The X-Files - 5.

German title: Der große Mutato
translation: The Great Mutato

Italian title: Prometeo post-moderno

Japanese title: Prometheus

Spanish title: El Mutante
translation: The Mutato

US Airdate: November 30, 1997

writer: Chris Carter

director: Chris Carter

STARRING:

David Duchovny as Special Agent Fox Mulder

Gillian Anderson as Special Agent Dana Scully

Guest Cast:

John O'Hurley as Dr. Francis Pollidori

Patti Tierce as Shaineh Berkowitz

Stewart Gale as Izzy Berkowitz

Chris Giacoletti as Booger

Chris Owens as Mutato

Dana Grahame as Reporter

Jean-Yves Hammel as Izzy's Friend

Tracey Bell as Cher Impersonator

Lloyd Berry as Old Man Pollidori

Miriam Smith as Elizabeth Pollidori

Xantha Radley as Waitress

C. Ernst Harth as Huge Man

Jerry Springer as Himself

Vitaliy Kravchenko as J.J.

TOWNSPEOPLE IN RURAL INDIANA BELIEVE A FRANKENSTEIN-LIKE CREATURE ROAMS

THE COUNTRYSIDE.

In a rural Indiana neighborhood, Shaineh Berkowitz watches a daytime talk show on television. So entranced is she by the interview, that she fails to notice someone covering the home with termite tenting. A dark figure enters the kitchen and drops a white cake into a skillet, triggering a chemical reaction that produces a gaseous white cloud. Sensing a presence in the house, Shaineh investigates. Suddenly, a horribly disfigured, Frankenstein-like face emerges from the misty darkness. Shaineh gasps in horror.

Later, as the agents drive through the Indiana farmland, Scully reads aloud a letter addressed to Mulder. In it, Shaineh describes how, eighteen-years earlier, a presence entered her smoke-filled bedroom as, strangely, the voice of singer Cher filled the air. Three days later she woke up pregnant with her son, Izzy. Shaineh explains that she saw Mulder on the Jerry Springer show, and hopes he will investigate her case. The agents do, indeed, drive to Shaineh's home. There they discover a comic book bearing the exact likeness of the creature Shaineh claims attacked her. Shaineh explains the monster is called The Great Mutato, a creation of Izzy's fertile imagination. Izzy claims he, and many others in the community, have seen the creature--who apparently has a penchant for peanut butter sandwiches. Izzy and his friends lead the detectives to a wooded area, and using sandwiches for bait, lure the creature from its hiding place. The group gives chase, but the creature disappears into the darkness. Mulder then encounters an Old Man, who claims the real monster is his own son, renowned scientist Dr. Francis Pollidori. The agents visit Pollidori, who describes his experiments in genetic manipulation. He displays a photo of a fruit fly head... with legs growing out of its mouth. Later, Pollidori bids good-bye his wife, Elizabeth, as he embarks on a trip out of town. Moments later, termite tenting falls past Elizabeth's window.

When the agents stop by a country diner in downtown Bloomington, they are feted with heaping plates of food. It turns out that the entire town believes Jerry Springer will do a story on the creature... the result of a newspaper article in which Mulder is quoted as verifying the monster's

existence. The agents realize Izzy secretly tape recorded their conversations.

As the agents drive along a country road, Mulder spots Pollidori's tented house. The pair race inside, where they discover Elizabeth's unconscious body. Shortly thereafter, the agents also lose

consciousness. The Old Man, Professor Pollidori's father, steps from the smoke, a gas mask covering his face. When the agents regain consciousness, Elizabeth describes her attacker as a hideously deformed man with two mouths.

The Old Man brings the Creature a peanut butter sandwich as it watches the movie Mask, starring Cher, on television. Pollidori confronts his father, and in a rage, strangles him.

A mob of townspeople forms around the local post office as a mail clerk proclaims he's found the monster. He pulls someone wearing a rubber Mutato mask from the back room, then yanks off the mask, exposing Izzy. The postal worker then displays a box he intercepted, which is filled with identical masks.

