2X22 - F. Emasculata

Summary

How do you stop a terrible contagion from spreading and what risks would you take to ensure that it all stops "here"? Would you control the disease by controlling (i.e., withholding) the information? It seems more and more likely that what played out here in this episode (government secrecy and testing) could be the way of the future when it comes to these types of crises. Of course, there's a certain relevance to the subject matter of this episode as I write this in mid-2003. Apart from West Nile, we're in the throes of a global health crisis surrounding a largely unknown disease called SARS, which has shown itself to be unexpectedly virulent and extremely deadly in the absence of proper precautions. Unfortunately, it's not just the internet that makes the world a small place these days — there are no two points on the planet that require more than twenty four hours to travel between, making the rapid spread of anything a foregone conclusion. If the unthinkable were to happen, however, I don't think it make a difference to us whether the affliction were man-made or a cruel twist of Mother Nature... it's just scary.

Yes, you should always stay as far away
from pulsating pustules as possible!

All other things being equal, the moral of this story is: don’t hang your face over someone else’s pustulating boils! And most certainly don’t open your mouth when they invariably pop. The various instances of this were quite stupid, not to mention totally gruesome to watch.

So yes, there were many things to be scared of in this episode, and as Skinner tells Mulder at the end, it’s always best to watch your back. Sometimes it seems like we are just one strike away from being wiped out by a new pandemic. But what exactly was this ep wanting to be? A MotW in the guise of yet another contagion story (i.e., like Ice, Darkness Falls and Firewalker)? A corporate cover-up story probably not unlike what General Motors went through prior to being found out? Or was it all that plus a government conspiracy plot? The uncertain makeup of this episode contributed to an overall lack of punch, in my humble opinion.

That said, I appreciated the realism of the opposing sides of logic. It seemed like both sides had compelling arguments for validity. Do you go with the adage that it’s better to be honest right from the start — and risk total chaos unnecessarily — or do you keep things on the quiet until something forces your hand? At what point does that demarcation between control and cover-up grow fuzzy? And of course, you’ll want to sit down and debate it until the cows come home, but in these types of situations, you need to pick a side more or less immediately.

The episode ends on a disjointed, semi-mytharc-y note. It’s not bad enough that the corporate cover-up by Pinck Pharma is blatantly obvious to Mulder and Scully, but for Skinner to have set them up somehow to be discredited by assigning them this case was just too much.

Picayune Peculiarities

It goes without saying that you should never leave your keys in an unattended vehicle, but if you see your camper rolling away at high speed leaving you and your children stranded, you should probably get the hint that it’s not your husband running off on you... in most cases.

And didn't Scully display extremely risky behaviour from the get-go by not protecting herself more against this unknown contagious element?? Reminded me of Ice when they all went merrily about their work without so much as masks or gloves.

Best or Worst Moment

In the midst of the "all business and no fun" seriousness of this semi-mythology episode, the moment that stands out for me is the "take care of yourself" sentiment exchanged by our heroes as they conclude one of their phone conversations. It was both realistic and touching... a natural moment for the situation that they were in.

Original Rating: * *
Revised Rating: * *