07x09 - Signs & Wonders

[bunniefuu]

Holy Ghost, come to me. Praise God.

Praise God. Move up on me, Holy Ghost.

Praise God.

This here sinner repents.

Holy Ghost, move up on me. Protect me and mine with your quickening power.

Holy Ghost, come to me.

Help me, Jesus!

Help me, Jesus! Help me, Jesus!

Not as far as you know.

Right. Not this time of year.

All right. Thank you, Doctor. Goodbye.

Snakes.

Lots and lots of snakes. Very pissed off ones, from the look of it.

It's the former Mr Jared Chirp, of McMinn County, Tennessee.

Oh, my God. 116 separate bite marks.

Judging from the wounds, there were 50 snakes involved - copperheads and rattlers.

It says here he was found dead in his car.

With a p*stol in his hand. He fired six sh*ts, into the floorboards, even into his kneecap.

The windows were shut, the doors locked. But what happened to all the snakes?

No one seems to know that. There was not a scale found.

I just got off the phone with a herpetologist, and he's stumped.

Especially because rattlesnakes tend to hibernate in winter.

So you think that Mr Chirp was m*rder*d?

It would appear that way, but the question is, how?

There's no physical evidence. No tyre tracks, no footprints.

I can't see how anyone could have done this. And then, why?

Why use poisonous snakes as a m*rder w*apon?

Maybe it's symbolic. I mean, serpents and religion have gone hand in hand.

They've represented the temptation of Eve, original sin.

They've been feared throughout history, as they've been thought to embody Satan, to serve evil itself.

Maybe these ones actually do.

These particular serpents actually were serving evil?

Are you gonna type that on our travel request?

No. But, at the very least, this case does seem to center around religion.

And you're not the only one to think that, by the way.

Jared is in a better place now, Gracie.

He's at peace.

You know Reverend Mackey's right, honey. He is in a better place.

Reverend Samuel Mackey?

My name is Fox Mulder. This is Dana Scully. We're with the FBI. May we speak with you?

Come on, Gracie. Let's get you home.

We apologize for our timing. We'd like to ask a few questions about Jared Chirp.

I've already spoken to the sheriff about it.

Though I'm not sure that was a good idea.

Specifically, you had suspicions about the manner in which he d*ed?

I should be the last one to point a finger or say a harsh word.

Our church is founded on acceptance and tolerance of all people, all beliefs.

But?

Before Jared joined us, he belonged to a fundamentalist congregation outside of town, the Church of God with Signs & Wonders. It practices snake handling.

As a sign of faith, worshipers handle deadly snakes and drink poison.

They believe that the Holy Spirit protects the righteous.

Jared grew up in that church, but it is very difficult to walk away from a belief system that one is raised in.

It takes great courage. Why did he walk away?

He and Gracie, his girlfriend, left it together.

They found that a rigid interpretation of the Bible was not for them, Especially when it involves risking life and limb in the act of worship.

But again, it is not for me to judge.

I will say, however, that both Jared and Gracie were persecuted by the members of their former church.

All this animus stems from their church leader, Enoch O'Connor.

Animus enough to motivate a m*rder?

Snake handling - didn't learn that in catechism class.

That's funny. I knew a couple of Catholic schoolgirls who were expert at it.

Enoch O'Connor? Federal agents.

Where's the light switch? The nearest one? Probably ten miles away.

Rattlesnakes and medieval visions of damnation.

I, for one, feel a whole lot closer to God.

I don't know, Scully. When you get right down to it, is snake handling any harder to buy into than communion wafers or transubstantiation?

Or believing in flying saucers.

I'm just saying that your faith and O'Connor's seem to be based on the same book.

Uh-oh, Scully. What do you think O'Connor keeps in here?

Something slithery?

It's all right. It's empty. Why is it empty?

By what right are you here?

Reverend Enoch O'Connor? We're federal agents.

We're, uh... with the FBI.

Reverend, do something about these snakes, please.

You got nothing to fear if you're righteous people.

Just in case we're not, we could use a little righteous help here.

What do you want?

We're here to ask you questions about a former member of your church, Jared Chirp.

That boy strayed from the path and was lost to the Dark One.

I'm sorry for his soul. There ain't much else to say.

He d*ed from snakebites. We thought maybe you'd have a special insight into that.

I do.

It was a test. A test? What do you mean?

A test of faith.

A test of righteousness.

When the Devil aims to test you, you best be ready.

And you sure better know which side you're on.

Are you speaking about the Devil's test or your test?

I don't think you people realize which side you're on.

I do.

You can leave now.

Tennessee. Snakes.

Thank you, Mulder. Thank you so much. I say we arrest him and catch the first flight out.

He seems a likely suspect, only the sheriff‘s office ruled him out.

He was in Kentucky the night Jared Chirp d*ed.

There are other people in his congregation.

Chirp d*ed with a packed suitcase by his side.

There's gotta be somebody that knows where he was headed.

Here you go, honey.

Reverend Mackey? This might not be the best time, but can I speak to you?

Of course.

Jared called the boarding house late the night he d*ed.

He wanted to talk to Gracie. I didn't let him.

