▁much ▁at ▁all . ▁ ▁Bell ▁wished ▁to ▁write ▁a ▁" down - and - dir ty " ▁horror ▁story ▁about ▁a ▁s nake - hand ling ▁church . ▁Furthermore , ▁Bell ▁wanted ▁the ▁true ▁ant agon ist ▁of ▁the ▁episode ▁to ▁remain ▁hidden ▁until ▁the ▁very ▁end . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁do ▁this , ▁the ▁script ▁was ▁written ▁so ▁that ▁Mul der ▁sus pected ▁the ▁wrong ▁individual . ▁According ▁to ▁executive ▁producer ▁Frank ▁Sp ot nitz , ▁the ▁theme ▁of ▁the ▁episode ▁was ▁" int ol er ance ▁can ▁be ▁good ", ▁in ▁some ▁cases . ▁The ▁episode ▁used ▁live ▁r att les n akes ; ▁at ▁any ▁one ▁time , ▁there ▁were ▁between ▁six ▁and ▁fifty ▁sn akes ▁on ▁the ▁set . ▁ ▁Plot ▁In ▁B less ing , ▁Tennessee , ▁J ared ▁Ch ir p , ▁while ▁attempting ▁to ▁fle e ▁his ▁home , ▁is ▁attacked ▁by ▁r att les n akes ▁inside ▁his ▁car ▁and ▁killed . ▁Federal ▁agents ▁Fox ▁Mul der ▁( David ▁Duch ov ny ) ▁and ▁D ana ▁S cul ly ▁( G ill ian ▁Anderson ), ▁after ▁confer ring ▁with ▁Re ver end ▁Mack ey , ▁go ▁to ▁Re ver end ▁En och ▁O ' Con nor ' s ▁church , ▁Church ▁of ▁God ▁with ▁Sign s ▁and ▁W onders , ▁where ▁Bib lic al ▁literal ism ▁is ▁str essed ▁and ▁sn akes ▁are ▁used ▁during ▁his ▁services . ▁As ▁such , ▁O ' Con nor ▁becomes ▁the ▁prime ▁suspect . ▁Later , ▁a ▁woman