The final part to this trilogy of episodes could almost be a season final in itself. For this episodes some of the biggest plot developments yet. Get ready. We start with Mulder making a public appearance in the hospital where Scully is recovering from her faint. Skinner, already figuring out Mulder’s alive isn’t too surprised to see him there, but tension is still high between them. However Mulder learns that Skinner was withholding the ballistic evidence which proves he killed the DOD agent. Mulder then asked Skinner how he can help him.

Mulder indeed confides in Skinner, telling him the series of events which lead up to him killing the agent and faking his own death. Skinner reminds Mulder who his friends are, and who he can trust. Next we see Smoking man gloating about Mulder’s return to the fat mono-tone guy, mono-tone guy reminds Smoking man that he allowed Mulder to escape, to which Smoking man reminds mono-tone that Mulder’s situation means he needs help, and that since he’s much more valuable to them alive – he could trade help for loyalty. Once Smoking man makes his departure, mono-tone man informs his minion behind him to continue. Meanwhile Scully still thinks Skinner is involved, Mulder doesn’t believe this however. Scully tells Mulder she’s willing to take the blame for the death of the DOD guy to cover Mulder – a true sign of her faith and love for Mulder. On the way out, Smoking man meets Mulder – and offers the truth… nothing more. He informs Mulder that the water he stole from the Pentagon is the key to saving Scully, and he’s here tonight as a friend. What Mulder finds on re-examination of the water is a tiny micro-chip, containing the cure for Scully’s Cancer. Sign number 1 of Smoking man’s new trust… if it works. The first hearing of the day at FBI central is with Michael from the DOD – he informs the committee that he spoke out to Mulder because he knows of conspiracies against the American people.

Mulder’s feeling pretty low at this point, only to get sign number 2 from Smoking man – arranging a meeting with… Samantha! Now we know this is the THIRD time, he thinks he’s seen his sister – so there really is no way to tell if this is true. But basically her story goes like this. She doesn’t know what happened, and somehow became an orphan. She had foster parents who said she was going to meet her parents again, turns out the Smoking man is her father, and that himself and her mother had kept it a secret. The only way Mulder can prove this is to go see mummy Mulder – however Samantha gets scared, and overwhelmed. She informs Mulder that her father – Smoking man has only just found Mulder and thought she’d want to meet him.

Mulder spots the mistake – Smoking man has known where Mulder is all along, so he wants her to go see mummy Mulder.. this scares ‘Samantha’ off back to Smoking man. It’s not until Mulder and Smoking man meet again when Mulder finally realises why Smoking man is offering so much.. Smoking man tells Mulder that Michael hasn’t been entirely truthful.. the government cover up’s, the hoaxes, are not entirely true. The project.. the truth about extra terrestrial life – he can give it all to Mulder.. all he has to do is quit the FBI and come work for him. That’s right people – Season 5 is when we see the cigarette smoking man offer Mulder a job! However Mulder declines, on the grounds he killed Mulder’s father, killed Scully’s sister, gave her crazy cancer and if she dies, Mulder’s going to kill him to.

Mulder then goes to visit Scully in hospital, and although she is sleeping, he kneels down beside her, cuddles her and breaks down into a cry, holding her. Afterwards, Mulder is taken into Section chief Blevins office where things get rather complicated. Earlier on, we saw Skinner meet with someone who looked like Blevins, and now… in this meeting with Mulder, he has the ballistics data. He offers Mulder a deal – claiming that Skinner has been working internally as a mole, and that they have evidence against him (which they will not show Mulder), the choice basically boils down to name Skinner and save yourself. Slightly odd. At the hearing, Mulder tries to get out as much of the truth as possible. Meanwhile… Smoking man is being followed home through the scope of a sniper rifle. It all kicks off now as we see Mulder trying to name the person involved in the conspiracy, and responsible for agent Scully’s state. Smoking man makes it home, sitting in his chair, with a cigarette, holding a picture of young Mulder and Samantha – the bullet comes through the window… killing cigarette smoking man. However no body was found. Mulder names the mole – Section chief Blevins. Who runs into an office, and is shot by yet another FBI agent who cannot be identified at this time.

Afterwards, Mulder tells Skinner that Scully’s crazy cancer has gone into remission. She’s getting better. Mulder clutches the photo found at the scene where Smoking man was killed, breaking into tears once again.