Looking back at it, it's surprising how many X-Files guest stars would go on to feature prominently in the Saw film series. First up: Shawnee Smith, one of Jigsaw's original victims in the films, who would go on to become a disciple of the killer as the horror franchise progressed. She appeared as the doomed girlfriend of brilliant scientist Daniel Trepkos (Bradley Whitford) in the second season episode Firewalker, which returned to the theme of isolation and parasitic organisms explored in Ice, but added the idea of a singular pursuit for the truth leading to madness. In the case of Trepkos, his work to explore a volcano leads to a new life form which he begins to obsess over, causing him to lose his lover in the process. This parallels Mulder and Scully quite wonderfully in retrospect. As the doomed lover, a young Smith is particularly effective, and her eventual end rather gruesome. It's a better episode in hindsight than it was given credit for at the time, regardless of similarities to earlier outings like Ice and Darkness Falls.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
