The X-Files - 5.

German title: Die Wurzeln des Bösen
translation: (double meaning):
The Roots Of Evil
The Origin Of Evil

Japanese title: Bunretsu
translation: Paranoid

Spanish title: Agonía Esquizofrenica

US Airdate: January 11, 1998

writers: Jessica Scott and Mike Wollaeger

director: Ralph Hemecker

STARRING:

David Duchovny as Special Agent Fox Mulder

Gillian Anderson as Special Agent Dana Scully

Guest Cast:

CHAD LINDBERG as Bobby Rich

BOB DAWSON as Phil Rich

CYNDE HARMON as Patti Rich

GEORGE JOSEF as John Ramirez

KATHARINE ISABELLE as Lisa Baiocchi

MYLES FERGUSON as Joey Agostino

GARDINER MILLAR as Mr. Baiocchi

SARAH-JANE REDMOND as Karin Matthews

KATE ROBBINS and Lisa's Aunt

GARDINAR MILLAR as Mr. Baiocchi

CHRISTIN ANTON as Teacher

LAURIE MURDOCH as Coroner

Plotline

A TEENAGE BOY UNDERGOING PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING BECOMES THE PRIME

SUSPECT IN HIS STEPFATHER'S MURDER.

In Coats Grove, Michigan, Bobby Rich, a sixteen--year--old boy, is berated by his stepfather, Phil, for not finishing his lawn work outside the house. Bobby picks up a shovel and instructs his stepfather to keep his distance. As the dispute escalates, Bobby drops the shovel and runs into a nearby orchard. Phil gives chase. Suddenly, Phil's feet are knocked out from underneath him. A short time later, Phil's wife, Patti, makes her way through the darkened orchard. She discovers Phil's body buried in mud up to his shoulders, with mud seeping from his nose and mouth. Kneeling beside Phil is Bobby, his eyes wide with terror.

Scully performs an autopsy on Phil's corpse. She discovers over twelve pounds of mud in his stomach. Her conclusion: Phil's head was forcibly held in the mud, mostly likely by his son, Bobby. She hypothesizes that Bobby may have dug the pit that trapped Phil, and, noting a rope--like bruise on Phil's ankle, speculates that Bobby may have had help from an accomplice. Mulder interviews Bobby, who claims his father enjoyed physically abusing him. Later, Patti tells Scully that, from her point of view, it appeared as if Bobby was attempting to help Phil out of the muddy orchard pit, not cause him harm. She also reveals that her son has been undergoing therapy for his anger since 1995. Later, the agents meet with Bobby's therapist, Karin Matthews. She describes Bobby as the victim of physical abuse. But Mulder expresses his belief that Bobby may not be to blame for his stepfather's death.

Bobby tells a pretty fellow student, Lisa Baiocchi, that she must stand up to her father just as he had done with Phil. When Lisa returns home, her angry father demands that she stop seeing Bobby. An angry Lisa storms off to her room. Shortly thereafter, a window explodes, and a shadowy, arm--like appendage grabs Mr. Baiocchi by the throat. His lifeless body is discovered lying on the ground outside the house. Though Scully concludes that Mr. Baiocchi died as the result of being pushed out the window, Mulder discovers evidence suggesting he was pulled out the second story window. Later, the agents learn that Lisa is also one of Karin Matthews' patients. Karin tells Mulder her approach with victims of abuse is to encourage them to empower themselves to confront and stand up against their abuser.

With the aid of a town coroner, Mulder a small splinter of fresh wood embedded in Mr. Baiocchi's neck. Mulder matches the fragment to the living tree outside the Baiocchi home. A short time later, the agents are approached by a man named Ramirez, who holds an axe at his side. He tells the agents that the trees are all dying because of a "bad man." Karin invites Lisa to stay at her home until her aunt can pick her up the following day. As Lisa listens from her bedroom, she overhears an argument between Karin and a male voice. A curious Lisa makes her way to the root cellar, where she discovers the body of a man. Terrified, Lisa turns towards the door, only to hear it slam shut. A dead bolt turns, locking her within. She hears the unidentified man's voice refer to her as "a snoop." Later, Karin tells the trapped Lisa she must remain quiet, or the unidentified man will hear her voice.

