After "Squeeze," there is a series of lackluster monster of the week episodes until "Ice." That's pretty much the trend of the first season. The next episode, "Space" is a dud, although the second half of the season is stronger than the first. There aren't very many genuinely good episodes, but the ones that are are memorable.
"Ice" has a near-perfect setup. Mulder, Scully, and a few others are sent to a remote, isolated location in Alaska to investigate the killings of a previous group who seems to have gone mad and attacked for each other. Instantly, a dog attacks Mulder and it is found to have symptoms of bubonic plague along with something crawling underneath its skin. One of the guys who is bitten displays similar bubonic plague nodules. This is all in the first 12 minutes (on the DVD).
After a while they are at each other's throats and we don't know exactly who is infected and who isn't. Being cooped up together pretty much has the same effect as the parasite sans murder, a frightening prospect that human behavior can be similar to the behavior of a human who has additional chemicals.
Mulder finds a body in a freezer and, rightfully, is suspected and locked up. Since the first episode, Scully helped Mulder and even saved him because he is her partner and she isn't one to not do her job. In "Ice," we see another bond between them that extents beyond professional responsibilities. Under adverse circumstances and against all evidence, Mulder is able to appeal to Scully, who truly believes in Mulder for who he is.
The episode ends with the worm taken out of the other female, not Mulder. The alien issue remains unresolved, although strong evidence is given that these worms originate from outer space. They live in cold and ammonia, both conditions not found on Earth. Too bad the feds had to come in.
Score: 9.3/10
