Season 8, Episode 13: Per Manum

Synopsis

A former alien abductee, Kath McCready, winds up dead after giving birth to an alien baby, which the doctors don't seem too surprised about. Her husband, Duffy Haskell, takes the case to the X-Files; Scully is skeptical, but Doggett says it sounds like her own story, except for the pregnancy (considering he doesn't know about Scully's passenger). Scully flashes back to Mulder telling her how she was rendered barren after her ova were stolen during abduction, and that that a specialist determined that the eggs he recovered from a government lab were also not viable. Following up on an ultrasound of the dead woman, Scully goes to Zeus Genetics and discovers a room full of mutant fetuses in jars. It is also revealed that Scully's doctor is involved with this company.

Haskell is confronted by the FBI as leading the Ohio Mutual UFO Network and making threats to the Zeus Genetics doctors, but he turns out to be a mole on behalf of the company. Further flashbacks show that Scully was trying to get pregnant through artificial insemination, and that Mulder had agreed to be a donor. Another pregnant woman from Zeus Genetics, a Mrs. Hendershot, goes to Scully for help since she thinks both of their babies are in danger. Another agent tells Doggett that Haskell has apparently been dead since 1970, though the person claiming to be him has the same prints; Doggett goes to an old buddy, Knowle Rohrer, to try to unravel that mystery.

Scully takes Hendershot to an Army medical research facility to get help for both of their babies. Scully's ultrasound turns out fine, until she realizes that it's just a videotape and tries to escape with Hendershot. Doggett, realizing Scully is in danger, asks that she be rescued. Rohrer picks up the two women, but restrains and drugs Scully as Hendershot gives birth to an alien baby. Scully wakes up in a hospital, and Doggett tells her that Hendershot has had a baby boy. Scully figures that it's yet another cover-up, and unfortunately there's no way to prove anything. In another flashback, Scully tells Mulder that the procedure didn't work; he tells her to never give up on a miracle.

First appearance of Adam Baldwin as Knowle Rohrer; Baldwin's other roles include Animal Mother in Full Metal Jacket, Jayne Cobb on Firefly, and John Casey on Chuck.

Episode Body Count

Kath McCready: her husband, Duffy Haskell, says the doctors who delivered her baby killed her.


At least 65 mutant fetuses: it's tough to get an exact count, but Scully finds quite a few babies preserved in jars at Zeus Genetics; some have multiple heads, so I guess I'll do a torso count. They look more human than alien.


Alien baby: McCready's alien infant is under examination by Dr. Parenti in the room of mutant corpses.


David Haskell: another FBI agent tells Doggett that the man claiming to be Duffy Haskell has the same prints as a David Haskell who was buried in 1970.

Humans: 67
Creatures: 0
Aliens: 1

Cumulative Body Count (174/202 episodes, 1/2 movies)

Humans: 1,980

Creatures: 126
Aliens: 64

Grand Total: 2,170