Bad Blood (The X-Files)

Bad Blood (The X-Files)

"Bad Blood" is the twelfth episode of the fifth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. Written by Vince Gilligan, directed by Cliff Bole, and featuring guest appearances from Luke Wilson and Patrick Renna it aired in the United States on February 22, 1998 on the Fox network. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, unconnected to the series' wider mythology. The episode received a Nielsen rating of 12.0, being watched by 19.25 million viewers. In addition, "Bad Blood" received largely positive reviews, with many critics praising the episode's humor.

The show centers on FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. Mulder is a believer in the paranormal, while the skeptical Scully has been assigned to debunk his work. In this episode, Mulder and Scully must report to their supervisor, Assistant Director Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) after Mulder kills a young man he believes to be a vampire. After each recollecting their takes on the event, they realize that they have very different memories of the investigation.

"Bad Blood" was inspired by an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show wherein the main characters tell different versions of a fight they have had. According to critical analysis of the episode, "Bad Blood" explores the dynamics of the relationship between Mulder and Scully. In addition, the episode subverts the concept of the male gaze, allowing part of the tale to be told solely from Scully's point of view in contrast to Mulder's. The episode's makeup and special effect coordinators used various techniques to create many of the effects seen in the episode, such as the vampire teeth, the glowing eyes, and the bite marks.