It was after two. She was sound asleep. It sounded like the boy had been drinkin'.

He wasn't makin' any sense. He was rantin' about seein' the Devil, and payin' for his sins.

I don't know how to tell Gracie.

I kept her from speakin' to Jared his last night on Earth.

I couldn't have known, though. I couldn't.

No, no. You couldn't have known. I can help you talk to Gracie.

Reverend Mackey? Everybody's here.

Thank you, Gracie.

You and I will see this through, Iris, right after study group.

Thank you.

Our God is a fearsome God.

Amen! He demands our very lives.

Revelations, three. The sixteenth verse.

'Tis better to be hot or cold than lukewarm.

Hallelujah!

Yes!

God says... if you're lukewarm, He will vomit you out of His mouth.

Yes! Did you hear what I said?

Yes! God hates the lukewarm!

"So, because you are lukewarm, I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

Now, that could sound pretty harsh, couldn't it? I mean, depending on how one reads it.

But if we put this verse in a historical context, I think we'll see that John was specifically addressing the problems of the Church...

God wants you hot!

God wants you on fire!

Praise to Jesus.

God wants you to put your money where your mouth is.

Amen! Hallelujah!

People ask me why I handle snakes.

Hallelujah!

I tell 'em. It's cos the Scripture tells me to.

Praise God!

Hallelujah.

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

Witness the power!

Witness the awesome power of God as He blesses His people and destroys His enemies.

Thank you, God!

I don't understand it. None of us saw or heard anything. Just her scream.

When we ran in she was lying on the floor.

I cleared everybody out of the building once I saw the bite marks, but...

Reverend, how close was Iris to Jared Chirp?

Not particularly close, but I'd spoken with her not 15 minutes earlier about him.

What'd you talk about? She was upset.

Something about Jared calling her the night he d*ed, looking for Gracie.

Something about him paying for his sins.

But I don't know. We didn't get to finish our conversation, Maybe that was the point.

Why Iris? Why is this happening?

Gracie, we're investigating the leader of your former church, Enoch O'Connor.

We believe that he may have had something to do with what happened here tonight.

We would appreciate anything you could tell us.

No, he didn't do this.

No, he didn't do this. This is Satan's work, not man's.

That sounds like something that Reverend O'Connor might say.

Now, you're not a member of that congregation any more.

And I understand that's because you're someone who thinks for herself.

Keeping an open mind, is it conceivable that O'Connor could have done any of this?

No! Don't you think I would know? Me of all people.

He couldn't have done this. He just...

Gracie might be biased.

O'Connor is your father.

When Gracie got pregnant...

O'Connor barred her from his church. She and Jared Chirp.

His church and his home.

You comin'? I think I'll check around back.

"Pray for the souls... lost to us."

You must be judged.

Repent.

Pray for the Lord's quickening power.

By the hand of God!

Let her go!

Your partner could have learned something about herself if you hadn't have stopped me. Some powerful good news maybe.

I'd say it's good news for you that she's not here right now, considering what you tried to do to her.

Is that what you did to your wife?

Alice O'Connor.

Succumbed to multiple snakebites in June 1994.

It happened during a church service. Or at least that's what you told local police.

You got away with it.

Almost.

What was the problem with your wife? Was she not... righteous enough for you?

Just like your daughters boyfriend? Or Iris Finster?

Educated man. Too smart to know any better.

Smart enough to know you're a m*rder*r.

Satan is near and you don't even have eyes.

You're just proud and fancy-free.

Ah, no one quite passes muster with you, huh?

You feel the need to exact some kind of Old Testament revenge?

What about your daughter? What were your plans for her?

I pray for her soul.

I pray and I pray, because she's lost.

Because she no longer believes as you do?

You think, because you're educated, you're better than most? You ain't.

Unless you're smart down here, the Devil's gonna make a fool of you and you ain't even gonna know it.

I changed my mind. I don't wanna see him.

Besides, I won't do any better than you people in gettin' him to talk.

Gracie?

You still don't believe your father did it?

It don't matter what I believe.

He'll be judged as he deserves.

Can't nobody avoid it.

Deputy found him about an hour ago.

There's no telling when he was att*cked.

I guess it's looking less and less like he's a suspect.

Unless he somehow managed to do this to himself. As a test of his own righteousness.

If so, Mulder, the jury's still out.

I spoke to his doctor. It's a toss-up as to whether he'll pull through.

Anti-venom treatment? He's not receiving it.

Why not? Gracie stepped in.

She's forbidding treatment on religious grounds. It's not clear whether she can, but she says that it's up to God as to whether he lives or dies.

And you think that she may not be entirely motivated by concern for her father's soul?

Well, more to the point, what if she did this?

She told me that her father would be judged as he deserves.

This is what she meant? She grew up around snakes.

Who's to say she isn't every bit as adept at handling them as he is?

I can see her being angry enough at her father to att*ck him, but... what about the others?

He left in a hurry. He packed one suitcase and a g*n.

Earlier that night, he calls Gracie.

Gets Iris instead. Starts rambling about paying for his sins.

He's frightened and wants to leave town, presumably with Gracie.

So what's he scared of?

