For those unfamiliar with the term, вЂshippers are a sub-set of X-fans who obsessively focus on the romantic relationship (вЂship, get it?) between the two heroes.

вЂњYouвЂ™re a dark wizard, Mulder,вЂќ she responds, in a line thatвЂ™s sure to set вЂshippers buzzing. вЂњI invented it when you were in the hospital,вЂќ he says, referring to her brief coma in the 1994 episode вЂњOne Breath.вЂќ

Instead, she asks Mulder if they ever came across an X-file in the past where someone wished a person back to life. WhoeverвЂ™s idea it was to score this horrific murder with Petula ClarkвЂ™s вЂњDowntownвЂќ deserves special recognition.ДЄt the hospital, Mulder tries bringing Scully up to speed on the case, but sheвЂ™s too distraught to care much about 7-foot tall garbage monsters. Later in the episode, a heartless city administrator winds up dismembered and stuffed in her own trash compactor after she threatens to have the police arrest any homeless people who relocate to her district. Horror fans may notice a slight similarity here to the 1992 film вЂњCandyman,вЂќ where a mythic urban legend came to life in a crime-stricken Chicago housing development and slaughtered anyone unlucky enough to meet him. While Mulder is testing gooey medical adhesives and Scully is fielding phone calls from her brother, Band-Aid Nose Man is busy ripping the heads off a couple of art thieves who thought they could make a quick buck by auctioning his stolen portrait at SothebyвЂ™s. Even stranger, thereвЂ™s nothing inorganic on it either, despite the fact that itвЂ™s covered with hair and pus. But thereвЂ™s something about the sight of Mulder slowly peeling away a nasty used band-aid stuck to the bottom of his shoe thatвЂ™s especially hard to stomach.ДЄt the crime lab, a baffled FBI technician finds вЂњno presence of any pathogenic agentsвЂќ on the filthy band-aid. From a fat-sucking mutant who vomits snot into womenвЂ™s mouths in the episode вЂњ2Shy,вЂќ to a parasitic slug crawling around inside ScullyвЂ™s body in вЂњRoadrunners,вЂќ weвЂ™ve been treated to some wonderfully disgusting moments over the past 10 seasons. Now, вЂњThe X-FilesвЂќ has always excelled at grotesque imagery. But first he steps in something squishy on his way out the door. Meanwhile, Mulder investigates an eerie piece of graffiti seen on a building across the street from the crime scene. But aside from learning that her mother had a DNR order, asked to speak with her estranged son and owned an unfamiliar pendant, it plays out like a fairly standard soap opera storyline. Perhaps if more actually happened at the hospital this wouldnвЂ™t be an issue. Despite Gillian AndersonвЂ™s excellent performance, ScullyвЂ™s somewhat routine medical drama repeatedly interrupts the momentum of MulderвЂ™s case, and vice versa. Unfortunately, these two separate plots work against each other at times. hospital.ДЄt this point, the episode splits into two distinct storylines, with Scully sitting by her motherвЂ™s bedside while Mulder hunts the supernatural trash heap. The call is actually from William Scully Jr., her brother, whoвЂ™s calling to let her know that their mother suffered a massive heart attack and is in a Washington D.C. The look of shock on her face is equal to our own.

While examining the victimвЂ™s torso, Scully gets a call from William. Though the floor of the crime scene is covered with bloody bare footprints, the forensic tech canвЂ™t lift a print because they вЂњlack ridges.вЂќ This instantly leads Mulder to determine that вЂњthis person was born without footprints.вЂќ Seems like a bit of a leap, but okay.

At Chris CarterвЂ™s suggestion, the order of episodes was shuffled to help clarify a subplot about their sonвЂ™s adoption. If youвЂ™re wondering why theyвЂ™re introduced with a lingering shot of their outstretched FBI badges, itвЂ™s because this was originally filmed to be Episode 2, and would have picked up with their reinstatement into the bureau following the events of the premiere. The next day, Mulder and Scully arrive to investigate. Bravo to the sound designers for giving Band-Aid Nose ManвЂ™s thudding footsteps a menacing quality all their own. Echoing images from classic John Carpenter films like вЂњHalloweenвЂќ and вЂњPrince of Darkness,вЂќ this opening sequence is one of the seriesвЂ™ most strikingly cinematic. Known as вЂњBand-Aid Nose Man,вЂќ this barefooted terror joins creatures like Leonard Betts, Eugene Tooms and the Flukeman as one of seriesвЂ™ greatest gross-outs.Д«efore Cutler can call for help, Band-Aid Nose Man rips him apart in a shower of blood. Unfortunately for Cutler, vengeance arrives in the form of a ghostly garbage truck and its fly-ridden passenger.

X files home again