“Revelations” is episode eleven of season three of The X-Files.
The episode opens with a reverend giving a sermon about faith and miracles at the First Church of Redemption in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. The preacher clenches his hands and blood appears to flow from them. Most of the congregation look impressed. One man does not.
Afterwards, the reverend is removing his makeup (really?) when the man enters. He says he was impressed by the sermon and that some do believe. The reverend appreciates it when he has an effect on people. He appreciates it rather less when the other man grabs him by the throat and pins him against the wall, with his throat smoking.
Scully is examining the reverend’s body and says that the ligature marks are consistent with rope or fabric burns, suggesting he was strangled. But there is an unusual amount of blood loss. The parishioners said the reverend was bleeding from his hands; stigmata, in other words, but Scully sees no wounds. Perhaps it’s a case of too much faith. Mulder tastes the blood and suggests too much sugar. Under his shirt, the reverend has a blood pouch and tubes. Mulder says he was a fake, just like the others.
Mulder says there have been a number of religiously motivated murders internationally, all supposed stigmatics and all frauds. According to Scully, religious lore says there are always 12 stigmatics present in the world, to represent the 12 apostles. Mulder tells her there have been 11 murders in the last 3 years. His options for who might be responsible do not narrow down the suspect list much. Mulder is also sure the killer is looking for the next victim.
At the Ridgeway Elementary School in Loveland, Ohio, a young boy, Kevin Kryder, is called to the front of the class to work on a maths problem on the board. He starts writing, then drops the bloody chalk. There is blood coming from wounds in the centre of his hands.
Kevin is being treated by a nurse when Mulder and Scully arrive. They are told there was an incident the previous year with Kevin; he had bleeding wounds in his hands and feet. Their first assumption is an abusive parent and it was believed Kevin’s father was responsible. Kevin was made a ward of the court but his mother sued and won custody. His father is in an institution as, after the case was dropped, he locked himself and Kevin in, claiming he had to protect his son as he was chosen by god.
Scully is examining Kevin and he says he doesn’t feel so good. The nurse takes his temperature. Kevin’s mother arrives and Mulder says Kevin may be in danger as someone is targeting people like him. The thermometer’s temperature, meanwhile, rises so high the end blows off it. Afterwards, Mulder thinks it’s Kevin who inflicted the wounds, because his father was taken away. Scully wants to talk to the father, to find out just what he wanted to protect Kevin from
The father already realises Kevin is bleeding. The forces of darkness have been watching since Kevin was born. They take the form of a powerful and respected man. The great war between good and evil. God will find someone to stop it, someone strong enough to make the sacrifice. Which isn’t him. He also tells Scully that she must come full circle to find the truth.
At the Linley Home for Children, Kevin is telling a story about a bald man to the other children, successfully scaring them. Especially when a creepy-looking bald man enters the room. The others run off.
The next day, the kids are describing the bald man to a sketch artist, including Kevin’s description from his story. Kevin’s mother is not so happy about him being abducted. Scully says it doesn’t match the MO of the killer. Mulder doesn’t think the sketch is very accurate. Except Mrs Kryder recognises him; Owen, hired to do some yard work.
Kevin is with Own, who says it isn’t safe for Kevin to go home. He can think of Owen as his guardian angel. A car pulls up and Owen grabs a gun. It’s Mulder and Scully though, and they tell him to drop the weapon. When Scully climbs into the loft where Kevin was, he’s gone.
According to Owen, he was asked to protect Kevin. By God. Owen makes comments about Scully’s faith, as how can she help if she doesn’t believe? Even the killer believes. Owen manages to escape by jumping out the window, and breaks his cuffs. Kevin has returned home and the killer has also gone there.
With there being a religious nature to this episode, the attitudes of Scully and Mulder are reversed to what they normally are, with Scully the believer and Mulder the sceptic. Something Scully calls him out on, that he’s willing to believe in lights in the sky but not miracles.