3X14 - Grotesque

Summary

I recently watched this again (it may surprise those of you who read these that I don't usually re-watch the eps before I write these reviews) and it really made me feel nostalgic for the way things used to be. The look and feel of the hour — including the background music — was outstanding, from beginning to end. And Kurtwood Smith (who reminds me of his chilling performance in RoboCop every time I see him) was perfectly cast. You can see from both sides that Bill (a name which, along with "Karin", must be of great significance to someone connected with this show) did not have a mere mentor/protege relationship with Mulder; their clash hinted at classic father/son roles. As with Oubliette, this episode gave us great insights into the character of Mulder. As we've been consistently shown, there's no halfway with him. If there's a puzzle to be solved, we know where Fox Mulder will be. (Or at least — speaking in 2002 terms — we used to know where Mulder would be in such circumstances....)

Best or Worst Moment

This episode featured a number of significant moments where nothing was said. The three-sixty shot of Scully admiring Mulder's newly decorated walls was one of them. Mulder's nightmare sequence was another. In terms of actual dialogue, I liked the Mulder/Patterson exchange in the library. Somewhere underneath all that prickliness, there was some semblance of mutual respect.

Original Rating: * * *