The episode that broke The X-Files worldwide, and the third episode of season one, Squeeze is still a fan favourite today, and with good reason. Even with the less-than-perfect sequel episode, Tooms occurring later in the season, Squeeze still remains as one of the high water marks of horror in the shows impressive history. Focusing on the investigation into the locked-room murder of a businessman in Baltimore, the FBI are stumped until, asked for help, the dynamic duo of Mulder and Scully step in. Actually, this is before any real dynamism to their partnership the episode is also remembered as being one of the first occasions where the skeptical Scully chooses to side with the believer Mulder, despite the derision of her colleagues. Eventually finding that the evidence points to the killer having committed similar crimes in 1963 and 1933 at thirty year intervals Mulder posits a genetic mutant, capable of squeezing through narrow spaces to claim his victims. Eugene Tooms is their man, played with a blankly reptilian flair by Doug Hutchison. After their investigations bring them to his attention, Tooms targets Scully as his fifth and final victim before hibernating for the next thirty years, but is captured. But weve already seen what he can do, when he killed two previous victims that episode. Squeezing and stretching his way down chimneys and along air vents like a human python, yellow eyes glittering, Tooms is terrifying.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
