Season Two: "the truth is out there"

Overall Rating: 2.64 out of 4 (circa 2003)

I did not see any of this season's episodes during their first run, which means that I was a committed fan already when I eventually caught up with them through occasional reruns and later, via daily syndication. As such, I tend to see many of these episodes through rose-coloured glasses, because the feelings were so "high" when I originally encountered them. To put it in perspective, however — and as most long-term fans would agree — these really were representative of the days when the quality was obvious on The X-Files.

[This is a bit of an aside, but I assume I am not the only one out there supremely irritated by the fact that you can't skip over some elements of a DVD... the most significant being that ubiquitous FBI warning. Anyway, because I've been exercising on an elliptical while rewatching these eps, I have not bothered to fast forward through the show's opening sequence either. Needless to say, I've had a lot of time to look at it closely over the past couple of months and it's occurred to me that if not for that wonderful Mark Snow theme song (theme "notes"?), the TXF title sequence is pretty lame and borderline amateurish. Apart from the single shot of our intrepid pair working an early case and their FBI ID cards, the rest of it seems like an unrelated collection of offbeat images and cliches pulled out of some oddball's hat. I really wondered why it wasn't revamped after the first season.]

Worst / Best

There were many great episodes from this season and it remains the reason why I haven't sold my Season Two DVD set. (I only have two sets — this one and the previous. When my interest in TXF took an angry tumble, I briefly considered selling them. I've since changed my mind even though chances are, I'll probably never get around to viewing all the disks. I guess it's like keeping letters and gifts from an old boyfriend. My time in TXF fandom was a significant and unique part of my life, and for that reason, I see no reason to expunge all memory of it.) Anyway, it's impossible for me to choose one single best episode from a season that saw me rate seven — count 'em, seven — of them with the highest rating possible. Consider it a big tie among Ascension, One Breath, Colony/End Game, and Anasazi.

Worst ep? Hmmm... of the four eps that I gave a "poor" rating to (Red Museum, Fresh Bones, The Calusari and Our Town), I'd consider it a toss-up between the middle two. I have little feeling for either of them in the sense of wanting to view them ever again.

Most Disappointing / Most Surprising

Given that I'd heard so much about "the barbecue episode", I have to pick Red Museum as the most disappointing, because all in all, it didn't deliver much of anything interesting or exciting beyond Mulder wiping sauce from Scully's face... and even that scene was arguably not that enticing. It was one of those strangely "disconnected" mythology eps — and we all know how disconnected the connected myth eps became over time — that seemed to raise a bunch of unrelated questions with no possibility of resolution. (Maybe a typical CC production??)

My pick for most surprising episode from season two is Aubrey and I'm suspecting that some will be surprised by this selection. I more or less dismissed it on first viewing, but this is an episode that I like more with each subsequent viewing. Sure, it had holes galore in the plot and timeframes — as do many TXF episodes, by the way — but there was also something compelling about it, too — in a "human drama" sense, beyond an X-File.

2X25 - Anasazi [REVISITED]

Summary

Bar none, this is the best season ender in all of TXF history. (I, of course, didn't see the series ender, but nothing that I read/heard about it would make me doubt the accuracy of my previous statement.) For the fact that this hour marked my first exposure to TXF, I saw a lot of weird stuff that I couldn't possibly have understood at the time, but it was all so intriguing that I was hooked. (And luckily, I saw it in the fall of 1995 — just before the opening of the third season.) As with One Breath, this was a multi-layered episode in which there was a lot going on at a frenetic pace, but it all came together smoothly. As you might expect, this episode is a selection from my top ten page and is covered in depth there.

Father and son bonding before a shocking assassination

If I could give this one any higher of a rating, I would, because on this recent viewing, I still couldn't believe how much relevancy to the whole X-Files saga it managed to touch on, within the span of — what is it officially — forty-three minutes? Before we even catch a glimpse of Scully, we have The Thinker achieving what he thought was impossible, resulting in multiple conversations in at least three different languages across the UN. Then we get the Lone Gunmen providing their piece of the puzzle just before a strange murder occurs in Mulder's building. And we see that Mulder isn't quite himself, even as he attends a meeting to get this highly classified MJ data from this person who wants "those rat bastards" to answer to the people. Wow.

Sorry to see Papa Mulder introduced and offed all in the space of half a season. His character's relationship with his son and the conspiracy players could have offered quite a few more entertaining stories, in my humble opinion. And did you catch the hug that he gave Fox this time around? At least — if he had to die — he made his amends with his son.

About that ending, though. CSM's people very quickly establish that Mulder is not in the boxcar. (Way too quickly given that it was full of bodies.) Obviously, CSM's final words were to mean that he assumed that Mulder was in the boxcar. So he was finally willing to kill him at this point? What about that "one man's crusade" thing?

