text: kitsunegari " kitsunegari " is the eighth episode of the fifth season of american science fiction television series the x - files . it was written by vince gilligan and tim minear , and directed by daniel sackheim . it aired in the united states on january 4 , 1998 on the fox network . " kitsunegari " earned a nielsen household rating of 11 . 6 , being watched by 19 . 75 million people in its initial broadcast . the episode received mixed reviews from television critics . 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 . mulder is a believer in the paranormal , while the skeptical scully has been assigned to debunk his work . in this episode , mulder and scully search for the infamous killer robert " pusher " modell ( robert wisden ) — a human with the ability to force his will onto others — after he escapes from prison . the agents soon discover that he is not their only concern ; he has a sister , and she is just as capable of mind - control as he is . " kitsunegari " serves as a sequel to the third season episode " pusher " . the episode 's title means " fox hunt " in japanese . minear 's original story for the episode was one where a convicted criminal who happened to be an atheist would have heard the voice of god , commanding him to kill a truly evil man . series creator frank spotnitz suggested that minear should use fan favorite robert modell . plot in lorton , virginia , robert patrick modell escapes from a prison hospital , after which the guard on duty says , " he had to go . " later , walter skinner ( mitch pileggi ) , dana scully ( gillian anderson ) , and fox mulder ( david duchovny ) arrive at the prison and learn that modell had suddenly woken up from his coma , induced by mulder , six months previously . scully worriedly asks mulder if he 's deliberately playing modell 's game again by heading the investigation . the agents learn from modell 's physical therapist that the little sisters of charity , who try to visit all the hospitalized inmates , have been seeing modell . modell calls the prison and talks to mulder , who refuses to listen . the call is traced to a sports shop in , virginia where a - bar wrapper is left on the counter . later , modell is holding a picture of a young woman in a house where a man is covered in cerulean blue paint . the agents identify the dead man as nathan bowman , who was the prosecutor at modell 's trial . " kitsunegari " , the japanese term for " fox hunt " , is written on the walls in blue paint . a paint smudge leads the agents to nathan 's wife linda , a realtor who has an appointment with a " mr. fox mulder " at a commercial property . modell uses his influence to affect the first two officers to arrive , but he is not found . when she arrives , linda tells the agents that her husband had talked about modell . mulder is confused , as modell 's actions do not fit his previous modus operandi . he investigates a nearby building , where he runs into modell . modell tries to get mulder to listen to him , and eventually breaks mulder 's resolve . mulder later tells scully that he does not believe modell is on another killing spree , and , after an odd interview with linda , believes she is the killer and has the same powers as modell . skinner suspends mulder , but mulder vows to prove his theory right . he talks with modell 's therapist again , who mentions that a nun from the little sisters of charity had called him a " conquered warrior " . on a hunch , mulder tries to show her a picture of linda . the phone rings and , after stating she is with mulder , she sticks her hand into a fuse box and is fatally electrocuted . at the fbi safe house , a police car arrives with modell . modell enters the room that linda is in and locks the door behind him . mulder tells scully the news of the therapist 's death and urges her to keep linda away from a phone . at the safe house , skinner finds linda 's room door locked . he kicks the door down to find modell and linda , with modell calmly saying that he has a gun . without hesitation , skinner shoots modell when he sees a gun in modell 's hand , but once he is on the ground skinner sees that his hand is curled into the shape of the gun . as modell is taken away on a stretcher , mulder arrives and thinks that modell forced skinner to shoot him on purpose in order to protect linda bowman . scully says that linda has been taken home , at which an annoyed mulder leaves to see modell in the hospital . a nurse enters the hospital room and tells mulder that she has to change the patient 's bandages . when mulder leaves , it is revealed that the nurse is actually linda bowman wearing a paper with " nurse " written on it . linda then talks modell 's heart into stopping . a nurse runs past mulder and he follows her into modell 's room , where modell is pronounced dead . mulder notices the " nurse " paper has " 214 channel avenue " on the back . that night , mulder visits the address and finds scully , pointing a gun at him and claiming to be controlled by linda ; she kills herself . mulder hears footsteps behind him and