Remember how season one featured constant repetition of bad guys seeking revenge through supernatural means? Theef is a late entry to that type, and an episode that ends up being far more interesting than it probably has any right to be. Most notable are a couple of ridiculously entertaining horror set pieces derived from the deus ex machina of the episode. Billy Drago's vengeful Appalachian carries around his own freaky little voodoo doll, and there are some wonderful fright moments as he sticks pins in its eyes to make Scully temporarily blind, as well as that awesome moment where throwing the thing in the microwave causes one character to be cooked to death during a CAT scan. Eek.There's a nice visual allure to a lot of Theef, beginning with the lush interiors of Dr. Wieder's home, contrasted with Peattie's run-down apartment. Then there's the enjoyable cabin closer, with Scully attempting to keep Wieder and his daughter from hex attack up in the mountains. It just looks a little different to traditional X-Files episodes, and I appreciated that a lot.
Scully has her opinions tested as a result of Peattie's actions, notably when she begins to suspect that Peattie's mystical healing may have better helped his daughter during her long illness. There's that interesting moral dilemma at the heart of the script (the tension between traditional medicine and more spiritual approaches), which the writers juxtapose nicely with the horror and gore everywhere else. It's an episode that manages to be two things, both wildly different but not feeling tonally awkward when positioned together. Billy Drago, too, is surprisingly coherent through the hour, and that's a damn miracle. Neat little horror episode. B+
Credits
Guest stars Billy Drago (Orel Peattie); James Morrison (Dr. Robert Wieder); Kate McNeil (Nan Wieder); Cara Jedell (Lucy Wieder); Tom Dahlgren (Dr. Irving Tharlbro); Sage Allen (Landlady); Pamela Gordon (Proprietor)
Writers Vince Gilligan, John Shiban, Frank Spotnitz Director Kim Manners
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