The X-Files (TV Series) Red Museum (1994) User Reviews

I would say this is an underrated gem.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 27 September 2020]

Are members of a bizarre cult taking teenagers, drugging them, doing things to them, and putting them into the woods half naked?

I liked this episode very much, it felt very different to any other episode. Yes it's an X File, but it's a case with a little bit of truth behind it, there has been concern for many years over what kind of treatments and drugs cattle are given, and subsequently the effect those have on people.

It's 26 years later, and the debate still goes on..

Only downside, I thought that the cult were a little bit overdone, they could have toned them down a fraction, and made them a little less.....alien.

Good episode for Mulder and Scully as a solid duo, we are back on track. I would have liked to have known more about the cleaner.

A very good episode with lots of interest, 8/10.

Clay's BBQ Ribs- Finger Lickin' Good!

[Muldernscully · 8/10 · 24 April 2006]

Rumor has it that Red Museum was just going to be a monster-of-the-week episode. Certain things fell through, though, and some myth/arc elements were added to flesh out the episode. So Red Museum is a unique episode that stands by itself but has a little bit of the mythology in it. It's a really good episode that sees the return of Deep Throat's killer. Red Museum does a good job of misdirection. Unfortunately I can't elaborate on it, because that would spoil the episode. The resolution with the crew-cut man, Deep Throat's killer, is a bit disappointing. I was left wanting for a little bit more. I really like the story and the mysterious "S/he is one" that was written on the backs of the victims. It's funny to see Mulder and Scully hunkering down over a set of dripping barbecue ribs. You don't see them eating a whole lot in the series. It seems like it's humorous when they do show it. You don't need to have seen 'The Erlenmeyer Flask' to enjoy this episode, but viewing it beforehand will help you understand Red Museum more.

Banjos and beef

[westside-surfer · 8/10 · 9 August 2014]

I can't get enough of X-files in Hickville. It's the perfect combination: ultra-intelligent aliens with country bumpkins. The writers really cranked up the creepiness in this episode. Teens are found wandering around in the woods with mysterious messages on their backs. Meanwhile, a stranger is spying on a family through a peephole inside their house. That's some twisted stuff.

A cult of vegetarians exists in the middle of beef town. The writers excellently portrayed the bigotry against them, which exemplified the fear of the unknown. The cult could have been better utilized, so much potential for additional weirdness.

Towards the end the story begins tripping over its shoelaces. Various aspects are left unexplained by plot holes rather than authentic mystery. Luckily, the episode's strong feeling and great acting make the few story glitches entirely forgivable.

A unique episode- a standalone with a mythology tie-in

[ametaphysicalshark · 25 November 2008]

"Red Museum" is a unique episode in that it is structured like and feels like a standalone 'monster of the week' episode (small town+creepy elements=Mulder and Scully investigation) but has a mythology tie-in that comes late in the episode with Deep Throat's killer.

It's also a very, very good episode. I used to think that this script was all over the place, and that it had too many elements that were brought together too fast at the end. I mean, half-way through this episode you could be forgiven for calling it the "Brand X" of beef. In some ways it still is, but the focus of the episode changes. Still, upon this viewing I found a lot to appreciate in Chris Carter's script- it's intelligent, paranoid as the best of the X-Files tends to be, and creates a genuinely detailed and effective portrait of this small town in just 45 minutes.

"Red Museum" is atmospheric and creepy enough, the acting's good for everyone, the mythology tie-in is handled very well, and the script is strong. The general fan reaction to this episode seems to be 'meh, it's okay' or 'it's good', but I'd go a step further and say that this is an excellent episode, and very enjoyable.

8.5/10

Ommm...

[bombersflyup · 10/10 · 13 August 2020]

In Red Museum Mulder and Scully are called in to investigate, after several of the town's teens have appeared after a night in the woods, in their underwear with writing on their back. The Sheriff believes a local cult to be behind it.

A brilliantly creepy, heated and well constructed singular myth-arc episode, that I believe to be sorely overlooked. The pedo-perv is the one kidnapping the teens and writing he/she is one on their backs, shining a light on himself in exposing the information. The Cleaner's the one killing, trying to remove all evidence of the doctor's test subjects. Mulder wants the Cleaner alive, but the Sheriff shoots him in anger of the loss of his son. However they have everything they could possibly get, with many test subjects alive, the Alien DNA inoculation evidence and the body of Deep Throat's killer. The episode's among the upper echelon of the series in my opinion, without having the most memorable moments. Quality appearances by all involved.

