The Host

Season 2, Episode 2, Aired
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Episode Summary

AD Skinner sends Mulder to investigate a body which washed into the New Jersey sewer from the ocean. Mulder believes that the basic blue-collar assignment is punishment, but on Skinner's own admission what he discovers is a true X-File.
8.6
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Fan Episode Reviews (13)

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  • Great classic episode!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By GeraldC7, 3 days ago Report Abuse
    Never has toxic waste seemed so dangerous as when the big slimy white fellow slithers onto the screen and starts attacking people in the sewers. Even more grossness ensues when an infected victim hacks up a big worm. Flukeman, was one creepy monster!

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    0 0

  • The "X-Files" has built its reputation on being cool, hip and just a little bit twisted. Viewers have come to expect something more sophisticated than a gore-filled remake of "The Creature from the Black Lagoon"moreless

    3.5
    "Bad"
    By MattMTRUSTNO1, Aug 12, 2011 Report Abuse
    When we settle down with Scully and Mulder for an hour of thrills and chills, we expect to be spooked, titillated, and challenged. We do not expect a cheapo latex monster straight out of Tokyo, circa 1968. We do not expect the Tobe Hooper approach to horror: throw a bucket of guts (or in this case, worms) at the audience and watch 'em squirm. As always when Chris Carter writes one of the episodes, the interaction between the main characters was excellent. Give Anderson or Duchovny half a chance and they can make these rather two-dimensional TV roles come alive. Mulder's reaction, when he bullies his way into his superior's office only to find himself interrupting a high-level meeting, is wonderfully understated. Scully's distress over her partner's possible resignation is suitably restrained while showing us her concern. Mulder's anger at Skinner and the "meaningless assignments" he has been given are very well brought out; once again it is brought home to us that while he is pretty much an introspective, thoughtful man, even Mulder can be pushed too far. And the scene in Scully's office, where the two regain the camaraderie of "old times" for a moment, is priceless.
    But not even these pleasures can counteract the aggressively ugly scenes such as the fluke vomited forth by the unfortunate sewer worker, the graphic autopsy scene, or the intimately detailed explorations of various toilets, sewers, etc. This is the Stephen King approach to horror: if he can't give us that elegant frisson of fear he will give us the heave of nausea. It doesn't work in King and it doesn't work here. In fact, it undercuts everything the show has built up so far.
    Nor do I welcome the intrusion of yet another mysterious informant to feed Mulder's paranoia as he smuggles out tantalizing tidbits from some secret power base. Since Deep Throat is dead and Carter has not named this new source, I christen him for what he is: Plot Device. I can understand why Carter might think he could get away with this kind of storyline; last year's "Ice" had a pretty high rating. The problem lies in his misinterpretation of the audience's reasons for watching "The X-Files". I liked "Ice" in spite of the graphic worm sequences; I liked it for the marvelous (if flawed) interaction between the characters. Later, Glen Morgan and Jim Wong managed to give us a thoroughly enjoyable dose of the creeps when they gave us the liver-eating Eugene Tooms without ever crossing the line between good horror and good taste.moreless

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    0 0

  • This episode, though starting off with a classic sewer inhabiting boogy man straight from the Night Stalker, eventually winds up smelling like its scenery.

    2.0
    "Terrible"
    By Kevinjo67, Feb 18, 2011 Report Abuse
    I love the Files man, but this one should have stayed in the sewer. (Spoilers ahead.) I mean, ok, we find this radioactive mutant new life form, but what do we do with it? We charge it for murder and send it down town. What the heck is that about??? Well, you know it actually might interest some pretty important scientists this new life form, but it did kill two people, so...Book him Dano! (Little did they know that the creature would get out on a technicality as no-one read it its miranda rights!) I just loved the scene where they brought out the creature to the back of an ambulance to be transported to jail and there's just the one guy driving it. Now how did that guy get that detail? Man that was just not his day. BOSS: Oh hey Tom, we've got a prisoner to transport, and it turns out its this slimey monster we don't know anything about, what do you think, you ok with that?

    TOM:
    Oh yeah, what the heck, just load him up in the back. I'll keep my eye on him. No need to assign an extra guard to come along. No no no, forget about the armed military escort. Just put him in the back, I got him. Its only a giant humanoid tape worm, after all. BOSS: Oh and Tom, you know this thing slides through sewer pipes for a living, so it might just be able to get through those restraints. So if it somehow manages to slip on through, you know, just grab the shotgun and jump back there after it. It won't give you no trouble.

