Red Museum
Encyclopedia
"Red Museum" is the tenth episode of the second season of The X-Files
science-fiction
television series
created by Chris Carter
.
(David Duchovny
) and Dana Scully
(Gillian Anderson
) are called in to investigate a number of kidnappings in which children are recovered half-naked and drugged, with either the phrase "He is one" or "She is one" written on their backs. Meeting with Sheriff Mazeroski, the agents initially suspect a nearby cult, the Church of the Red Museum, which was founded by vegetarian Richard Odin. Mulder, Scully and Mazeroski attend a ceremony of the Red Museum, causing Mulder to believe that they are walk-ins, people whose souls have been taken over by someone else. One of the kidnap victims claims to have felt an animal spirit enter him.
The girlfriend of the sheriff's son is the latest to be kidnapped and found, and material in her blood appears related to Odin, who was evicted from the American Medical Association in 1986. Mulder and Scully question him, then meet an old man who shows a pair of men injecting growth serum into cows, which he believes is at the root of the problems in the area. That night, the local doctor, Jerrold Larson is killed in a plane crash. Investigating the remains of the crash turns up shipping orders that trace back to the kidnapped teenagers. One of the men injecting the cows is murdered by the Crew Cut Man (last seen in "The Erlenmeyer Flask
"). The other, a peeping Tom named Gerd Thomas, is revealed to be the kidnapper when the agents find a hidden supply of video tapes in the home of one of the kidnap victims. Thomas claims that Dr. Larson had been turning the children into monsters with the drugs he had been injecting in them.
Meanwhile, the sheriff's son turns up murdered by the Crew Cut Man. Having passed by him on the road, Scully recognizes him as the assassin who killed Deep Throat and tells Mulder. Mulder believes that Dr. Larson had been injecting the children with alien DNA. Mulder convinces the sheriff to round up all of the children who had been receiving treatment from Dr. Larson and hides them with the Church of the Red Museum. Mulder tracks the Crew Cut Man down at a beef processing plant where he is about to burn down the place. While Mulder wants him alive, the angry sheriff kills him as revenge for the murder of his son.
Scully reports that the Crew Cut Man has no records on file with the FBI or the National System of Records. The material inoculated into the cows and children is found to be an unknown substance. All the children who were inoculated come down with a flu-like illness while those in the Church of the Red Museum don't, causing her to think they were a control group.
, which was set in another town in Wisconsin. Ultimately, CBS
, the network which Picket Fences was airing on, decided against the crossover, and both episodes created ended up becoming stand-alones with no reference to the other series. The Picket Fences episode intended to be part of the crossover, "Away in the Manger", aired the following week. Executive Producer Robert Goodwin said of the experience "I spent days on the phone with a producer of Picket Fences. We spent days organizing our schedules. Then at the very last minute, of course, we found out that no one had told CBS, and they said 'Forget it. We're having enough trouble on Friday nights without publicizing The X-Files
.' It's too bad."
Producer Glen Morgan
was disappointed with the resolution regarding the Crew Cut Man, saying "My feeling is that to bring this guy back, his presence should have been better developed, and he's shot off screen. I thought 'Geez, this is the guy who killed Deep Throat, who the audience loved, and it's kind of tossed away.' The episode just seems like half of one thing for a while, then half of something else. I think that was a curious choice for Chris [Carter]. He wanted to take a real left turn, but I'd rather have seen a whole episode about that guy showing up and Mulder getting back at him." James Wong
also had a negative view of the episode, saying "I think that was one of the most confusing episodes I've ever seen. It had some really neat ideas in it, but I don't think it pulled together finally."
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
science-fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
created by Chris Carter
Chris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
.
Plot
Agents Fox MulderFox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
(David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
) and Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
(Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
) are called in to investigate a number of kidnappings in which children are recovered half-naked and drugged, with either the phrase "He is one" or "She is one" written on their backs. Meeting with Sheriff Mazeroski, the agents initially suspect a nearby cult, the Church of the Red Museum, which was founded by vegetarian Richard Odin. Mulder, Scully and Mazeroski attend a ceremony of the Red Museum, causing Mulder to believe that they are walk-ins, people whose souls have been taken over by someone else. One of the kidnap victims claims to have felt an animal spirit enter him.
