Present during a bank raid, Mulder is shot and lies dying in Scully's arms. The police arrive, causing the robber to set off a bomb that detonates, killing everyone in the bank. Then the same day begins all over again...
Yes, after The X-Files takes off summer movie Deep Rising, it moves on to Groundhog Day. Not the first show to do a story such as this (Xena, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Seven Days have already had a go), this time the concept is played mainly for drama rather than comedy. The one wild card is a woman who seems to know in advance what will happen.
At least it's not actually Mulder or Scully watching the day unfold time after time, and although nicely played, the tragedy of the same disaster happening repeatedly doesn't carry the emotional weight of the earlier episode Tithonus. There are some good comedic moments once again, as Mulder awakens to discover his mysteriously arrived waterbed (see Dreamland) in his mysteriously appearing bedroom has sprung a leak and made a horrible mess of his flat.
The main problem with this episode is that the story doesn't stretch far enough. We don't find out much about the robber and his girlfriend, the agents' informer, and the episode is not directed from varied enough angles to keep things fresh and interesting. Plus, the trip to the bank is the only action to take place. More should occur before another loop starts. It's not a bad episode, but it needs better pacing to make it more exciting.
***
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