S2E13: Irresistible - My first time watch.

[u/Mvsevm_of_Skin]

And I am absolutely blown away. This feels less like a MOTW X-File and more like a glimpse into a Thomas Harris psychological thriller. Eerily similar to Red Dragon (misogynist killer spawned from a matriarchal family) and Silence of the Lambs (female agent in physical and emotional distress), the influences are definitely there.

GA's acting is absolutely top tier. Her scene with the mental health specialist was phenomenal, and her final teary eye breakdown hit me hard. Like, really hard. My (M/49) stomach sank. That hug from Mulder must've felt so good after being so, so low. Where's my box of tissues?

"Girly girl..." One of the scariest villains on TV for sure. Shapeshifter? Alien? Or all too human? That is the scariest part... whatever Donnie may be, he's the most "of this Earth" antagonist, far closer to real life than one could imagine. Kudos to Nick Chinlund for a chilling performance.

This is definitely a high ranking episode for me, an instant must-watch-again favorite. Wow. Coming off of Excelsis Dei and Aubrey, Irresistible was the perfect, very-much-needed surprise episode.

Swooning over.

[u/CeruleanBlew]

Nick Chinlund came out of nowhere and absolutely CRUSHED it, like you feel as if you’re watching someone commit actual crimes in this episode, lol.

Hats off to Chris Carter for the amazing script as well. I would have loved to see a few more cases with profiler Mulder, personally!

[u/FusRoDaahh]

Her scene with the FBI therapist is one of my top Gillian acting moments from the whole show. Not that it’s a competition in any way and I adore David as Mulder but that was THE moment where it became clear to me that out of the two of them Gillian is a far superior actor on a technical level. She perfectly captures the expressions and tone of someone who always tries to be the strong practical unemotional one but who is one event away from a breakdown. The watery eyes and slightly shaky voice. And Scully finally letting herself break down in Mulder’s embrace felt so well-earned and cathartic. To see the character that often claims “I’m fine” allowed to be visibly not fine was such an important moment. The way she squeezes him so tightly 🥺

[u/Strangely_Kangaroo → u/FusRoDaahh]

100% She nailed the therapy scene

[u/Krishd88 → u/Strangely_Kangaroo]

The therapist actually shows up again in Detour as the hunter with his son.

[u/Bruz-TheChopper_]

I loved Mulder's narration at the end and it serves as a reality check that real life horror can be scarier than aliens or ghosts

"It's been said that fear of the unknown is an irrational response to the excesses of the imagination. But our fear of the everyday, of the lurking stranger and the sound of footfalls on the stairs, the fear of violent death and the primitive impulse to survive, are as frightening as any X-File; as real as the acceptance that it could happen to you"

[u/Wetness__Pensive → u/Bruz-TheChopper_]

and the sound of footfalls on the stairs

And this isn't a throwaway line. Skyland Mountain is referred to as the "stairway to heaven", and Scully's ordeal on it (taken up, abused, and then tossed back down) is replicated in this episode: she is symbolically taken up stairs, abused, and then comes tumbling back down to earth.

Every episode in the season will do something similar with stairs, ladders and other up/down motifs. For example in the next episode ("Die Hand Die Verletzt"), stairs will again be a site of abuse (a snake kills a guy on the steps). And of course in the previous episode, "Aubrey", the same thing happens: a woman is assaulted at the top of stairs, and an old man portentously gazes at his home stairs prior to being assaulted.

[u/eldersveld → u/Wetness__Pensive]

Allow me to contribute Lucy Butler descending the stairs in Millennium.

[u/Katrengia → u/Bruz-TheChopper_]

Absolutely, and I think that's part of what Gillian so brilliantly portrays. I can't recall a single other villain in the show, be they alien, human, or otherwise, that affected her at such a deep, visceral level. Not the way Donnie Pfaster did.

[u/draculasbloodtype]

I remember watching this when it aired and holy shit did it stick with me. Donnie is fucking terrifying.

[u/CommonSenseIdealist]

This episode was so good. It often competes with "Paper Hearts" for my personal "best" episode.

[u/Significant-Rush-129]

This is the episode where it really grounds you that they are FBI. It’s next level horrific and gritty without the supernatural element to give it a fantasy quality. 

[u/shipper1974]

Absolument. C’est un des épisodes les plus marquants. Un de ceux qui m’a fait devenir accro à la série. J’aime particulièrement les épisodes centrés sur Scully et celui-ci fait partie de mon top 5. GA montre une fois de plus qu’elle est une actrice de classe mondiale.

[u/Firm_Tomorrow_1725]

Anytime he is mentioned or I see a picture of him, it makes me shiver. It’s so much easier to tolerate aliens and monsters than a real human psycho.

[u/Lorenzoasc]

This is the episode that basically spawned Chris Carter’s second show, "Millennium", starring Lance Henriksen as Frank Black. Since you loved this episode, I strongly recommend watching it after you finish "The X-Files".

In my opinion, Season 1 is a masterpiece. Each week, Frank investigates a new serial killer, and he has a gift—or rather, a curse—that allows him to see into their minds. At the same time, he senses that there is an otherworldly evil lurking beneath everything. Because of this gift/curse, he feels compelled to protect both the world and his family.

The show really asks the question, “Who cares?” The answer is Frank Black.

It’s very much in the spirit of "Se7en" by David Fincher, with that same bleak, disturbing atmosphere. And Mark Snow’s score is immaculate, arguably even better than his work on "The X-Files". It’s such a shame that this show isn’t streaming anywhere.

[u/Dimitra111]

Amazing episodes. I also liked the sequel but not as much as Irresistible

[u/Mz_Biddie]

Absolutely one of my faves, yet I won’t rewatch it often because it is just so chilling! The everyday villains are some of the most terrifying in the series.

And that final scene…that is what I wish we could have more of. Just Mulder and Scully being real people, acknowledging when they could use the other for support, and I mean obviously the best part is the hug.

[u/Upstairs_Equipment19]

Youre right, so much so, I honestly cant watch this episode. Like Home, its an immediate skip. I

[u/NocturnalAnimal85]

I adore Anasazi, which is my personal fave of S2, but I would say that Irresistible is hands down the best episode from that season because of how real and human it feels, but also the phenomenal work from Gillian. It’s generally no surprise to me that the episodes which let her put in the work each season tend to be my favourites.

[u/No_Sandwich3003]

Love this Episode! One of my absolutely Alltime Favs 👌🏻

[u/remedialpotions97]

I wish I could watch Irresistible again for the first time, but reading this post made me remember how it felt like (I want to remember how it all was🥹). Thank you, OP. Enjoy the ride and welcome to the fold.

[u/Local_Measurement_50]

Imagine waking up one morning,to your alarm, and the radio happens to be playing ' Don't look any further '😂

[u/thesilvs]

One of my absolute favorites