Season 11, Episode 8: Familiar

Synopsis

At a park in Eastwood, Connecticut, a boy named Andrew Eggers spots a live version of his creepy doll, Mr. Chuckleteeth, while playing at a park. He follows it into the woods, where he is attacked and killed.

Andrew is the son of a police officer, so the FBI becomes involved in the case. The local police suggest a coyote, or perhaps a coyote-wolf hybrid called a coyowolf, but both Mulder and Scully are skeptical. Scully comes up with a profile for a likely murder suspect, while Mulder wonders if the dark arts are involved since Eastwood had some witch trials back in the 17th century.

After examining the body, Scully figures Andrew was shaken to death and wonders if he was killed by his father, a local cop named Rick. Mulder finds salt on the boy's foot and notes how it wasn't mentioned in the police report. The police chief's five-year-old daughter, Emily Strong, also hasn't been interviewed despite witnessing Andrew's disappearance.

Chief Strong reluctantly agrees to let Mulder interview Emily, who says she saw Mr. Chuckleteeth (a character from her favorite TV show, Bibbletiggles) in the woods before Andrew went in their. Based on Scully's profile, Rick believes a sex offender named Melvin Peter may be responsible for his son's death. A search of Melvin's house finds a Mr. Chuckleteeth costume. Mulder isn't convinced that he's the perpetrator, especially after seeing a coyowolf in the forest.

Emily sees another Bibbletiggles character at the door and vanishes; her body is soon found in the forest. Mulder finds a ring of salt at the scene, which he believes is a magic circle used in witchcraft. He also finds that the site of the murders is a Puritan graveyard, and accuses the chief of covering up acts of witchcraft. The chief admits that he has sinned by committing adultery with Rick's wife, Diane, and figures the killings are punishment for his actions.

Rick brutally attacks Melvin as the angry townspeople egg him on. Melvin says his crime was statutory rape and that he hasn't hurt anyone, but Rick still shoots him in the head shortly after the agents and other local police arrive to break things up. Rick is released on a minimal bail soon after. Another police officer, sickened by the events, reveals to Mulder and Scully that he found out how Melvin (a children's performer) was out of town on the day of Andrew's death and so was not responsible.

Rick angrily confronts Diane about her affair. She storms out, but crashes her car after seeing a vision of Andrew in the road. Rick storms into the police chief's house, only to be greeted with a nightmarish vision of Mr. Chuckleteeth. He is soon shot dead by Chief Strong.

Mulder and Scully arrive at Strong's house, and Mulder realizes that a book from the chief's library on how to summon spirits and demons is missing. Strong comes across Diane's wrecked car, and finds that Diane has been killed and his wife has set up a summoning circle. It turns out that she was trying to curse Diane and her husband for their affair, but screwed it up. She manages to summon a coyowolf to kill Chief Strong, but winds up immolating herself while trying to perform another spell as the agents arrive. Scully turns the witchcraft books over to the police for evidence of a town gone mad, but also seems to be giving the witchcraft theory a little more credence.

Episode Body Count

Andrew Eggers: Killed in a park forest, apparently by a coyowolf summoned by Anne Strong

Goodie Bishop: A Puritan midwife who reportedly burst into flames in 1658, apparently in a death similar to Anna's later in the episode

Emily Strong: Also found dead in a forest, another apparent victim of the coyowolf

Melvin Peter: Murdered by Rick Eggers

Rick Eggers: Shot and killed by Chief Strong

Diane Eggers: Apparently killed by the coyowolf

Chief Strong: Yet another victim of the coyowolf

Anna Strong: Incinerates herself while trying to perform a spell

Humans: 8
Creatures: 0
Aliens: 0

Cumulative Body Count (202/202 original episodes, 2/2 movies, 14/16 reboot episodes)

Humans: 2,504
Creatures: 134
Aliens: 66

Grand Total: 2,704