Ex-FBI agent Arthur Dales calls in Mulder to investigate a mysterious sea creature that is killing the inhabitants of a storm-ravaged town.
Dales's last appearance (Travelers) wasn't the best of episodes, which had the air of some kind of 50's b-movie to go with its flashback setting. The weird thing is, despite this episode's setting in the present day, it's b-movie time again. The concept of some kind of octopus-like creature eating humans is an old Sci-Fi staple, and here it's given another turn in the limelight.
Although by no means a comedy episode, Agua Mala is played for all the humour it's got, especially by David Duchovny who seems to be enjoying the chance to crack one-liners this season almost every other sentence. The characters that finish up holed up in a rundown hotel are also some of the most unlikely ever to grace the screen, but they contrast nicely with the horrific events happening around them. Mulder is put in severe jeopardy again, only to get out on a technicality.
The only problem is that there's not much going on. It's a very basic narrative, the monster and how it affects people is only superficially explained, and all in all it takes too long to get anywhere. As such, it probably ranks as the worst episode so far in an extremely impressive season. Maybe Darren McGavin is a curse on the show. Which leads me to the other problem. Dales's involvement also remains unexplained, and he doesn't really do a lot. Bringing him into the story more would have helped liven up what is a fairly routine case for The X-Files. Maybe next time?
***
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