Not an indispensable mythology episode, except for the 2 major characters who are introduced. Written by Howard Gordon.

The supersoldier (as in ‘soldier with superhuman abilities’) is a recurring theme, later tied with the hybridization experiments (3X10: 731). Here, the experiments on sleep deprivation are made by the military, but they remain top secret. There is no need to try to see a connection with actions of the Syndicate here: this is purely a governmental/military project aiming to create the perfect killing machine, with obvious military campaign applications.

The Syndicate, still represented by the sole CSM, sees that shutting down the X-Files didn’t prevent Mulder from still sticking to it or prevent M&S from meeting each other; he sends Krycek to make reports and isolate Mulder from Scully: “reassigning them to other areas seems only to have strengthened their determination. Scully is a problem, a much larger problem than you described.” (Krycek). Unlike Scully, Krycek is consiously participating in the Syndicate’s deeds while being teamed with Mulder; he’s a very young agent still very low in the hierarchy (he even fails to shake hands with Mulder and Scully!). But he’s very capable since his naive appearance is only that, appearance. His infiltration is very successful since he doesn’t restrain Mulder in finding the truth, even if he shoots down the only man capable of providing proof of governmental experiments, thus assuring what was secret will remain secret and leaving Mulder with no evidence.

We meet X face to face, after glimpses in 2X02: The Host. He knows Deep Throat, but will not use the same methods. “You think I want to be here, agent Mulder? I don’t want to be here“, “The man we both knew paid for that information with his life, a sacrifice I’m not willing to make“. X’s activity doesn’t go unnoticed, Krycek’s aware of a new informant: “[Mulder]’s either found another source or another source has found him“.

Krycek (meeting Mulder): “Krycek. Alex Krycek.”

Krycek: “Scully is a problem, a much larger problem than you described.”
CSM: “Every problem has a solution.”