The Pine Bluff Variant
Nitcentral's Bulletin Brash Reflections:
XFiles:
Season Five:
The Pine Bluff Variant
Synopsis: Mulder and Scully are involved in a joint CIA/FBI operation to apprehend Jacob Steven Haley, the head of a militia group called the New Spartans. Under surveillance, Haley hands an envelope to an unknown man. The man collapses and dies, victim of a nasty flesh-eating biotoxin. To Scully's surprise, Mulder appears to have allowed Haley get away. At first, she suspects Mulder of collaborating with Haley. Her suspicions appear to be substantiated. However, she learns that Mulder is part of a deep cover operation to infiltrate the New Spartans. As the agents confer, August Bremmer, a member of the New Spartans, surveys the pair.
At a movie theater in Gables Corner, OH, 14 people are killed by the same biotoxin that killed the man in the park. Scully discovers that the biotoxin is activated by touch and was developed by the government. Soon after, the New Spartans (including Mulder) rob a bank. To Mulder's surprise, they burn the money they steal. Apparently, the bank robbery's purpose appears to be to infect the money left behind with the biotoxin.
Haley is given a set of car keys and told to drive away. Bremmer, who is working with the CIA, lets Mulder go. Mulder returns to the bank and confronts the CIA guy. The money in the bank was not contaminated. The deaths in Ohio were only a test for a dangerous bioweapon. As for Haley, he falls victim to the biotoxin sprayed on the key holder.
(written by Jo-Hanna Goettsche)
By Miko Iko on Friday, March 28, 2003 - 11:53 am:At the Ohio movie theater Scully theorizes that the bio-toxin is delivered by something that everybody touched. At that very moment she sees a ticket stub on the floor and has an "Aha!" moment---just before SHE PICKS UP THE TICKET!!??
Also, Bremmer puts his gloves on after he gets into the theater and after he has received his change (of obstensibly contaminated bills).
Interestingly, I pulled this one off of the shelf randomly last night to sort of escape for a while and it's about terrorists and biological weapons. Oh well....
By Non-Smoking Man on Thursday, December 15, 2005 - 2:58 am: Scully is wearing gloves when she picks up the ticket.
Bremmer puts on his gloves just before he gets out the spray can with which he contaminates the money.
None of which explains how come the projectionist got infected. Was he sneaking out mid-reel to rob the till, or something?