Aubrey (The X-Files)
Encyclopedia
"Aubrey" is the twelfth episode of the second season of The X-Files
television series
. "Aubrey" features a detective discovering the body of an FBI agent who disappeared investigating a series of murders 50 years ago; murders that start occurring again soon afterward.
Detective BJ Morrow tells Lt. Brian Tillman (Terry O'Quinn
), whom she's having an affair with, that she's pregnant. He requests she meet him at a motel later that night. While waiting for him she has a vision that leads her to a field where she digs up the remains of an FBI agent. Agent Fox Mulder
(David Duchovny
) and Dana Scully
(Gillian Anderson
) head to Aubrey to investigate. The remains are those of agent Sam Cheney, who was investigating three murders in Aubrey in 1942 with partner Sam Ledbetter, both of whom disappeared. The agents find discrepancies in BJ's story but Tillman defends her. Mulder tells Scully of the case the agents were investigating, which involved three women raped and murdered with the word 'SISTER' slashed on their chest. Discovering similar cuts on Cheney's chest the autopsy reveals it to spell 'BROTHER'. BJ admits her affair and pregnancy to Scully.
Tillman reveals that a new murder has occurred where a woman had the word 'SISTER' slashed on her chest. BJ claims to have seen the victim in her dreams. She tells the agents of her vision, involving a man with a rash on his face and a monument that Mulder recognizes as the Trylon and Perisphere from the 1939 New York World's Fair
. Searching old mug shot photos, BJ recognizes the man from her dream as Harry Cokely, who was arrested for raping a woman named Linda Thibedeaux and slashing 'SISTER' on her chest. Scully believes that BJ unconsciously recalled the case
since her father was a cop and may have discussed it. The agents visit Cokely, now out of prison and old and feeble, requiring an oxygen machine. Cokely insists he was at his home when the murder occurred.
BJ awakens from a nightmare covered in blood, the word 'SISTER' slashed into her chest. She sees a young Cokely in the mirror. She heads to a basement and tears away the floorboards, revealing a body within that is found to be Ledbetter's. Cokely is arrested, who denies attacking her. Scully tells Mulder that blood on the latest victim matches Cokely's. The agents visit Thibedeaux who describes the rape in the 1940s. Mulder notices a photo of her at the 1939 World's Fair featuring the Trylon and Perisphere. When pressed, she reveals that the rape resulted in a child, which she put up for adoption. The FBI tracks down the child, who turns out to have been BJ's father, causing Mulder to surmise that BJ is the killer and may be operating on genetic memories.
As the agents are on their way to intercept her, BJ attacks Thibedeaux, but stops when she sees the 'SISTER' scars on her chest. The agents find Thibedeaux after BJ has left, and head to Cokely's house, believing him to be her next target. BJ, who has already arrived, cuts Cokely's respirator and attacks him with a razor. When the agents arrive BJ attacks Mulder but when Cokely dies she stops. BJ is placed in Shamrock Women's Prison Psychiatric Ward where she is put on suicide watch after attempting to self-abort.
and James Wong
provided additional contributions to the script. The script was revised shortly before shooting, such as the scene where BJ attacks Mulder.
Morgan and Wong suggested casting Woodward as Harry Cokely, who had previously performed work for them on their series 21 Jump Street
. Actor Terry O'Quinn
later appeared as a different characters in the 1998 feature film
and the ninth season
episode "Trust No 1". He later had a recurring role as Peter Watts on the spin off
series Millennium
.
Chris Carter
said of the episode "I think it came out great, and the casting was terrific. Deborah Strang, who played B.J. was top notch, and we put her in for an Emmy nomination. Morgan Woodward was excellent as well. Rob Bowman came through for us and gave us an excellent job." Director Rob Bowman was proud of the sequence where BJ wakes up with blood on her chest and had high praise for Deborah Strang's performance.
of 10.2, with a 16 share. It was viewed by 9.7 million households.
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
. "Aubrey" features a detective discovering the body of an FBI agent who disappeared investigating a series of murders 50 years ago; murders that start occurring again soon afterward.
Plot
In Aubrey, MissouriMissouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
Detective BJ Morrow tells Lt. Brian Tillman (Terry O'Quinn
Terry O'Quinn
Terry O'Quinn is an American actor, most famous for playing John Locke on the TV series Lost. He made his debut in a 1980 television movie called F.D.R.: The Last Year. Since then, O'Quinn has had minor supporting roles in films and TV movies such as Young Guns, All the Right Moves, Silver Bullet,...
), whom she's having an affair with, that she's pregnant. He requests she meet him at a motel later that night. While waiting for him she has a vision that leads her to a field where she digs up the remains of an FBI agent. Agent Fox Mulder
Fox Mulder
FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
(David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
) and Dana Scully
Dana Scully
FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
(Gillian Anderson
Gillian Anderson
Gillian Leigh Anderson is an American actress.After beginning her career in theatre, Anderson achieved international recognition for her role as Special Agent Dana Scully on the American television series The X-Files. During the show's nine seasons, Anderson won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen...
