-Essential Episode- “Milagro” – Season 6 Ep. 18

Phillip Padgett: I made a mistake myself.

Mulder: What’s that, Mr. Padgett?

Phillip Padgett: In my book, I’d written that Agent Scully falls in love but that’s obviously impossible. Agent Scully is already in love.

Written by: John Shiban & Frank Spotnitz

Directed by: Kim Manners

Original Air Date: April 18th, 1999

Principal Setting: Washington, D.C.

Episode Summary:

An introverted writer, Philip Padgett, develops an obsession with Scully and moves into Mulder’s building in order to be closer to her. Inspired by her, Padgett writes his magnum opus: a story of secret love and serial murder, featuring Scully and Padgett as main characters. However, the murders in his story begin occurring exactly as written. As he struggles to finish his novel, Padgett realizes that only Scully’s death can produce the perfect ending.

Personal Commentary:

I really appreciate the creativity that went into this episode as an author that’s in love with Scully writes a beautiful story that literally comes to life. The twist of how he wasn’t actually committing the murders was very well done and we get to see a different side of Scully. She is lonely and the way John Hawkes’ character speaks to her, although creepy, strikes a romantic chord in her heart that she can’t shake.

The ending was very intense as we see Scully almost die (I mean she lost a ton of blood and it wasn’t fake this time like in “How the Ghosts Stole Christmas”). Hawkes performance could have come across as cheesy and creepy, but his writing dialogue is romantic and his tragic obsession is done so well. Excellent episode.

Episode Grade: B+

Favorite Scene:

Fun Facts:

• The index cards that Phillip Padgett pins to his wall are covered with plot points from the T.S. Elliot poem “The Wasteland”.
• During a scene in the graveyard the camera pans past a headstone, which bears the names Diana and Nicholas Salinger with the year of death 1994. This is a reference to the late parents of the Salinger family featured in another Fox show, “Party of Five”.
• The newspaper that Mulder reads in his apartment is called the DC MUSE, a subtle allusion to the band MUSE, who released their debut album, Showbiz, the same year this aired. The font for the newspaper is clearly the band’s logo, which was incorporated.

Faces You May Recognize:

• John Hawkes is famous for playing in American Gangster, The Sessions, Lincoln, and it guest roles as Lennon in Lost and Sol Star in Deadwood.