Summary
This has just got to be on everyone's top ten list, as it is on mine. While the case itself was not original (as Mulder had occasion to say during the episode itself, we've "seen this before"), the presentation was brilliant. The acting was top-notch and the humour just came naturally. And you had to love Eddie "the loser", even though the thought of someone impersonating your husband or significant other during such intimacy is horrifying to say the least. I guess you could say that his heart was in the right place. I like how Vince Gilligan is able to give our little Scully a realistic sense of humour in his scripts. ("On behalf of all the women in the world, I seriously doubt that this has anything to do with consensual sex.") This one rolled along so fabulously that the plot holes were rendered inconsequential. Now that's good story-telling!
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| It's not Jeremiah Smith! |
AWKWARD with capital letters! There are certain episodes or events from episodes that I would just as soon omit from TXF canon, and yes — perhaps surprisingly — the whole Eddie Van Blundht encounter qualifies. I mean, how on earth do these two get past this?? (By not talking about it, hence my exclamation of "AWKWARD".) A month later, Mulder acquiesces to a request from Eddie to see him — and he even brings Scully along (!) — only to spend no more than two minutes getting an assessment of his life handed over to him in the psychological equivalent of a sad paper sack. And he's also obviously disturbed by what Eddie said to him as he walks out with Scully, leaving her with those immortal words, "But I'm no Eddie Van Blundht, either, am I?" Poor Mulder! See what I mean about wanting to erase this whole thing out of canon?
The thing is, I don't buy that "we don't talk" nonsense. This is season four and year five (although the series' writers apparently lost track of that latter fact) of their partnership. They have been through the Scully abduction arc and even the cancer arc. I don't think that during all of those plane rides, stakeouts and overnight stays in strange motels that it was all business, all the time. I'm not saying they were involved, but they surely enjoyed downtime as much as any other two colleagues who got along well together and truly liked one another. And while Eddie had to have had some smarts to fool that many women, I really, really don't think he had an innate understanding of Mulder and what his relationship to Scully might or might not have been, from just exchanging a few words with him.
So what do you think Mulder's first words were, after Eddie returned to being Eddie on Scully's couch? I suspect there is probably oodles of fanfic devoted to it even though I have never been tempted myself. How about something as simple and basic as, "You goddamn son of a bitch, I'll teach you to lock me up in cage! What the hell is going on here, Scully?"
Picayune Peculiarities
I'm not going to downgrade this from a 4-star ep, but indulge me as I point out some really strange things (those afore-mentioned plot holes that grow bigger with subsequent viewing) that are a challenge to accept in this one.
1) How did Fred and Baboo get Mulder's cell phone number?
2) Why didn't they get someone approximating DD's height to play Fred, so as to make the "suit borrowing" thing a little more believable? (EddieAsMulder should have appeared like Mulder in Fight the Future after he borrowed Byers' clothes.)
3) And the really big question — how easy is it to fool Dana Scully? I mean, she is aware of the special ability that's at play in this case and yet she saw nothing peculiar to suspect Mulder on the whole trip back to D.C. and into their evening? (I mean, it was funny and entertaining as all hell, but come on!)
4) Why didn't Mulder call Scully after he escaped? (Yes, I know; kicking in her door to possibly find her in a compromising position with EddieAsMulder was more dramatic.)
Best or Worst Moment
What can I say — I loved the "Eddie as Mulder" moments. In particular, my favourite sequence was his "introduction" to the basement office and the realization of what this G-Man does for a living. (Of course, the "Eddie as Mulder" and Scully encounter was quite memorable, but to pick that "moment" would be too obvious.)
Original Rating: * * * *
Revised Rating: * * * *
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