Travelers (The X-Files) - Plot

Plot

This episode is a flashback to the 1950s.

The episode begins in 1990, a man, named Edward Skur is shot by a police officer during an eviction and the last word he speaks is "Mulder". FBI special agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), at this point working with the Behavioral Sciences unit, believes that the man may have had some connection to his father, Bill. Mulder discovers that Skur was reported to have died in 1952. He seeks out Arthur Dales (Darren McGavin), a retired FBI agent who investigated Skur in the fifties. At first Dales is reluctant to discuss the case and warns Mulder away. But Mulder threatens him with a subpoena and Dales tells his story.

The episode then flashes to the 1950s. FBI Agent Arthur Dales (played as a young man by Fredric Lane) and his partner Hayes Michel are sent to arrest Skur (Garret Dillahunt) for being a Communist. When Dales is told that Skur hanged himself while in custody he feels guilty and returns to Skur's house to apologize to Skur's wife. While there he sees Skur alive and tries to recapture him. In the following struggle something strange begins to emerge from Skur's mouth but a neighbor interrupts the fight and Skur runs off. Dales' partner and Mr. Cohn warn Dales to change his report about being attacked by Skur. He does so but feels guilty about it.

Later, Dales and Michel are called investigate the death of a German doctor in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The local police deny calling them and Dales finds a coaster for a bar with "come alone" written on the back. At the bar Agent Dales meets Bill Mulder from the State Department, who tells him that Skur, Gissing, and Oberman were experimented on and Gissing and Oberman have killed themselves. Skur killed the German doctor in revenge for what was done to him and he will kill Dales and Michel too because Skur believes they are part of the plot. Dales tries to warn Michel but he is too late and Skur kills him. Dales tries to investigate but MR Cohn covers it up.

A secretary, Dorothy Bahnsen (played by Jane Perry),at the FBI office helps Dales find a file that mentions Gissing. (She explains that she files all the unsolved cases under X because there is more room under X than U.) Gissing's body is still in the morgue and Dales convinces the technician to cut open the body where they find a strange creature has been sewn into Gissing's chest. Dales goes to Skur's wife and tells her what was done to her husband and that he wants to expose the experiments. Skur's wife goes down into the backyard bomb shelter to tell Skur, but he is overcome by his parasite and kills her.

Cohn picks up Dales and takes him to the office of the Director who gives him a speech about patriotism and convinces him to help bring in Skurs. They take Dales back to the bar to meet Skurs who attacks Dales. Bill Mulder and the other agent wait outside until they think Dales is dead before rushing in to find that Dales has handcuffed Skur and is still alive.

Back in the present Fox Mulder is dismayed to hear what his father was involved in. He asks Dales how Skur escaped and Dales speculates that someone might have helped Skur escape hopping that the truth of what was done to him may one day be revealed. And we see Bill Mulder driving down a road with Skur and giving Skur the keys to the car and walking away.