2X11 - Excelsis Dei

Summary

Something about old men maintaining their vitality with the help of magic mushrooms, the growth/use of which awakens pissed-off other-worldly entities that go around wreaking havoc in an old folks' home? This one had its moments — in particular, one funny one in which a patient named Hal flashes his "plumbing" at our agents — but when all was said and done, it didn't hook this viewer. As with a few other shows this season, I think the teaser sequence led me to anticipate a much stronger episode than what eventually transpired. That said, I was still left with a vague sense of sadness at the end when — as a result of the patients no longer getting their "mushroom medication" — the inhabitants of the institution were reduced to living vegetables with no real awareness of or passion for life.

Not exactly what you would call an "accessible" place

I re-watched this episode with much greater sympathy and empathy than I originally had almost a couple of decades ago, based on personal family experiences with so-called “old folks’ homes” and seeing once vibrant minds gradually disappear. It’s not fun to get old. Gung is so right in his assessment about how we treat our elders in western societies. We want to get rid of them, put them away out of sight so that they can be out of mind. We convince ourselves that someone else is more capable of taking care of them. The reality is that, quite often (although not all the time, it is important to stress) that “someone else” is just there to do a job in the most minimal way possible.

So I was a lot more hooked during this viewing, particularly to the point of seeing a different version of Scully “wanting to believe”, when she expresses to Mulder that she wants to stay on the case as they are preparing to check out of their hotel. They share a conversation that could easily be “reversed” in any other context:

M: You think that Michelle Charters was raped by a 74-year-old schizophrenic?
S: It’s possible.
M: An invisible 74-year-old schizophrenic?

However, none of the above inspires me to raise the rating for this episode. The part that didn’t hook me was the idea that — should it be possible to raise dead spirits via ingestion of mushrooms or whatever — those dead folks would then be so mean as to start offing residents. Uncaring staff, I could sort of understand as a revenge thing, but indiscriminate chaos just for the hell of it? Oh, and in typical uninspired story-telling fashion, the antics were sure ramped up once Mulder and Scully appeared on scene.

Picayune Peculiarities

Was it just the first and basement floors of this facility that were being used? If so, why weren’t the stairwells secured? And if they were being used, why were they so damn dark? Would make sense to me that unused spaces within a building that houses dementia patients should be locked and out of bounds for both residents and staff. Speaking of which, take a look at the steps leading up to this "convalescent facility" — that's quite the stairmaster!

Best or Worst Moment

The scene of the attempt to drown Mulder and Michelle in the washroom was well put together and convincing. A wet Mulder — even fully clothed — is always worth enjoying for its shallow appeal.

Original Rating: * *