A schoolkid is arrested for the murder of a police officer due to being apparently the only person at the scene of a crime. But if he's not guilty, who is, and how was the murder committed?
After the season's genetic mutant, the next phase is the kid with some kind of special power, in this instance, as the title suggests, it's the ability to move quicker than the naked eye can see. Containing a double meaning, the title also refers to the feelings experienced by the kids when they travel at high speeds.
It's a fairly simplistic premise, but if there's one thing The X-Files is good at, it's making the most out of an idea. For a change, Mulder doesn't come to the correct conclusion particularly quickly (ironic that), and it allows he and Scully to actually do some investigative work rather than be proved right at once.
It's the kids that steal the show though. The guy playing the sheriff's son has a palpable air of malice and violence about him, and clearly enjoys his ability, possibly due to it allowing him to act with impunity, even if his actions look like poltergeist activity. The other kids are also well cast, with each of them forced to cope with what they've become and the knowledge that it will eventually kill them. The finale, featuring a clever moment of bullet time Matrix-style effects work, is a particular highlight, as are the effects allowing movement of objects on their own. There's also some clever editing, allowing people to move from one place to another, apparently instantly.
The lack of explanation as to what's giving the kids their abilities stays just as secret as you can get, but it's not as annoying as it sounds. There are also some simple but no less clever visual effects, such as the speeding uo of people's bodies for when they run quickly. Once again, it all comes to a sad end with Mulder and Scully looking puzzled. The hallmark of a good episode.
***
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