Records indicate that the residue from the white cakes is a substance used to anesthetize herds of animals. Its use is monitored by the FDA, leading the agents back to the Old Man's farm. When the agents arrive at the scene, a diligent newspaper girl, who had been recording notes about the case, describes how she witnessed the creature burying the Old Man. Shortly thereafter, an angry mob makes its way towards the farm. The agents realize Pollidori killed his father. They befriend the frightened Mutato and attempt to escape, but they are spotted by the mob and retreat into a cellar. Pollidori and the townspeople burst into the basement. There, Pollidori claims the Creature was brought to life by his father. The Creature claims he never harmed another soul. He explains how, 25 years earlier, the Old Man realized his son was conducting secret experiments--of which he (Mutato) was an unfortunate product. The Old Man grew to love the Creature, and then set out to create it a mate. As the Creature continues his tale, the agents, putting together two and two, look around the cellar at the townspeople... one of whom resembles a horse, another a Billy goat and so on. The mob concludes Mutato is not a monster after all. A police cruiser transport Pollidori from the scene. The agents take the Creature into custody, but instead of transporting him to jail, they head for a Memphis nightclub, where Cher sings to Mutato, her biggest fan.

Notes

If somebody tries to take my place

Let's pretend we just can't see his face

In this world there's nothing I would rather do

'Cause I'm happy just to dance with you

from The Beatles', "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You"

Who cares about pigs and chickens and mad scientists with deformed sons? They danced! No, not the pigs and chickens, Mulder and Scully! And you'd think the previous 58 minutes hadn't happened from the newsgroups and mailing lists. It _was_ a lovely moment, watching them dance to Marc Cohn's "Walking in Memphis" as sung by a Cher impersonator (probably male) attending a concert with a freak of Nature and Man ... yeah, really warmed the cockles of my heart ;-) That's romance for ya, X-files style.

Do I get some bonus points for the song quote? "Let's pretend we just can't see his face" ... the Mutato? Huh? Not bad for an old gal, eh? ;-)

The title is a play on the full title of Mary Shelley's classic novel, "Frankenstein: Or The Modern Prometheus". And the name "Prometheus" comes from greek mythology, he was a demigod who made man from clay. Both fit the role of the evil scientist here.

If you know anything about the origins of the novel "Frankenstein", you may know it was written during a party attended by Polidori, Byron's doctor. That night everyone had to write a horror story as part of a contest. Polidori ended up writing "The Vampyre", a novella, very popular before Bram Stoker's "Dracula" came out a few years later. Well, stick with me now .. a movie of that immortal party, "Haunted Summer", costarred Eric Stoltz as Percy Shelley (and Laura Dern as Clare

Claremont, Mary Shelley's stepsister) .... Eric Stoltz is seen in this episode in scenes from the movie "Mask" .... Cher played his mother in "Mask". Whew! Is that like the X-File version of the Kevin Bacon game, or what?

For the record, the other songs that Cher sings in this ep are "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" (originally a hit for The Righteous Brothers, I believe) and her own smash hit, "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves". One not used which I figured would have been a perfect choice, Cher's own "Half Breed"!

Fans of "Seinfeld" will recognize John O'Hurley (Dr. Pollidori) from his role as J. Peterman (sure sounded like he called his mutant fruit fly the BOSCO-pedia to me, cute Seinfeld injoke). Chris Owens (The Great Mutato) may be familiar to XF fans as the young Cancer Man in Musings of

a Cigarette Smoking Man and Demons. And if you don't recognize the name Jerry Springer, then you need to get out more :-) I added him to the official cast, so I'm pretty sure it wasn't an impersonator!

The first episode filmed entirely in black and white, giving it the proper spooky old movie look, might I add.

This makes the third episode written and directed by Chris Carter, the other two were Duane Barry and The List.

This page is not complete yet, but will be soon, thanks for your patience. Some links you may be interested in:

<http://www.xs4all.nl/~danhf/burton/title.html> Dan's Definitive Tim Burton Page

Due to the Burton homages in this ep, namely the music and you can see Jack Skellington's face in the opening scene (right after we see the picture of Izzie and his pig).