Unexpected Mytharc in a MOTW

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 30 March 2012]

This is almost like an episode of Fringe - That show does a lot of mixing Mytharc Eps into the MOTW eps. They do it in that show probably because they do not know if they'll get Nine seasons to tell their story with, like The X-Files had. This is the age of Reality TV and CSI.

But this was The X-Files second Season, and going strong. X-Files T-Shirts were appearing. Conventions were happening. Comic Books were being written and collected, Topps collectors cards, etc.

This is my day to review the creepier X-Files eps. Mulder and Skully visit a town where there is a "Red Museum" - A town that produces a lot of Beef, and right in the middle of this is a religious Cult that eat no meat and protect Cows, who have bought a Ranch and saved all of the cows.

What is interesting, are the concerns of the Cult - Which are expounded on by Mark Rolston ("Richard Odin") - We learn later are the concerns of this episode. We just haven't been told yet. And so, it gives the Cult just a slight air of Prophecy.

The Red Museum Church is being blamed for Kidnapping teenagers and imprinting them with the words "She is One" or "He is One" - Leaving the kids in a deranged state due to the use of Scopalomine. But in the end, The Red Museum proves to be a viable and valuable member of the Community.

There is a lot of tension between the Cultees and the Townees. It is like a veritable Stew-Pot is going to boil over, real soon unless Mulder and Skully can figure out what the blazes is going on.

The interesting thing, is the connection between this episode and "The Erlenmeyer Flask" - Which is dumped on us at the very end of the 'sode.

Great Writing, if only more eps were like this - But if they had done it that way, The X-Files would have run out of story in 4 years rather than 9. So we'll just accept this one unique MOTW-Arc episode available now at Your Local Red Museum©

I liked was the pedophile-theme

[SleepTight666 · 7/10 · 20 July 2008]

Another pretty good episode, and not as slow moving as most of Season 1's mythology. I also like the fact that the Mythology was very different than it had been until now.

Another thing I liked was the pedophile-theme. It was maturely written and even though the guy who filmed those boys was a creep, I thought he was well acted and felt somewhat of a sympathy towards him. What I didn't understand is whether he raped the kids he kidnapped or not. I'm sure that they were in their underpants for a reason.

as much as I enjoy it, this episode is one of the most forgettable ones of the second season. best scene for me was when the kidnapped girl was hallucinating in the woods. Pretty surreal and creepy. Also liked the plane crash scene a lot.

I'm giving this episode THREE stars.

Purity Control Strikes Again

[devonbrown-90649 · 9/10 · 14 April 2023]

Loved this episode as it answers some questions around the motive of the deep throats death and what he was using mulder to try and prevent.

Deep throat foreshadowed this episode in the Erlemeyer episode by mentioning to mulder "these are the types of people to test alien substances on kids"(paraphrased). This helps us to understand what deep throat risked his life for.

The Church of the Red museum people were abit out of place this episode. Their reason for being there was to see what would happen to the people who didn't eat the meat apparently. Nevertheless they gave the town some good contrast and help develop the story.

The pervert who kidnapped the kids was a weird addition nevertheless he was a critical element of exposing the true nature of the town and the evil hand the doctor had to play in it all.

Overall this was a great episode with lots of different routes to work from that would have led to the same road.

"Kind of hard to tell the villains without a scorecard."

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 27 May 2017]

The better title for this episode might have been 'Red Herring'. The whole business with the vegetarian Red Museum cult really didn't figure at all in the resolution of the story, but was wrapped around the X-Files mythology arc in a curious way. There was no explanation given either, for the mysterious 'He is One'/'She is One' marking on the abducted teens, unless one wishes to consider the mad Doctor Larson's attempt to throw authorities off the track for his experimental, alien DNA treatments on the young high schoolers. I thought it was cool the way the story utilized the character of 'The Cleaner' (Lindsey Ginter) in the story, however anyone who could have gotten close enough to Deep Throat to put him away should have been able to avoid getting snuffed this early in the series. One would think think that a comic book treatment for the death of a principal character would eventually figure into all this, but for that, one would have to hang around for a long while and wind up disappointed.

Haven't seen anyone recognize Pepper Keenan's vocal cameo

[kirkh-26247 · 10/10 · 30 August 2021]

About 31 minutes into the episode (sans commercials of course), we find the two teen males hanging out in a chester-van. Playing on the radio is some song that I've not been able to identify, but it's definitely one Pepper Keenan's voice, so I'm assuming it's Corrosion of Conformity. Back in 94 they only had 1 album released and they released their 2nd sometime during that year. You can only hear part of the song, and haven't been able to figure out which song it is. The song sounds more like something off of Deliverance which is the newer one.

I went through all the lyrics for the songs that were released before 94 and came up with nothing. I can clearly hear some of the words, enough that a string search should have found something, but no luck.

