"Squeeze/Tooms"

“Squeeze” (S1E3) introduces us to Eugene Victor Tooms, a strange little creepazoid played to the hilt by Doug Hutchinson. Tooms is a mutant who has the ability to stretch and elongate his body.  He uses this ability to break into victims’ homes in order to consume their livers. The episode begins with Tooms stalking a businessman, eventually entering his office via the ventilation system and murdering him. The case baffles the FBI Agent assigned to the case. Fox Mulder recognizes similarities between the instant case and X-File cases from 1963 and 1933, and warns the agent in charge that there will be two more murders. But no one takes Mulder seriously and another person dies.

In their investigation, Dana Scully & Mulder discover Tooms’ bile-drenched nest and Mulder explains that Tooms has been doing this for almost a century. He tells Scully that Tooms has to consume five livers before he goes into a thirty-year hibernation. The evidence for all of this goes back to 1903, and every 30 years, Tooms awakens and has to eat. When Mulder & Scully are taken off the case by the agent in charge, Tooms decides to make Scully his fifth victim. He breaks into her apartment via the bathroom vent and is about to murder her when Mulder saves the day. Tooms is arrested and placed in an institution for the criminally insane, where he begins to construct another nest.

“Tooms” (S1E21) continues the story.  Eugene Victor Tooms is released from the institution and takes up residence with a couple that rents him a room.  He’s required to continue his therapy with his doctor, Dr. Monte.  Mulder begins to harass Tooms while Scully interviews the cop that was investigating the 1933 murders. The cop, Frank Briggs, tells Scully that one of Tooms’ victims was never found because there was something about the body that Tooms didn’t want discovered. We learn that the “something” was his teeth marks on the victim’s ribcage.

Tooms is frustrated that Mulder keeps getting in the way of him getting the last liver he desperately needs, so he sneaks into Mulder’s apartment and frames him for a beating. Assistant Director Skinner orders Mulder to stay away from Tooms, who is then free to slaughter Dr. Monte for that last liver and return to his original nest. Mulder finds Tooms’ nest underneath an escalator, and the creepazoid chases him. Mulder manages to turn on the escalator, which traps and ultimately kills Tooms.

“Squeeze” was the first Monster-of-the-Week X-File episode, and while I enjoyed most of the first 8 seasons (I didn’t watch S9), it was always the MotW episodes that I liked the best. “Squeeze” & “Tooms” were definite hits for the fledgling show.  “Squeeze” was also the episode where viewers got to see the dynamic between Mulder and Scully solidify in such a way where she chooses a side–Mulder’s side–over being an FBI careerist (source). Doug Hutchinson acted his ass off and according to Wikipedia, wrote a prequel that Chris Carter sent back unread, titled “Dark He Was and Golden-Eyed.”  

A damn shame, because I’d LOVE to see that.