You can understand why a new writer would want to throw everything into the pot as he starts out on a major show. With Agua Mala, David Amann tries to create one of those 'trapped in a small area and attacked by monsters' episodes, something this show only did well right back in its first season. The script also throws in another appearance by Darren McGavin's vintage FBI agent. But, making this episode's failings even clearer, having missed McGavin's name in the opening credits, I entirely missed that this was the same character from Travelers. He's so tossed in and unnecessary that it's an easy mistake to make.In attempting not to crap all over this one, it's important to note that the idea behind the monsters here is fascinating, and that the repeated vanishing of various players in the story creates a necessary sense of menace and threat. The fact that this tension is casually dismissed towards the end is disappointing as a result, the episode ending too abruptly for anything to have a real affect.
There's also the problem that, tonally, Agua Mala flounders. There are scenes which imply a Deep Rising-ish horror story, then there are comedy moments involving Mulder and Scully's altercation with the local deputy. It's a script that doesn't know what to do with itself, introducing a bunch of annoying guest characters mid-way through and asking us to care when one of them gets killed, one of them goes into labor, etc. The episode generally fails. Blah. D
Credits
Guest stars Jeremy Roberts (George Vincent); Joel McKinnon Miller (Deputy Greer); Diana Maria Riva (Angela Villareal); Valente Rodriguez (Walter Suarez); Silas Weir Mitchell (Dougie); Nichole Pelerine (Sara Shipley); Max Kasch (Evan Shipley); Darren McGavin (Arthur Dales)
Writer David Amann Director Rob Bowman
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