Mulder discovers that Karin's father was pulled from the mud of an orchard twenty years earlier. He finds it strange that Karin failed to mention the coincidence. Ramirez tells Mulder that Karin Matthew's father's death brought about an end of a blight affecting the trees. Karin attributes the tale to her father's stature, believing powerful men inspire fantasy. Later, Mulder digs up Mr. Matthews' casket... and finds it empty, save for roots. When Lisa's aunt, Linda, arrives at Karin's house, Karin informs her that Lisa left for a bus station. Before Linda drives off, Lisa smashes the glass of a window in the basement. Linda rushes to her niece's aid, but she is attacked and killed by an unseen force as tree branches sway in the wind above her. Later, Bobby tells Mulder that, as part of therapy, Karin made him pretend he was Phil... and that, all along, he was never a really a victim.

Lisa hears the cellar door bolt slide. She stands up... only to realize the unidentified male voice has been coming from Karin all along. Scully and Mulder search Karin's house, where they come upon the corpse Lisa discovered earlier in the root cellar. Mulder concludes the body is that of Karin's father. Karin locks the agents in the root cellar, but Mulder forces it open. They find Lisa frightened but unharmed in a corner of the kitchen. Mulder attempts to pursue an escaping Karin, but his car crashes into an enormous tree. Karin drives to the Rich residence, where she chases Bobby into the orchard. Suddenly, Bobby is dragged downward into the mud. While attempting to rescue the teenager, Mulder simultaneously encourages Karin to break the cycle... to fight the voice inside her head. But Karin is unable. A tendon--like root snakes out of the mud and drags Mulder downward. Ramirez appears, axe in hand, and strikes Karin, killing her. Mulder and Bobby are released by the unseen force.

Notes

Thanks to Deep Throat <Deep--Throat@juno.com>, here's what we have for the title. "Schizein" is apparently German, meaning to cleave or cut, and the suffix "-genic" means suitable for. Put 'em together, ya got suitable for cutting.

This page is not finished, I'll get to it shortly, it slipped away from me, sorry.

Quotes

Scully is weighing a ton of mud on a scale

Scully: "12 pounds, 9 ounces."

Mulder: "All that came out of his stomach?"

Scully: "Most of it. The small amount in his lungs is what killed him."

Mulder: "Is it possible that he took the term "mud pie" literally?"

Scully: "Well, I’m sure if Mr. Rich were alive he would find some humor in that. According to his police

report, Mr. Rich was a man who could tell a joke. He grew up here. Worked the same fields for

20 years. Well liked around town. Funny he should turn up murdered."

Mulder: "Is that what you’ve concluded?"

Scully: "What I have concluded is that this man’s head was held forcibly down in the Michigan mud

just a little too long. Most likely by his stepson who was named in the report as Bobby Rich.

Age 16."

Mulder: "Well, according to the same report the coroner had to hire a backhoe to remove the body,

which was buried completely in a standing vertical position."

Scully: "There is some indication that his stepson may have dug the hole and that a recent rainstorm

may have helped turn it into a muddy trap."

Mulder: "That was some rainstorm."

Scully: "They say it rained 400 inches a day."

Mulder: "Now that sounds like an exaggeration, don’t you think?"

Scully: "Would you like me to show you how he may have done it?"

Mulder: "How a 6’4" 250-pound man was buried alive in less than five minutes by a 16-year-old kid

whose classmates lovingly refer to as 'Dork-weed'?"

Scully: (showing Mulder a bruise on Phil's ankle) "He may have had an accomplice."

____________________________________________________________

In Bobby Rich's room, Mulder reads one of his posters

Mulder: " 'Ich bin ein auslander.' 'I am an outsider.' You know, when Kennedy told the Germans 'Ich

bin ein Berliner' he was actually saying 'I am a cocktail sausage.' "

Bobby: "Who’s Kennedy?"

____________________________________________________________

Scully: "His mother says that Bobby can’t make friends. He’s been in therapy for his anger since

1995."

Mulder: "That could be me."

____________________________________________________________

Our agents go to see Bobby's therapist, Karin Matthews

Karin: "I’m not free to speak with perfect frankness, of course."

Scully: "If you know that Bobby committed a crime, you’re under legal obligation to tell us."

