“Dreamland” is episode four of season six of The X-Files.
Mulder and Scully are driving on Highway 375 in Nevada. They pass a sign warning of a military installation and Mulder tells Scully that there’s only two miles to go. She’s all a-tingle. How does Mulder know this source is not another crackpot? Because he works at Groom Lake. Area 51. Yes, where the military has been performing classified experiments on extra-terrestrial technology for decades. Scully says that others are living their lives but they just keep driving. Doesn’t Mulder ever want to step, get out of the car and live something approaching a normal life? Mulder thinks this is a normal life.
Scully spots headlights coming from the side. More vehicles appear in front and behind and soldiers get out. A smoking man in a suit gets out, but it isn’t the CSM, and asks for ID. They have to turn around and leave immediately. Mulder points out that this is a public highway. Yes, but it borders a military installation. What are they doing here? Scully gives the UFO answer. The man whispers in Mulder’s ear that there are no such things as flying saucers. Then a rather unusual flying craft passes by overhead.
Mulder’s perspective has changed. He’s now apparently in the body of the man who spoke to them, who know appears to be with Scully. Mulder seems surprised; the man not so much. No-one else notices. Scully and whoever she’s with drive off and Mulder calls after them. The soldier next to Mulder wants to know if he should fire. He should not. Then asks Mulder for orders. Another opens a car door for Mulder. Inside, there are two other men, one of whom calls him Morris. He wants to know why ‘Morris’ let ‘Mulder’ and Scully go. They were obviously here to meet someone. The third says they can’t just disappear FBI agents; their own people will deal with them. That’s what ‘Morris’ was thinking.
They arrive at Area 51 and Mulder discovers he’s apparently Morris Fletcher, according to his ID. And he has Morris’s body. There a USAF general there, and the other two wonder why he’s in so late. Mulder enters Morris’s office. Scully stops at a petrol station with the real Morris, though he looks like Mulder, and asks if he’s alright. Mulder tries ringing Scully, but her phone is in the car. When she gets to it, Mulder has to hang up as someone enters the office. Morris-Mulder asks Scully for a pack of Morleys.
Mulder-Morris is told that they traced outgoing calls and one to the FBI was made from General Wegman’s office. The leak works there. Morris’s phone rings and Mulder answers. It’s Morris’s wife. She’s unhappy. Morris is dropped off at home and tries making a call. Only it seems he has to go through an operator to make an outside call. He settles down with one of the films he likes to watch.
General Wegman arrives at a crash site. It was a routine flight. The two pilots; well, Grodin tells the co-pilot is sort of alive. He’s been merged with a rock. The other man, they aren’t sure about. He doesn’t seem to speak, or understand, English.
Scully is waiting for Mulder outside Kersh’s office. He’s late. Because Morris got lost. Kersh asks them about Nevada as he got a phone call from the Pentagon. ‘Mulder’ claims they were following a lead. It was a gigantic mistake and he apologises for their blatant disregard of a direct order. They will never do it again. Outside, Scully questions ‘Mulder’, but he heads back in and seems to hit on Kersh’s secretary.
The real Mulder is having a difficult time of it. Morris is married with two children and Mulder doesn’t know anything about them. The marriage seems to be a little unsteady, though Mulder now has access to Area 51. As for living a normal life, Mulder is rubbish at it. Morris, meanwhile, is having much more fun pretending to be Mulder. He doesn’t seem that choked up about not being with his family. Though Scully starts to notice some weird personality changes. Much of the episode is played for humour, and the story continues in the next episode, “Dreamland II”.