| "Wetwired" | |||
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| The X-Files episode | |||
Dana Scully shooting at Fox Mulder |
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| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 23 |
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| Directed by | Rob Bowman | ||
| Written by | Mat Beck | ||
| Production code | 3X23 | ||
| Original air date | May 10, 1996 | ||
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| Episode chronology | |||
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| List of season 3 episodes List of The X-Files episodes |
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"Wetwired" is the twenty-third episode of the third season and the 72nd episode overall of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on May 10, 1996 on Fox, and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was written by the show's visual effect designer Mat Beck, and directed by Rob Bowman.
"Wetwired" follows FBI Special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully investigate a series of murders committed by ordinary citizens angered after seeing illusory images, Scully's trust in Mulder is put to the ultimate test. The episode earned a high Nielsen household and syndication ratings, it was generally well received by fans and critics alike.
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A man mistakenly kills his wife, believing her, as well as the police who soon arrive, to all be someone else. Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) is tipped off to the case by the mysterious Plain-Clothed Man, who provides him with a newspaper article discussing the case. Mulder and partner Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) visit the man, and his doctor, Dr. Stroman, in a psychiatric hospital and are told the man killed five people, believing them to all be the same person.
Mulder and Scully visit the murderer's house, where Mulder sees a repairman working on the cable line. They find hundreds of video tapes of the news. Scully believes all the violence the man watched on TV may have led him to the murders, something Mulder doesn't believe. That night Scully watches the tapes, seeing if there are any clues to why the man committed murder. She steps outside for a break and sees Mulder in a car talking to the Cigarette Smoking Man. The next day Mulder denies the conversation took place. The next day a similar murder occurs when a woman thinks she sees her husband in a hammock with another woman; in reality she's killed her neighbor who was in a hammock with his dog. Mulder sees the same cable repairman near the house, who escapes from him. Climbing up on the telephone pole Mulder finds a device inside the cable box.
Mulder brings the device to the Lone Gunmen, who tell him it's emitting some kind of signal. Mulder contacts Scully, who is growing increasingly paranoid. Hearing possible clicks while on the phone with Mulder, she frantically searches her hotel room for monitoring devices. When Mulder knocks at her door, Scully fires her weapon at it and runs off. Mulder believes her to be suffering from paranoid psychosis. The Lone Gunmen believe the device to be some sort of mind control device. Mulder wasn't affected due to his color blindness. The police find a body they believe to be Scully, but Mulder confirms that it isn't her. Mulder is unable to contact Scully's mother, leading him to go to her home. He finds Scully there, who aims a gun at him. Scully claims Mulder never trusted her and blames him for her abduction and her sister's murder. Scully's mother calms her down and she is hospitalized.
Mulder believes that the mind control device turns people's fears into dementia. Mulder tries to contact Dr. Stroman with no success. He traces Dr. Stroman's location to an empty hotel room where he finds cigarettes in the ash tray. Using the phone log for the room Mulder tracks Stroman to a house where he spots him meeting with the cable repairman. By the time Mulder enters however, shots ring out and Mulder finds both men dead, with X responsible for their murders. X used a third party to inform Mulder, knowing he had orders to kill the men, but Mulder wasn't able to piece things together in time. Mulder calls him a coward but X tells Mulder that Mulder needs him. Later, X meets in a car with the Cigarette Smoking Man.[1]
This episode was written by the show's visual effects supervisor, Mat Beck. Beck drew inspiration from debates about television violence and his desire to explore the effect that television has on people. The initial concept was more complex, requiring Beck to study neurology texts, but became more simplified as the episode developed. Actor Steven Williams had scheduling conflicts due to his work on the series L.A. Heat, resulting in the creation of the Plain Clothed Man, who appeared as a messenger for X. Paul Rabwin provided narration for a television show heard in the background during the episode. Dana Scully's motel room was constructed within a studio soundstage, as well as The Lone Gunmen's office. The episode had late sound problems causing post-production to drag into the night/early morning prior to its broadcast.[2]
Williams called his scene with the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis) at the end of the episode one of his favorite scenes with the show.[3] Rob Bowman said of the episode, "I dug the script. I felt it was a good old-fashioned show, and people who didn't like "Jose Chung's From Outer Space" would like "Wetwired" because all the bad boys are back. A good clean steak-and-potatoes type of episode."[4]
This episode earned a Nielsen rating of 9.7, with an 17 share. It was viewed by 14.48 million people.[5]