Marking Chris Carter's first attempt at directing, "Duane Barry" is a scary episode with a throat-clenching atmosphere as Mulder tries to talk down Duane Barry, a man who claims to have been abducted by aliens. It also marks the first episode of an arc that I believe really sets the entire series in the right direction with the great twist at the end.
Mulder toes a fine line, trying to pry whatever information about aliens and talking Barry down at the same time. Steve Railsback does a fantastic job as Barry, showing the manic, delusional side. You never quite know how he'll react. At the same time, you can't help bad for this troubled man who, if not abducted by aliens, at least had some trauma in his life. CCH Pounder also delivers a great, calming performance as Agent Kazdin.
A piece of metal, which Barry insists the aliens put in his teeth, are actually there, seemingly corroborating some of his claims. Always the disbeliever, Scully runs the piece of metal at a supermarket scanner, making it how haywire. Evidence of aliens? Before she can finish relaying this information to Barry, he kidnaps her. To be continued...
Score: 9.1/10