Some of the impressions that I recall from the first time that I saw this episode include thinking that the lead actor was attractive in a somewhat offbeat way, wondering why anyone would name their kid "Fox", and being impressed by the show's ambitious production values (particularly the faux New Mexico landscape). For a new viewer who had no history with the show, this episode gave me enough backstory that I couldn't help but care. And I think that's the operative word when it comes to watching any TV show or movie... if the audience doesn't care one way or the other about the characters depicted, there is no hope of success. I haven't mentioned the Mulder/Scully dynamic in this one, but it seemed obvious to me even at first glance back then that these two people had a strong relationship that could withstand a lot, a lot. Hell, she shot him just to save him! (Never mind the super human strength she must have had to pack him into a car and drive him across the country afterwards.)

Picayune Peculiarities

Great teaser again. But I question why the kid would actually take the trouble to drag a body out of that boxcar, wrap it up in his blanket and take it home with him... other than to provide us with a great teaser.

Unless it was the police who were tailing our "Three Stooges", it was just insane that they would show up at Mulder's apartment building literally seconds after the gunshot rang out. I mean, they would have had to have been in the elevator for such speed! And, yet — no such attention when Scully was almost killed later in the episode... hmm, how's that for a conspiracy?

I know that CC likes the dark, but on many occasions in this series, the need to shoot in darkness results in time frames that don't make sense. Here we have Mulder extremely upset over Scully taking off with his gun, but he obediently stays at her apartment until nightfall. It is totally dark when he gets out of the cab (guess he didn't drive himself to Scully's?) back at his place and spots Krycek skulking around. Meanwhile, Scully has not gone home in all this time and has actually been inside Mulder's building since before it was dark. (It was daytime when she retrieved the slug and spotted the water service vehicle outside.) Whatever the case, luckily they were all there in the same place at the right time.

Best or Worst Moment

The only moment I haven't alluded to in my various discussions of this episode is the Krycek/Mulder encounter. Gotta be classic, even though these two have many memorable clashes later in the series. It's incredible how Nick Lea and DD always give something extra in their scenes together. (And those of us who have heard NL describe the action during filming know how "inadvertently real" some of the pain was.)

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

2X24 - Our Town

Summary

Y'know, despite the scientific education and pertinence offered by this episode towards CJ/mad-cow disease, this hour just didn't do it for me. (I mean, by rights, I should be as appalled as Scully by the thought of eating KFC, but I've merrily continued in my chicken consumption ways since seeing this ep.) Kudos for being "socially aware", however — something that I thought TXF was really good at, even when the resulting scripts weren't the most engaging. Apart from that, though, in the end, I merely saw this town as being just another one of those weird "middle America" communities that have ended up in the middle of Mulder and Scully's path over the years. These people want to eat the flesh of their neighbours so that they can live forever? Oookay...

Best or Worst Moment

"Help, I'm on my knees and I can't get up!" Seeing our Agent Scully almost destined for some sort of human stew was a bit alarming, but I couldn't help but laugh at how she was "restrained". There was no way that she could have gotten out of that head band thingamajig?? Or was it something about the way she was kneeling that she couldn't straighten up? Oh well, Mulder to the rescue.

Original Rating: *

2X23 - Soft Light [REVISITED]

Summary

This was Vince Gilligan's first script for TXF and interestingly, he wasn't part of the show's staff at the time. I thought it was a well executed story that featured an effective performance by Tony Shalhoub in the central role. (On the other hand, the actress who played Detective Ryan — who also appeared in the infamous Genderbender episode — did not strike a sympathetic chord with me at any point. Despite Scully's identification with Ryan's challenges in the "old boys' club", I didn't much feel sorry for her when she was reduced to a puddle late in the hour.) This is an example of an X-File that seems somewhat absurd, but given the quality writing and sympathetically drawn character, I'm able to suspend the disbelief and go along for the ride. I liked how the initial "spontaneous human combustion" theory branches out into the highly technical science that Chester Banton is actually involved with. Even though there are the usual "how can that be??" aspects to certain plot elements, this episode plays out successfully, particularly when it comes to the government's interest in harnessing this man's "talents" and the mysterious Mr. X's involvement in capturing him for study.

A very sympathetic Dr. Banton

I found myself liking this more during my re-watch, so I will take this opportunity to bump up the rating. Absurdity of certain plot points aside (including the fact that Mulder and Scully are even involved in this case to begin with), it was an entertaining hour in many respects. During this recent viewing, I was impressed by how the script managed to weave in parts of the government conspiracy via the involvement of X. (Not to mention that X's role was very well written in this instance... he wasn't just his usual snarling self with nothing of substance to say.) It could very well have simply been a standard one-off episode with no ties to any continuity. Instead, not only do we have X playing a big role towards the final act, we have Scully staring at a heating vent while contemplating how a hotel room can be locked from within without its occupant. However, I was disappointed that she seemed to have forgotten the whole spontaneous combustion part of the unfortunate Phoebe Green encounter, leading to a borderline testy remark by Mulder who says "okay" when she suggests "let's just forget for the moment that there's no scientific theory to support" his theory. Loved the look that Mulder gave her when she entered the elevator immediately afterwards!

I mentioned not feeling anything for Detective Ryan in my original review and pinned the reason on the actress playing her (Kate Twa). While it's still true that her performance didn't inspire me to feel sorry for her, I must also add that the way the character was written didn't score any points with me either. That said, her actions were very consistent with the way other law enforcement agents that M&S have encountered have behaved.

