Blood (The X-Files)

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.

Sheriff Spencer (John Cygan) explains that the suspect murdered four people from the elevator with his bare hands; his rampage ended when he was shot by a security guard.

Meanwhile, Bonnie McRoberts, another Franklin resident, drops by a repair shop to pick up her car, where a message on an engine diagnostic display warns her that the mechanic is going to rape her.

Scully performs an autopsy on McRoberts' body and discovers signs of phobia including high levels of adrenaline and the same substance found on the elevator killer.

Mulder deduces that blood is Ed's phobia and that he has seen the subliminal messages, and an empty rifle case signals that Funsch is going to act on his paranoia.

Mulder makes a call to Scully to tell her the investigation has been resolved, but sees the message "ALL DONE" followed by "BYE-BYE" suddenly appear on his cell phone display.

[3] After series creator Chris Carter expressed his desire to feature a story revolving around digital readouts,[4] Morgan and Wong decided to combine their disparate influences with the digital readout idea, eventually producing a script that turned "new technolog[ies]" (e.g. fax machines and cellular phones") into something "scary.

[6] The episode features the second appearance of The Lone Gunmen, a trio of conspiracy theorists consisting of John Fitzgerald Byers (Bruce Harwood), Richard Langly (Dean Haglund) and Melvin Frohike (Tom Braidwood).

[7] The three were initially slated to appear in only one episode, but they were brought back as recurring characters starting with "Blood" due to their popularity with fans of the show online.

[8] The episode also guest stars pornographic actress Ashlyn Gere, who plays Bonnie McRoberts, the woman driven to attack Mulder after seeing a subliminal message on her microwave.

He described it as "a memorable episode, due in no small part to its humor", praising the "simultaneously absurd and frightening" story with scenes that make the viewer "snicker even as you shudder".

[12] In addition, Handlen praised William Sanderson's performance, as well as the ending, calling it "the punchline [...] of Mulder's deepest fears, a group [The Syndicate] so secret that you never be sure they exist at all".

[12] Starpulse named the episode the tenth best of the series, defining it as "very creepy" and what turned The X-Files "from a mere creepfest to a show that offered real psychological thrills".

[13] Robert Shearman, in his book Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen, rated the episode three stars out of five.