TV.com

The X-Files Season 8 Episode 6

Redrum

Favorite

Watched It I've Watched This 0

Next
Episode Previous
Episode

8.5

User Rating

225 votes

Your Rating: 10
Your Rating: 9.5
Your Rating: 9
Your Rating: 8.5
Your Rating: 8
Your Rating: 7.5
Your Rating: 7
Your Rating: 6.5
Your Rating: 6
Your Rating: 5.5
Your Rating: 5
Your Rating: 4.5
Your Rating: 4
Your Rating: 3.5
Your Rating: 3
Your Rating: 2.5
Your Rating: 2
Your Rating: 1.5
Your Rating: 1

Rate Now

EPISODE REVIEWS
By TV.com Users

Write A Review

Episode Summary

EDIT

Free Trial / Subscription

AIRED: 12/10/00

A prominent lawyer wakes to find himself in jail and about to be prosecuted for the murder of his wife. He has no memory of this event however, and when the days begin to regress backward towards the murder, he realizes that he has been given a second chance.moreless

Fan Episode Reviews (10)

Redrum

9.5

By TrueTvWatcher, Sep 09, 2012

Redrum was a superb episode of The X-Files. I really enjoyed watching because there was a lot of significant character and plot development. I liked the action, drama and intrigue as the story unfolded. The guest cast was amazing and it was great to see how agent Doggett's past could come into play with The X-Files. I liked how every thing played out. I look forward to watching the next episode!!!!!!!!!moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
1 0

Flag
Share Hide
Utterly boring

3.1

By Aly358, Apr 01, 2011

Have you seen the movie Premonition with Sandra Bullock and Julian McMahon? Same theme, far more interesting, better actors, better script.

In fact I was so bored by this episode I turned it off after 20min or so. You already know by then that the man is living his life backwards and that he will eventually be able to save his wife.

Little do we see of Scully or Doggett for that matter, the acting is quite poor and this sort of storyline couldn't come at a worse time. There is no real suspense or character development. Avoid this if possible. Or see the Movie which is excellent and very thrilling!moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
2 11

Flag
Share Hide
A fascinating case of a man who lives the days after his wife's murder in reverse.

9.0

By whiteraven2005, Mar 05, 2011

The title obviously brings to mind Stephen King's 'The Shining', murder spelled backwards. However, the title seem to refer to the backwards nature of the story and not as a nod toward 'The Shining', unless it perhaps obscurely reference's Martin's ability to go back in time. This is never explained, not even a vague reference to psychic ability or whatever.

A very interesting episode, as Martin gathers the information about the details of his wife's murder, he is able to anticipate and prevent her death. The only flaw is no explanation is even attempted which leaves the whole thing feeling somewhat random.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
4 1

Flag
Share Hide
An uncompromising and moral ending.

8.5

By Hexsins, Dec 30, 2010

So far, this is the best episode of season 8, of which I have unfortunately been unable to score a single episode higher than 7.5. However, this episode has the easy tension and mastery of the Mulder-Scully days. Ironically, this power is created largely as a result of the protagonist Wells taking the center stage from the chemistry lacking Doggett and Scully. Still, this episode provides some hope of a few other hidden gems to be found in season 8/9.

To defend the plot a bit: it makes sense that Doggett and Scully are on the case, since Doggett and Wells have a past relationship. No biggie here.

The episode is a slow burn as the plot reveals that our moral character may be our ultimate undoing, and that understanding our errors may not be enough to save us from them.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
2 0

Flag
Share Hide
I miss Mulder, but...

10

By Rachelsfg, May 05, 2010

Damn, I miss Mulder a lot and I miss his relationship with Scully. Besides I wanna know how it's possible that he is the father of her child... but the last episodes since Mulder last appearance in episode two have been great, better than some episodes when Mulder was on the show. This is the first time I watch the whole series and I thought I wasn't gonna like it that much when Mulder goes missing, but I gotta say, I like it as much as I did before. If the episodes with Mulder in the early seasons were as dark as these ones I would like it even more! Don't get me wrong, there were great episodes in the early seasons, especially the ones about the series mythology (the best ones, definitely!), but if the cases were this dark and so well written, it would have been better.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
6 1

Flag
Share Hide

See All Fan Reviews

Cast & Crew: STARS

EDIT

Robert Patrick	Special Agent John Doggett
Gillian Anderson	Special Agent Dana Scully

See All Cast & Crew

Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

EDIT

Joe Morton	Martin Wells	Guest Star
Bellamy Young	Janet Wilson	Guest Star
Guy Torry	Shorty	Guest Star

