In Coats Grove, Michigan, Bobby Rich, a sixteen–year–old boy, is berated by his
stepfather, Phil, for not finishing his lawn work outside the house. Bobby picks up a shovel
and instructs his stepfather to keep his distance. As the dispute escalates, Bobby drops the
shovel and runs into a nearby orchard. Phil gives chase. Suddenly, Phil’s feet are knocked
out from underneath him. A short time later, Phil’s wife, Patti, makes her way through the
darkened orchard. She discovers Phil’s body buried in mud up to his shoulders, with mud
seeping from his nose and mouth. Kneeling beside Phil is Bobby, his eyes wide with terror.
Scully performs an autopsy on Phil’s corpse. She discovers over twelve pounds of mud
in his stomach. Her conclusion: Phil’s head was forcibly held in the mud, mostly likely by
his son, Bobby. She hypothesizes that Bobby may have dug the pit that trapped Phil, and,
noting a rope–like bruise on Phil’s ankle, speculates that Bobby may have had help from an
accomplice. Mulder interviews Bobby, who claims his father enjoyed physically abusing
him. Later, Patti tells Scully that, from her point of view, it appeared as if Bobby was
attempting to help Phil out of the muddy orchard pit, not cause him harm. She also reveals
that her son has been undergoing therapy for his anger since 1995. Later, the agents meet
with Bobby’s therapist, Karin Matthews. She describes Bobby as the victim of physical
abuse. But Mulder expresses his belief that Bobby may not be to blame for his stepfather’s
death.
Bobby tells a pretty fellow student, Lisa Baiocchi, that she must stand up to her fatherÜ
just as he had done with Phil. When Lisa returns home, her angry father demands that she
stop seeing Bobby. An angry Lisa storms off to her room. Shortly thereafter, a window
explodes, and a shadowy, arm–like appendage grabs Mr. Baiocchi by the throat. His lifeless
body is discovered lying on the ground outside the house. Though Scully concludes that Mr.
Baiocchi died as the result of being pushed out the window, Mulder discovers evidence
suggesting he was pulled out the second story window. Later, the agents learn that Lisa is
also one of Karin Matthews’ patients. Karin tells Mulder her approach with victims of abuse
is to encourage them to empower themselvesÜto confront and stand up against their abuser.
With the aid of a town coroner, Mulder a small splinter of fresh wood embedded in Mr.
Baiocchi’s neck. Mulder matches the fragment to the living tree outside the Baiocchi home.
A short time later, the agents are approached by a man named Ramirez, who holds an axe at
his side. He tells the agents that the trees are all dying because of a “bad man.” Karin
invites Lisa to stay at her home until her aunt can pick her up the following day. As Lisa
listens from her bedroom, she overhears an argument between Karin and a male voice. A
curious Lisa makes her way to the root cellar, where she discovers the body of a man.
Terrified, Lisa turns towards the door, only to hear it slam shut. A dead bolt turns, locking
her within. She hears the unidentified man’s voice refer to her as “a snoop.” Later, Karin
tells the trapped Lisa she must remain quiet, or the unidentified man will hear her voice.
Mulder discovers that Karin’s father was pulled from the mud of an orchard twenty years
earlier. He finds it strange that Karin failed to mention the coincidence. Ramirez tells Mulder
that Karin Matthew’s father’s death brought about an end of a blight affecting the trees. Karin
attributes the tale to her father’s stature, believing powerful men inspire fantasy. Later,
Mulder digs up Mr. Matthews’ casket… and finds it empty, save for roots. When Lisa’s aunt,
Linda, arrives at Karin’s house, Karin informs her that Lisa left for a bus station. Before
Linda drives off, Lisa smashes the glass of a window in the basement. Linda rushes to her
niece’s aid, but she is attacked and killed by an unseen force as tree branches sway in the
wind above her. Later, Bobby tells Mulder that, as part of therapy, Karin made him pretend
he was Phil… and that, all along, he was never a really a victim.
Lisa hears the cellar door bolt slide. She stands up… only to realize the unidentified male
voice has been coming from Karin all along. Scully and Mulder search Karin’s house, where
they come upon the corpse Lisa discovered earlier in the root cellar. Mulder concludes the
body is that of Karin’s father. Karin locks the agents in the root cellar, but Mulder forces it
open. They find Lisa frightened but unharmed in a corner of the kitchen. Mulder attempts to
pursue an escaping Karin, but his car crashes into an enormous tree. Karin drives to the
Rich residence, where she chases Bobby into the orchard. Suddenly, Bobby is dragged
downward into the mud. While attempting to rescue the teenager, Mulder simultaneously
encourages Karin to break the cycle… to fight the voice inside her head. But Karin is unable.
A tendon–like root snakes out of the mud and drags Mulder downward. Ramirez appears,
axe in hand, and strikes Karin, killing her. Mulder and Bobby are released by the unseen
force.
THE X-FILES “SCHIZOGENY” #5X09
Original Air Date: 01/11/98
CAST:
DAVID DUCHOVNY as Special Agent Fox Mulder
GILLIAN ANDERSON as Special Agent Dana Scully
GUEST CAST:
CHAD LINDBERG as Bobby Rich
BOB DAWSON as Phil Rich
CYNDE HARMON as Patti Rich
GEORGE JOSEF as John Ramirez
KATHARINE ISABELLE as Lisa Baiocchi
MYLES FERGUSON as Joey Agostino
GARDINER MILLAR as Mr. Baiocchi
SARAH-JANE REDMOND as Karin Matthews
KATE ROBBINS and Lisa’s Aunt
GARDINAR MILLAR as Mr. Baiocchi
CHRISTIN ANTON as Teacher
LAURIE MURDOCH as Coroner
WRITTEN BY:
JESSICA SCOTT
MIKE WOLLAEGER
DIRECTED BY:
RALPH HEMECKER
