12 April 2007

Season 3: The List (3X05)

Writer: Chris Carter
Director: Chris Carter

When Napoleon 'Neech' Manley, a Florida Death Row inmate for over eleven years, finally goes to the electric chair, he vows to come back from the dead and reek revenge on five men who have wronged him. When a guard is found dead in his cell a few days later, Mulder and Scully are called in to investigate. They travel to the prison and speak with the Warden who believes that some of the inmates who were friendly with Neech are responsible for the murder. Mulder interviews one of the inmates Speranza, Neech's friend. Speranza is certain that the guard was killed by Neech's spirit, returned from beyond the grave.

Meanwhile Scully is approached by one of the prison guards Parmelly, who claims that another inmate, Roque knows the five names on Neech's list. After a second guard is murdered, they interview Roque who confirms he knows who is on Neech's list, but will only give them the names when he has been transferred to another prison. The Warden refuses to make any deals with the prisoners, later however he beats Roque up in an attempt to get the information out of him. Roque is later found dead and it is assumed he was on Neech's list, but Mulder is suspicious. Mulder and Scully tracks down the executioner who pulled the switch on the electric chair for Neech, they find him dead in his house.

And when the lawyer who represented Neech at his trial is also found dead, Mulder wonders if Neech has been good to his word and returned from the grave.

Notes:
This episode scored 16.72 million viewers.

A deleted scene from the beginning of this episode shows Neech Manly's journey to the electric chair, and Danny Charez appealing to the Governor for a last-minute stay of exectution.

This episode went over budget in building the prison set from scratch. The set was recycled in other episodes (Teso dos Bichos, Talita Cumi, ...) and rented to other productions in Vancouver. This way the set paid for itself and then some.

Chris Carter received a Directors Guild of America nomination for this episode.

Quotes:
Speranza: 'Cause everybody's afraid of what they say can't be true. Neech is back.
Mulder: Reincarnated.
Speranza: Well, he would have called it "transmigration of the soul."
Mulder: Into what form?
Speranza: You, me, this mattress - I don't know. He didn't specify, but he's back. I can feel it. The man was electric, you know what I'm saying? Pure energy.

Scully: Woman gets lonely, sometimes she can't wait around for a man to be reincarnated.

Mulder: Imagine if you could come back and take out five people who had caused you to suffer. Who would they be?
Scully: I only get five?
Mulder: I remembered your birthday this year, didn't I, Scully?

Episode Number: 54
Season Number: 3
First Aired: Friday October 20, 1995
Production Code: 3X05

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