“Vienen” is episode eighteen of season eight of The X-Files.
On an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico at night, two of the men are exchanging looks as the crew are eating and watching television. One goes for food and the chef leaves, leaving his knife. The second man heads into the rig, arriving at the radio room. The operator is mending the set. The man has the chef’s knife and stabs the operator. In the communal area, the television goes and one goes to find the communications officer. The killer is smashing the radio. The newcomer sees the dead man. Who is infected by the black oil. He grabs the killer and throws him down, then starts to glow very brightly.
Doggett arrives at the X-Files’ office to find it locked. Mulder is inside; he forwarded Doggett details on the death of an oil worker a couple of days ago. Doggett says he can’t help it if Mulder isn’t assigned to the X-Files any longer. He didn’t see anything worth investigating. Mulder says the dead man had burns over 90% of his body not inconsistent with high levels of radiation. Mulder has files with the same radiation exposure. Doggett recounts the events of “Piper Maru” and “Apocrypha”. He read the files.
The phone rings and Scully tells Doggett the deputy director is waiting. Why didn’t Doggett tell her that he was pursuing the Texas oil worker case? Because he isn’t. Well, the oil company has an executive who says he was contacted by a man in their office. That would be Mulder. Doggett will let him answer.
Both arrive at Kersh’s office, where Skinner, Kersh and the executive, Ortega, are waiting. Mulder admits he spoke to Ortega and several government officials. Ortega says that a massive new oil province has been discovered. It may spread into Mexican waters and the dead man, Simon de la Cruz, was a Mexican national working for a US company. Whoever drills the field gets the advantage. Kersh says there’s now no option but to conduct a criminal investigation quickly and quietly. Mulder says this is an X-file. Kersh is sending someone from the office. Mulder says he can’t send a pregnant woman. That’s not who Kersh was sending.
Doggett arrives on the rig, with a new communications officer, and new equipment, to get a confused reception. Yes, they knew an FBI agent was coming but they were only expecting one. Doggett is the one. Well, what about the guy who’s talking to the crew chief?
Again, that would be Mulder? The crew chief, Taylor, is the one who killed Simon de la Cruz probably by glowing. Doggett wants a word with Mulder but Mulder suggests he listen to the story. According to Taylor, de la Cruz lost it and tried to blow the rig. That killed him and likely the communications officer.
Mulder leaves with the interview over and Doggett follows. Doggett is unhappy; one call to the deputy director would get Mulder canned. Mulder points out the radio is broken. Doggett asks if Mulder thinks that anything that doesn’t fit in Doggett’s narrow field of vision might as well not exist. Well, pretty much. Doggett asks why Taylor was lying; Mulder does know he was lying? Mulder thinks he knows the truth. During the conversation, the man de la Cruz was exchanging looks with was listening from beneath.
Skinner arrives at a morgue where Scully autopsied de la Cruz. Her autopsy revealed black oil. The alien virus, but it’s dead. Possibly from high radiation, but that makes no sense. Scully wants a controlled evacuation of the rig. Skinner asks why, with nearly two dozen men on the rig, there hasn’t been another case.
Taylor enters the communications room. The new operator is having problems with high frequency interference. He plans to power down and restart. Taylor tells him he can’t do that, grabs him and infects him.
Later, ship to shore contacts the operator, wanting Doggett. It’s Scully. The operator offers to take a message, but Scully wants to talk to Doggett directly. Mulder enters and takes over. Scully is concerned to hear he’s there.
Mulder is definitely risking his career and Doggett is still finding him difficult to work with. Though they end up having to work together, and do so well. Then there’s Simon de la Cruz. If he was infected with the alien virus, what killed it? Did it die before he killed the communications officer and, if so, is that why de la Cruz killed him?