History Recap / TheXFilesS01E18MiracleMan

Directed by Michael Lange

->Written by Creator/ChrisCarter & Creator/HowardGordon\\
Directed by Creator/MichaelLange

->Written by Creator/ChrisCarter & Howard Gordon\\
Directed by Michael Lange

[[Recap/TheXFiles Index]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E01 1]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E02DeepThroat 2]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E02DeepThroat 2]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E03Squeeze 3]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E04Conduit 4]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E05TheJerseyDevil 5]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E06Shadows 6]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E07GhostInTheMachine 7]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E08Ice 8]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E09Space 9]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E10FallenAngel 10]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E11Eve 11]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E12Fire 12]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E13BeyondTheSea 13]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E14GenderBender 14]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E15Lazarus 15]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E16YoungAtHeart 16]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E17EBE 17]] | '''18''' | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E19Shapes 19]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E20DarknessFalls 20]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E21Tooms 21]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E22BornAgain 22]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E23Roland 23]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E24TheErlenmeyerFlask 24]]]]-]]]

!!![[AC:Recaps]]: [[Recap/TheXFiles Index]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E01 1]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E02DeepThroat 2]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E03Squeeze 3]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E04Conduit 4]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E05TheJerseyDevil 5]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E06Shadows 6]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E07GhostInTheMachine 7]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E08Ice 8]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E09Space 9]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E10FallenAngel 10]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E11Eve 11]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E12Fire 12]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E13BeyondTheSea 13]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E14GenderBender 14]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E15Lazarus 15]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E16YoungAtHeart 16]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E17EBE 17]] | '''18''' | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E19Shapes 19]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E20DarknessFalls 20]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E21Tooms 21]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E22BornAgain 22]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E23Roland 23]] | [[Recap/TheXFilesS01E24TheErlenmeyerFlask 24]]

* DoingInTheWizard: While Samuel's powers are real, [[spoiler:the cause of the deaths is completely mundane -- Leonard was poisoning people with cyanide. He also orchestrated the plague of locusts in the courtroom, and it's implied that his vision of Samuel's ghost was a hallucination caused by his guilt.

->Written by Creator/Chris Carter & Howard Gordon\\

* BackFromTheDead: Leonard is resurrected by Samuel in the prologue, [[spoiler:and it's implied that Samuel did the same to himself at the end]].

* DirtyCop: Sheriff Daniels. [[spoiler:He arranges for Samuel to be beaten to death in his cell.]]
* DoingInTheWizard: While Samuel's powers are real, [[spoiler:the cause of the deaths is completely mundane -- Leonard was poisoning people with cyanide. He also orchestrated the plague of locusts in the courtroom, and it's implied that his vision of Samuel's ghost was a hallucination caused by his guilt.]]
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Leonard, due to a mixture of his guilt over the murders and what may or may not be Samuel's ghost calling him out for them.]]

-->'''Scully''': Maybe we should head backstage and see what the Reverend has to say.\\
'''Mulder''': No, wait, wait, this is the part where they bring out Elvis.
* FlatEarthAtheist: Sheriff Daniels is absolutely convinced that the Hartleys are frauds, to the point of refusing to let his wheelchair-bound wife visit them. When Samuel winds up in jail, [[spoiler:he happily throws two thugs into his cell to beat him to death]].
* TheFundamentalist: Samuel is a tragic example. He guilt over perceived sin [[spoiler:makes him an easy mark for Leonard]].
* {{Gaslighting}}: [[spoiler:Leonard was doing this to Samuel, killing the people he healed and unleashing a horde of locusts in the courtroom to get him to think that God was punishing him for sin.]]

* RuleOfSymbolism: Samuel can heal people and even bring them BackFromTheDead, [[spoiler:is killed by corrupt authorities, and may have come BackFromTheDead soon after]]. [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} Remind you of anyone?]]
* TheSwarm: A plague of locusts attacks the courtroom where Samuel is standing trial. [[spoiler:It was actually caused by Leonard.]]
* UnwantedRevival: [[spoiler:Leonard resents how, even though he was revived, he was left disfigured by burn scars. This was his motivation for turning against the Hartleys and trying to discredit their ministry.]]
----

* RuleOfSymbolism: Samuel can heal people and even bring them BackFromTheDead, [[spoiler:is killed by corrupt authorities, and may have come BackFromTheDead soon after]]. [[{{Jesus}} Remind you of anyone?]]

* BackFromTheDead: Leonard is resurrected by Samuel in the prologue, [[spoiler:and it's implied that Samuel did the same at the end]].
* CorruptChurch: Subverted. The Harlteys' entire setup initially looks like a stereotypical phony faith-healing scheme, complete with blatant encouragement of monetary donations. As it turns out, not only is Samuel's ability real, his foster father is a truly faithful man who genuinely cares for him. It's Sheriff Daniels who's portrayed in a poor light for his commitment to the idea that Samuel is a fraud.

* HealingHands: Samuel.

Ten years ago, Calvin Hartley's adoptive son Samuel raised a man, Leonard Vance, from the dead after a car crash. Now, the three of them run a faith-healing tent ministry. When one of the people Samuel heals goes on to die soon after, Mulder and Scully are called in to investigate. They find Samuel to be a mess of guilt, feeling that the Devil had corrupted his power as punishment for his sin and wavering from the straight and narrow, while encountering hostility from the townspeople who follow the Hartleys -- and a sympathetic voice in Sheriff Daniels, who believes that the Hartleys are frauds.

Ten years ago, Calvin Hartley's adoptive son Samuel raised a man, Leonard Vance, from the dead after a car crash. Now, the three of them run a faith-healing ministry. When one of the people Samuel heals goes on to die soon after, Mulder and Scully are called in to investigate. They find Samuel to be a mess of guilt, feeling that the Devil had corrupted his power as punishment for his sin and wavering from the straight and narrow, while encountering hostility from the townspeople who follow the Hartleys -- and a sympathetic voice in Sheriff Daniels, who believes that the Hartleys are frauds.

* CorruptChurch: Subverted. The Harlteys' entire setup initially looks like a stereotypically "faith healing" scheme, complete with blatantly encouraged monetary donations. As it turns out, not only is Samuel's ability real, his foster father is a truly faithful man who genuinely cares for him. Instead, Sheriff Daniels is portrayed in a very poor light for his commitment to the idea that Samuel is a fraud, while [[spoiler:the real killer was actually Leonard.]]

* HealingHands: Samuel Hartley.

* CorruptChurch - Subverted. The Harlteys' entire setup initially looks like a stereotypically hypocritical evangelist scheme, complete with blatantly encouraged monetary donations. As it turns out, not only is Samuel's ability real, his foster father is a truly faithful man who genuinely cares for him.
* DirtyCop - Sheriff Daniels. [[spoiler:He arranges for Samuel to be beaten to death in his cell]].
* HealingHands - Samuel Hartley.