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» » The X Files The Rain King (1993– )

Short summary

The mayor of a small Kansas town asks Mulder and Scully to investigate Daryl Mootz, a man who apparently can make it rain at will. The mayor believes Mootz is responsible for causing a local drought so that he can charge individuals for rain on their farms.

Property master Tom Day and costume designer Christine Peters constructed a fake prosthetic leg and a harness that pulled Rohner's actual leg out of the camera's sight. Rohner described the harness as "painful".

The character Holman Hardt says he accidentally stumbled upon Sheila and her boyfriend "in flagrante delicto." This phrase is Latin for "in blazing offence."

With the setting in Kansas and the school reunion Oz theme, this is the second episode this season referencing The Wizard of Oz. See the trivia about "Triangle", e.g. the name of Mulder's wrecked boat - the "Judy Garland".

Even if seems assumed that Scully's ancestries are Irish because of her surname, it's the first time she says she has Irish relatives, in this case, her aunt Olive.

Mulder and Scully are taken for a couple three times in this episode. In addition, both Sheila and Holdman think they have had something at some point.

The prologue ends with heart-shaped hail stones falling from the sky, a major hint at a link between love and weather.

While at the high school reunion, Holman is confessing his love to Sheila, in the background as Mulder and Scully watch, they can be seen dancing together...awkwardly.

User reviews


  • comment
    • Author: Dusho
    I don't agree with the common opinion about this episode. It's not sugary and trite, it's just different, and cute, and what's more - made with style! Who says that the most and only important things that define "The X Files" are their seriousness, darkness, scariness?...One of the greatest things about this show is that it can do anything, it can be frightening or action-like, or Gothic, or religious, or highly metaphorical, or funny, or ironic, or romantic, or nicely simple, or yes, even cheerfully light. I respect the fact that the crew were capable enough to play with genres and to create an unexpected episode, yet a quality one. Many TV-shows keep a strict line in what's expected of them, and all their episodes are very much similar. "The X Files" had the courage to try new things, not to follow regulations of what it "should be", and to risk and explore various territories. I would appreciate this courage even when it fails, but it doesn't fail in this episode.

    I like everything in "The Rain King", it's full of nice moments and funny stuff in a kind, soft way. I like the clouds which laugh, Mulder's painted lips, Scully's speech about love and friendship, the rainbow with blue birds at the end. It is a must-see episode for shippers. And for anyone who can appreciate the style in a light, but honest episode and who is not ashamed to like cute things.
  • comment
    • Author: Lavivan
    The Rain King is a decent episode if you can get past the lameness and corniness of this lighthearted humor episode. Interestingly, now that I think about it. Nobody dies in the entire episode. Unless you count the cow. And maybe that couple at the prom that get blown away by the wind but that's not definite. The episode deals with a weatherman in a small town in Kansas whose pent up emotions and feelings for his high school crush have caused freak weather all his life. This includes a tornado at prom, a snow storm on her wedding day, smiling clouds on her divorce day, and storm clouds following her ex-boyfriend who has become known as The Rain King. Anyway, I'll not bore you with too many details but instead I will comment on some of my favorite comic moments. I like Mulder and Scully's welcome to the town. After being flown in on a private plane, they are greeted by the mayor and his daughter who is quite zealously tossing a baton around while some kind of parade music is played on a cassette player out in front of their camper/office. I also enjoy some of the dynamics when the love quadrangle gets set up between Mulder, Scully, and the other two characters. Especially all the indignance shown by both Mulder and Scully as everyone around them assumes that they are together. "I do not gaze at Scully". Anwyay, the episode is entertaining. I give it a 7 out of 10.
  • comment
    • Author: Arith
    Mulder and Scully travel to Kroner Kansas, to investigate manufactured weather phenomena.TV Meteorologist Holman Hardt(David Mannis) is in love with Sheila Fontaine(Victoria Jackson), but his unrequited love is having drastic results on the community. Darryl Smootz , Holemans rival, is the new Rain King. He is a local weather for hire ne'er do well. Residents desperate for rain, hire Daryl to help stop the drought. Scully, more skeptical than ever, barely tolerates Mulders assertions, as to whom is really controlling the weather. Terrific sentimental romantic comedy is a Classic. Mulder and Scully swaying in sync to the High School Reunion music is a HOOT !

    Not your average X-File, but it does touch the heart ! A must see for those looking for relief from the insanity of life.

    Classic, great chemistry from the lead characters. Caveat ...Beware of Flying Hamburger !
  • comment
    • Author: watchman
    The Rain King is a cheesy, poor excuse for an x-file. However, it has enough highlights in it to make it recommendable. This episode was written by newcomer Jeffrey Bell, an average writer. He doesn't appear to know that Mulder and Scully are off of the x-files and that Kersh will have their heads if he catches them investigating the x-files. No explanation is given why they are investigating this case and no indication that they'll catch you-know-what from Kersh. The story of a man controlling the weather out of love is ultra-cheesy, including the cheesiest moment, a cow falling from the sky and crashing onto Mulder's bead. Bell, however, seems to have a good feel for Mulder and Scully's relationship, and they share some good dialogue. The best moment is when Mulder informs Scully that Holman is seeking dating advice from him. Scully asks Mulder when was the last time he went on a date. Mulder then tells Scully, "I will talk to you later" and hangs the phone up on her. Besides the story being cheesy, Mark Snow's soundtrack is the oddest I've ever heard it and doesn't really fit. Like I said, the story is cheesy and weak, but seeing Mulder and Scully being confused for a couple and acting as relationship counselors is worth the price of admission in itself. So enjoy The Rain King for what it is, just don't expect a good x-files in it.
  • comment
    • Author: Dead Samurai
    One of the most intriguing aspects of Season 6 is how on earth Mulder is able to keep investigating X Files, when AD Kirsch has forbidden them from going near these cases. Yet here's our dynamic duo on another road trip to the back end of nowhere.

