The X-Files/Recap/S01/E06 Shadows

Two muggers are found dead in a back alley of Philadelphia after robbing a woman, Lauren Kyte, at an automated teller machine. Mulder and Scully investigate the case when called in by a pair of agents from an unknown agency. The bodies are found to have an electrical charge and their throats have been crushed from the inside. Lauren sees her boss, Robert Dorlund, and resigns due to her grief over the death of Dorlund's partner, Howard Graves, who supposedly committed suicide weeks before.

Mulder and Scully determine that one of the dead men belonged to an Islamic terrorist group, the Isfahan, and using the ATM video are able to track down Lauren. A screenshot of the video reveals a blurry figure who appears to be Howard Graves. The agents meet with Lauren at her home and after initially denying it, she admits to the incident but knows nothing about the murders. Upon leaving, the agents find their car going out of control on its own, leading it to crash into another car. At a repair shop, the car is found to have no evidence of tampering, but an electrical charge is detected within it.

Later, upon visiting Graves' headstone, Mulder and Scully learn of his suicide and the death of his daughter at a young age, who would have been Lauren's age were she still alive. Scully suspects that Graves faked his death, but on consulting the pathologist who examined his body and testing the organs he donated to others, it is proved that he is really dead. Meanwhile, Lauren witnesses a vision at night, including blood appearing in the bathtub, that leads her to believe that Graves was murdered. At her going-away party, she is threatened by Dorlund, who believes she has knowledge of confidential information that could implicate him. Lauren calls the agents to her home, but before the agents can get there, two assassins hired by Dorlund arrive to kill her. An invisible force kills both of them, just as Mulder and Scully arrive (with Mulder witnessing the body of one assassin being hanged in midair).

Lauren is interrogated by Mulder and Scully, and two unknown agents who believe Graves and Dorlund's company sold technology to the Isfahan. Lauren admits to Mulder and Scully that the sales did indeed take place and that she believes Dorlund had Graves killed. After hearing Lauren recount the eerie circumstances that she believes are being caused by Graves' spirit, Scully - the usually reserved skeptic - readily accepts her story. Mulder is confused but, after Lauren leaves, Scully admits she was just humoring her. The agents search the company's premises, but are unable to find any evidence. When Dorlund attacks Lauren with a letter opener, Graves' spirit takes it and cuts open the wallpaper, revealing a disc with evidence. Weeks later, Lauren starts her new job, but it appears that Graves' spirit may have followed her there.


 * Corrupt Corporate Executive
 * Meaningful Name: Howard Graves.
 * Papa Wolf:
 * Poltergeist: Mulder initially thinks one of these might have attached itself to Lauren.
 * Shout-Out: Scully's quote of "They're heeere", referencing |Poltergeist.
 * When Mulder mentions he thinks Lauren had psychokinesis, Scully also says, "You mean how Carrie got even at the prom?"
 * Stock Episode Titles


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