) head to Aubrey to investigate. The remains are those of agent Sam Cheney, who was investigating three murders in Aubrey in 1942 with partner Sam Ledbetter, both of whom disappeared. The agents find discrepancies in BJ's story but Tillman defends her. Mulder tells Scully of the case the agents were investigating, which involved three women raped and murdered with the word 'SISTER' slashed on their chest. Discovering similar cuts on Cheney's chest the autopsy reveals it to spell 'BROTHER'. BJ admits her affair and pregnancy to Scully.
Tillman reveals that a new murder has occurred where a woman had the word 'SISTER' slashed on her chest. BJ claims to have seen the victim in her dreams. She tells the agents of her vision, involving a man with a rash on his face and a monument that Mulder recognizes as the Trylon and Perisphere from the 1939 New York World's Fair
1939 New York World's Fair
The 1939–40 New York World's Fair, which covered the of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park , was the second largest American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people...
. Searching old mug shot photos, BJ recognizes the man from her dream as Harry Cokely, who was arrested for raping a woman named Linda Thibedeaux and slashing 'SISTER' on her chest. Scully believes that BJ unconsciously recalled the case
Cryptomnesia
Cryptomnesia occurs when a forgotten memory returns without it being recognised as such by the subject, who believes it is something new and original...
since her father was a cop and may have discussed it. The agents visit Cokely, now out of prison and old and feeble, requiring an oxygen machine. Cokely insists he was at his home when the murder occurred.
BJ awakens from a nightmare covered in blood, the word 'SISTER' slashed into her chest. She sees a young Cokely in the mirror. She heads to a basement and tears away the floorboards, revealing a body within that is found to be Ledbetter's. Cokely is arrested, who denies attacking her. Scully tells Mulder that blood on the latest victim matches Cokely's. The agents visit Thibedeaux who describes the rape in the 1940s. Mulder notices a photo of her at the 1939 World's Fair featuring the Trylon and Perisphere. When pressed, she reveals that the rape resulted in a child, which she put up for adoption. The FBI tracks down the child, who turns out to have been BJ's father, causing Mulder to surmise that BJ is the killer and may be operating on genetic memories.
As the agents are on their way to intercept her, BJ attacks Thibedeaux, but stops when she sees the 'SISTER' scars on her chest. The agents find Thibedeaux after BJ has left, and head to Cokely's house, believing him to be her next target. BJ, who has already arrived, cuts Cokely's respirator and attacks him with a razor. When the agents arrive BJ attacks Mulder but when Cokely dies she stops. BJ is placed in Shamrock Women's Prison Psychiatric Ward where she is put on suicide watch after attempting to self-abort.
Production
Writer Sara Charno began with the concept of 50 year old murders and the transfer of genetic memory. This was combined with a separate concept about a female serial killer. Glen MorganGlen Morgan
Glen Morgan is an American television producer, writer, and director.-Biography:Morgan is best known for his screen work with long-time writing partner James Wong, including The X-Files, Millennium, Space: Above and Beyond, the Final Destination series, The One, Willard, and the 2006 remake of...
and James Wong
James Wong (producer)
James 'Jim' Wong is a Cantonese-American television producer, writer, and film director notable for his screen works of The X-Files, Space: Above and Beyond, Millennium, Final Destination 1 & 3, The One, and the remakes of Willard and Black Christmas along with writing partner Glen...
provided additional contributions to the script. The script was revised shortly before shooting, such as the scene where BJ attacks Mulder.
Morgan and Wong suggested casting Woodward as Harry Cokely, who had previously performed work for them on their series 21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street is an American police procedural crime drama television series that aired on the Fox Network from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focused on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in high schools,...
. Actor Terry O'Quinn
Terry O'Quinn
Terry O'Quinn is an American actor, most famous for playing John Locke on the TV series Lost. He made his debut in a 1980 television movie called F.D.R.: The Last Year. Since then, O'Quinn has had minor supporting roles in films and TV movies such as Young Guns, All the Right Moves, Silver Bullet,...
later appeared as a different characters in the 1998 feature film
The X-Files (film)
The X-Files is a 1998 American science fiction-thriller film written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz, and directed by Rob Bowman. It is the first feature film based on The X-Files series created by Carter that revolves around a fictional FBI paranormal investigation unit called the X-Files...
and the ninth season
The X-Files (season 9)
The ninth season of The X-Files commenced airing in the United States on November 11, 2001, concluded on May 19, 2002, and consists of twenty episodes. The X-Files is an American serial science fiction-horror-thriller television series. Season nine took place after Fox Mulder's leave after the...
episode "Trust No 1". He later had a recurring role as Peter Watts on the spin off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series Millennium
Millennium (TV series)
Millennium is an American television series created by Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files. Millennium aired on the Fox Network from 1996 to 1999. The series was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, though most episodes were ostensibly set in or around Seattle, Washington...
.
Chris Carter
Chris Carter (screenwriter)
Christopher Carl Carter is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. He is the creator of The X-Files and Millennium.- Ten Thirteen Productions :...
said of the episode "I think it came out great, and the casting was terrific. Deborah Strang, who played B.J. was top notch, and we put her in for an Emmy nomination. Morgan Woodward was excellent as well. Rob Bowman came through for us and gave us an excellent job." Director Rob Bowman was proud of the sequence where BJ wakes up with blood on her chest and had high praise for Deborah Strang's performance.
Reception
This episode earned a Nielsen household ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 10.2, with a 16 share. It was viewed by 9.7 million households.