|
"War of the Coprophages" is the twelfth episode of the third season of the science fiction television series ''The X-Files''. It premiered on the Fox network on January 5, 1996. It was written by Darin Morgan, and directed by Kim Manners. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, a stand-alone plot which is unconnected to the series' wider mythology. "War of the Coprophages" earned a Nielsen household rating of 10.1, being watched by 16.32 million people in its initial broadcast. The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised its humorous tone. The show centers on FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. In this episode, Mulder investigates a small town plagued by deaths in which the bodies are found covered in cockroaches. Working from home, Scully has scientific explanations for all of them, but Mulder—at the crime scene with an attractive bug expert—suspects the insects may not be organic, or earthly. "War of the Coprophages" was Darin Morgan's third episode, after the second season episode "Humbug" and season three's "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose". In order to achieve the effect of a cockroach infestation, the show used around three hundred cockroaches for the episode in addition to extremely detailed rubber cockroach props and "piles and piles" of faux-dung. The episode's title is a reference to the famous novel ''The War of the Worlds'' by H.G. Wells, as well as its 1938 radio adaptation by Orson Welles. The character Dr. Berenbaum is named for entomologist May Berenbaum. == Plot == In Miller's Grove, Massachusetts, an exterminator inspects the basement of Dr. Jeff Eckerle, having been hired to eradicate a cockroach infestation. The exterminator sprays a roach, knocks it down to the ground, and attempts to crush it underfoot. However, upon doing so, he begins to succumb to anaphylaxis, clutching his heart and collapsing against a wall, while the roach crawls out from under his boot, unscathed. When Eckerle returns, he finds the exterminator's body covered with roaches. Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) is coincidentally nearby, investigating reported UFO sightings in Miller's Grove. While on the phone with Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), Mulder is approached by the local sheriff, Frass, who reveals that a series of "roach attacks" have taken place in the town. Frass allows Mulder onto the scene at Eckerle's residence. Elsewhere in town, a trio of teenagers drink beer and huff fumes generated from heated manure (see jenkem). One of them sees a roach crawl into an open wound on his wrist, and in an attempt to extricate the insect, he begins to frantically slice his skin with a razor, leading him to sever an artery and ultimately bleed to death. At the scene, Mulder talks over the phone with Scully, who explains that it's likely a case of drug-induced delusional parasitosis, though Mulder finds a cockroach on the underside of a piece of furniture, indicating that roaches were at least present. When he attempts to capture it for analysis, the insect crumbles in his hand and the sharp pieces cut his fingers in the process, leading him to believe that the brittle casing was made of metal--a belief that is eventually confirmed. Sheriff Frass purports that the government, under the guise of the USDA, has been breeding killer cockroaches in a nearby facility. Immediately afterwards, the medical examiner is found dead in a bathroom stall, initially covered with cockroaches that disappear from the scene before more than one person can witness them. Scully attributes the medical examiner's death to a cerebral aneurysm induced by overstraining. Mulder and Sheriff Frass find a seemingly dead cockroach on a sink in the bathroom, and Mulder again attempts to capture it (albeit more gingerly this time), but it proves to be alive and escapes down the drain. Mulder goes to investigate the facility Sheriff Frass mentioned. Before breaking in, he and Scully discuss the odd behavior of the roaches, with Scully hypothesizing that the roaches could be an invasive species. Inside the facility, which resembles a typical house, Mulder sees the walls rippling and is quickly surrounded by roaches. He is then confronted by Dr. Bambi Berenbaum, a researcher from the Department of Agriculture who is studying cockroaches to develop more effective methods of pest control. Berenbaum has great interest in insects and, incidentally, believes that some UFOs are actually insect swarms flying through electrically charged airspaces. Yet another death occurs in Mulder's hotel, with the individual being found covered in roaches that quickly flee. At this point, Mulder believes that the individual simply died of fright, though Scully begins to wonder what is going on and decides to head up there herself. Mulder brings a cockroach from the hotel room to Berenbaum, who thinks it may be mechanical. Mulder then visits the nearby Dr. Ivanov, a wheelchair-bound scientist who works on insect-like robots. The two discuss the possibility that extraterrestrial intelligences could send robotic probes to study other planets. After inspecting the Mulder's specimen, Ivanov is rendered speechless; he informs Mulder that the specimen is, technology-wise, vastly superior to anything he's ever seen. Scully arrives in the town at a convenience store, finding the residents succumbing to panic over the roaches. She unsuccessfully attempts to calm the people down, and the store is looted. Mulder catches another roach to bring to Berenbaum, but this time, she concludes that it is a seemingly normal cockroach. Scully finds out that Eckerle was researching dung-derived methane as an alternative fuel source, and had been importing animal dung that may have introduced the roaches to the area. Upon hearing this, Mulder speculates that the roaches are actually extraterrestrial robotic probes that are capable of consuming dung--an abundant resource already exploited by some species of roaches--to generate methane as a source of fuel. Mulder goes with Berenbaum to see Eckerle at his facility. He finds Eckerle in a hysterical, paranoid state, having been unable to escape the roaches that he feels are following him. Eckerle pulls a gun on Mulder, thinking that even he may somehow be a cockroach. Scully arrives on the scene and meets Berenbaum. She calls Mulder, and when Mulder's phone rings, Eckerle believes it to be Mulder making a tone like the rest of the unusual roaches. Eckerle fires at Mulder, and his shots rupture and ignite pipes containing methane gas. The agents flee, and the facility explodes with Eckerle still inside. The next day, Dr. Ivanov arrives to talk with Mulder at the scene of the explosion and meets Berenbaum. The two leave with one another, discussing their interests in insects and robots. That night Mulder writes his report on the case, wondering how humanity would react if insect-like robots visited Earth. Mulder finds a bizarre looking bug by his food, and crushes it with an X-File.〔Lowry, pp. 141–144〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「War of the Coprophages」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|