    TOM: Sure boss. Thanks. I wouldn't have thought to just jump back in there after it. You know, if you hadn't told me that I probably would wait for oh I don't know, a hazardous response team equipped to handle escaped radioactive mutant spills, but now that you mention it, why bother with the red tape, huh? I'll just shoo the ugly little guy right back into the restraints. Thanks for the tip.

    (end of dialogue)
    But hey, if the little feller didn't escape we wouldn't have had the exciting climax of Fox sucking up some raw sewage. Yumm!moreless

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    2 6

  • Creepy Monster-Of-The-Week

    6.5
    "Fair"
    By mrsKrycek, Apr 25, 2009 Report Abuse
    AD Skinner sends Mulder to investigate a body which washed into the New Jersey sewer from the ocean. Mulder believes that the basic blue-collar assignment is punishment, but on Skinner's own admission what he discovers is a true X-File. Mulder seems to think that he is being punished when he is sent to investigate the death of a guy found in a sewer. It turns out taht the guy was killeed be a giant parasite. Aka a worm man. A really weird monster of the week eppisode that wasn't that bad, but wasn't the best. An okay eppisode, that gets better with timemoreless

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    1 0

  • Another creepy monster of the week

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By OnePerCentClub, Sep 21, 2008 Report Abuse
    I think this is the most disgusting monster of the week. This is the time when Mulder feels that everything is lost and begins to think about his future in the FBI. He's so frustrated and somewhat depressed that he doesn't know where he stands. Scully has a good idea: they work so well together that he might come to Quantico but, that's not possible. They don't want them working together.
    The flukeman in the end, was a terrible consequence of radiation and had been travelling in a Russian cargo ship. But the damage is done. There was Mulder's evidence. He was right when he told Skinner he had two great agents who could've solve the case in a different way but, even when Skinner knows they made a mistake closing the X-files, he only gets orders and so far, there's nothing he can do.
    All the Mulder and Scully scenes were great. They miss each other, is logical, and they find their way to see each other, to share ideas, to talk about what's happening to them.
    And we meet Mulder's new informant.
    My favorite moment has to be that scene in the lab when Scully and Mulder are talking. It did feel like old times.moreless

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    1 0
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • In the beginning of the episode, the chief engineer sends Dmitri to check what's clogging the sewage system. After Dmitri is pulled into the water by the flukeman, he gives the order to flush the tank. If that's an option, how come they didn't flush the tank before Dmitri started his work? It would make it easier to search for cloggs. Edit
    • Factual Errors: Scully states that a hermaphrodite is an animal with no sex organs. However, a hermaphrodite has both male and female sex organs. Edit
    • Plot Hole: Given how dangerous the flukeman is meant to be, why is only one US marshal put in charge of it in the ambulance? And why does the marshal radio for back up only to end up going into the back of the ambulance by himself? Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • Gabrielle Rose returns as Dr. Zenzola: she previously appeared in the episode "Deep Throat." Edit
    • During Scully's autopsy of the victim, she says the case number is DP112148 (CC's wife's birthday) preceded by her initials. She says the victim is John Doe 101356, Chris Carter's birthday. Edit
    • The Flukeman suit took up to 6 hours to put on. At one point, Darin Morgan, who played the part of the Flukeman, had to wear the suit for 20 hours consecutively. Because the suit was so difficult to remove, that meant that Morgan had to relieve himself in the get-up. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Scully: And Mulder, when you see Skinner to hand in your field report, I know that is your decision but I hope you know that I'd consider it more than a professional loss if you decided to leave. Edit
    • Scully: Is this seat taken? Mulder: No, but I should warn you I'm experiencing violent impulses. Scully: Well, I'm armed. So I'll take my chances. I hear you really endeared yourself to Assistant Director Skinner today. Mulder: Sometimes it just gets hard to smile through it when they ask you to bend down and grab your ankles, you know? Scully: It's not exactly as if you've ever tried to fit into the program. Edit
    • Scully: Is this seat taken? Mulder: No, but I should warn you I may reek a bit of the sewer. Scully: I'll take my chances. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Mulder: I know these. These are from Chernobyl. Mulder is referring to the explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986. The cloud of radioactive material that was released that day, still makes victims every day as the cloud increases the chances of cancer and physical abnormalities. The site of the explosion is still policed and the clean-up continues till this day. Edit

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