Director: Rob Bowman
Agent Mulder is approached by an unknown man tips him off about a series of homicidal outbursts in other wise stable people in Braddock Heights, Maryland. Mulder and Scully interview Joseph Patnick, who went berserk while watching TV and killed five people. His physician, Dr. Stroman tells them he is suffering from a delusional syndrome. Mulder and Scully visit Patnick's residence looking for evidence, they discover that Patnick was taping all of the news reports on TV, Scully begins watching the tapes looking for clues. Later that evening she sees Mulder talking to the Cigarette Smoking Man in a car.
Following reports that a housewife, Mrs. Riddock killed her next door neighbour in his garden with his dog believing it was her husband with another woman. Mulder and Scully visit the scene, Mulder witnesses a cable repairman acting mysteriously and recovers a video trap device which he takes to the Lone Gunman. They discover that the device is used to feed another signal in with the incoming TV signal and could be causing the violent behaviour in people. 
When Mulder returns to the hotel he finds Scully acting very paranoid and psychotic, she takes a shot at Mulder accusing him of working with the Cigarette Smoking Man all along. As Assistant Director Skinner orders an FBI man hunt for Scully. Mulder is forced to choose between his loyalty to Scully and the case he is working on. And much to his contact X's annoyance Mulder concentrates on finding Scully.
Notes:
Mat Beck, the writer of this episode, was also the Special Effects Supervisor for ''The X-Files''.
One name which pops up in several episodes is 'John Gillnitz' (in this case, the man killed in the hammock). The name is a combination of the 3 staff writers/producers: John Shiban, Vince Gilligan, and Frank Spotnitz.
Agent Mulder mentions he is colorblind, as a reason why the encrypted code did not have an affect on him. In reality to become a Special Agent at the FBI he would have had to pass a color vision test.
Quotes:
Mulder: All I know is television doesn't make a previously sane man go out and kill 5 people thinking they're all the same guy...not even Must See TV could do that to you.
Mulder (talking to X): Your a coward, you work in the shadows, you feed me scraps of information hoping I can piece it together. You've made me risk my life, you've risked my partners life and you never risk your own.
Higlights from WetWired
Episode Number: 72
Season Number: 3
First Aired: Friday May 10, 1996
Production Code: 3X23
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