The girlfriend of the sheriff's son is the latest to be kidnapped and found, and material in her blood appears related to Odin, who was evicted from the American Medical Association in 1986. Mulder and Scully question him, then meet an old man who shows a pair of men injecting growth serum into cows, which he believes is at the root of the problems in the area. That night, the local doctor, Jerrold Larson is killed in a plane crash. Investigating the remains of the crash turns up shipping orders that trace back to the kidnapped teenagers. One of the men injecting the cows is murdered by the Crew Cut Man (last seen in "The Erlenmeyer Flask
The Erlenmeyer Flask
"The Erlenmeyer Flask" is the 24th episode and the first season finale of the science fiction television series The X-Files. "The Erlenmeyer Flask" introduced several new plot elements which would continue in later seasons and featured the death of recurring character, "Deep Throat"...
"). The other, a peeping Tom named Gerd Thomas, is revealed to be the kidnapper when the agents find a hidden supply of video tapes in the home of one of the kidnap victims. Thomas claims that Dr. Larson had been turning the children into monsters with the drugs he had been injecting in them.
Meanwhile, the sheriff's son turns up murdered by the Crew Cut Man. Having passed by him on the road, Scully recognizes him as the assassin who killed Deep Throat and tells Mulder. Mulder believes that Dr. Larson had been injecting the children with alien DNA. Mulder convinces the sheriff to round up all of the children who had been receiving treatment from Dr. Larson and hides them with the Church of the Red Museum. Mulder tracks the Crew Cut Man down at a beef processing plant where he is about to burn down the place. While Mulder wants him alive, the angry sheriff kills him as revenge for the murder of his son.
Scully reports that the Crew Cut Man has no records on file with the FBI or the National System of Records. The material inoculated into the cows and children is found to be an unknown substance. All the children who were inoculated come down with a flu-like illness while those in the Church of the Red Museum don't, causing her to think they were a control group.
Production
This episode was originally intended to be a crossover episode with the show Picket FencesPicket Fences
Picket Fences is a 60-minute American television drama about the residents of the fictional town of Rome, Wisconsin, created and produced by David E. Kelley. The show initially ran from September 18, 1992, to June 26, 1996, on the CBS television network in the United States...
, which was set in another town in Wisconsin. Ultimately, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, the network which Picket Fences was airing on, decided against the crossover, and both episodes created ended up becoming stand-alones with no reference to the other series. The Picket Fences episode intended to be part of the crossover, "Away in the Manger", aired the following week. Executive Producer Robert Goodwin said of the experience "I spent days on the phone with a producer of Picket Fences. We spent days organizing our schedules. Then at the very last minute, of course, we found out that no one had told CBS, and they said 'Forget it. We're having enough trouble on Friday nights without publicizing The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
.' It's too bad."
Producer Glen Morgan
Glen Morgan
Glen Morgan is an American television producer, writer, and director.-Biography:Morgan is best known for his screen work with long-time writing partner James Wong, including The X-Files, Millennium, Space: Above and Beyond, the Final Destination series, The One, Willard, and the 2006 remake of...
was disappointed with the resolution regarding the Crew Cut Man, saying "My feeling is that to bring this guy back, his presence should have been better developed, and he's shot off screen. I thought 'Geez, this is the guy who killed Deep Throat, who the audience loved, and it's kind of tossed away.' The episode just seems like half of one thing for a while, then half of something else. I think that was a curious choice for Chris [Carter]. He wanted to take a real left turn, but I'd rather have seen a whole episode about that guy showing up and Mulder getting back at him." James Wong
James Wong (producer)
James 'Jim' Wong is a Cantonese-American television producer, writer, and film director notable for his screen works of The X-Files, Space: Above and Beyond, Millennium, Final Destination 1 & 3, The One, and the remakes of Willard and Black Christmas along with writing partner Glen...
also had a negative view of the episode, saying "I think that was one of the most confusing episodes I've ever seen. It had some really neat ideas in it, but I don't think it pulled together finally."