"Oubliette" is a solid, emotionally engaging episode that sometimes gets forgotten amidst all the show-stoppers that aired in Season 3. This is lamentable, as it features a gripping storyline, superb guest cast, and some great tender moments from David Duchovny. On ink and pad the basic premise - a psychophysical connection between two strangers that allows one to feel the others pain - sounds too far-fetched to be taken seriously. Duchovny and Tracey Ellis, as the fragile Lucy Householder, make it work. The incredulity of the plot becomes smothered by the viewer's sympathy for Lucy, who, having been abducted and held captive by a man named Carl Wade many years earlier, is once again a prisoner - trapped by the demons of her past via the young Amy Jacobs (Jewel Staite), who has also been kidnapped by Wade. Michael Chieffo is so convincing in his role as a psychopath he could make the Flukeman seem like Santa Claus. It is nice that the mythology arc is brought in somewhat with the connection to Samantha Mulder, one that is obvious even before it is mentioned.
"Oubliette" is a great Season 3 episode that deserves more recognition. Though it ends on a somber note, it is a beautifully written script whose success rests solely on the strength of its actors. The depth of this caliber would become scarcer and scarcer to find in subsequent years and as such it remains a classic X-File. 9 out of 10.
"Oubliette" is a great Season 3 episode that deserves more recognition. Though it ends on a somber note, it is a beautifully written script whose success rests solely on the strength of its actors. The depth of this caliber would become scarcer and scarcer to find in subsequent years and as such it remains a classic X-File. 9 out of 10.