"The X Files" Unusual Suspects (1997)

Director:

Kim Manners

Writers:

Chris Carter (creator)
Vince Gilligan (written by)

TV Series:

"The X Files" (1993)

Original Air Date:

16 November 1997 (Season 5, Episode 3)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

The origins of the Lone Gunmen are shown. At a computer and electronics show in a convention center in 1989 Baltimore...

Plot Keywords:

Arpanet | Tooth Extraction | Early Internet | FBI | FBI Agent

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Jan. 7

2:00 AM

SYFY

Unusual Suspects

#5.3

Cast

David Duchovny	...	Fox Mulder
Gillian Anderson	...	Dana Scully (credit only)
Richard Belzer	...	Det. John Munch
Signy Coleman	...	Susanne Modeski
Bruce Harwood	...	John Fitzgerald Byers
Tom Braidwood	...	Melvin Frohike
Dean Haglund	...	Richard 'Ringo' Langly
Steven Williams	...	Mr. X
Chris Nelson Norris	...	SWAT Lieutenant
Glenn Williams	...	Officer
Stuart O'Connell	...	SWAT Cop
Kenneth H. Hawryliw	...	Himself (as Ken Hawryliw)

Runtime:

Argentina:60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

Argentina:13

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

The game that Byers' co-worker plays on his computer is Dig Dug, a Namco arcade title released in arcades in 1982, and on home computers throughout the 1980s

Goofs:

Continuity: During the shootout scene in the warehouse towards the end of the episode, Mulder is wearing a wedding ring. Since this episode is set in 1989, it might have been possible that Mulder was previously married except that, earlier in the episode, the Lone Gunmen hack into the FBI mainframe and Langly reads out Mulder's Dossier which clearly states that Mulder is single.

Quotes:

Mulder: [to the Cigarette-Smoking Man] You murdered my father, you killed Scully's sister and if Scully dies I will kill you. I don't care who's father you are, I will put you down.

Movie Connections:

References "Homicide: Life on the Street" (1993)

I heard it was a lone gunman.

When viewing this episode again to write this review, I was surprised by how much I liked it. I remember I liked it, but not this much. This is a near-perfect episode written by the amazing Vince Gilligan. It showed that the Lone Gunmen could carry an episode by themselves successfully. When an episode makes me forget about Scully, which is hard to do, you know that it has done its job. Even Mulder has very few scenes in Unusual Suspects, but the viewer doesn't care. Not only is it a well-written story, but I found it very intriguing to see the origins of the lone gunmen. Mulder indirectly forms their group, as they come together to help Susanne Modeski, for whom Mulder is searching. Signy Coleman does an outstanding job as the mysterious Susanne Modeski. Susanne is a tough woman, who can pull her own tooth out. Ouch! We see that Frohike has always been a pervert. The Lone Gunmen don't even like each other at first. They just work together to help a pretty lady. X returns to do his standard cover-up operation. I love how he just ignores the three stooges as his men are doing the clean-up, like they are invisible. Then, of course, he gives a line, which ends up being the name they take upon themselves. Unusual Suspects surprises you with how good it is, and thankfully, gets a sequel later on in season six.