“One of the strongest characteristics of genius is the power of lighting its own fire.” John W. Foster. A caretaker with pyrokinetic powers isn’t a genius, but he can start a fire with his mind. Unable to form relationships with women, he sets men on fire to fill the void. His practice of sending love letters to the victims’ wives will never work as a seduction strategy. There is a lot of heat in this episode, and it isn’t just the fires of a pyromaniac. Fox Mulder is kissed by an old flame from England while Scully watches. Is there anything hotter than Phoebe’s lips?
Three things are needed to start a fire: heat, fuel and oxygen, but what starts the fires of love in the human heart? Seeing Mulder kissed by Phoebe, a spark is lit in Scully’s heart, and perhaps the flames of jealousy. To help him solve the case, and to have a reason to join him in Boston, Scully writes a psychological profile of the pyromaniac. Mulder, who has a phobia of fire, is no match for the man who loves it. In the climax, when the caretaker is consumed by flames, he doesn’t die, and his skin regenerates. Yet he might have a death-wish, considering how many cigarettes he smokes.
Christopher John Lindsay 