Picayune Peculiarities

We see more of that truly advanced digital image enhancing software at work again, only this time it is the Richmond Train Station that possesses it! (I know, I know, we needed to see that emblem on Dr. Banton's jacket in order to move the action along in a show that only lasts for an hour.) The other major nitpick I have with this episode lies in how Banton's shadow managed to slip under the door at the hotel to kill that poor man during the teaser.

Best or Worst Moment

Speaking of X, this is somewhat of a funny moment, when you get right down to it. Mulder meets him in the stairwell of the train station and the basic gist of the conversation is that X tells Mulder that he (X) is "not at your beck and call". (Apparently our Mr. X hasn't totally recovered from the abuse that he got from Scully and Skinner in End Game.) However, wasn't it nice of him to came all the way from DC to Richmond to tell Mulder this?

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

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: * *

2X21 - The Calusari

Summary

This episode seemed to hold so much promise, but when it ended, I was disappointed with it. I think it suffered from the obvious Exorcist and Omen similarities, proving once again that taking on subject matter that's been done well in the past is not easy unless you have a bang-up new angle to throw into the mix. What we got here — a dead twin having an influence on his still-living brother, resulting in those who attempt to "get in the way" being killed in quick succession — made for a violent and action-filled hour, but nothing of it was too terribly original.

A little more paprika and you'll be good to go!

Lessons learned from the teaser: don’t give a two year old an ice cream cone and a balloon at the same time. The first is doomed to fall to the ground and the second is doomed to float away in the sky. Which then – for some reason – leads to Dad throwing everybody's ice cream into the garbage when snotty older kid goes on about losing his balloon to his younger brother. I know how much ice cream cones cost at amusement parks and he’s right: that was a waste of good money! I’m pretty darn sure that wifey – had she not lost her kid in the subsequent tragedy – would have asked him, “What happened to my ice cream?”

I like it when Mulder and Scully call upon other members of their professional circle to assist with their cases and this ep gave us both Chuck Burks and Karen Kosseff. (Chuck seems a bit full of himself as he defends his findings against Dana Scully’s skepticism.)

Okay, they find this ash and it’s supposedly neither organic nor inorganic. How can that be? (According to the so-called technicians, the stuff doesn’t exist. Well, it very clearly exists since it’s in a baggie and you’ve been handling it.) Never mind that Chuckie instantly recognizes it as “holy ash”. Which leads to one of the better moments in this ep, Scully’s response to Mulder’s theory that the energy from spirit beings could have opened up the garage door while they were inside having a looksee: “Yeah, that or somebody activated the remote control.”

As we approach the climax of this one, Mulder sends Scully back to the Holveys while he goes to get help. I think Scully got the raw end of that deal, as it was only due to very coincidental timing that she is saved from certain death at the hands of “ghost of dead twin”. All Mulder had to deal with was a demon who may or may not recognize him in future. (Although if I had been Mulder, I would have retorted, “Well, it would have been nice if someone had told me not to look at him before I looked at him!”)

Best or Worst Moment

The teaser, once again. Seeing the "oh my God, there's tragedy ahead for that little kid" during the first few minutes of this hour prepared me for a much better episode than what I got.

Original Rating: *
Revised Rating: *

2X20 - Humbug

Summary

This would definitely make my top twenty list. Darin Morgan's first effort was filled with clever dialogue, fascinating images, and straight out mockery of the show and its characters. Humbug was a fun ride, even with all the requisite squeamish things that typify the freak show circuit. It was a welcome change of pace to encounter an X-File that — while not merely presented as a funny distraction — gave us time to relax and consider the oddities of life. No matter how different, people are still people. This episode illustrated how — deep down — we all have the same hopes and dreams, not to mention the same desires for a "normal" existence.

Best or Worst Moment

Like War of the Coprophages, this one had a whole slew of moments that would qualify as "best" for the series as a whole. Ones that automatically pop into my mind are Scully's trick with the cricket (which as we insiders know, wasn't really a trick, making it all the more icky), Mulder being pegged by Mr. Nutt as a Fibbie, the mutual "robe closing" moment between Scully and Lanny, Mulder's "I'm doing that right now as we speak", our intrepid agents' exhumation of the potato, and the final sequence with the wide shot of Fox Mulder striking a pose as Dr. Blockhead describes the ignominy of life as someone "like him".

Original Rating: * * * *

2X19 - Dod Kalm

Summary

Red alert — bad Star Trek retread on the horizon! I admit that the concept is intriguing (just as it was for ST) but in both cases, the problem of resolving the plot is insurmountable. How can the physical changes that age a person's body ever get reversed? If it can be done, we would no longer have old age, or people dying from it. Unbelievability aside, however, we were treated to some interesting, introspective moments from both of our heroes as they consider their fate. (Mulder, it seems, will maintain his sense of humour right through to the end.) In that sense, we saw some realistic emotional responses, such as Mulder's comment about how this is "not fair", along with Scully's newfound wisdom about life as a result of her recent ordeal.

