Season 1, Episode 8—Ice
“Before anyone passes judgment—may I remind you, we are in the Arctic.” —Mulder before removing his clothes in front of his colleagues.
Mulder and Scully find themselves stranded in the middle of the Arctic with a prehistoric parasite in what is arguably one of the strongest episodes in the show’s entire run.
After receiving a disturbing transmission from an ice core project in the Icy Cape of Alaska, M&S head to the outpost along with several other scientists to find out what killed the researchers. Once on site the gang is attacked by a dog thought to have rabies, but upon inspection they discover the animal is a carrier for a parasitic worm that turns its host violent—and could have possible extra-terrestrial origins.
Much like John Carpenter’s The Thing, which this episode takes heavily from, “Ice” is a claustrophobic, tense story that thrives on its characters and situation. Once the parasite is introduced into play, none of the characters are trustworthy—even Mulder and Scully become unreliable narraters and helps establish an atmosphere or paranoia. The acting is particularly excellent, with Gillian Anderson a stand out in an episode where Scully flexes her muscles as well as her brain. Simply, one of the best.
Rating: 👽 👽 👽 👽 👽
Note: “Ice” was unofficially remade (or, ripped off) into a feature film, The Thaw, in 2009 and starring Val Kilmer and Aaron Ashmore as Arctic scientists fighting off prehistoric killer worms. Sound familiar?
