“Orison,” a word meaning prayer, is a sequel to the second season episode “Irresistible”, which remains one of my all time favorite episodes of The X-Files. The episode introduced Donnie Pfaster, a death fetishist who murdered women in order to collect their hair and fingernails. He became obsessed with Scully’s red hair, so he targeted her as his next victim. Mulder rescued her in time, but since this all occurred right after her abduction, she felt acutely vulnerable and helpless over her kidnapping. She lost it emotionally for the first time.
Shippers tend to like “Irresistible” because the ending features the first time the two agents truly lean on each other for support, physically and emotionally, rather than serve as counterpoints to one another. But aside from that, the episode itself is a very well done psychological thriller with no paranormal aspects involved. A sequel would have big shoes to fill. So how well does ’Orison” slide into those sneakers? The answer is quite well for a latter seasons episode, but it falls below “Irresistible.“
If there is one element I fault, it is that the paranormal is involved this time around. Pfaster was a much more interesting character when he was solely a evil psychopath with a weird fetish. Scully, too, had a more poignant turn when it was her dealing with being absolutely helpless for the second time after her abduction. She is a petite woman who finds meaning in her life by protecting those who cannot save themselves. When that is gone, she suffers a gaping emotional wound. Those story elements are about people, exaggerated for Hollywood’s sake, but people nevertheless. “Orison’ adds a supernatural element in which to question the Christian sense of a hood and evil. While I would generally appreciate an honest look at such a thing, it is a distraction here from what could have been a continuation of the natural, personal themes from “Irresistible.”
Rev. Robert Orison is a prison chaplain who has had a hole drilled into his head under the premise of increasing blood flow which enhances his powers of suggestion. He has been helping prisoners who are serving life without parole escape so that he can enact proper vengeance upon them. Orison chooses to release Pfaster because he believes life in prison is too good for the murderer of so many young, helpless women. But Pfaster gets away from him, eventually killing him, in order to continue with his major obsession while in prison--Scully.
He captures her in her apartment and goes through the same rigamarole as last time. Mulder becomes suspicious something might be up when he hears the song ’Don’t Look any Further” by Dennis Edwards on his radio. That song has come up three times already whenever Pfaster has been around. He heads to Scully’s apartment just as she has freed herself and aimed her gun at Pfaster. She seems just as surprised as Mulder when she pulls the trigger, fatally wounding Pfaster.
Here is the thing--it is strongly implied orison has conditioned scully to act as his interpretation of God’s hand of vengeance whenever she hears the song ’Don’t Look Any Further.” It is a song that has meaning to her because she listening to it as a teenager when she discover her Sunday school teacher had been murdered. The incident was the first time she realized there was true evil in the world. How orison knew about the song is left up in the air, but he was aware of it. Perhaps it has to do with her sympathies towards orison’s belief that he really is doing God’s work, although she does believe he is misguided. Whatever the case, scully killing Pfaster is an act she swears is beyond her control. The episode ends with her questioning whether she was doing God’s work.
I am never too big on Old Testament vengeance presented as a modern day aspect of Christianity, but surprisingly, that is not my biggest criticism. The story would have been much more interesting without the spiritual elements. We could have been dealing with scully’s emotions alone and been far more interesting. The episode lets it be known Pfaster did not get he death penalty because Scully requested he get life in prison instead. After orison helps him escape, he kills another girl. Would Scully not blame herself for the murder? Past experience says yes. How would that effect her mental/emotional state? What about being put back in peril again like in “Irresistible?” Would that prompt her to kill Pfaster is cold blood to end his menace once and for all? To correct her mistake for not letting him take a death sentence? It might, but the episode copped out with the hypnosis/doing god’s will excuse for why she killed him.
To the former end, Mulder assures Scully he is going to cover for her by saying she had no choice but to kill Pfaster is self-defense. It is a bald face lie, but he understand his partner. She would kill Pfaster out of guilt over his most recent victim’s death as well as any potential future victims should he remain alive. He does not buy into her christian beliefs--odd, considering all the other wacky stuff he does believe--but he humors her, anyway. The resolution is a letdown considering the potential.
A letdown, yes, but "Orison’ is still a good episode. Pfaster is one of the more memorable villains of the series. Even if he has been watered done by supernatural elements here, his evil demeanor still shines through. Tough, Assertive scully is always a bonus, too. Too often she relies on mulder to rescue her. It is good to see her save herself from a seemingly hopeless situation now and then. “Orison” does not quite measure up to “Irresistible,” but it is still a worthwhile effort.
Rating; *** (out of 5)
Here is Dennis Edwards' "Don't Look Any Further." the song as presented in the episode is a cover especially done for "Orison" by John Hiatt.
“Orison,” a word meaning prayer, is a sequel to the second season episode “Irresistible”, which remains one of my all time favorite episodes of The X-Files. The episode introduced Donnie Pfaster, a death fetishist who murdered women in order to collect their hair and fingernails. He became obsessed with Scully’s red hair, so he targeted her as his next victim. Mulder rescued her in time, but since this all occurred right after her abduction, she felt acutely vulnerable and helpless over her kidnapping. She lost it emotionally for the first time. 