Best or Worst Moment

Not so much worst moment as worst makeup. Too bad DD didn't raise the same sort of stink as William Shatner supposedly did and request that they lighten up on the number of "layers" being applied to his face. I somehow suspect that DD/Mulder will age a lot more gracefully than what we were shown here.

Original Rating: * *

2X18 - Fearful Symmetry

Summary

This one had a great teaser sequence. In fact, among the excellent teaser sequences that TXF offers up on a consistent basis, this one stands out in my memory. It's an invisible elephant, after all — how much better can it get? Unfortunately, the episode doesn't quite measure up, despite an honest attempt. I appreciate the conservation theme (regardless of whether or not aliens are involved) but to paraphrase Scully, the militant types attracted to such causes tend to piss me off with their tactics. Which is to say that the black and white thinking of people like Kyle Lang tend to alienate people who might otherwise be supportive of their principles.

Wasn't this just the coolest shot ever?

I liked this episode more during this revisitation than I did when I originally saw it. Circumstances that crop up in real life news sometimes affect how we view TV shows. I was actually impressed by how TXF managed to wrap the whole controversy over zoos and animals held in captivity into an alien abduction story, such as it was (since nothing was resolved at the end).

And it wasn’t out of the realm of believability, TXF-wise. The bits about previously unsuccessful pregnancies combined with the sudden pregnancies of these affected animals made for some interesting intrigue. Luckily, we end up with one animal that we can "talk to": Sophie the gorilla. (I obviously hadn’t seen this ep since seeing DD’s Return to Me, because here I was so vividly reminded of the secondary plot thread involving a gorilla from that movie whereas I wasn’t reminded of this ep while watching the movie. Did that make sense?) But what exactly did she mean when she signed “man save man”?

The financial circumstances of the zoo were a bit more difficult to buy, particularly as everything went down so quickly. ("The animals are being shipped out to other zoos starting Monday"? That soon? Sounds like someone had their minds made up about this place long before any "incidents" happened.)

I admit to be being a bit torn over the opposing sides in this episode. Yes, in theory, all animals should run free, but are humans expected to turn the other cheek no matter what the circumstances? When we perform a rescue and change the life of an animal in the process, should/would we doom it by letting it back into the wild? Should we never again investigate the boundaries of intelligence of certain animals by studying them up close?

Picayune Peculiarities

Exaggerate much? When Mr. Lang made the comparison that the elephant’s container is similar to "you or I living in a pickle barrel", I had to scoff. Yes, the pen is small, but I wouldn’t be able to get up and move around inside a pickle barrel. Militant types of any stripe are a turn-off and those who insist on taking a stand by manipulating facts and emotions are so much worse.

Best or Worst Moment

Ooh — Mulder being left in the room to be battered by Sophie was frightening to watch. Honorary runner-up moment was the teleconference call to Frohike and Byers where the former announces that he's been working out for Agent Scully's benefit: "I'm buff."

Original Rating: * *
Revised Rating: * *

2X17 - End Game

Summary

Things go south quickly in the second half of my favourite mythology two-parter. Picking up where things left off last hour, DD gets to throw GA around (and didn't he look coldly menacing as he did so??) as Scully is taken captive by ABH-as-Mulder. He wants to make a deal with the real Mulder to exchange her for Samantha. What an awful choice for Mulder to make. And yet, with Samantha's blessing, he makes the trade and lives to see his "sister" plunge into the cold depths of a raging river. After another angsty moment with Dad and revelation of the "truth" (?) at the abortion clinic, we can imagine that Mulder is quickly unravelling. On some level, he is willing to die just so that he can know the truth about his sister, as shown by that desperate scene with the ABH. Great stuff all around here, from Scully refusing to be left behind by her agonized partner (even through one of their most vehement disagreements) to Skinner stepping up to the plate to help out his agents (and suffering quite a beating to achieve it).

Best or Worst Moment

"I found something I thought I'd lost..." I anticipated Mulder's next words correctly ("...faith to keep looking") when I first saw this episode because to me, that faith defines his character. And as I'll keep saying whenever the topic turns to how TXF unfolded in its later seasons, I so wanted that faith to be rewarded. All these people who ever told Mulder his sister was alive were just consistently lying, right? (By the way, runner-up for best moment happened just a few seconds before that statement. The big grin that Scully gives him upon his awakening was almost blinding in its brilliance.)

Original Rating: * * * *

2X16 - Colony [REVISITED]

Summary

A season in which the main mythology eps made sense and were relatively easy to follow. Wow. If this is where it all began, it's truly lamentable where it all ended up. What did we get in this one? An intriguing case of look-alike abortion doctors who are systematically "offed", an introduction to Mulder's relatively dysfunctional family, bad guys maybe playing on both sides of the field, and the first appearance of the mighty morphin' ABH. (And I have to ask the nitpicky question — how does such a transformation affect clothing? Whenever The Hulk did his thing, he always tore through David Banner's clothes....) Wonderful work on the scenes between brother and "sister" on the part of DD and Megan Leitch — she consistently has great chemistry with him. Oh, and what viewer can forget what s/he felt at the end of the episode when Scully hears Mulder's voice on the phone — while "Mulder" stands there in front of her. No wonder this one was a no-brainer for inclusion in my top ten defining eps list.

