PUSHER

   

 

        Suggestion is a powerful force....the science of hypnosis is prenticated on most TV commercials - they                         are designed to plant thoughts into your head....

 

A man walks through a grocery store, buying lots of carbo-drinks. In the check out line he finds himself surrounded by FBI agents and is arrested. While being escorted away in a police car, he repeatedly talks about the color cerulean blue. This causes the car driver to not see an approaching truck of that color, and the police car drives right into it.

Agent Frank Burst, the only surviving agent from the car crash tells agents Mulder and Scully about his pursuit of Modell, known to him as 'Pusher', who has caused a number of murders over the past two years, making them appear like suicide. By spotting the word 'ronin' on a car at the scene of the crash, Mulder tracks down an ad from the suspect in a mercenary magazine. Mulder believes that the suspect has the ability to push people to do his will. Using the phone number in the ad, the agents track down Pusher to a golf course, where he convinces an agent to cover himself in gasoline and light himself on fire. Mulder finds the suspect exhausted in a car nearby and arrests him.

Pusher, whose name is Robert Patrick Modell is brought to trial but using his skills is able to convince the judge to let him go. The agents look into Modell's past and find that he applied for the FBI and claims to have been trained in Japan. Scully thinks he's nothing but a little man who desires to feel big. By writing the word 'PASS' on a piece of paper and putting it in his shirt pocket, Modell is able to pass security and enter FBI headquarters. He convinces an agent there, Holly, into looking up information on Mulder for him. When Assistant Director Skinner arrives Modell convinces Holly that Skinner was a man who mugged her and she sprays him with mace. She apologizes later for the incident, saying that it was as if he was in her head. Scully is unable to to explain how Modell has his power, but now agrees with Mulder's theory that he can push people into doing whatever he wants.

Agents burst into Modell's apartment but find it empty. They find cans of carbo-drinks in the fridge and medicine for epilepsy. Mulder suspects that a brain tumor has given Modell psychokinetic ability, but that it burns up a lot of energy, forcing him to constantly consumer the carbo-drinks. Mulder believes that he is dying and wants to go out in a blaze of glory. Modell calls, and talks agent Burst into a heart attack over the phone while they try to trace him. The agents track Modell down to a hospital and Mulder heads inside.

At the hospital Modell gets a technician and guard to kill each other. Mulder realizes that Modell has been coming here due to a brain tumor, but is found by Modell. Scully heads inside and finds the two sitting at a table with Mulder's gun. Modell forces Mulder to play russian roulette with him, but when its time for Mulder to fire at Scully Mulder fights back and shoots Modell instead. Visiting him in the hospital afterwards, the agents discuss the fact that his tumor was operatable but he refused treatment due to the ability it gave him. Mulder says he was just a little man, but this was something that made him feel big

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright(c) 2007 - 2025. All rights reserved

 

                    

 

Episode no. Season 3
Episode 17
Directed by Rob Bowman
Written by Vince Gilligan
Guest Stars
Original Airdate 1996
Theme(s) Suggestion