I wanted to like this episode, I really did. There were a lot of positive elements, such as--

*The good character analysis of Doggett, pointing out that he may feel insecure in comparisons to Mulder, and may harbor feelings for both Reyes AND Scully, but doesn't know how to deal with them.

*A nice guest role by the guy playing Professor Kobalt or whatever.

*Some nice, spooky moments.

*The way that Doggett and Reyes represent different facets of Mulder and Scully's characters from previous seasons.

But things went steadily downhill, culminating in the fact that it seemed that the director/writer didn't seem to take the whole Daemonicus thing very seriously, so we didn't. Professor Kobalt escaped? Who really cared? Apparently not Doggett, Reyes, or Scully. So we didn't. Since the episode also didn't pursue the character development card enough either, we didn't quite get that satisfied either.

Nice try.

And that ooze vomit ectoplasm stuff? ICK!

Yes, the vomit scene was uck. At least my family already had our meal.

Nit: the action mostly took place in West Virginia, but when an in state vehicle was shown, it had a front lisence plate. The state of West Virginia does not issue a front plate for the state for private and IIRC, its public (sheriff, state police) autos.

The mental institution had a black and white square tile floor. Is this typical? Or a salute to Terminator II (where the T-1000 played by Robert Patrick comes up from the floor with the square black and white pattern). It did hit me when it was shown with an over head shot of the two agents (Doggett, Reyes) and the doctor that they looked like pieces of a chess board.

Shouldn't the FBI Academy cadet have been admonished for his rather impertinent question to Scully?

I'm pretty sure the chessboard thing was intentional; as we find out later, they're all part of a game....

Interesting that the guy behind the game was called Kobold: in german, a kobold (also klabauter) is a small, mischiveious (sp?) spirit, related to a gnome, elf or leprechaun. The klabauter turn up on ships, the kobolds on land. they are usually invisible, but sometime they can be seen. They like to cause harm.

So, did kobold cause the others to commit the murders in specific ways by telling them instructions - this seems farfetched, because instructions would have to be too detailed for this complicated plan to work. Or did kobold possess each of these people as long as he needed them (because he was really a gnome)? or was kobold himself possessed?

mike, I agree that the lack of concern when the agents find out kobold escaped is disturbing. Oh, and the conclusion of dogget is a little bit forced, too. DA from Darren, E from Evelyne, MON from Monica, CUS from Custer - its not regular, its just juggling around the letters till they fit.

amazing how much personal stuff people in mental hospitals can find out about fbi personnel just using internet - why would you give an insane murderer access to the net, anyway? And why does the FBI not protect its own data better? Never heard of data protection? - Wait, I know: kobold went to the x-files fan sites to find out!

Scully runs in without waiting for backup and promptly gets captured. What happened to "always take a partner to watch your back"? Why couldn't she wait a few minutes more?