The sister who wasn't

"It is really her, isn't it?"

I so wanted it to be. But if the ex-Mrs. Mulder knew then what she later "knew" in Season Seven, she wouldn't have asked this. Listen to Samantha's tale about what happened to her in this episode and you are sure to think that it had tremendous story-telling possibilities. Why was it ultimately abandoned? Right down to the part about Stratego, it made so much sense and held so much promise.

Two great moments from this episode that I want to highlight. The first one concerns the heated conversation that Mulder and Scully exchange the night after their CIA "friend" loses Dr. Dickens. "You'll pursue a case at the expense of everything, to the point of insanity, and expect me to follow you. There has to be somewhere to draw the line." Mulder's response shows just how sane he actually always is, and he reminds Scully that she is free to draw her own lines.

The second moment that always strikes an emotional response in me whenever I watch this episode is the moment of Mulder greeting his father. Great reaction look on the part of DD when Papa Mulder extends his hand instead of accepting his hesitant invitation to a hug. Doesn't necessarily indicate that Fox Mulder was abused by his dad, but it does indicate that on some level, he's still looking for his love and approval.

Picayune Peculiarities

Okay, ABH being able to assume other people's physicality I will buy. (Well, not really, like I said in my original review above, but I will buy it for the sake of enjoying this episode.) However, the way he assumes the mannerisms of these people? Hard to buy that. So while that final scene is and has always been a great mini-cliffhanger, the fact that he chooses the exact words that Mulder would say when he inquires at Scully's motel room door is hard to swallow. (And no, I don't believe that he has been following them around for some time learning how they interact.)

By the way, am I mistaken or has Scully "held the proof" (of extraterrestrials) more often than Mulder? Here she encounters yet another alien embryo — and this time it even moves!

Best or Worst Moment

As good as this whole episode was, it was the teaser that had me gripping the edge of my seat from the very first second. The words uttered by Mulder as we glimpsed the end result of his harrowing adventure sure had me wondering what could ever have happened to bring him to this point.

The worst thing about this episode is how Mulder and Scully rely on land lines until the fascinating climactic moment. I know that the unfortunate plot device was required to move the story along, but for two people who normally seem so attached to their cell phones, it was definitely out of character.

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

2X15 - Fresh Bones

Summary

From the occult last week to voodoo this week, I didn't really care for this one either (although ratings-wise, it was the highest rated TXF episode of the first two seasons). And like most eps that I don't really care for, I have only vague memories of what really happened during the hour. The only part that I recall being impressive was the "twist" at the end about the fate of the boy Chester. Otherwise, in much the same way as Die Hand Die Verletzt, this seemed like just another opportunity to provide some gross out moments within a plot that kills folks in the guise of suicide. At least in the end, there is some justice to be had as we see Col. Wharton being buried alive.

Best or Worst Moment

Don't know whether to categorize it as best or worst, but Scully's hallucination/voodoo moment is one for the ages in terms of gross TXF scenes. Would she have actually choked to death if she hadn't thought to grab her little "protective" pouch?

Original Rating: *

2X14 - Die Hand Die Verletzt

Summary

Ick. I've always thought that there was much about this creepy ep that I should/could have liked, but it just ended up being unsatisfying. Somehow, the occult theme in this one wasn't all that interesting, despite the raining toads, huge snakes, and disconnected beating hearts. I kept wanting to know why this was going on, whatever was it that compelled these seemingly ordinary people to have committed their lives to the so-called black arts? (Or maybe that's totally realistic — that ordinary semi-professional folks in small towns would find such a pursuit an interesting way to spend their off-hours?) I've read that this script came out of a suggestion that someone write a story about a man who gets swallowed by a snake. I'd have to say perhaps we need a bit more to go on to create a memorable story that goes beyond gross special effects.

It's raining toads in New Hampshire

So local law enforcement are so freaked out about this case that they call out the Fibbies before they even scan the crime scene for evidence? And I don’t know about you, but if toads started falling on my head/umbrella, I’d be a lot more astonished than M&S were here.

There are folks out there who sing high praises for this episode but I don’t really get why. I have to admit that the entire “send up of religion” theme sort of went over my head. Supposedly this was about people who profess to believe, being lax in the practice of their beliefs, getting their just desserts. And in this case, since we are talking about the dark forces, the just desserts are served up in a nasty fashion courtesy of Mrs. Paddock. But why kill poor Shannon? (Who died incredibly quickly, let me add.) Because this is Satan and that’s just how Satan works? Call me up unnecessarily and I’ll kill you? Or does this go back to the PTA not having paid their dues in ages and so now The Big Guy has come to take his own “offerings”? Okay, I’ll admit I’m so not into religion-based eps that I don’t even quite understand the send-ups. (Or maybe I do, and this is all there is to it.)

Some odd items that caught my eye as I watched this hour... Mulder chases Shannon down the hall and makes one of his stupendous leaps by saying, “You’re remembering!” Wha-? And wouldn’t you know – she does remember. Sort of. Maybe. Not really sure.

