasma - a residual by-product of telepathic communication. In theory it would have inorganic properties that couldn't be explained otherwise. Doggett: So what are we talking now? The Ghostbusters? Reyes: If I'm right an analysis of this sample could prove whether he's telling the truth or faking it. Doggett: Well, you can throw that crap away because I can tell you right now that this guy's liar. He's playing a game. Scully: Well, then let's just see how well he plays that game. Doggett: Why? So you can get suckered in even more? Listen to you two! Scully: Agent Doggett. Doggett: Listen, I'm telling ya. This guy threw this up for our benefit. He knew exactly what you'd say, he knew exactly what I'd say. He even knew that the two of you would be so blinded by this hocus pocus that you wouldn't see what's in front of your faces. Scully: Agent Reyes is just trying to get to the truth, okay? What are you doing? Reyes: Maybe this is a hoax. Maybe you're right. But now you're saying we should turn away from evidence? It's not like you, John. I don't understand why. Doggett: I already told you why. Edit
    • Doggett: You planned this whole thing. I want to know why. Kobold: I've been thinking a lot about you, Agent Doggett. Doggett: You're not answering my question, Professor. Kobold: About why someone so ill-suited would draw this duty. Clearly, you have feelings for her. Doggett: You ordered Dr. Richmond to kill these people, didn't you? Kobold: But you can't compete with the long-lost Agent Mulder. With his easy good looks, his Oxford education. Doggett: This is about you, Professor. Kobold: Mulder has what you can't have. What you stumble for. The flat-footed cop, thinking he could put handcuffs on a demon. Doggett: Answer the question! Kobold: You want her, but she feels sorry for you. They both do. Edit
    • Reyes: Did Dr. Richmond display any knowledge of Satanic lure, or speak of demonic possession? Dr. Sampson: No, he was perfectly cogent. He didn't suffer from those kinds of delusions. Reyes: I'm not really asking about delusions. When you last spoke to him did he seem himself? Dr. Sampson: Seem himself? Reyes: I mean did he display personality other than his own? Speaking tongues or in any language which he didn't know? Dr. Sampson: You're asking me if he was possessed? This is the 21st century, Miss Reyes. We stopped looking a long time ago to demons to explain mental illness. Reyes: I'm not really talking about mental illness. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Name: Josef Kobold A Kobold is a German spirit which can appear in the form of a human or an animal. Edit

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