Season 7: Sein und Zeit (7X10)

Written by: Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz
Directed by: Michael Watkins

When a young girl, Amber Lynn LaPierre disappears from her home and the only clue is an abduction note written in her mother's hand writing, Mulder requested Assistant Director Skinner assigns him to the case. Scully is worried that Mulder is personalizing the case, linking it to his sister Samantha's abduction.

Mulder connects the phrase, 'no one shoots at Santa Claus', from the abduction note to a previous case. They visit Kathy Lee Tencate in the Idaho state prison, in 1987 she was convicted of murder on the evidence of a similar note found written in her handwriting after her son disappeared. Kathy is at first reluctant to help them, but eventually tells them that she knows her son is safe.

On their return to Washington they discover that Mulder's mother, Tena Mulder, has taken her own life. Mulder refuses to believe that she committed suicide until Scully's autopsy reveals his mother was suffering from a terminal illness and knew about it. Mulder returns to see Kathy, who opens up to him, revealing that she has seen visions of her son.

He has been taken by 'Walk-ins', enlightened souls looking for new bodies. She believe Mulder's sister met a similar fate. Mulder finds an answer phone message from his mother, explaining that she left many things unsaid and hopes he will come to understand, Mulder takes this to mean about his sister. Mrs LaPierre contacts Mulder saying that she has seen a vision of Amber, it leads them to a Santa village and a number of shallow graves.

Notes:
'Sein Und Zeit' means "Being and Time" and is the title of a rather famous 1927 philosophy book by world renowned philosopher Martin Heidegger. It deals with our existence - being.

In the episode's teaser, Bud LaPierre is watching ''Harsh Realm'' (Chris Carter's short-lived and grossly un-promoted drama series) on television. Mr. LaPierre commented to Mulder that he didn't know what it was called (probably since it wasn't well promoted by Fox), but that it was good. On a related note, the actor playing Mr. LaPierre (Mark Rolston) was in the 2nd episode of ''Harsh Realm'' as a bounty hunter.

Quotes:
Mulder: Mr And Mrs LaPierre, my name is Fox Mulder. I'm a Special Agent with the FBI and I have a lot of experience with crimes like the one that took place here. Now I know you've made a statement to the police but I'd like to ask you some questions about that and I'd like you to answer in as much detail as both you and your lawyer are comfortable with. I want to ask you about the note you found. Where did you find it?
Bud LaPierre: In my daughter's bedroom.
Mulder: When?
Bud LaPierre: When I went to check on her.
Mulder: Um, do you know what time that was?
Bud LaPierre: 9:30, I think. Right about then. I was watching TV in here.
Mulder: What were you watching?
Bud LaPierre: I never heard of it before. It was good.
Mulder: What about you, Mrs LaPierre?
Billie LaPierre: I was in bed already.
Mulder: Were you asleep?
Billie LaPierre: Half.
Mulder: Is that Amber Lynn's bedroom that I saw down the hallway there?
Billie LaPierre: Yes.
Mulder: Do you always lock your doors at night even if you're home?
Billie LaPierre: Yes.
Mulder: You know most of your neighbours, I bet, up and down the street. You're on good terms with them?
Bud LaPierre: Most of them, yes.
Mulder: Can you think of anyone that might have wanted to hurt Amber Lynn?
Billie LaPierre: No.

Scully: That was utterly irresponsible, Mulder. It was out of line and it was without any basis in reality.

Mulder: Do you think that woman could have killed her son?
Scully: She was convicted in a court of law.
Mulder: So how do you explain those two notes written ten years apart could contain the same obscure phrase?
Scully: I can't explain it, Mulder, but you're doing exactly what I said. You're personalising this case.
Mulder: No, I'm going to solve this case. I am going to solve it.
Scully: How?
Mulder: I'm going to find those kids.
Scully: What if they're dead, Mulder? Don't go looking for something you don't want to find.

Scully: Mulder...

Mulder: I didn't... Why would she do this? It just doesn't make any sense.
Scully: We never truly know why.
Mulder: No, she wouldn't kill herself. Why are these pictures gone? There were photos here. There were photos of my sister and I. This is all that she had left of us and they're missing. Why...? She saw me on the news. She wanted to talk about the missing girl, Amber Lynn. She wanted to tell me something about her, or maybe she couldn't tell me over the phone because she was afraid that they would do something like this to her.
Scully: Who?
Mulder: Whoever took my sister. Look at this place. I mean, it's like... it's all staged — the pills, the oven, the tape. It's like a bad movie script. They would... they would have come here and they would have threatened her. She would be upset; they would have to sedate her. I would look for a, uh... a needle puncture mark or something else in her system besides these pills.
Scully: No, Mulder. Please don't ask me to do this.
Mulder: Scully, who else can I ask?
Scully: An autopsy, Mulder? I mean, it's one thing on a stranger but you're my friend, and she's your mother...
Mulder: I know, but if you don't do it, I might never know the truth.

Mulder: Scully, these parents who have lost... who've lost their children... They've had visions of their sons and daughters in scenarios that never happened but which they describe in notes that came through them as automatic writing and words that came through them psychically from old souls protecting the children. My mother must have written a note like that herself. Describing the scenario of my sister's disappearance of her, of her abduction by aliens. Don't you see, Scully? It never happened. All these visions that I've had have just been... they've been to help me cope, to help me deal with the loss but... I've been looking for my sister in the wrong place. That's... what my mother was trying to tell me. That's what she was trying to warn me about. That's why they killed her.

Scully: Your mother killed herself, Mulder. I conducted the autopsy. She was dying of an incurable disease. An untreatable and horribly disfiguring disease called Paget's Carcinoma. She knew it. There were doctor's records. She didn't want to live. Mulder...
Mulder: She was trying to tell me something. She was... trying to tell me something.
Scully: Mulder, she was trying to tell you to stop. To stop looking for your sister. She was just trying to take away your pain.

Clip from ''Sein und Zeit''

Episode Number: 149
Season Number: 7
First Aired: Sunday, February 6, 2000
Production Code: 7X10