Mrs. Paddock makes noises as she does her “work” that would be awfully hard to explain to someone passing by outside her office door.

When I saw Scully working away searching for information on Mrs. Paddock during the power outage, I thought, isn’t it wonderful that in the days of dial-up internet, you can go online without power?

I had forgotten that Mulder and Scully had taken a shower together before that dreadful One Son episode...

Best or Worst Moment

This was sorta stupid — talk about stepping out of the frying pan and into the fire. These misguided devil-worshipping folks think that they should sacrifice a couple of FBI agents in order to swing around the balance of power??

Original Rating: * *
Revised Rating: * *

2X13 - Irresistible [REVISITED]

Summary

An effectively executed story about one of TXF's creepiest villains, Donnie Pfaster. (Too bad when they picked up the thread in season seven's Orison that they made a mess of it.) A significant part of why this story worked was because of people's reactions to a rather nondescript man. We had a sympathetic small town cop overwhelmed by the sadistic nature of this guy, we had frightened street walkers fearing for their lives (and this is always an interesting angle because we tend to think that hookers are expected to face danger on a daily basis), and we had Mulder thinking that he's just there to provide a bit of profiling advice, waiting for the right moment to dismiss it as not being an X-File and then taking his partner out to a football game. Who would have thought that the usually cool and collected Dana Scully would do the big "freak out" thing, seek professional help, and then end up being the final victim of this sickie? (And yes, the contrived manner in which that came about prevents me from rating this one higher.)

A watershed moment in the Mulder & Scully relationship

"I don't want him to feel like he has to protect me."

And therein lies the inability of Dana Scully to trust her partner fully.

In the midst of the sick freakshow that is known as Donnie Pfaster, it was refreshing to have a guy like Moe Bocks to balance the scales. He's likeable and open-minded. Just a normal, small town cop (he's FBI) who's not above considering strange possibilities like aliens and UFOs but finds it hard to comprehend how a seemingly ordinary guy can do what Pfaster has been doing.

But as gruesome as this [non] X-File is, it's really not the true focus of this episode for the committed viewers among us. Which, when you think about it, makes this a rather successful episode, as the casual viewer is engrossed in (and grossed out by) the subject matter while the rest of us see Mulder contemplate losing Scully yet again. Worse yet, all of this may have been a result of a frivolous whim of wanting to attend a football game on Bureau bucks.

On Scully's side of the coin, while she tells Dr. Kosseff she trusts Mulder with her life — and here's the fanfic writer in me poking her head out for the first time in over a decade — her words and actions indicate that she doesn't sufficiently trust him in her life. (I've already said as much in my Crossing Lines story.) We are shown in various ways throughout the series how emotionally open Mulder is to Scully, but it takes another four years for Scully to show this side of herself to Mulder again.

Picayune Peculiarities

Uh... when Mary Richards lived in Minneapolis in the 1970s, I got the feeling that it wasn't as big and cosmopolitan as New York City, but when did it become the Hicksville that's depicted here? People don't lock their doors and highways leaving the airport are so empty that cars can be run off the road? Aw, shucks...

Best or Worst Moment

This one's easy — gotta be that scene when Scully freely lets her guard down in front of Mulder, without thinking about it. (After all, there's perhaps all of two instances of that really happening in this entire series — here and in season six's Milagro.) DD's reaction work was bang-on as Mulder must have been seized by ten different emotions all at once in that moment.

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

2X12 - Aubrey [REVISITED]

Summary

Dreams are answers to questions that we haven't yet learned how to ask. It's funny how that comment has stuck with me all these years, making Aubrey one of those odd episodes of which I remember very specific details. Things like Mulder's confession of curiosity regarding a woman named "BJ". Things like BJ's simple drawing that Mulder later manages to connect to the World's Fair when he sees a similar shape in a photograph. And things like Scully's discovery of BJ's secret while in the washroom with her. While the story itself was flawed (but sufficiently engaging), this one works for me due to the human emotion behind the story. It wasn't difficult to see BJ as a real person. The fact that her personal struggle continued beyond the confines of this hour made me wonder about her as the credits rolled.

Another scene of Mulder & Scully having a "meal" together!

My thoughts above haven't changed on revisiting this episode. It's still an entertaining hour to watch, showcasing a worthy X-File with an ending that leaves you wanting just a bit more. Mulder and Scully both get to show off considerable talent in jumping to conclusions in this one. And I've said it before, but The X-Files really excelled at creating teasers that pulled you in.

For a new writer to the series, I thought that Sara Charno did a great job at capturing the M&S dynamic. I've heard that she had help with the script but whatever the case, it was a success where our heroes were concerned. (And I've written at least a couple of stories around Mulder's "dreams" quote.)

Picayune Peculiarities

TXF takes its trademark "dark" appeal way too literally sometimes. I can't count how often I've actually seen my own reflection on the TV screen more clearly than the action that I'm supposed to be watching. In this episode, the lighting in BJ's bathroom was crazy dark. Yeah, I know that it was just to keep us from seeing the reason for all that blood until the last second, but bathroom lights usually give off more than just a candlelight glow.

