: Skinner goes AWOL after receiving a package containing a human ear and a note that says "Kitten". Mulder and Scully are ordered by Alvin Kersh to track him down.

According to reviewers from IndieWire , this episode provides a "sweet and touching" moment for Skinner that feels earned after 20 years of backstory.

: Flashbacks reveal a young Skinner (played by Cory Rempel) and his friend John "Kitten" James (Haley Joel Osment) being exposed to the experimental gas. The gas turned James into a "monster" who collected trophies from victims, and Skinner’s forced silence during James's trial has haunted him for decades.

: The episode ends with a crop duster spraying gas, and Skinner losing a tooth, suggesting he was recently exposed to the MK-NAOMI agent.

: Skinner’s middle name is revealed to be Sergei .