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8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :- Stinky's good., 5 July 2007 Author: Muldernsanta from Washington Terrace, Utah
Theef is a solid episode with plenty of creepiness. The teaser reminds me of The Sixth Sense opening, where the doctor comes home after receiving a prestigious award, then something bad happens to him. Another thing that is similar to the beginning of the Sixth Sense is that the offended person asks the doctor about a patient that he can't recall at first. Very slight similarities, but they could have inspired the teaser. Mulder and Scully, as was common in seasons 6 & 7, poke fun at themselves. This time with Mulder mocking Scully saying, "Mulder, why are we here?" Also, they do a running theme throughout the episode of Mulder telling Scully, "You keep me guessing." I liked the shot of the voodoo doll hanging, showing that Peattie used voodoo to have the father-in-law hang himself. The deleted scene was quite interesting, with Peattie gathering a token. It also shows the excellent guest acting on the part of Billy Drago. He's excellent in the rest of the episode, but it really shows in the deleted scene. It was as if he was made for the part. Special effects have come a long way. Nan's face instantly showing the disease was cool. It was interesting seeing the sales lady talk so matter-of-fact about voodoo, as if it's an everyday occurrence. Of course, Scully doesn't believe a word of it, and Mulder is a sucker for all of it. Umbrellas make a very rare post-Vancouver appearance in this episode. It's very interesting to see how Scully doesn't believe in voodoo or black magic, yet she goes along with Mulder and his theory for helping the family, because she trusts him to know what he's doing. And even though Mulder believes in the voodoo, he alters his words to say, "well, the murderer believes in it. So we'll play along with his belief." So that Mulder doesn't sound like a complete crackpot. Scully was made blind, and Mulder shows her the voodoo doll with its eyes poked out. Scully doesn't answer Mulder definitely about being able to save Peattie's daughter, leaving you wondering if Scully believes in the voodoo now. Mulder remarks by saying, "You keep me guessing, Scully." Theef is a great episode. It was creepy throughout and very well-acted, except for the few lines by the daughter. But other than that, it's a solid contribution to the X-Files catalog that "keeps you watching".
9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :- Backwoods killer in the big city, 16 June 2007 Author: Edgewalker from Tuxford, England
If there is one episode that couldn't have been made without a particular guest star, Theef is it. Billy Drago's performance is assured, charismatic and full of restrained power. Cara Jedell and James Morrison contribute great character studies, they manage to portray a family being pulled apart at the seams in a moving, but not overly sentimental way. The stellar writing team tell the story of a backwoods killer stalking the big city in such an imaginative way that its very, very difficult to know where to place your allegiances. The scene in which Peattie uses a microwave for the first time is both touching and menacing, but you know that in the hands of a lesser actor than Drago it simply wouldn't have worked. A tight and strong X File.
6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :- Stinky's good..., 11 April 2007 Author: Sanpaco13 from Sandy, UT, United States
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
I have always liked "Theef" since the first time I saw it. The teaser while a little corny with the happy family all being so proud of their wonderful doctor of a father is still very good. Having the father-in-law hang himself and the word "TheeF" written on the wall in his blood is very classic X-Files.One major reason this episode appeals to me so much is that the idea of voodoo dolls or "poppets" has always been one of those things that intrigues me. I am reminded of "India Jones and the Temple of Doom" where the kid has a doll of Indiana and is stabbing him in the back with a pin. Ever since I first saw that when I was 8 or however old I was I have been interested in the idea of being able to do things to someone vicariously through a doll. And the Appalachian Magic that this episode brings in is also interesting to anyone who enjoys fantasy type games like Diablo where one can play a necromancer who uses charms to do all sorts of things like Oral Peattie does in this episode.I also find a number of things about this episode comical yet dark and creepy. Let me try to explain using the example of possibly the best scene in the episode. I am of course referring to the popping' corn. Peattie's mannerisms are just so comical and seem so innocent and we are inclined to laugh or be amused at his unfamiliarity with microwave popcorn and the med student's frustration at having to explain to him how to get the popcorn. But then we turn from amusement to horror at him microwaving the poppet of Mrs. Weider and her getting fried by the MRI to a crisp. I can't imagine anything that would horrify me more than to watch my wife/mom/any family member get burnt to a crisp in front of my eyes unexpectedly.There is a question of whether Peattie's actions were justified or not presented by Scully at the end of the episode. I would answer this with a resounding no. I do not feel any pity for Peattie at all. He claims that if he had been present at the hospital he could have saved his daughter but the doctor then says but you weren't there at which Peattie seems to be affected by an anger or even possibly guilt. He just seems to me like a father who feels a personal responsibility for his daughter's death but rather than deal with this he turns his anger at himself towards others and tries to find someone else to blame.Casting for this episode was well done. Billy Drago was the perfect actor to play Peattie. I don't think there is any creepy person part that he wouldn't be perfect as but seriously a voodoo appalachian hillbilly? That part was written for him. Also I am a big fan of James Morrison ever since he has been on "24" as Bill Buchanan. He has also appeared in one of my favorite Millennium episodes and looking over his bio I learned that he was born in Bountiful, Utah. Woohoo! No wonder I am a fan he is a fellow Utahn.In conclusion I think this is one of the better X-files episodes available. The only points I might take off are due to the fact that some of the actions of Mulder and Scully seem a little out of character and they seem to try and write this off by adding in the underlying theme of Scully still surprising Mulder with things she does. But other than that I enjoyed the episode a lot. I give it a 8/10. "Stinky's good." - Oral Peattie
2 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :- The Voodoo That You Do Do, 18 March 2006 Author: alex-ross77
Five years after Mulder & Scully dealt with black magic in Season 2's disappointing Fresh Bones, Vince Gilligan, John Shiban and Frank Spotnitz write a spooky X-File dealing with Oral Peattie, an old man who practises hex craft on a doctor's family for revenge. I really enjoyed this episode because it features some horrifying scenes (rag dolls being burnt in the microwave resulting in victims dying under similar circumstances etc.) and for the chilling climax right at the end. Definitely one of the most scariest episodes of Season 7 and one of my all-time favourites. My advice: Don't watch it alone in the dark!
5 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :- No Surprises, 24 October 2006 Author: (andyetris@yahoo.com) from Philadelphia, PA
I've always loved Billy Drago and as always he is truly creepy as the Appalachian conjure man with a grudge in this supernatural-revenge thriller. The gross-out effects are also well done. The problem is pure plotting predictability and an unengaging setting (this subject BEGS for a Manly Wade Wellman treatment!)It's interesting to me that this has been compared unfavorably to the Season 2 occult thriller "Fresh Bones." The occult effects in that episode were handled in a deft way that left the possibility of magic an open-ended question. This episode is so magic-heavy it might have been an episode of "Charmed!" Likewise "Fresh Bones" had both a plot twist and final surprise at the end. The greatest irony of this episode is Scully saying: "I'll always surprise you, Mulder!"
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