A sect of Amish-type people known as the Kindred, living off in the woods on the outskirts of a Massachusetts town could be related to a series of murders involving coronaries to healthy young adults seemingly associated to a specific club in DC. A scratch across the throat (a substance under the fingernails is what leads Mulder to the Kindred!), and the camera account of a woman going into a room with a guy only for a man to exit (and pheromones linked to the sexual nature of the deaths for those who died) lead Mulder and Scully to the Kindred. A slight thumb rub on the side of a hand could be a method by the killer to seduce his victims without them being able to resist. Scully finds this out when she is nearly seduced against her will by a member of the Kindred named Brother Andrew (Brent Kinkley, quite weird and awkward) only for Mulder to intervene in the nick of time. A giant crop circle, the Kindred's ceremony for a dying member of their sect which includes a transformation and how the Kindred take back the killer who had left the family to partake in passions with "outsiders" (seemingly vanishing) are developments which leave quite a lot to dwell on by episode's end. For me, the angle with how the Kindred could be extraterrestrials is quite a conclusion
even though this show is rooted in its aliens, this episode doesn't really follow the typical government interference or actually hint at the Kindred being "from parts unknown". Being as isolated as they are, and the disguise of an Amish kind of sect would be ideal for aliens trying to hide and co-exist without detection. Once again, Mulder is denied his proof of alien existence as the killer is recovered by his family and snatched away in the night. Their home is abandoned, with Mulder and Scully unable to catch the killer. The transition sequences are quite otherworldly. Mulder and Scully sitting at the table with the Kindred is quite a sight; their discomfort as the group pray, and just how they clash with their surroundings (and their reactions to the strange interactions with the Kindred) provide some humorous moments. The killer isn't all that interesting unless we see him/her preying on victims in a discotheque, but the creepy nature of the Kindred leaves a lasting impression. Not top tier, prime X-Files, but the forty-five minutes isn't a total waste.
Review of Gender Bender