This hour also featured more of that amazingly awesome, stupendously superior software that I first mentioned in my review of Ascension. Here it's on display deciphering letters on rib bones. (Should the razor even have gone down that far? I'll say no more on that one.) Furthermore, I doubt Aubrey, Missouri (a fictional place) is anything other than a small town and yet it had a digital scanner capable of providing the images of those bones that were "modemed" to Quantico for this analysis. Great technology all around!

Two other things that had me wondering as re-watched: 1) it's lucky that those locations (Aubrey, Gainesville, Edmond) are conveniently close to each other and easy to get to quickly; and 2) do essentially good writers have trouble with math? The whole "only 50 years have passed, but BJ is Cokely's granddaughter" timeline didn't add up for me. With guest star Deborah Strang definitely looking older than 35, what does that say about the sexual prowess of her father, Mrs. Thibodeaux's 50-year-old "baby"?

Best or Worst Moment

One of my all-time favourite TXF Mulder/Scully moments is in this episode. As they're driving out (to see Cokely?), Mulder tells Scully that she's putting forth a rather "extreme hunch". When she basically accuses him of doing that on a regular basis (well, okay, the actual line was something like "I seem to recall you having some pretty extreme hunches"), Mulder gives her his best "who me?" smile and replies, "I have not."

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

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: * *

2X10 - Red Museum [REVISITED]

Summary

Those who run religious cults are only marginally more worthy than intolerant and ignorant souls who think nothing of making fun of those who are different. So basically, there wasn't much for me to like in this one. Throw in something about growth hormones being injected into cattle (the same hormones which may or may not also be given to kids in the guise of super-vitamins), alien DNA testing and a Peeping Tom who has been abducting kids (and branding their backs) and whoa — what we have here is failure to adhere to a focused plotline. Does all this really belong together under one story? And it's somehow related to the "purity control" of The Erlenmyer Flask? I think I'm confused. Chris Carter took a wrong turn (or two, or three) in this one. It probably should have been a one-off episode that had nothing to do with the show's mythology.

A "shipper gift": Here, let me get that for you...

Oh, for heaven’s sake, is this where CC first started his love affair with “walk ins”???

Needless to say, my jaw dropped when I heard those words in this episode, an ep that I have probably only seen twice before and that was many years ago, even at the time of S7 when Closure came around. Interesting that Mulder seemed very informed about the concept, explaining to Scully the whole idea of despairing folks being vulnerable to being claimed by more enlightened souls. Don’t quite know how this fits in with “walk ins” who are children about to suffer a violent death, but maybe, like Scully, I don’t quite get the “finer points”.

From just the first three scenes, I had questions. Why is the Kanes’ bathroom so dark? Who undresses in front of a mirror like that (as though she doesn’t know where her buttons are)? And why do the words “He is One” written on a teenager’s back trigger an “Oh my God” from a cop? Not like the words were cut into his skin like in another episode coming up...

Anyhoo, this hour was extremely disjointed, and not just due to the odd appearances of Relic, Penny Northern and Mary Richards’ IRS auditor. (Really showing my age with a couple of those references!)

Speaking of Relic, he really did hit many nails on the head in his brief little exchange with our agents. I’m not one to say no to a good steak (or good ribs) but the odd times when we get an inside look at the meat processing industry, it’s usually not a good story.

Nor is this episode a good story, because more than halfway through, the viewer is still thinking that this is just a “usual” MotW x-file about kidnapped teenagers tinged with religious cultism and soul swapping... and a Peeping Tom. And somehow, the kids’ doctor fits into the puzzle, along with the mystery of why was he carrying around a whole lot of cash and credit card numbers like a 21st century identity thief and fraud artist when he perished in a surprise plane crash.

But then the next thing we see is someone we last saw in a mytharc show: Mr. Assassin! Whoa, this is so not a usual MotW! Had to laugh when I heard Mulder say, “It all makes sense!” It’s this, that and those, except that that has nothing to do with the case and those are just innocent bystanders.

Interesting observation from RL as I watched Mulder and Scully enjoy their BBQ ribs... I believe David was a practicing vegetarian at the time. Wonder what he thought of this ep?

Picayune Peculiarities

Tox reports come back amazingly fast sometimes. Scully says “I just examined the girl” and in her next statement says that she found nothing until the toxicology report came back with whatever it was that was deemed interesting. However, the identity of the contents of the vial found at the plane crash site did not come back in similar “almost instantaneous” fashion.

Were you as shocked as I was that Mulder was continuing his chase of Mr. Assassin through the meat cooler that was doused with gasoline — and that he was threatening to fire his gun?? That would have been some BBQ!

Oh, and who would name their dog “Pupperdog”? Really, who?

Best or Worst Moment

Growing up in the '70s with nothing but the CBC to keep me amused, The Beachcombers was one of those shows that I often watched because nothing else was on. The late Robert Clothier (the guy who waved Scully over to his truck) was a classic in this series as a cantankerous old man named Relic. In this episode, he says a line with the same contemptuous passion that defined Relic for more years than I can remember... when Scully points out that the hormone is safe, he pooh-poohs it with "Says who? The government?"

