The X-Files/Recap/S02/E21 The Calusari

In Murray, Virginia, Maggie and Steve Holveys' family visits a local amusement park. When the youngest child, Teddy, lets his balloon fly away, his father, Steve, gives him the balloon that belongs to his older brother, Charlie. When the boys' mother, Maggie, is in the bathroom, the strap in Teddy's stroller comes undone. Teddy follows the balloon floating under its own power out of the restroom and onto the tracks of the park's tour train, leading to him getting killed by the train. Charlie is the only member of the Holvey family not to grieve Teddy's death at the scene.

Three months later, Fox Mulder shows Dana Scully a photo taken moments before Teddy's death. Mulder points out that a balloon does not stay close to the ground, nor does it blow sideways. After taking the photo to a lab, it is shown that a mysterious, electromagnetic force taking the form of a child was dragging the balloon. Mulder and Scully later visit the Holveys, and Mulder explains his seemingly asinine theory that Teddy was lured onto the tracks but some unseen force. As the Holveys push back against this idea, Scully notices an older woman, who is Maggie's elderly Romanian mother named Golda, drawing a swastika on the boy's hand. Scully hypothesizes that the Holvey children may be victims of Munchausen by proxy, perpetrated by their grandmother.

Soon thereafter, Mulder and Scully later discuss the case with Steve. Eventually, the topic of the conversation turns to Golda. Steve notes that she was vehemently opposed to his marrying Maggie. However, she moved in with the couple after Teddy was born after a series of odd occurrences began to take place. Given all that has happened, as well as the possibility that Charlie is being abused, Scully recommends a social worker named Karen Kosseff. Later, Steve and Charlie decide to attend one of Kosseff's sessions, but when Steve tries to open the garage door, it won't cooperate. After grabbing a ladder to examine the door's controls, his tie is caught in the door and he is strangled to death. Investigating Steve's death, the police find dead chickens in Golda's room: evidence of the ritualistic sacrifices. In the garage, Mulder discovers a layer of vibhuti—a sort of ash created by intense spiritual energy.

Later, Golda welcomes three elderly Căluşari mystics into her room and they begin to conduct a ritual. While this is going on, Kosseff shows up at the Holveys' house and asks to meet with Charlie. Suddenly the boy begins to convulse. After noticing smoke billowing out from under Golda's door, Kosseff and Maggie then burst into her room where she and the Căluşari mystics are performing a ritual. Maggie tries to stop it, dismissing the mystics, but Golda refuses to comply; she grabs Charlie, locks her door, and attempts to finish the ritual. Suddenly, Charlie brings a pair of sacrificed chickens back to life and they kill Golda. While this is going on Kosseff, rushes off and finds Mulder, who in turn questions the Căluşari mystics. They explain that they were attempting to stop "an ancient and unrelenting evil" with their ritual. Kosseff later sits Charlie down and inquires about the struggle, but the boy swears that it was not him in his grandmother's room, but rather another boy named "Michael". Maggie later tells Mulder and Scully that Michael was the name of Charlie’s twin brother who was a stillborn. Terrified, she insists that she and Steve never told Charlie. After Charlie was born, Golda tried to perform a ritual that would have separated the spirits of the two boys. However, Steve would not allow it.

Charlie seizes again and its taken to a hospital. However, Michael convinces Maggie, by pretending to be Charlie, that he wants to go home. Scully witnesses what is happening, and informs Mulder, who is certain that the spirit of Michael, and not Charlie, is killing people. The two agents split up: Mulder tracks down the Căluşari mystics to complete the ritual, and Scully goes to Maggie's home to protect her. After an intense struggle in which Michael very nearly kills Scully and Maggie, Mulder and the Căluşari complete the ritual, which causes Michael's spirit to disappear. Maggie returns to the hospital and is reunited with Charlie. Before the agents leave, the head elder of the Căluşari says it is over for the time being and cautiously forewarns Mulder that "it knows you."


 * Creepy Child: Charlie has his moments, but is so much worse. That little actor was damn good.
 * Evil Twin: Kind of.
 * Hollywood Exorcism
 * : Horribly, horribly subverted.
 * Munchausen Syndrome: Scully initially suspects this is the case, with the grandmother being the perpetrator.
 * Ritual Magic
 * Social Services Does Not Exist: Averted. Scully thinks they need to get Charlie away from his family (specifically his grandmother).
 * Spooky Photographs: A digitally enhanced photograph shows a blur leading the balloon that
 * There Are No Therapists: Also averted. Karen Kosseff, who appears as an FBI therapist in several episodes, tries talking to Charlie.
 * Ultimate Evil/Satan:


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