Summary
Not a great episode, but hey, we have Krycek's first appearance and a whole lot of sizzling moments between him and Mulder. (I especially liked the "background" provided by the scene where Krycek tells Mulder he doesn't appreciate being ditched, claiming that while at the Academy, he was one of the ones who believed in his work.) On the plot side, we play around with the theme of how it may be better to die than to live forever at a cost. (In this case, of having no sleep and therefore no escape. It sort of reminded me of our genie's problem at the end of season seven.) I'm not sure what to make of a guy being able to project images so real that they can kill, but I suppose the human mind can be very susceptible. In any case, stories like this do touch on very relevant matters of war and the never-ending campaign to create better soldiers. It doesn't surprise me if someone thinks that a price should be paid.
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| "Krycek... Alex Krycek." |
"He had a gun." No, he had a bible.
A second look at this episode earns it an increase in rating from me. I found it good for many reasons: how the creators used Krycek to problem-solve the real life challenge of GA's pregnancy, the great M&S moments despite the fact that they are now apart, Mulder's (albeit reluctant) acceptance of a new working mate, and the introduction of X — who makes it clear that he is not interested in paying the ultimate price like Deep Throat did.
The post TXF world has opened up the horrors of war and its ultimate cost on soldiers to a whole new generation. What may have seemed difficult to identify with — in terms of fighters from Vietnam — is now somewhat universal. The reasoning behind this outrageous experiment was believable, the pain that these soldiers felt was effectively conveyed, and it would not surprise me one bit if something like that has been considered in real life. All that was required out of the episode was that suspension of disbelief to accept that Cole had the ability to do what he did. The scene in which he did the trick to Mulder was hard to swallow, but hey. Good characters all around, too — I like it when I can feel for the antagonist.
Now for the down side. I didn't care for the final scene in which Krycek is — ta da — revealed to be working for the baddies. I always thought that CC missed an opportunity with Krycek, but that again alludes to my belief that a coherent plan was not in place from the start. (I will allow that CC had a plan, but it was a Gumby plan.) Krycek could have been the Kevin Costner character from No Way Out, with a really big reveal at the end of the series. In between, he could have appeared as a recurring agent (with perhaps the odd questionable motive), allowing our two leads some rest every now and then. His ultimate duplicity could have provided us with years of "answers" as to why certain things happened when they did. But the big missed opportunity, I think, was that Agent Krycek could have taken over after DD left. I would have watched that. I know, hindsight is 20/20, but in my opinion, Krycek ended up being ill-used in the series as it was, despite his potential.
Oh, and about the evidence being taken away from Mulder and Scully yet again. Plot device that's already getting old... what's the point?
Picayune Peculiarities
When they are going through all the camera footage at the train station, do you mean to tell me that they couldn't find one frame of film that showed Cole, Gerardi... or Mulder, for that matter?
Best or Worst Moment
Pick any of the Mulder/Scully moments in this one in which Krycek is hovering in the background, either as our pair huddle in close quarters speaking in low voices or as they're having one of their more "intimate" telephone conversations.
They were downright rude to Krycek, weren't they? (What is with these two, they don't shake hands?) I loved the latter part of their phone conversation when Mulder says, "I'm surprised I put up with you for so long." It's actually very revealing that he can say this at this point, when they are separated and have no idea that they will ever work together again. (On the other hand, these two guys just look so good together... the scene of Mulder and Krycek running into the train station gave me a bit of a thrill.)
Original Rating: * *
Revised Rating: * * *
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