Season 1, Episode 23: Roland

Synopsis

At a jet propulsion lab in Washington, a rocket scientist is sucked into an experimental engine after a mentally retarded/idiot savant janitor named Roland activates a test. Roland kills another scientist after having visions about the murder. Mulder discovers that someone has beeen continuing the work of a Dr. Arthur Grable, who has been dead for several months.

It turns out that Grable's head is preserved, awaiting a future when a body can be cloned for him, and that he is twins with Roland. Mulder wonders if Grable is able to control Roland through heightened psychic abilities. A former associate, Dr. Frank Nollette, tampers with Grable's preservation container, as Roland manages to achieve the scientists' goals of breaking Mach 15 with the engine.

Roland tries to murder Nollette in the test chamber after Nollette tries to steal the work, but Mulder and Scully intervene. With help from Roland, they are just able to save him. Grable's noggin passes away, and Roland goes off for a psychological evaluation.

Zeljko Ivanek, who plays Roland, has had recurring roles in several shows, including as Governor James Devlin on Oz and the less-than-recurring Edmund Burke on Lost, who got flattened by a bus after appearing in a single flashback. Suleka Mathew, who plays Lisa Dole, starred in several episodes of Da Vinci's Inquest (a show that seems to have attracted a lot of X-Files vets) as Dr. Sunita Ramen.

Episode Body Count

Dr. Ronald Surnow: he got squished by a jet engine.

Dr. Arthur Grable: mostly died in a car accident prior to the episode, fully dies later after Nollette tampers with his preservation system.

Dr. Keats: dies after Roland freezes his head in liquid nitrogen and lets it smash on the floor.

Humans: 3
Creatures: 0
Aliens: 0

Cumulative Body Count (23/202 episodes, 0/2 movies)

Humans: 173
Creatures: 10
Aliens: 7

Grand Total: 190