“Chimera” is episode sixteen of season seven of The X-Files.
It’s Easter Sunday in Bethany, Vermont, and one woman, Ellen, is complimenting another. Martha, on the spread and Easter egg hunt. There’s another woman there, Jenny, who they don’t seem fond of, but her son is in Martha’s daughter, Michelle’s, class. Michelle is collecting eggs when she gets scared by a raven and then by Jenny, running off.
That night, Martha is on the phone telling her husband, who is away, that Michelle is shaken up and wants to be with her daddy. After the call, Martha shuts an open window, then sees a raven in her house. Then a mirror breaks and something grabs her.
Mulder and Scully are on a stakeout in Washington, watching streetwalkers. Mulder says it’s only a matter of time before she comes. Scully says there’s no evidence the mystery woman of Mulder’s even committed a crime. According to Mulder, six prostitutes have been seen entering Dirty Dames with the woman, and have never been seen again. A female serial killer is rare, but the police have also raided the club twice and the woman has vanished. She entered, but never left. Maybe she turned invisible. Scully finds this depressing. Mulder finds it somewhat ennobling. Then his phone rings and he’s called away.
Skinner is looking at Martha’s file when Mulder enters. She disappeared two weeks ago and Skinner is hoping Mulder can help. He’s sure Scully can continue in Mulder’s absence. There may be elements of Martha’s disappearance that speak to Mulder’s strengths. What does he know about ravens? The mythological and paranormal significance of them. They’re mostly linked to bad things. Skinner explains Michelle’s encounter with a raven and claimed she heard one in the house. It’s the only lead not explored. Mulder asks about Martha’s father being a federal judge. Yes; the case has been made Skinner’s top priority and he’s making it Mulder’s.
Mulder meets Sheriff Phil Adderly at Martha’s house. Ellen is the sheriff’s wife and they’re best friends. The husband, Howard, was at a conference in Miami and checks out. He’s now back. Mulder asks about the raven and finds marks on the mantle where it was. And notices where the broken mirror hung. There were no other signs of a struggle.
Howard enters and is introduced. He’s wondering if this is a waste of time. After clearing up, he found something. Birth control pills. He thinks Martha was having an affair. After Michelle was born, they decided not to have any more kids and Howard had a vasectomy. Howard also found a key in the pocket of Martha’s favourite coat, with a ‘6’ on it. Howard thinks Martha may be off with whoever she was having the affair with and doesn’t want to be found.
Ellen is putting missing person flyers onto cars when she hears a raven and then is scared by Jenny’s appearance. The conversation doesn’t go that well and Jenny says she and Ellen have more in common than Ellen thinks. After Jenny leaves, Ellen sees whatever attacked Martha reflected in the window of a car, which then breaks. There’s nothing behind her.
The sheriff has found nothing in Martha’s phone records and Mulder has confirmed that the marks on the mantle could have come from a mantle. Mirrors are considered items of enchantment and one being broken means… something. Then Ellen arrives; she invites Mulder to stay in their guest room. As they are eating, Scully rings. Mulder is having a home-cooked meal and staying in someone’s house. Scully is cold, as the furnace broke, and has little food.
Howard and Michelle are eating when Michelle sees a raven outside. Howard goes out and finds several. Pecking at a hand. Mulder and the sheriff arrive and Mulder speaks to the coroner. The coroner says the claw marks on Martha’s body could have been from a bear attack. But he’s never seen a bear plant the body int he victim’s rose garden. Martha has probably been here since she went missing. Sheriff Adderly doesn’t believe Howard did this. Mulder agrees. Then Ellen shows up; she thinks she saw the attacker today. She describes it. Mulder believes her; he thinks maybe it was summoned to attack Martha. He doesn’t know who did that, though, and asks who might have a grudge against Martha. Ellen mentions Jenny.
Scully is not very happy about remaining on stakeout, looking at the seamy underbelly of society. Mulder thinks Bethany is little different; it just hides it better. Turns out he may have a point.