The X-Files - Unusual Suspects

I had read that a few believe that “Unusual Suspects” was similar to “Musings of the Cigarette-Smoking Man” in that not all we see, as is the point of view from Harwood’s John Fitzgerald Byers to Detective John Munch (Richard Belzer) about why they were in a warehouse along with a naked and rambling Fox Mulder when police found them, was altogether true. Perhaps what JFB told Munch maybe was embellished a bit to make the Lone Gunman’s uniting more extraordinary, including Signy Coleman’s Susanne Modeski bringing them together to question the government’s motives. There is even an ending where JFB, Frohike, and Langly sit Mulder down to talk to him about the government’s conspiracies and bad intentions with Mulder flabbergasted at such accusations…his “What?!” cracked me up. I can see why the through-the-perspective-of-Byers testimony to Munch could be viewed as less than totally reliable. Why not add a little here or there to make the story pop more? Still, by and large, I do think a good bit is reliable. I think Byers was loyal to the government at the time when the story with Modeski begins, that his FCC employment, involved in finding hackers which earns him the title of “narc”, was a dedication. But Modeski and the “paranoia gas” she wanted to bring to public knowledge, needing specific code from the DoD database encrypted in order to tell her story, winds up motivating Byers, with Frohike and Langly (hackers who considered Byers persona non grata because of his dedication to exposing them of their “extracurricular activities”) helping to uncover what the language actually means. Before long the three of them go to a warehouse where the gas is stored in asthma inhalers, Mulder locating them but not before gunmen arrive with machine guns, setting off some of the ergotamine, causing Fox to unclothe and see everyone as aliens. I dug the addition of Agent X (Steven Williams) as the one in trenchcoat, giving orders to his men to confiscate all the gas and leave Mulder alone, threatening JFB, Langly, and Frohike to “behave”. Byers wanted answers while Frohike threatened to shoot him if he didn’t shut shup. Later Modeski encourages the three of them to pursue outing the government of their crimes before X picks her up in one of those ominous federal human-scoop cars.  Mulder is sparingly used, by Modeski as her “psychotic boyfriend” in order to lure Byers into her cause, manipulating not only him but Frohike into white-knighting for her when it would appear she was on the verge of being exposed. You can definitely see how in over their heads they are, only truly spared by X because they might prove useful, particularly leaving Mulder alone due to that very reason. Frohike trying to sell Modeski a cable that brings the client premium channels for such a certain price while Langly tries to steal his business, the two of them basically hissing at Byers for his FCC role, is a fun way to introduce them. This must have been a lot of fun to construct, setting the episode in 1989, and including Munch from “Homicide” and later in “Law & Order”. I found it harmless entertainment, and if you are a fan of The Lone Gunman then this will be a treat. But I didn’t consider it essential viewing, especially since it followed the epic Redux I & II. 3/5