In a rough translation, the title "Herrenvolk" means "the master race." In a show like this that has been so secretive about its storyline, this is one of those titles that gives us another clue to the bigger picture. Is it just about colonization, or is it also about creating a master race, with the possibility that it will mean our own undoing. Those are questions that we can ask ourselves, but nothing that the show is eager to answer, like almost everything else it has going on, but it adds to the mystery of an episode that continuously promises answers, yet gives us nothing.
A lot has been said about the show going on from this point on, and it feels like this episode is a good indication of the show's eventual spiral. However, looking at it for what it is, it does seem to continue the trend that Chris Carter is so fond of: promising a lot of answers, yet giving us nothing but more questions, which only adds to the mystery and makes us come back for more, but the question is for how long can this continue? It works here because of the intrigue that we're also given, with a little road trip leading to a whole bunch of disasters for Mulder and Scully, while also introducing another interesting element to the disappearance of Mulder's sister. It also features some genuinely shocking moments that I did not expect, but with the show's identity, it also felt like something shocking were to happen very soon, which it certainly did here. It's a suspenseful episode filled with some entertaining action sequences, although there's a clear cut in the show's actual ability to produce action that stays with you after it's over. It's entertaining, nonetheless. There are certain revelations that we get, and it's tied into the long-running idea of the government having covered up certain information and stealing information about people. And even though the episode didn't want to go into too many details here, it's one of the more interesting storylines that have yet to be given the time that it really deserves to influence the mythology.
"Herrenvolk" seems like it's a sign of the unwillingness to unfold in interesting ways to come, but it works pretty well on its own here. There's a symmetry to the two storylines here and it comes with its fair share of shocks and twists, although it still doesn't give answers to anything, just more questions.