Karin: "Bobby once spilled a glass of milk at dinner. For the next two weeks, he was forced to eat in

the cellar. No table, no chair, no light. Sometimes he was left down there until the following

morning. You see, there are all sorts of crimes. Not just the ones you might find reason to

investigate."

Mulder: "So you’re saying Bobby would have good reason to kill his father."

Karin: "I’m saying there are some crimes where there are only victims."

Mulder: "You’re free not to answer, Miss Matthews - or you’re free to make these vague allusions - but

your evasiveness is only going to land this kid in jail for a long, long time."

Karin: "I’m not sure I understand."

Mulder: "You make it sound like a justification. Like Bobby did it. And I don’t think he did."

____________________________________________________________

Outside Lisa Baiocchi's house after her father supposedly fell to his death from a window

Scully: "What are you looking for?"

Mulder: "That splinter you’re holding came from Mr. Baiocchi’s neck but it didn’t come from the broken

window."

Scully: "Where did it come from?"

Mulder: "It’s greenwood, fresh from a living tree."

Scully: "What?"

Mulder: "Excuse me. It’s been a few years."

(Mulder uses a rope to climb a tree near the window)

Scully: "What? You think that Bobby climbed this tree to pull Lisa’s father out of that window?"

Mulder: "Kind of begs the question, doesn’t it? Hey, Scully, is this demonstration of boyish agility

turning you on at all?"

____________________________________________________________

In the darkness of night, Mulder digs up Karin's father's grave as Scully watches

Scully: "Mulder, whatever you’re hoping we find here - without a court order, it won’t be admissible."

Mulder: "I’m not expecting it to be."

Mulder opens the coffin. No body just a lot of tree roots, oooooo!

Scully: "Mulder - Where’s the body?"

____________________________________________________________

Mulder: "I don’t think this was an act of grave robbing, Scully."

Scully: "No. That’s what we were doing."

Mulder: "More like an act of nature."

Scully: "What do you mean?"

Mulder: "The orchard man said that the blight that plagues this town was caused by a man - implying

a connection."

Scully: "I’m a little afraid to ask what kind of connection."

Mulder: "Between the people of this valley and their livelihood : the trees. Look at the victims, Scully."

Scully: "Bobby’s father, Lisa’s father ..."

Mulder: "And Karin’s father, 20 years ago: all men who worked in these orchards -- their lives and

deaths tied to these trees. We removed a sliver of greenwood from Lisa’s father’s neck. And

the bruise that you found on Bobby’s father’s ankle could have been caused by a root -- The

same root system that pulled Karin’s father from his grave."

Scully: "Mulder, there is a connection between these deaths - one that provides a clear motive and

intent: These were abused children ..."

Mulder: "Who couldn’t defend themselves."

Scully: "What? So nature did it for them?"

Mulder: "Something did it for them - or someone controlling nature. Karin said she was counseling

Bobby and Lisa to empower them. I think we should talk to them."

Scully: "I called Lisa at her aunt’s house 20 minutes ago and there was no answer."

Mulder: "Then we should talk to Bobby."

Scully: "Mulder, we’ve already questioned him twice."

Mulder: "Maybe we haven’t asked him the right question."

____________________________________________________________

After finding Karin's father's body in the cellar covered in tree roots

Mulder: "Talk about putting down roots."

____________________________________________________________

Two completely different versions of Mulder's closing monologue. First the one that was broadcast:

Mulder: "Coats Grove authorities conducted a detailed examination of the soil and root composition in the Rich family orchard, but could not explain what pulled Karin Matthews’ body into the Michigan mud. Nor could the authorities determine how the body of Karin’s father was pulled from its grave into her root cellar three years earlier. While the forensic data is inconclusive, I believe the explanation lies in hospital records dating back to Karin’s childhood, which suggests that she, herself was a victim of abuse. Rage, unconfronted, takes its own path. I believe it was Karin’s unconfronted rage that forced her to face her buried father. This same rage made her imagine victims in the children around her, trying to instill in them a strength she never found in herself. What happened to Karin Matthews in the orchard that night was a release. Release for a victim, who, unable to face up to her own past was finally consumed by it."

And the version seen on-screen for the people that have closed captioning (I personally prefer this version):