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S.R. 819
"Walter Skinner... your time... is almost up."
Written by John Shiban
Directed by Daniel Sackheim
Directed by Daniel Sackheim
"TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW, SENATOR! This is about S.R. 819, isn't it? WHAT THE HELL DID THEY PUT IN SKINNER?"
— Fox Mulder
Assistant Director Skinner is infected with nanobots, and has twenty four hours to live. Scully attempts to find a cure, while Mulder attempts to find out who infected him and why.
Tropes:
- A Day in the Limelight: Skinner is in focus.
- Broken Pedestal: Senator Matheson, in his previous appearances, appeared to be Mulder's mentor and offered him important information. Here, Mulder discovers that he's working for The Conspiracy and breaks off all future contact.
- Continuity Nod: Mulder is throwing sharpened pencils at the ceiling, like in the previous season's "Chinga". When asking about what he did during the day, Mulder also asks if Skinner woke up alone this time.
- Emerging from the Shadows: Alex makes himself known to Skinner by moving closer from the shadows at the back of the latter's car.
- In Medias Res: It starts with a man being rushed to the hospital. He's from the FBI and Scully is his emergency contact. Surprisingly, it's not Mulder, but Skinner. The episode then goes back to show what lead to his complete break-down.
- Nanomachines: The cause of Skinner's poisoning.
- Phlebotinum du Jour: The nanomachines.
- Race Against the Clock: Mulder and Scully have one day to find out who poisoned Skinner and they need to find a cure as well.
- Tainted Veins: Skinner's disease affects his veins so they are very visible and bigger.
- Villainous Rescue: Twice. Played with. A disguised Krycek runs over a gunman before he can murder Skinner, and at the end of the episode swoops in at the last minute and saves Skinner's life, deactivating the nanomachines inside him. But he only does all this so he can use Skinner as his personal agent at the FBI in the future, holding the nanomachine threat over his head, and was most likely the one who had him infected in the first place.
- Wham Line: The end has Skinner get inside his car, knowing that the long-haired man who poisoned him is at the back. He says this line that identifies the stranger."What's this about, Krycek?"
"All in good time."
