Season 5, Episode 4: Detour

Synopsis

A couple of surveyors in northern Florida go missing after seeing some red eyes appear in the wilderness, and a hunter opens fire on something and also disappears. Mulder and Scully are on their way to a dull team-building seminar, and Mulder jumps on the chance to do something worthwhile when their car is stopped at a roadblock set up after the disappearances. The signs suggest an animal attack, and Mulder thinks they are also indicative of a "primitive culling technique."

After a beastie scare at the hunter's home, the agents and a few other people head into the forest to try to find it. The creature removes their identifying trail and attacks one team member after another beastie helps separate the team, leaving the agents and a tech geek stranded. Mulder and Scully pursue something with a nice camouflage disguise as the geek redshirt disappears. Scully ends up falling into a chamber, which includes some dead bodies and some living.

Scully manages to shoot the creature, and they are rescued by a search party. One of the team members and the hunter are found alive. A post reading "Ad Noctum" is found in the chamber, and Mulder notes that this was used by conquistadors as a warning, and so the beasties may have been Spaniards who found the Fountain of Youth and evolved. With a second beastie still accounted for and Mulder's theory that they prey on anyone who goes into the woods, the agents get the hell out of Florida.

J.C. Wendel, who plays Agent Stonecypher, played Mia on Dave's World.

Episode Body Count

Marty and Sloan: a pair of surveyors are apparently killed by the Florida beastie.

Two dead folk: Scully says the FBI is looking for a drifter wanted in a double homicide in Alabama, and seems to think he might be responsible for the disappearances.

Jeff Glaser: goes missing and is not found, presumed dead.

Florida beastie: shot dead by Scully.

At least six bodies: Mulder and Scully stack up five in their efforts to leave a chamber, and at least one more was visible prior to that.

Humans: 11
Creatures: 1
Aliens: 0

Cumulative Body Count (101/202 episodes, 0/2 movies)

Humans: 1,229

Creatures: 81
Aliens: 55

Grand Total: 1,365

Halfway point in episodes! And for those of you keeping track at home, I estimated that the total count would be 1,689 way back at the beginning. We're a little over 80 percent of the way there with another batch of episodes and two movies to go. Never underestimate Mulder's ability to bring up case history.