I don't understand how O'Connor's church exerts a strong pull on these people.

It's not so hard to understand. It's a culture with a very well-defined set of rules.

It's an intolerant culture.

I don't know. Sometimes a little intolerance can be a welcome thing.

Clear-cut right and wrong, black and white, no shades of grey.

In a society where rules are harder to come by, some people would appreciate that.

You're saying that you would welcome someone telling you what to believe?

I'm just saying that somebody offering you all the answers... can be a very powerful thing.

It's lab results.

Am I reading this right? Did Jared Chirp have himself tested for sterility?

Which turns out to be more or less the case.

Based on this, that means that Jared can't be the father of Gracie's baby.

Dated the day he d*ed.

So maybe he was k*lled because he discovered the truth.

Gracie... I'd like to ask you to reconsider.

No. This is what he'd want.

He may die without medical treatment.

I've seen him bit a dozen times.

He always said that it was up to God whether he lives or dies.

He said it was a worse sin not to trust God.

There are many ways to trust God, Gracie.

One of them is to trust to the miracles of doctors and medicine.

Or, in your heart... do you really not want him to get better?

It ain't for me.

I can't risk his soul.

When you first came to me, you said that you wanted to think for yourself.

To live your life as you saw fit.

If you stand here and let your father die, whose beliefs are you living?

Yours?

Or his?

You're doing the right thing.

I'll go tell the doctor, OK?

Agents! Enoch O'Connor is gone.

I was away for five minutes. His bed's empty. Gracie is gone, too.

How could Gracie have possibly gotten him out?

Maybe he took her. He was on his deathbed. That's impossible.

Besides, what's his motivation? I may be able to answer that.

Jared Chirp wasn't the father of Gracie's child.

We know that. What about it?

Enoch O'Connor is.

That's why she wanted to get away from him and his church as fast as she could.

And I tried to teach her to forgive him.

Daddy, please!

I'm bringing you home.

Somebody help me!

In the name of our holy and most fearsome God.

Hallelujah!

Resist the Devil and he will flee.

Resist him!

Something's wrong. Something's wrong with my baby.

Jesus, put your hands on this one. You can heal her.

Yes, Jesus. Yes, dear Jesus.

Jesus, dear Lord. Dear Jesus, deliver this woman.

Oh, my God. Jesus. Jesus.

No. Don't. Don't!

Dear God, dear Heavenly Father, deliver this woman.

No. Lay your hands on this woman, God.

Yes. No.

No! Don't!

Hallelujah, praise the Lord.

Oh, my God. Oh, my God!

Dear Jesus. Dear Jesus.

Holy Jesus! Hallelujah!

Dear Jesus! Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

How is she? Deep shock. Some loss of blood.

What happened here? Where's the baby?

These folks aren't talkin'. Scully?

Take a look at this.

Snakes.

She gave birth to snakes?

The Devil has been cast out.

Stay with her. Where are you going?

Find her father. He's gonna wanna tie up some loose ends.

You stole what was most precious to me.

Gracie?

She came to me on her own.

She wanted to escape a life of fear and judgment, of intolerance.

She fled a harsh and vengeful god.

And you.

Drop the Kn*fe!

You all right?

Daddy? Daddy?

Gracie, it's Agent Scully. We're taking you to the doctor right now, OK?

No. I gotta... Can you tell me what happened, Gracie?

Where's my daddy? You're safe. My partners gone after him.

You're gonna be OK. He can't hurt you any more.

You don't understand.

He saved me.

I'll call for an ambulance.

Relax. Help's on the way.

No, it's not. I told you, boy.

You still don't know which side you're on.

Be smart, down here.

Yes. Please hurry.

They're on their way.

Agent! It wasn't O'Connor.

It was you. You k*lled Jared Chirp.

Are you joking? No. I'm just beginning to see it now.

Jared must have come to understand that he wasn't the father of Gracie's baby.

That you were.

Did he confront you earlier that night, only to see you for who you really are?

Just who is it you think I am?

Is that what happened with Iris Finster?

Was she beginning to catch on? Is that why you k*lled her?

Or was it just to further frame Enoch O'Connor?

Is that what this is really about? Ruining O'Connor? Seducing his daughter?

Destroying him by any conceivable means?

Are you a righteous man, Agent Mulder?

Stay where you are.

It's just a simple question.

Most people believe they're on the side of angels. But are they?

If you were put to the test... how would you do?

Where's Mulder?

Help!

You can't help him. This is his alone.

Mulder?

Argh!

Mackey? Still no trace.

Even though every law enforcement agency in Tennessee is lookin' for him.

They won't find him.

People think the Devil has horns and a tail.

They're not used to lookin' for some kindly man.

He's just a man, Mulder. Just like O'Connor.

Not like O'Connor.

If this was some kind of test, looks like I failed.

I'd say if it was, you passed with flying colours.

You're alive, aren't you? Proud and fancy-free.

Reverend Wells, it's a real joy to have a man in the pulpit who has such an open and modern way of looking at God.

Bless you for saying so.

I won't keep you. I just wanted to welcome you to Hamden.

Thank you. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Thank you.

I made this!