Original Rating: *
Revised Rating: * *

2X09 - Firewalker

Summary

This fails where Ice and Darkness Falls manage to succeed, so why is that? My first guess would be that the characters are to blame, but that obviously isn't the only reason why. Still, this group was somehow far from endearing, while the folks who were along for the adventure in both of the previously mentioned episodes seemed likeable. (Or maybe that's just me; count Shawnee Smith among my "acting irritants" — her voice drives me up the wall.) In any case, I think this hour proves that if the only new thing a writer has to offer is a different looking infection/affliction (i.e., deadly "asparagus tips" versus worms or fireflies), it doesn't necessarily result in a good X-File.

Best or Worst Moment

Did you catch the end of this episode and its reference to a 31-day quarantine period for our agents after the fact?? Given that this was Scully's first case back after her abduction, what a welcome back to work that must have been for her!

Original Rating: * *

2X08 - One Breath [REVISITED]

Summary

There was always something about this episode that stayed with me for hours after watching it, no matter how many times I did so. I've already covered the specifics of this one in my top ten list, so I won't bother repeating myself here. Suffice to say that this was so elegantly executed that I didn't mind the overt symbolism or the matter of the "does she or doesn't she exist" Nurse Owens. If you stop to consider, there was a lot going on here over the course of an hour's program and something made it all work. Amazing.

"At least she'll know... and so will you."

"Why is it so dark in here?"

Why indeed.

Oddly enough, I found it hard to watch this episode all at once, needing to take a break — and take that one breath — after Mulder's "terminal intensity" conversation with Mr. X. As a fan of this show when it was really good, seeing this again reminded me of how much I actually liked The X-Files and why I liked it. And I don't mind admitting that it's kind of an achy feeling.

Morgan and Wong outdid themselves here with many snippets of great dialogue and scenes that just left you begging for more. (The only one I wasn't crazy about was the first time X meets up with Mulder in the parking garage. He seemed to be spouting a whole lot of nothing with the "you have no idea and since I can't tell you, you still have no idea".) I loved Mulder's encounters with the "other" Scully women, from the opening scene where he can barely look at the headstone that Mrs. Scully has ordered, to the tension-filled conversation with Melissa at his apartment doorway where she tells him, "Even if it doesn’t bring her back, at least she’ll know. And so will you." Melissa had quite the insight on Special Agent Fox Mulder...

And in the end, Mulder does the right thing, the only thing that he can do and still be true to himself. He's fighting his own internal battle throughout this episode, declaring to Skinner that he hates what he has become. Just as he couldn't pull the trigger on CSM (as much as a part of him probably mocked his lack of resolve in failing to do so), he couldn't take the chance that he would truly consider himself responsible for Scully slipping away forever. As he said at her bedside, "I don’t know if my being here will help bring you back, but I’m here."

As for that confrontation with Ciggy Butt Face, I think Mulder briefly saw himself as CSM (long before the realization of CC's Star Wars homage). "Look at me. No wife, no family, some power. I’m in the game because I believe what I’m doing is right." In a weird, twisted way, I think Mulder suddenly realized that those could be his own words, in a few years' time.

Picayune Peculiarities

I don't know whether it was DD who actually signed the resignation letter (those types of insert shots don't typically involve the main actors), but as many fans have noticed, Mulder's signature there is completely different from the signature on his ID badge. Also, why did Mulder continue to move his belongings after he had been told that his resignation was unacceptable? I'm not talking about him continuing to pack as Skinner told his story; I'm talking about the box that he drops when he meets X in the stairwell.

Best or Worst Moment

"I had the strength of your beliefs." In an episode full of messages and meaning, simple lines of dialogue still stand out. And when it comes to moments of Scully being emotionally open, I pounce on them. I must admit that I've never totally understood her statement (even though I made up my own story about it), but that makes it all the more memorable.

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

2X07 - 3

Summary

I wish this episode could have been stronger — storywise — so that the complaining shippers couldn't possibly be so vocal about their hatred of it. (Or maybe there's just no stopping that sort of thing.) I, on the other hand, found much to like about this episode. And yes, I'll fully admit that the majority of what I liked involved physical characteristics of DD/Mulder's body. He was just so irresistibly sexy in this hour (and I don't care how much chemistry he did or didn't have with girlfriend Perrey Reeves) that I couldn't help but indulge in shallow admiration. Anyone who's read my reviews knows that don't normally focus on that aspect of the show, but heck — this episode was about vampires, for God's sake. And the whole plot was pretty lame even as far as vampires go. The only real, redeeming moments were the ones that focused on Mulder's guilt/pain over Scully's disappearance. (And yes, yes, YES, he displayed a kajillion tons more anxiety over her loss than she ever displays over his abduction six years later!!)

Best or Worst Moment

The shaving scene. That kiss. Definitely a "slow burn" kind of incineration. I implied in my fic (Truths Untold) that the Mulder/Fowley "descent into hell" kiss in Amor Fati was hot, but this was the original hot kiss. There. Let this be my one and only shallow TXF review.

Original Rating: * *