If anyone knows the answer to this, they should post it on here as some useless but interesting trivia.

Exploding animal is not fun!

[CursedChico · 1/10 · 25 October 2020]

They are eating meat in restaurant. Scully and mulder and they say about how meat is delicious, why the church people dont eat!

There are things more important than eating delicious things! The church has belief, had chosen not to harm animals.

Despite they still exploid animals by taking their milk.

Being vegan is only way not to use animals.

Now, if i come to write about episode again, I like the episode except the scenes including animal murders etc.

In the end, the church people took the children despite it was against their belifes. This is very important. Because they respect lifes and they helped lifes again. I hope they can unite again somehow and spread veganism.

The killer guy was alone. It does not make sense. He is a hitman of such a strong organisation but he is alone.

And he killed someone in the some farm area but noone cared or we did not see anything. There was a witness also. Saw the car approaching the guy who was killed. What happened there, i dont know.

And growth hormone and other injections given to animals are going to humans who eat those, so people get lots of harmful things also by eating meat :)

They who slaughter the flesh, slaughter their own souls, and must be taught the way.

[alexandercappelli · 3 October 2015]

"They who slaughter the flesh, slaughter their own souls, and must be taught the way." - Richard Odin.

Episode 10, 'Red Museum', original air date December 9th, 1994. Written by Chris Carter, directed by Win Phelps. Mythology episode count, 11. This episode appears at first to be a Monster of the Week until it shifts gear mid-way and ends up tying in to the mythology arc by making reference to season 1 finale, 'The Erlenmeyer Flask'. Carter's script is directed by one time contributor to the show, Win Phelps, and together they manage to deliver a creepy thriller which upon initial viewing can appear somewhat convoluted. However, after revisiting the episode I tend to disagree with the generally unfavourable reviews and argue that while there are certainly many elements to the plot, it's easy enough to follow if you can keep up with the pace.

Teenagers are going missing in a small town and re-appearing, scared and disoriented, stripped to their underwear with the words 'He/She Is One' written across their backs. It's a disturbing and mysterious image that grabs the audience from the opening scene. Mulder and Scully are investigating the presumed kidnappings with the help of local sheriff Mazeroski (Steve Eastin). Mazeroski is convinced that the perpetrator of these crimes is the leader of a religious cult known as the 'Church of the Red Museum', Richard Odin (Mark Rolston). While this group of religious vegetarians certainly appear strange in their white cloaks and red turbans, they are simply misunderstood and wrongly accused. Thanks to a toxicology report from one of the victims, Scully learns that the teenagers have all been injected with what appears to be 'Purity Control'. The government has been working with a local doctor, Jerrold Larson, to conduct human tests in order to study the effects of injecting alien DNA in to the teenagers. A peeping tom who was involved in this experiment has been kidnapping these teenagers and marking them in a bizarre attempt to expose the purity control tests. Meanwhile a figure known as 'The Crew Cut Man' (in 'The Erlenymeyer Flask') and credited here as 'The Cleaner', has been sent to destroy all evidence that could expose his employers. Scully recognises him as the same man who shot and killed Deep Throat and the episode ends with a tense one on one fight between Mulder and The Cleaner which results in his death.

While this episode doesn't offer any significant hard evidence to support Mulder's theory regarding Purity Control, it still offers another alluring glimpse in to this shady conspiracy. Mark Rolston is always convincing at portraying someone who doesn't seem quite right and he's almost wasted in this episode as his engaging performance could have been utilised more. As it stands though, due to the high number of components that are packed in to this episode it would be difficult to see where exactly they could have fit this in. Carter's script highlights the idea of fear of the unknown, particularly in small towns, and the paranoia that follows when presented with something that's difficult to understand without delving below the surface. Despite their appearance the members of the Red Museum Church are in fact harmless and keep to themselves. Though in this small town it's difficult for the community to accept their belief system and the fact that they don't appear to follow the social norms, they are met with undeserved bigotry and judgement. Carter's scripts always contain a broader theme or message and this is the idea he's trying to get across this time.

Writer/Producer Glen Morgan disliked the treatment of 'The Crew Cut Man', feeling that his death scene was glossed over and not afforded the time it deserved. Considering this is the man who killed Deep Throat, who was such an integral component to the mythology, I agree that he could have been given some more screen time to develop his character a little more and I always half expected his return in later episodes. A gripe I could have with the episode is the lack of explanation for why the peeping tom was filming that particular family. At first it seems as though he's simply a psychologically disturbed paedophile but it's also possible that he was studying the boy in regards to the effect the alien DNA was having on him. At the same time though, it's not so bad to leave some things unsaid or unexplained. As I've said previously, if one where to nit pick every unexplained moment on the X-Files they would quickly develop a rather long list. Mystery is an integral part of the show and from another perspective we could ask the question, is it enjoyable to have all the answers laid out in front of you as clear as day? Or does a certain degree of mystery actually serve to draw us deeper in to this fictional world, strengthening our desire for more.

