X-Files Episode Guide: Hungry

Written by Vince Gilligan

Directed by Kim Manners

Ever since Pusher - maybe even in Soft Light, depending on how you view it - Vince Gilligan has always had a gift for seeing the humanity in even the most bloodthirsty of his monsters, often to the point that an argument could be made they're not even villains. This episode takes his concept and puts to the natural conclusion, show Mulder and Scully completely as antagonists, and the monster as the protagonist.

Rob Roberts comes across as relatively sympathetic, even after we see him commit his first murder in the teaser. He comes across as an average person with a problem that he genuinely wants to suppress. Because we don't see him remove his human appendages until the episode is half-over, the idea that he is basically normal being overwhelmed by society's standards seems almost bearable, and there is a lot of sympathy for him. It helps matters that Mulder comes across rather predator like himself - on the occasion we see him, he seems like he is toying with his prey. (Kinda makes you wonder how he comes across to the rest of his criminals). Duchovny gives a rare pointed performance, in which even his jests seem like he's trying to goad Rob.

There is also a certain amount of barbed commentary about how society's political correctness has now arranged things so that we don't view even the most brain-sucking mutant as just someone who needs help. Rob seems willing to try and suppress his desires with diet pills and self-help tapes, but the rest of the world seems more than willing to aid and abet by having its employees visit ridiculous empathetic shrinks who send their patients to 12 step self-help groups. Gilligan has a fair amount of fun with this as well, showing Rob attending an Overeaters Anonymous group, where he is the only slender participant, and have him manage to make the entire gathering salivating when he discusses in as subtle terms as possible, his fetish for eating brains. But it's clear that no matter how hard he tries, Rob can't suppress his cravings. There's more than a little fun here as well, as we see Rob's hallucination of brains frying on a grill, and seeing the brains in a man's bald head.

Chad Donella gives one of the more brilliant performances in the guest star pantheon. He has to walk a more measured line than just about anybody in the X-Files canon - we have to feels like he's a normal person who Mulder and Scully won't stop harassing, hut also inhuman enough that we can't ever forget what he is. It's one of the better jobs we see, and it doesn't hurt matters that most of his victims are pretty scummy - we don't really lose sympathy for him until he decides to go against what he's experienced and murder the friendly landlady. We see him try to handle his cravings, and continue to fail, until, against his will, he's become a serial killer. One could make the argument that this will be a layout for future series such as 'The Sopranos' or 'Dexter', but few would do as good as job as making us care for the character in such a brief period.

As good as Donella is, there are other good performances. Mark Pellegrino, a decade before he would begin playing angelic characters on sci-fi series such as Supernatural and Lost, plays such an ugly character on this series, that you're almost rooting for Rob to kill him. Also good is Judith Hoag as the therapist, who feels so much sympathy for Rob, it borders on the ridiculous - but near the climax when Rob finally reveals to her his true nature, her empathy seems genuine. Unfortunately, by the time Rob reveals who he is, he knows there's no way out - only thing left for him is for Mulder to kill him like the monster of the week he is. The final shot, coming after Rob's tragic last words, is one of the more amusing technical feats the series would do.

Hungry is one of the more brilliant pieces of work in the X-Files canon, even if it is, for Gilligan at least, just another day at the office. It gets Season 7 off to such a good start after a couple of good but overblown mythology episodes. Had the rest of the episodes of this year had this one's level of style and creativity, the series would be in excellent shape, especially for one that had been on the air this long. Unfortunately for us, and the writers, such would not be the case.

My score: 5 stars.