The Great 'X-Files' Rewatch: season 1, episode 14, 'Lazarus'

The 14th episode of the first season of The X-Files is only loosely based on the Lazarus story from the Bible—the one about the fellow who got a second chance at life after four days gone (sounds like a bad Crosby, Stills & Nash song).
  The story follows a bank robber and an FBI agent who die at the same moment on separate hospital gurneys. One is revived (the agent), while the other dies (the perp). But the twist is that the bad guy comes back to life inside the good guy's body. (This reminds me of the "Man in Black inhabiting John Locke's body" plot line from Lost.) Of course, Mulder believes this "near-death experience" concept from the beginning, while Scully looks for a scientific explanation (sort of the X-Files version of Jack vs. Locke). I took this with a grain of salt, because this story has been remade so many times (in movies, books, etc.), it's amazing that it actually worked as well as it did in this episode. As a side note, the revived agent was a onetime lover of Scully's, which complements the plot twist of the shorthaired British ex-lover of Mulder's in the episode "Fire." As usual, the X-Files creators need the sexual tension cranked up to 11.

  As far as the rewatch goes, this episode was decent—watchable, but nothing to write home about. The real star of "Lazarus" is Christopher Allport (now deceased in real life, unfortunately), who plays the schizoid Agent Willis/perp with amazing dramatic skill. As Lost viewers remember, Terry O'Quinn's portrayal of a man whose body is inhabited by another was nothing short of award-winning (he was ultimately snubbed by the Emmys). So is Allport's. The way he changes his voice from agent to perp is pretty amazing. It's a shame he's no longer around.
  On the other hand, does Willis strike me as a believable ex-boyfriend of Scully? Not so much. (My 13-year-old, in-love-with-Scully self would've agreed with that statement, too.) This side plot gets a little lost in the tremendously fast-paced episode—and only comes out in dribs and drabs. Mulder doesn't even have a chance to get jealous (which Scully obviously did in "Fire"). If it had been developed more, it might've given the episode a bit more depth.
  In the end, the main thing working against this and the previous episode is that they followed such an amazing one ("Beyond the Sea").

See all X-Files recaps here.