See All Cast & Crew

Watch Online

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

FILTER BY TYPE

TRIVIA (3)
ADD TRIVIA
- When Martin is up for bail hearing, the prosecutor shows an evidence bag with the knife that is still bloody. Evidence would never be shown like that in a court room. Also, Martin is wearing hand cuffs and a corrections orange jump suit. Unless he provided a huge security threat he would be allowed to wearing proper clothes for trial.
  EDIT SHARE
- At the end, when the killer has picked up the knife and has Vicky against his chest with the blade pressed against her throat, her head is very high up - towards the level of the killer's heart. Yet a moment later when he is shot in the back by Doggett and the bullets go straight through his chest, Vicky is much lower down. If Doggett had shot him in the original position he would have killed Vicky to! There is also the point that in an earlier episode Mulder is eaten up because he didn't take a shot quickly enough and because it's against FBI protocol to endanger a hostage. In this case, there's not even a warning given before shots are fired, and since the killer is shot in the back, they wouldn't have known in how much danger the hostage was in here.
  EDIT SHARE
- When Martin takes out the nanny-cam from the bear, the lens-protection is on so the camera could not have recorded anything.
  EDIT SHARE
QUOTES (5)
ADD QUOTES
- Martin: The passage of time in prisons is not in a cell of brick and mortar but in one of hopes dashed and tragedies unaverted. How precious, then, the chance to go back only to discover that in facing the past you must face up to yourself... that exiting the prison of time doesn't free you from the prison of your own character... one from which there is no escape.
  EDIT SHARE
- Scully: Mr. Wells, are you saying that you don't remember the day that your wife was murdered? I'm talking about two days ago, Monday.
  Martin: No, I don't... remember it, because for me, it hasn't happened yet.
  Scully: You do realize that you're not going to be able to prove this, right? I mean, if, uh... if tomorrow is really the day before today, then we won't have had this conversation.
  Doggett: Oh, for crying out loud.
  Scully: It means you're going to have to tell us all over again.
  Doggett: Yeah, well, uh... make sure I skip that freaking meeting.
  EDIT SHARE
- Martin: Appreciate your coming to see me. Agent Scully, I especially wanted to talk to you.
  Scully: It's nice to meet you. I'm sorry it's not under better circumstances.
  Martin: This is the day we meet... something is happening to me... something I need to try to explain to you, to you both. I'm moving backward in time. Every morning I wake up, it's the day before. For me, yesterday was Thursday, the day before that was Friday, only it's all new to me. Every single morning I wake up, I can only remember what's happened the following day.
  Doggett: Agent Scully, would you mind taking a closer look at his injuries, maybe check his scalp?
  EDIT SHARE
- Martin: Listen. I don't know what I experienced. But what if it was a premonition? A glimpse of the future. I mean, you do hear about these kind of things.
  Scully: Yes... You do. Mr. Wells, this shooting aside is there anything else that you remember before that?
  Martin: Um... I was in DC... uh... for a sentencing hearing. I was staying at the Strand Hotel like you said.
  Scully: That was three days ago, Mr. Wells. Are you telling us that you don't remember anything else? Not the murder of your wife?
  Martin: No.
  EDIT SHARE
- Scully: Mr. Wells, we understand that you had an interesting morning in court. What is it that you'd like to speak with us about?
  Martin: You're John's partner?
  Doggett: For god sakes, Martin. Agent Scully. You know that. You met her yesterday.
  Martin: Yesterday?
  Doggett: Yeah. Yesterday. Wednesday.
  Martin: Wednesday?
  Scully:Are you saying that you don't remember? What is the last thing that you do remember?
  Martin: Being shot by my father-in-law.
  Doggett: You're wasting our time.
  EDIT SHARE
NOTES (3)
ADD NOTES
- This is the first time that you get a glimpse of Agent Doggett's house.
  EDIT SHARE
- The case number at the bail hearing in the teaser is the same as the production code of the episode (8ABX03).
  EDIT SHARE
- Robert Patrick and Joe Morton worked together on Terminator 2: Judgement Day, where Patrick played the T-1000, and Morton was the creator of the future super computer, Miles Dyson.
  EDIT SHARE
ALLUSIONS (1)
ADD ALLUSIONS
- Title: Redrum
  'Redrum' is Murder spelled backwards. Besides being the key feature of this episode it is also a reference to the Stephen King novel and Stanley Kubrick film The Shining.
  EDIT SHARE