History Recap / TheXFilesS07E03Hungry

Rob Robertson, a seemingly unassuming worker at a fast-food restaurant, has a dark secret, namely that he is mutant who has to eat human brains to survive. As he struggles to keep his nature hidden and his hunger in check, he soon finds himself hunted by two FBI agents.

[[caption-width-right:350:''"I have compulsions to eat. I get [[TitleDrop hungry]] and I try to put it off for as long as I can but then, finally, I just... I get so hungry that I can't help myself, and..."'']]

->''"We've been able to keep it pretty quiet up until now, but Donald Pankow's brain was missing from his skull. My partner was able to find something that was previously undetected. It was the tip of what can only be described as a tiny shark's tooth embedded deep in the bone. I think we're looking for some kind of genetic freak - a carnivorous predator as yet unidentified. A monster, if you will."''
-->-- '''Fox Mulder'''

* TragicVillain: Rob, who struggles to keeps his hunger in control. [[spoiler:After he is found out by Mulder and Scully, he charges at them [[SuicideByCop to end his unnatural life]]]].

Directed by Kim manners

!!Tropes used in this episode:

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* BlackEyesOfEvil: The brain-eating struggling monster Rob has these, which he hides with contacts.

* AssholeVictim: Both Rob's first on-screen victim and his co-worker Deerwood are both highly unpleasant {{Jerkass}}es, so their deaths aren't really like to make Rob less sympathetic. Later in the episode, however, Rob is overcome with his urges once again and kills his landlady; a woman who has only ever treated him nicely, and it becomes truly clear how horrifying Rob's condition really is and that he is starting to slip further into his nature as a monster despite his best efforts.

* SympatheticPOV: Of the MonsterOfTheWeek, who is just trying to get by and live with the trouble his power/affliction causes.

Rob Robertson, a seemingly unassuming worker at a fast-food restaurant, has a dark secret, namely that he is mutant who has to eat human brains to survive. As he finds himself struggling with his nature, he also soon finds himself hunted by two FBI agents.

A mutant who has to eat human brains to survive is hunted by the two FBI agents.

* IAmWhatIAm: For once, not portrayed in a positive light. Rob feels a moral obligation to fight his HorrorHunger, but he keeps slipping. Eventually, he decides that he cannot fight his nature and must accept he cannot be something he is not, but revelation also results in him choosing to commit SuicideByCop to end his life rather commit more murders.

* IAmWhatIAm: For once, not portrayed in a positive light. Rob feels a moral obligation to fight his HorrorHunger, but he keeps slipping. Eventually, he decides that he cannot fight his nature and must accept what is, but revelation also results in him choosing to commit SuicideByCop to end his life.

* {{Blackmail}}: One of Rob's coworkers realizes that he is behind the murder that brought Murder and Scully in, and tries to blackmail him after their investigaton digs up his own past as an ex-con, which lead to him being fired by Lucky Boy restaurant.

* MonsterOfTheWeek: From the monster's point of view. Mulder and Scully are very background characters in this episode.

* NeatFreak: The monster has an immaculately clean apartment, which Mulder finds unusual for a twenty-something male living alone. He has to do so to keep from getting caught, cleaning up after eating victims.

* TropaholicsAnonymous: The monster goes to an Overeaters Anonymous meeting, realizing afterwards he's nothing like them and that his hunger is instinctual and not psychological.

* {{Blackmail}}: One of Rob's coworkers realizes that he is behind the murder that brought Murder and Scully in, and tries to blackmail him after their investigaton digs up his own past as an ex-con, which lead him being fired Lucky Boy restaurant.

* HorrorHunger: Rob is struggling to keep his hunger for brains in check, which he tries satiate with rotten meat from his workplace.

* TragicVillain: Rob, who struggles to keeps his hunger in control. [[spoiler:After he is found out by Mulder Scully, he charges at them [[SuicideByCop to end his unnatural life]]]].

A mutant who has to eat human brains to survive is hunted by two FBI agents.

* BlackEyesOfEvil: The brain-eating struggling monster.
* BurgerFool: The monster of the week works at the burger joint "Lucky Boy."
* HorrorHunger
* MonsterOfTheWeek: From the monster's point of view. Mulder and Scully are very background characters in this episode.

* TragicVillain