After Scully gets roughed up a bit by the Bounty Hunter, she managed to become a hostage yet again, when all he wants is to trade her for Mulder’s sister – Samantha, the trade goes ahead and we actually see Mulder cry for the first time after telling his dad he’s lost her again. Though things get more frustrating for him when he learns that the women was actually just another clone from the alien world. But they do bring hope by informing him they know where she is. Meanwhile, Mulder learns from his new aid that in order to kill this Bounty Hunter, he must locate his ship – somewhere buried under loads of ice…

Once again, Mulder goes on a one man mission to locate it, gets beaten up, and witnesses the Bounty Hunter’s face change from a disguised submarine technician, into is usual, square German look. and hospitalized in the process. Only Scully’s perseverance saves him as she waits by his bedside until he wakes. Though she has Skinner to thank for using ‘unofficial channels’ to obtain Mulder’s location – by beating up Deep Throats aid.

This is the first episode we see proper cooperation between Mulder and Skinner. In conclusion, Mulder didn’t find Samantha – but the aliens who brought the illusion to him gave him the faith to keep looking, something which he thought he’d lost.