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PLOT: While investigating a case in Cheney, Texas, involving two murdered victims who were exsanguinated, Mulder "overreacts" and kills a local teen whom he believes is a vampire responsible for the deaths.
This Vince Gilligan-crafted episode was an instant classic, where the 12th time watching is almost as fresh and funny as the first time. Gilligan likes focusing on the characters of Mulder and Scully, and he does an exemplary job in this episode. We see very closely how our favorite duo perceive each other and how strikingly different that perception truly is.
The events of their case in Cheney, Texas is first told by Scully. She recounts the events in her typical flowing, logical manner. However, she paints Mulder as overeager, cocky, inconsiderate of her feelings and just plain rude. He quickly dismisses her theories if they don't coincide with his and openly embarrasses her in front of Sheriff Hartwell.
Speaking of the sheriff, notice how Scully is instantly attracted to him as he is first mentioned. The music even has a "dreamy" quality to emphasize her obvious interest. How can she resist? The sheriff walks into the room with cowboy boots, a gunbelt and a Texas drawl as if he just came in from the Old West. Scully romanticizes the episode as any woman would. She obviously likes a handsome man who admires her intelligence and pays attention to her. In her view, she is lucky if Mulder notices what she's wearing. Scully even smiles to herself when the sheriff calls her "Ma'am" as he is leaving with Mulder.
It is also interesting that Scully shows Mulder as being overdramatic as possible. Normally, Mulder spews information out in an uninterested manner, as if he were reciting a dictionary. Yet, Scully views him as though he was on speed and raises his voice to make every point he says stand out even though it sounds ludicrous. ("Did you notice that the victim's *SHOES* are untied?") In one respect, Scully is emphasizing how much Mulder looks silly when he comes up with his wild theories and truly embellishes that fact in her version. She also recounts the humorous scene where Mulder is singing the theme song to "Shaft" when he was drugged.
Of course, Mulder has his chance to recount the events. In his version, Scully is a whiny, close-minded, nagging, pain-in-the-butt. She refuses to believe Mulder's explanation of "classic vampirism" and looks bored throughout most of his story.
Though Mulder's account is very similar in detail to Scully's, he reveals just how truly insecure he is. Notice the way he looks for approval from Scully as he was explaining the events in Cheney, Texas. The cool exterior he normally exhudes is not evident in his retelling. Even his encyclopedia-like knowledge of vampires sounds like he's trying to impress both Scully and Sheriff Hartwell.
Mulder's view of the sheriff is vastly different from Scully's version. In his version, the sheriff has buck teeth and the IQ level of a brick. We later find out that Scully's almost dreamy sheriff is closer to the real thing. Part of Mulder's exaggeration regarding the sheriff can be due to jealousy since he witnessed her obvious attraction to him. Also, after hearing Scully's version of the events, Mulder may have wanted himself to look better.
There were so many humorous situations in this episode without being blatantly funny: Mulder kicking the trashcan out of frustration; Scully fixing Mulder's tie; Mulder riding Ronny Strickland's coffin like a bucking bronco; Mulder making fun of Scully regarding her "Dana" reference with the sheriff; Scully looking like a hormonal teenager in Mulder's version; and we cannot forget the beginning of the episode when Mulder looks at the false teeth and says, "Oh, sh--."
As well-written and acted as "Bad Blood" was, the last ten minutes seemed like a downer compared to the rest of the episode. There were no explanations of where the vampires went, and it made no sense to spare Mulder's and Scully's life when the other two were killed. The ending appeared too contrite and needed to be fleshed out more.
However, Gilligan did craft a wonderful episode and received great performances out of David and Gillian. He focuses so much of his episodes with the characters of Mulder and Scully and their interaction with each other. At times, it can be overly romantic. Ironically, this episode showed a peek of what they would be like as a married couple. Anyone who has a significant other can get irritated with their partner's annoying behavior, but there is still a loyalty and trust between them. Scully still came to save Mulder, and he showed through his version how much he values Scully's acceptance of him, both professionally and personally. A great episode that is fresh and funny to watch the 12th time as well as the first time.
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