<http://www.inch.com/%7Eharbur/cher/index.html> The Official Cher Homepage

Usually crammed with great Cher info, seems to be undergoing renovation right now.

Quotes

____________________

Scully is reading a letter aloud as Mulder drives

Scully: "Dear Special Agent Mulder, I'm writing to you for help. Several years ago, I had an

experience I could not explain. I was lying in my bed when I felt a presence in the room.

Though I was awake, I felt that something had taken control over my body. I don't

remember much else, but I woke up three days later _pregnant_ with my son, Izzie. (she

looks up at him, he looks back at her, her tone tells him she's not amused) That was 18

years ago, but now it happened again. I was in bed and could swear I heard Cher singing.

The one who was married to Sonny. (she looks at him again) (TD note: may he rest in

peace) Then the room got all smokey and I saw some kind of monster. he had a really

gross face with lumps all over his head. I was too scared to scream, then I got all groggy

and conked out for three days. Guess what happened when I woke up? I got your name off

the TV, some lady on The Jerry Springer Show who had a werewolf baby said you came to

her _house_. (she looks up again, exasperated) Well, I got her story beat by a mile, so

maybe you'll want to come and see me too. Sincerely, Shaineh Berkowitz." (she puts down

the letter and looks at Mulder)

Mulder (in all seriousness): "Scully, do you think it's too soon to get my own 1-900 number?"

____________________________________________________________

Shaineh Berkowitz: "You can't plant a seed in a barren field."

____________________________________________________________

Shaineh Berkowitz: "That pigsty there's his room."

____________________________________________________________

Shaineh Berkowitz: "You know what this thing is, don'tcha Agent Mulder?"

Mulder: "Why do you say that?"

Shaineh Berkowitz: "'Cause. You're all quiet and stuff. And you know something you're not saying,

about alien abductions. They said on Jerry Springer you're like an expert."

Mulder (snort laugh): "I ... ahhh ... I don't think this has anything to do with alien abductions.

I don't even know if I believe in that stuff anymore."

Shaineh Berkowitz (laughs): "Oh, come on! (smacks his arm in that joshing way) Really?"

____________________________________________________________

Izzie's set the trap for The Great Mutato ... a peanut butter sandwich

Scully: "Peanut butter sandwiches?"

Mulder: "Do you think bologna would be more effective?"

Scully: "Why are you humouring them, Mulder?"

Mulder: "I'm not humouring them, Scully, this is a very serious crime."

Scully: "(she smiles) "So is perjury. So is calling out FBI agents under false pretences."

Mulder: "For the purpose of what?"

Scully: "Isn't it obvious? (he shakes his head "no") I think what we're seeing here is an example of

a culture for whom daytime talk shows and tabloid headlines have become a reality against

which they measure their lives. A culture so obssessed by the media and a chance for self-

dramatization that they'll do anything in order to gain a spotlight."

Mulder: "Yeah, but what harm would it do to reduce these people to a cultural stereotype?

Not everybody's dream is to get on 'Jerry Springer'. "

____________________________________________________________

Scully: "Common sense alone will tell you that these legends, these unverified rumours, are

ridiculous."

Mulder: "But none the less, unverifiable. And, therefore, true in the sense that they're believed to

be true."

Scully: "Is there anything that you don't believe in, Mulder?"

____________________________________________________________

Mulder is looking at a blown-up image of Pollidori's mutant fly

Mulder: "This fly has legs ..."

Scully: "Growing out of its mouth."

Mulder: "Why would you do that?"

Pollidori: "Because I can." (lightning from the storm flashes, illuminating him, great horror movie

scene all-round!)

Mulder: "Could that be done in humans?"

Pollidori (lightning flashes again): "That would go against every scientific convention."

Mulder: "But could it be done?" (lightning flashes behind him)

Pollidori (as the lightning illuminates him): "Theoretically."

____________________________________________________________

as he watches Pollodori leave the building

Mulder: "Goodnight Dr. Frankenstein."

____________________________________________________________

Mulder: "But, given the power, who could resist the temptation to create life in his own image?"

