3

Atmospheric is the best adjective I can think of to describe this episode. in other words, it contains lots of poorly lit shots (more than usual), little cohesive dialogue, and some random, non-applicable establishing shots. I could barely sit through it.

The great thing about "The X Files" was its splendid blend of sci-fi, horror, and drama. In 3, all three genres are intertwined perfectly, creating one of the most unique and fascinating hours of television of the 1990s. The story concerns Mulder's investigation of a trio of hungry vampires in L.A., a concept that may not seem original at first, but eventually comes into its own shortly after the cold opening. If there is a flaw in the episode, it is the opening that simply seems like it was shot within an hour period. It doesn't match the stylish direction of the rest of the episode. David Nutter always did a bang-up job on the episodes he directed, bringing a distinctive mood and artfulness to the proceeding yet the opening here is weak. The rest of 3 is exceptionally well done with the usual solid directing by Nutter, very strong performances by David Duchovny and guest star Perry Reeves (probably best known as Will Ferrell's wife in Old School), slick visuals, and a surprise ending. The closing scene is especially moving. Even for non-'Files' fans, 3 is a must-see. 9/10

Season 5's "Bad Blood" was an outright comedy with basically no dramatic or really 'serious' elements. Season two's "3" creates an odd and different mythology for vampires, and it's a shame that the episode as a whole isn't as strong as the concept.

"3" is one of the most despised "X-Files" episodes, and I don't think it would be presumptuous of me to suggest that the hatred might have something to do with what fans (particularly shippers) perceive as Mulder betraying Scully. His relationship with Kristen here is something I myself have dismissed as 'playa Mulda' in the past, but I think I was being unfair. Blame peer pressure. It's entirely believable that this mopey, depressed, and frustrated version of Mulder would be drawn to this mysterious and seductive woman, it's not like he 'had' a $20 whore. The motivations for his character are sensible, and there's depth in the concept of the episode here.

Alas, the execution is not as strong as it could have been. While "3" proves not nearly as bad as I once thought it was, the script by Glen Morgan, James Wong, and Chris Ruppenthal (of "Quantum Leap" and "The Outer Limits" fame) is, well, a mess. Where this could have been a character-driven masterpiece, it ends up a confusing, largely pointless mess, in spite of us seeing Mulder like we never saw him before (and never really did we see him like this again), and the interesting mythology developed for vampires here.

"3" has a good premise, and gets too much criticism for not including Scully, for having Mulder 'sleep around', when the real problems with the episode lie simply in the script not being very good, and evidently quite rushed as well.

5/10

Admittedly this is one of my least favorite episodes and in large part it is because, as many have pointed out, that we see Mulder "sleeping around" while Scully is in peril. I would however point out that there appears to be more than a little death wish tied up in Mulder's pursuit of a suspect whose vampire lover and his thrill kill cult exsanguinate anyone she has sex with. Early on Mulder admits to local police to not sleeping at all anymore which may be more than a small indication that his actions don't exactly fall in the "swinging" category. A better reason to give this episode a lower rating is that Perrey Reeves who plays the central character of Kristin Kilar was not a good enough actress to pull off the part. She somehow manages to make joining a vampire cult sound really boring. And since her belief is the lynch pin around which the whole plot operates, nothing else in the episode works.

"3" is the first episode following Scully's abduction, and is one of few X-Files without any appearance from Gillian Anderson. The third Morgan/Wong script for this season, "3" finds an adrift Mulder obsessed with tracking down a trio of bloodthirsty killers in California. This episode is notable for starring the stunning Perrey Reeves, who portrays enigmatic Kristen Kilar and dated David Duchovny around this time. There is a very strong, believable sexual energy between them that is the highlight of a somewhat uneven script.

The episode starts with a well-directed teaser of a young woman seducing a much older man and proceeding to murder him with the help of two others in his jacuzzi. The premise is that this Unholy Trinity had pursued Kristen across the country to turn her into one of them, a vampire. Mulder captures one of the Trinity members who is subsequently killed in his sunlit cell, only to return to life in the episode's final third. He then encounters Kristen in a nightclub, in the episode's strangest scene, and believes she too is a bloodsucker until he spots a gore-filled bread loaf in her oven (apparently this has defensive properties in vampire lore).

There are some interesting ideas and new spins on vampiric mythology that are unfortunately presented in such a way that the audience becomes as lost as Mulder seems to be. Kristen, though an interesting character, is too ambiguous for much of her storyline to make any sense on first view. It is implied that consuming the blood of a believer and sacrificing a human life can convert one into a vampire, yet this is a detail touched upon far too late for the denouement to seem anything but convenient.

"3" gets a pretty bad wrap from hardcore fans for the lack of Scully and Mulder's eccentric behavior but is enjoyable when not viewed from an analytical lens. Though the script is a tad pedestrian from the writers who brought us masterpieces like "Beyond the Sea," there is still some good character study which is the trademark of any Morgan/Wong affair, with Duchovny's chemistry with Reeves and ability to play Mulder in a different yet believable way being the high spots.