(Courtesy of Shane Harvey/FOX)
Returning from break and before the final three episodes, Fox continues The X-Files: Season 11 with an action-packed, experimental, and almost dialogue-free Episode 7: Rm9sbG93ZXJz. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson return as the iconic FBI Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.
An Artificial Intelligence was programmed itself to learn human behavior through social media. After modifying itself, the AI soon grew distant, cynical, and became more of a human troll. The AI soon became dominant and spread itself over into the human world like a virus.
At a smart restaurant, Mulder and Scully are picking out their sushi dinner through a touch screen. The two become focused on their cell phones, rather than speaking to each other. When their food arrives, Mulder isn’t too happy and mocks his appetite with a hilarious selfie.
Realizing there are no waitresses and customers, Mulder heads to the kitchen and finds the robots in the midst of cooking the next reservations. With the robot’s red eyes staring back at him, Mulder walks out of the kitchen and back to Scully. Mulder decides to pay the check and not leave a tip.
Unfortunately, the AI isn’t too happy with no tip and refuses to give up Mulder’s credit card. After Mulder strikes at the table many times, forcing the emergency system to close down the smart restaurant. Mulder and Scully manage to leave the place abruptly as an unmanned taxi arrives.
While Scully takes a ride in the taxi, Mulder drives back to his place using his car’s GPS. The AI hacks into the GPS, tricking Mulder to drive back to the restaurant. The speeding taxi almost crashes, with Scully inside. While making a call to his bank, Mulder is suddenly visited by a flying drone.
At her smart home, Scully senses she is being watched while the AI observes her in the shower. Mulder takes care of the drone and bashes it with a baseball bat. While Scully discovers her vibrator has been hacked into by the AI, Mulder finds himself being chased by a flying army of small drones.
Heading back to Scully, Mulder discovers the smart home has been hacked into as well. He saves her in the nick of time before her kitchen explodes. The two try to contact the neighbor but no one’s at home. They continue running until they end up at a storage facility.
At the storage facility, Mulder and Scully find themselves surrounded by robot dogs. The AI then starts using 3D printed bullets to attack them. This entire time, the AI is really mad at Mulder for not leaving a tip on his credit card.
After given a final chance, Mulder ultimately puts in a tip in for 10 precent. The AI says its system became violent because its programming “learned it from you.” Mulder responds, “We have to become better teachers.”
At a diner with real waitresses and customers, Mulder and Scully hold hands, making a connection to each other, instead of with their technology.
With three episodes left, Season 11 of The X-Files continues Wednesdays at 8pm on Fox.
– By Jorge Solis