turns around to see linda bowman pointing a gun at him ; " linda " states personal information about mulder , revealing herself to indeed be scully despite what mulder sees . she fires a shot at a figure moving behind mulder , and he then sees scully in front of him , and a wounded linda behind him . in skinner 's office , linda bowman 's brain scan shows an advanced temporal lobe tumor , just like her fraternal twin , robert modell ; the two had been separated at birth . mulder has misgivings about nearly killing scully and feels that he ultimately lost linda 's game . production the episode was written by tim minear and vince gilligan , and directed by daniel sackheim . minear 's original idea for the episode involved a convicted criminal who happened to be an atheist . while in prison , he would have heard the voice of god , commanding him to kill a truly evil man , and then he would have suddenly found himself mystically transferred out of the prison . although the police would be after him , only mulder would believe he was working for the greater good . minear noted that " i pitched it and i was going to do it , eventually , until we found ourselves at a point in the year where we needed a script really fast . " executive producer frank spotnitz suggested to minear that the " convicted atheist " should actually be robert modell from the third season episode " pusher " . after this was decided , minear put aside the " word of god " story , as it was called , teamed up with gilligan , and the two wrote the final script . robert wisden , who had played the original role , was available for the episode . in addition to his appearance on the x - files , he had also appeared on the chris carter - created series millennium . diana scarwid was cast as modell 's sister . the body of nathan bowman , linda 's husband , was created by drenching an in - house dummy with the correct shade of paint . the scenes filmed to look as if they were at the lorton penitentiary cafeteria were actually filmed at a former hospital storage facility . in order to dress the set , the structure had to be completely cleared of debris and garbage ; this required that several old pump housings be " into smithereens " . the episode 's title , " kitsunegari " ( ) is the japanese term for " fox hunting " . the series hired two japanese translators to yield a proper translation of the phrase , due to the fact that " fox hunting " is not readily rendered in japanese . reception " kitsunegari " premiered on the fox network in the united states on january 4 , 1998 . this episode earned a nielsen rating of 11 . 6 , with a 17 share , meaning that roughly 11 . 6 percent of all television - equipped households , and 17 percent of households watching television , were tuned in to the episode . it was viewed by 19 . 75 million viewers . the episode received mixed reviews from television critics . robert shearman and lars pearson , in their book wanting to believe : a critical guide to the x - files , millennium & the lone gunmen , rated the episode three - and - a - half stars out of five . the two wrote that , while " it lacks vince gilligan 's trademark wit " , the episode takes the plot threads started in " pusher " to their " logical conclusions " . shearman and pearson explained that the episode 's acting , most notably that of robert wisden and diana scarwid , " helps raise ' kitsunegari ' above the average . " zack handlen from the a.v. club gave the episode a mixed review and awarded it a c + . he wrote that , despite his love for " pusher " , " ' kitsunegari ' isn 't anywhere near as good as its predecessor " . handlen cited the change in modell 's personality , his lack of a desire to kill , and scully 's portrayal as a " humorless scold who only sees the truth when required to for narrative convenience " as reasons why the episode was weak . he concluded that " kitsunegari " was " not very well put together " . john keegan from critical myth gave the episode a largely negative review and awarded it a 4 out of 10 . he wrote , " overall , this episode was a disappointing sequel to one of the most popular episodes of the series . bringing back modell for this story was an ill - advised attempt to capitalize on impressions of continuity , especially since the character aspects of ' pusher ' were completely absent this time around . it 's hard to believe that vince and tim , both strong writers on their own , were responsible for this material . " paula vitaris from cinefantastique gave the episode a mixed review and awarded it two stars out of four . she called the entry " tame " compared to its original , although she understood the show 's desire to write a sequel . vitaris also criticized the fact that modell never murdered anyone and called the episode 's basic plot " cheesy " . she did , however , compliment several of the episode 's set pieces , such as " nathan bowman covered in cerulean blue paint " — which she called " striking " — and the scene wherein " linda stops the heart of the suffering modell " , calling the latter " performed . "