Fans are generally divided on “Ghost in the Machine.” It is either loved or hated because it is not a traditional plot for the X-Files. There are no aliens, ghosts, or monsters of any kind. There is a government conspiracy aspect to it, but said aspect does not fit within the mythology of the series. It is not forced, but the story does not advance the mythology, either. I can see why more obsessive fans might dislike the episode, but I am quite fond of it.The only major flaw I have with it is the truth is revealed in the teaser. The CEO of Euriska, a computer software company, announces he is terminating the COS project because it is losing money hand over fist. Unfortunately for him, COS is an artificial intelligence program which runs the entire building and it is so advanced, it has developed a survival instinct. The building kills the CEO in order to save itself.
Mulder’s old partner, Jerry Lamana, is assigned the case. He is eager to make a good impression because he coming off a screw up in which a federal judge was maimed because he lost evidence. He needs Mulder’s help . Mulder agrees out of respect for his friend, even though the guy is a real jerk.
Early on, the story deals largely with tension between the two. Lamana suffers from professional jealousy to the point the steals Mulder’s profile of the killer they are looking for and claims it is his work. Later, it shifts gears to the prime suspect, Bard Brad Wiczek, the designer of the COS and his guilt over creating it, considering how it eventually kills two people (Including Lamana) and becomes a target of desire for the government. All this rings a bit hollow in terms of excitement, since we know from the beginning the COS itself is the killer. Still, the drama is entertaining, if not preachy at time. Wiczek cites robert Oppenheimer’s guily over splitting the atom as his motivation for going to jail for life rather than handing over his AI tech skills to the government.
Wiczek does create a virus to destroy the COS, but it cannot be applied before the most famous bit in the episode--Scully v. the air conditioning system. An FBY agent’s harrowing work is never done. Her hair gets mussed in this charming ’I just had a roll in the hay” look that got all the fan boy hearts in a flitter.
It is pretty obvious the writers were trying hard not to make the COS into HAL from 2001: A Space odyssey. Maybe they were trying a little too hard. The COS could have used a more sinister personality. Nevertheless, I like “{Ghost in the Machine.” it manages to be an interesting episode by emphasizing the human drama. Quite an accomplishment when you consider we learn who the murderer is before the opening credits. There is a lot more action in the resolution than most episodes, to boot. Watching is a good time.
Rating: **** (out of 5)
