Series creator Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz pen Trust No 1, a mythology episode that first aired on 6 January, 2002. Scully (Gillian Anderson), Doggett (Robert Patrick) and Reyes (Annabeth Gish) find themselves being used in a plot to flush Mulder out of hiding.

It seems there is a super-soldier element working within the NSA in the form of a character referred to as The Shadow Man (Terry O’Quinn – in yet another X-files appearance), who is using an agent under his supervision, and his wife, Patti (Allison Smith), who also have a new born child like Scully, and may have some latent abilities like baby William.

For some reason the super-soldiers want either Mulder or William, which is why Mulder is in hiding, but the Shadow Man is ready to flush him out, and it almost works.

But it also shows us that these super-soldiers can be stopped!

This one, despite its twists and turns, is more of a character and mood piece about Scully (as well as the invasiveness of the technology that watches everyone), and I quite enjoyed that side of it. I love that she and Mulder are sending love letters, of a sort, to one another while he’s out there in hiding. How much they miss one another, and wish they could be together.

The episode also features a number of West Wing alumi, including Gish, Smith appeared on the show, as did O’Quinn, and Kathryn Joosten! That was just fun as I saw each actor pop up and thought maybe they were having a mini-reunion!

John Doe was written by Vince Gilligan, and first aired on 13 January, 2002. This one has only one paranormal element to make it an x-file, there’s a man with the ability to wipe people’s memory, which is what happens to Doggett when he wakes up south of the border, in Mexico, in a cartel run town.

Struggling with his amnesia, and the corruption, Doggett examines himself for any clue to who he is, and a call he makes to the Marines (because of his tattoo) comes to the attention of Scully, Reyes, and Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) who are all looking for him, and go against Kersh’s (James Pickens jr) orders to stay out of Mexico.

Half-remembered moments of his son provide a tether back to reality, and as his friends search for him, the cartel circles around the idea of eliminating him altogether, or at least the Caballero (Zitto Kazann), who has been wiping minds with his strange abilities, is okay with the idea.

Even without his memory, Doggett is a danger to the cartel, and as Reyes arrives, the pair find themselves in some serious trouble, which gets resolved, and sees the restoration of Doggett’s memory, the good and the bad.

And they’ll be ready to continue their investigations, because the truth is out there…