Scully: "We already have that ability, Mulder. It's called procreation."

____________________________________________________________

Scully and Mulder come to on Dr. Pollidori's living room floor after being gassed, the doc and a police officer are looming over them as they lay on the floor

Dr. Pollidori: "What are you doing in my house?"

Elizabeth Pollidori (seated, shivering, covered with a blanket): "He had this awful face, with these

hideous tumours and ... (we see Mulder and Scully now seated at the kitchen table,

both look very groggy. The headline on the newspaper Scully is holding says, "FBI

AGENTS WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN") ... well, not one mouth, but two!"

Dr. Pollidori: "Oh my God!"

Mulder: "Dr. Pollidori. Is there something you'd like to tell us?"

Dr. Pollidori: "Are you accusing me of knowing something that I'm not telling you?"

Mulder: "I'm accusing ... that your wife may have been impregnated." (Mrs. Pollidori stops crying

and pops up her head, grinning madly and the Chicken Lady Reporter is taking notes)

Dr. Pollidori: "Impregnated? By whom?"

Mulder: "Oh, I think you know ... (he stands up too quickly, still groggy, his chair knocks into some

dishes behind him, he stumbles to catch his footing, puts out his hand to steady himself

and his hand lands on a frying pan, which he picks up and begins studying intently)

Scully (stands up to face Pollidori, not wavering on her feet at all, what a gal!):

"Sir, with all due respect, I think that this is all part of a hoax."

Dr. Pollidori: "A hoax."

Scully: "A shameless publicity stunt."

Mulder (from behind her, the pan still in his hands): "Scully..." (she turns)

Dr. Pollidori: "What? What is that?"

Mulder (motioning to Scully with the pan): "The other victims, they had their frying pans ... violated.

(she takes the pan from him, angrily) Do you know what that is?" (he steps backwards,

setting off the lid-release step on the garbage can, the lid opens and he looks inside,

quizzically)

Dr. Pollidori (Scully hands him the pan and he studies it): "No. No, I don't."

Mulder (reaches into garbage, pulls out jumbo-sized peanut butter jar, empty, he holds it up):

"I think we found our smoking gun." (Scully close her eyes, hoping it's all a bad dream!)

____________________________________________________________

Dr. Pollidori goes to see his father, The Old Man, who is looking at pictures of the Mutato as a child

Dr. Pollidori: "Tell me it isn't true ... you didn't ... you wouldn't! ... Why?!"

The Old Man: "Because I can." (the doc proceeds to kill him)

____________________________________________________________

after the waitress "accidently" spills coffee in Mulder's lap

Mulder: "That's not a place you wanna burn a guy."

____________________________________________________________

being shown pictures of the Mutato riding a horse and playing baseball

Mulder: "It's alive." (famous Frankenstein line)

____________________________________________________________

the whole town's in the barn, chasing Mutato

The Great Mutato: "Alas, my father was a simple man, his heart close to the soil he worked, the

animals he tended. (Scully and Mulder look at each other, then at a horse,

making noise in its stall, the camera pans over to Booger, as he turns his head

to look, his silhoutte with his long hair making him look horsey) The experiments

he attempted too advanced, the science too complex for his understanding. The

results of his experiments unsatisfactory." (a chicken clucks loudly, we see the

chicken, then the newspaper reporter, a goat makes noise and we now see

Izzie's other friend, a man with a goatee)

Shaineh Berkowitz: "I still ... You mean Izzie? ... But, who's the father?" (a pig oinks loudly, her

eyes widen)

The Great Mutato: "Suffice to say his experiments failed."

____________________________________________________________

The Great Mutato's in their car, Mulder's in the house looking at the family album

Scully: "We should go, Mulder. The prisoner's in the car."

Mulder: "This is all wrong, Scully. This is not how the story's supposed to end."

Scully: "What do you mean?"

Mulder: "Dr. Frankenstein pays for his evil ambitions, yes, but the monster's supposed to escape,

to go search for his bride."

Scully: "There's not gonna be any bride, Mulder. Not in this story."