Red Museum and music query answered

[jwalsh30 · 8/10 · 3 April 2022]

I always preferred the stand alone. This one is all over the place but still good.

Wisconsin setting explained by having a cow connection.

To kirkh-26247...the music is Bad Medicine by God's Children.

Would have been cool to see a Picket Fences crossover.

He Is One

[Sanpaco13 · 10/10 · 20 July 2008]

Red Museum the Limerick:

"He is one" written onto a boy

By a man who once lent him his toys

Others kidnapped

Until one gets capped

And Scully uncovers the syndicate ploy.

I always forget just how much I LOVE this episode but I do. This is one of the best mythology episodes of the entire series. I think what I like about it so much is how it is sprung on you. The episode appears to be something completely different until about halfway through when Scully discovers the link to Purity Control and recognizes the syndicate's hit-man. The episode just has a very smooth flow despite the twists and turns that occur about every 5-10 minutes. It brings elements of creepy stalker guy with creepy diaper head occult with the same conspiracy theory elements that come from non mythology episodes as well as suddenly throwing in the alien conspiracy at the end. Another great thing about the episode is the idea of the walk ins that Mulder brings up early on. It makes me wonder if Chris Carter knew all along that Samantha's story would eventually wrap up as a walk in and this episode was early foreshadowing. It is the Church of the Red Museum that believes the walk in philosophy and it is the same philosophy that I reference in my review of Sein und Zeit. This is the perfect X-Files episode. 10 out of 10.

Adventures in Cattle country

[thebigeasy555 · 8/10 · 26 April 2006]

This is another archetypal x-files episode.Combining an interesting story,solid acting with a neat twist you will be enjoying a fantastic episode. Young adults are being abducted and drugged.they turn up later in a state of confusion and being branded as "he/she is one".A local cult led by an eccentric figure who regards meat eaters as primitive cannibals are immediately blamed for the abductions. However as the agents investigate deeper a web of government deceit and lies is apparent.It is revealed the government has been carrying out secret tests on the town's children with the help of a local corrupt doctor who dies in a plane crash after fleeing the town.

A lone operative has been sent in to remove all evidence of government involvement.He is successful until Mulder tracks him down to the meat plant. the episode culminates in the shooting of the government operative by the local sheriff who's own son was a victim of this shady characters actions.A highly charged emotional moment.

Overall an episode of high quality

They got something right...

[Shiryu05 · 8/10 · 4 July 2022]

We know rBST is a dangerous hormone extensively used in animal agriculture. We know FDA approval is rubbish considering they've approved stuff like Aspartame - a known cancer-causing agent. We know that killing sentients for food in this day and age is simply wrong, and that tradition and culture must adapt and evolve to the current age and needs. The X-files may be almost 30 years old but once you get past the effects and get to the core of an episode like this, it sheds a great deal of light on what is happening in the world around us. Do we care? We should!

Smilie's tantra

[chaos-rampant · 10 June 2013]

In narrative terms X-files has been an astounding failure so far; twenty-something episodes, nearly twenty hours of narrative time, and we basically know that Mulder lost his sister and wants to believe, and Scully lost her father and is sceptical.

It boggles the mind that we're only at around this time beginning to know a third character outside the two with any dimension at all, Skinner.

It boggles the mind that in place of sketching a broader world for the main couple, we've chased around the dumbest monsters for episode after episode. That Scully keeps asserting logical explanations in spite of the many encounters she's had, that we've seen vampires, ghosts, werewolves and alien hybrids and the show hilariously still tries to entertain some ambiguity.

Here, perhaps for the first time we have something of what the show may have been in capable hands. It's all in the prologue—a baffling disappearance and discovery, with someone watching from behind a mirror, responsible for some part of it but we're not sure which. I don't mind that we go on to stitch on that the usual 'secret experiment' and 'government cover-up' plots, because pieces of the larger narrative just fall from the sky as in a film noir.

But we actually seen nothing extraordinary, we are small pawns tossed about in a larger game of control. Hints of broader mystery. Why was the man watching, filming? This is never addressed in its sexual dimension, which only adds. Both leads in the show are so asexual, it is something they'd overlook. It is a powerful causality outside the detective plot, the disappearances linked to secret experiments linked to secret watching each one generating the next level because there is so much pent-up energy in the gears of this world.