6X05 - Dreamland II [REVISITED]

Summary

With Scully back to her senses at last, this one was much more enjoyable than Part I. The pace picked up and the over-the-top humour was put aside for actual clever moments and some good old-fashioned tension. I liked the resolution of events. Performances by the extended guest cast were great. And in the end, I loved the "tender loving tones" with which M&S spoke during one of their famous cell phone conversations. This was a very strong finish for the two-parter, invoking very real emotions despite its generally light-hearted feel.

The famous "sunflower seed goodbye"

Thick like a brick, sometimes, our Dana Scully is. From the first moment of "Mulder" telling her "Oh Dana, want to pick me up a pack of Morleys" (Dreamland I), shouldn't she have been a little more suspicious that something may have happened, given their vast expanse of previous encounters with similar phenomena? (Yeah, I know I already said this in my review of the previous ep, but it still drove me somewhat bananas here.)

And like most people, I had to let that go in order to enjoy these eps, and admittedly, I did enjoy them for what they were. In the end, I find it absurd that a highly placed official like Wegman would have done what he did just to get Mulder to confirm the possibility of little green men with him. But if the boys had to give us a light-hearted adventure that — in the end result — didn't really happen (just like the adventure that didn't happen in Triangle, and the upcoming one that won't happen in How the Ghosts Stole Christmas), I guess they could have done worse. Within the confines of the silliness that transpired, we got to see some interesting character interactions.

Every time I watch these episodes, I wonder if Team Gillnitz thought long and hard about how to execute the "Mulder as Morris" and "Morris as Mulder" switcheroos. I mean, it would have been quite entertaining to see DD morph into a sleezebag character as his body is overtaken by Morris Fletcher, but then we wouldn't have gotten that great goodbye scene with Scully and the sunflower seeds. (Maybe they figured that DD had already done a great turn as Eddie back in S4.)

During this re-watch, I was more concerned with the "reality" of the situation than the superficial funniness. Nowhere did this hit home more clearly than in that final scene in front of the Fletcher residence when we see Mulder packing up stuff into a U-Haul. Just think if everything hadn't "snapped back"...

Speaking of time snapping back, that bit with Mulder's apartment is a little unsettling. Although, judging from his comment about the bed in Monday, I guess he wasn't left holding the tab for all those purchases.

Best or Worst Moment

The famous "sunflower seed goodbye"?? Powerful stuff that was, but I was also very moved by the exchange between Fletcher and his wife on their doorstep when they attempted to reconnect. With the M&S moment, you got the sense that they were mourning the loss of something that never really started, but with Morris and Joanne, you felt that perhaps they will have a chance to rekindle something that never should have died. It was a nice "reminder" kind of moment for those among us who have known the feeling of taking things for granted over time.

Original Rating: * * * *
Revised Rating: * * *