    I've always loved this episode, right from the start where Daryl Mootz is pelted with heart-shaped hailstones. It's a testament to writer Jeffrey Bell that every last dim-witted character is infused with innocent charm. Especially Sheila, who still believes Daryl loved her once.

    Of course, in the background - largely playing the role of observers - are Mulder and Scully, both with an opportunity to consider their feelings for each other. Scully, with her speech about realising there's no one else you'd rather be with, and Mulder's tendency to "gaze at Scully". It serves as a nice companion piece to How the Ghosts Stole Christmas (episode 6), with Scully once again suckered in for the ride.

    All in all, this is a wonderful fantasy episode - think Roxanne meets Twister. It's highly illogical in places, but charming nonetheless.
  • comment
    • Author: Whitemaster
    The Rain King is about Mulder and Scully investigating Daryl Mootz, a man who claims he can make it rain.

    A feel good and quality episode that is so out of the box, though still within the realistic framework of the show. Daryl is the star here, played well by Clayton Rohner. He has turned his random luck into a business venture, doing nothing and living it up and as soon as his gift is gone, he's broke. Holman who is indeed the catalyst, is the only hindrance though necessary. Scully's made it clear to the audience she is ready to settle down with Mulder and he has stated he would want to live in a quiet little town. It's the Gundersons, everyone with smiles on their faces. It's like looking in the mirror, as Mulder says jokingly. Also, how could anyone not like "The Carpenters - Rainy Days and Mondays."
  • comment
    • Author: Nto
    This was a tough episode to select a summary quote for. Personally, my favorite line was Mulder's "I'm telling you, that cow had my name on it", but the one I picked was more representative of the story taking place. I thought this was a nice, off beat change of pace for Scully and Mulder, managing to stay under Assistant Director Kersh's radar while getting involved in an X-Files type case. Not that it mattered to Mulder; he'd follow up a hunch wherever it brought him.

    I had to laugh when The Rain King, Daryl Mootz (Claytonm Rohner) stated that he was one sixty fourth Cherokee, more than a full decade before we ever heard of Elizabeth Warren using that gambit to earn a college acceptance and get elected to the Senate. Another case of life imitating art I guess, but it goes both ways. What also got me was The Rain King's self description as being a spiritual man, in touch with the really real. You would expect a huckster like him to claim something like that.

    If you follow the progress of the X-Files over the course of the later Season Five, and now the Season Six episodes, you can trace the growing personal relationship between Scully and Mulder. Scully's heart to heart with Sheila (Victoria Jackson) about personal relationships and building on a friendship that eventually turns to love was quite revealing for the direction the FBI agents were going. That they could put Sheila and Hardt (David Manis) together was a matchmaking triumph that provided a nice feel good resolution to this episode. The dissolve to a Wizard of Oz-like ending was perfect with it's 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' theme in the background. If I had to guess, Sheila and Holman probably named their baby Dorothy.
  • comment
    • Author: Malahelm
    First off, as a Kansas resident, the sights of mountains abound truly made me giggle. It's Kansas. We have exactly zero mountains. And barely any hills. The episode starts off well enough, with the guy getting his 'just desserts' being beaned over the head with heart shaped hail, but from there, it just turns into something not really X-Files like. Feel good episodes have their place and all, but this was overkill, I thought. A little too cheesy for the general feel of the show itself, and seemed to have been a filler episode more than anything. Tying the relationship between Fox and Dana into the episode was probably its only saving grace and garnered a few chuckles.

    5.8/10
  • comment
    • Author: Moogugore
    Although this has to be the nadir of season six, this schmaltzy episode isn't badly written or acted. It's just that most of us looked to the X-Files for taut, gripping horror/thrillers ending without easy answers and moving toward dark but fathomable conspiracies. Season 6 gave us a stream of tongue-in-cheek comedies that undermined the show's continuity and, frankly, made Simpsons' Halloween Specials look like great thriller TV.

    In this episode Victoria Jackson of SNL fame plays the long-suffering girlfriend of a man who sets himself up as a rainmaker. However her weatherman boss is the one who truly loves her and Mulder winds up having to provide him dating advice in order to get out of town.

    There's some playful fun with the chemistry between the agents and some amusing but none-too-sophisticated characterization of Midwestern hicks. It's nothing you'd want to see more than once!

    It's hard to figure out Season 6. X-Files creator Chris Carter seems bored by the whole 'Syndicate conspiracy' story arc and abandons responsibility to the black comedy writers.
  • Episode complete credited cast:
    David Duchovny David Duchovny - Fox Mulder
    Gillian Anderson Gillian Anderson - Dana Scully
    Victoria Jackson Victoria Jackson - Sheila Fontaine
    Clayton Rohner Clayton Rohner - Daryl Mootz
    David Manis David Manis - Holman Hardt
    Dirk Blocker Dirk Blocker - Mayor Gilmore
    Frankie Ingrassia Frankie Ingrassia - Cindy Culpepper (as Francesca Ingrassia)
    Tom McFadden Tom McFadden - Doctor (as Thom McFadden)
    Dan Gifford Dan Gifford - Local News Anchor
    Sharon Madden Sharon Madden - Hotel Manager
    Brian Johnson Brian Johnson - Man (as Brian D. Johnson)
    Sally Stevens Sally Stevens - Radio Singer
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