Doggett and Reyes investigate a strange death at a house that a friend of the deceased claims is a replica of the Brady Bunch house, something that isn't borne out by a visit. What is really going on?

This story seems to find the exact right mix of action, drama and humour via some decidedly odd events. Doggett and Reyes have never been a better team than we see here, with Doggett's claim that he's finally getting the hang of investigating these cases being a fun admission in the circumstances. What really impresses is the way the episode moves from one thing to quite another. The basic premise of a Brady Bunch house is good fun but only has a limited lifespan in the episode, something writer/director Vince Gilligan is clearly aware of. By changing the focus partway through, he breathes new life into the story and keeps it interesting until the end.

After the early deaths, the latter part of the story has a completely different outlook as Scully and the others realize that they finally have on their hands proof of the supernatural in the shape of a man who can control the local environment with his mind and has only killed by accident and lack of control. While you may spend a large proportion of the episode waiting for the other shoe to drop, the fact that it doesn't makes it all the better, making this a wonderfully bittersweet story where no conspiracy or violent death gets in the way, just the simple problem that the use of his power is weakening the man responsible to the point of death. By not going as far as having him die, the episode becomes a perfect one of frustration, Scully knowing that the proof she and Mulder have sought so avidly would come at the cost of a man's life.

Containing memorable scenes, particularly with Doggett, some clever self-referencing and a last scene that shows how close the Scully/Doggett/Reyes team has become, this is a welcome break from the routine and a very good celebration of what's made The X-Files great for its 200th episode.

****

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