The X-Files season 11: War is a monster-making machine

In The X-Files, soldiers deal with trauma and hope. There are also plenty of gory scenes and ominous monsters in “Kitten,” the latest episode of the series

As an episode, “Kitten” was a decent enough entry in The X-Files canon, though maybe not one you’re bound to return to over and over. Still, it had good moments and interesting acting from Haley Joel Osment and Mitch Pileggi as Skinner. Perhaps more importantly, it touched on some very real issues that transcended shaggy monsters.

“Kitten” speaks to the problems with war and a military industrial complex that takes in people and then uses them for its own ends. If those people somehow survive a violent guerrilla war far from their own homes, they are more likely than not faced with lack of care once they return.

Savvy viewers may also know already that some projects mentioned by Mulder are very real. Project MKUltra was a very real CIA program that used human subjects in an attempt to develop mind control powers. It was officially okayed by the U.S. government in 1953 and ran full force for over a decade. MKUltra didn’t officially close until 1973.

Other programs, like Project BLUEBIRD and Project ARTICHOKE, specifically studied the use of mind-altering chemicals to interrogate people. So, when Mulder speaks of government control, remember that there is sometimes a real-world precedent to his stances, no matter how much Scully rolls her eyes.

THE X-FILES: L-R: Guest star Haley Joel Osment and Mitch Pileggi in the “Kitten” episode of THE X-FILES airing Wednesday, Feb. 7 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2018 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Shane Harvey/FOX

Complicated patriotism

This isn’t all meant to be some variety of rah-rah patriotism, in the vein of a “support the troops” bumper sticker. Neither is it the kind of useless head-shaking rhetoric you might read on your woke cousin’s Facebook wall. The reality is far more complicated. John, for example, was very definitely wronged by his government.

However, he also murdered innocent people. Thankfully, “Kitten” isn’t willing to give us easy answers. Neither should we led Skinner off the hook for not supporting his friend. Lines like “I was just following orders” sure aren’t a good look on him, anyway.

Even without all of the talk of chemtrails and conspiracies, it’s easy to see how the United States failed veterans and Vietnam veterans in particular. John could just have easily been a draftee who was shattered by the horror of his military service — no hallucinogenic gases required. A brief dip into the on-the-ground experiences of soldiers and civilians in Vietnam should be plenty to convince you.

Perhaps that’s why “Kitten” was relatively light on the paranormal themes. We catch a few brief glimpses of people morphing into a kind of horse skull creature. Of course, that could be easily explained as hallucinations.

People also lose teeth and run around in dark woods bristling with punji sticks, but that’s very possible. Traps utilizing punji sticks were a feature of guerrilla warfare in Vietnam. Meanwhile, during parts of the 20th century, the U.S. government went gaga for pesticides we now understand to be harmful, like DDT.

What to do with rage and despair

That’s quite a lot for anyone to deal with. But how do you manage the distrust and fear when you are a member of the U.S. Armed Forces? What if your government and its people — the one you risk your life to defend — is also stabbing you in the back?

You could be like John, for one. It’s made abundantly clear that war and government experimentation has turned him into a monster. In a way, war is a monster-generating complex or an infectious syndrome. John takes that home with him. Though he is “quarantined” in a mental institution, he still infects his own son with rage and madness.

Perhaps you can stuff that horror and despair deep down into your psyche, like Skinner. Outwardly, he is functional, even successful. For all that Kirsh complains about Skinner’s stalled career, there still aren’t many of us that can make it up to Assistant Director for the FBI.

When confronted with John’s fate, however, Skinner doesn’t move back towards the naive patriotism of his younger days. Rather, he seems to be more focused on an internal moral compass. Perhaps he learned that most from Mulder and Scully, who have continued to fight against huge, seemingly impassable government forces.

Next: The X-Files season 11 episode 6 recap and review: Kitten

“I intend to do right by this man,” Skinner says of the damaged, murderous John. “No matter the cost.” Better late than never, I suppose.

Now, there’s always room for another cycle of mistrust and betrayal. This is a long-running television show, after all. Still, it’s good to see Skinner on the right side of things again. The presence of the evil Cigarette Smoking Man in his office doesn’t hold quite the same punch after this episode.

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