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"You put such faith in your science Scully, but the things I've seen - science provides no place to start."
"Nothing happens in contradiction to nature, only in contradiction to what we know of it - and that's a place to start. That's where the hope is."
Well folks, the long dry summer is over. Thank God. Though I didn't much care for "Talitha Cumi" I found this a great way to start the season - paced at breakneck speed with lulls at just the right times - I think it is the best season kickoff since the pilot episode. I knew we were in for a ride when the tag line morosely read "Everything Dies". The teaser with the fatal bee sting and the "children of the damned" clones was especially eerie - highlighted by some great camera work as the repairman falls to his death. Then we were back at Bond Mill Road and off - with the cliffhanger situation diffusing quite quickly into everyone running around in the dark for five minutes. Meanwhile we find that UsedToHaveCancerMan has held some sort of all night bedside vigil holding Ma Mulder's hand. Ick. At least he saved her in the end. I'm beginning to think that Mrs. Mulder may very well be his weak spot.
Things are *really* getting muddled plot wise in the mythology episodes now. I pity the person who watched this episode as their first X-Files experience - they wouldn't have a clue. Trying to piece this all together with prior knowledge is hard enough. If the little girls are Samantha clones then who are the little boys? Younger Gregors? And why did Mulder pick that one particular clone to take along for the ride? The project is about raising special shrubs to produce pollen for killer bees? Is the plan to unleash killer bees on the population? Children clones that are "stationed" as a work force in various locales? And somehow smallpox vaccinations tie it all together as the unsuspecting public has been "catalogued, tagged and inventoried"? Why does Jeremiah want the project exposed? is it because he is a drone? It is enough to make your head warm. That and the annoying fact that although Jeremiah was so quick to tell us in "Talitha Cumi" that he has a "long and complicated story to tell" he all of a sudden calms up and thinks that show and tell is a much better way of conveying information instead of just explaining to Mulder what is going on as they travel to Canada. It is interesting that Jeremiah uses the term "hegemony" to describe the project rather than "colonization" as it more closely resembles the episode's title - the power of a master race.
Speaking of Canada, Mulder once again shows his new talent. No longer content to merely ditch Scully in the good old US of A, he now prefers the international ditch. This one was even more special as he left Scully screaming his name with the not-dead- and-we-don't-know-why Mighty Morphin Bounty Hunter (who sadly did not morph this episode) while he rode the Silver Streak out of there and then ignored her phone calls. No wonder she was pissed. One certainly got the sense that Scully's "Yes I'm fine" was laced with "but you won't be if you do this to me again!" I did get some satisfaction out of the fact it was Mulder always saying "Scully, it's me. Where are you?" in this episode.
Left on her own Scully (after once again proving what a terrible liar she is) shows us all once again just how smart she is. Getting help from Pendrell (who is just so cute the way he straightens his tie when Scully pops in on him) she gets to the bottom of why CancerMan called Jeremiah Smith a "cataloguer" in "Talitha Cumi". It was interesting to see Scully give the paranoid explanation for a change to those irritating OPC folks as they compare her to Mulder. Her "I am a scientist" defense of herself to Skinner is classic Scully.
Unfortunately, Mulder doesn't seem to fair as well. He gets confronted by the alien with the bee stung lips and the honey of a suit who tells him just what we are all thinking of Chris Carter: "He shows you pieces. He tells you nothing of the whole..." right before performing the best air acrobatics since Scully in "The Calusari". Now is when the performances really get good. Duchovny is really given the chance to emote (which we all know is a rare occurrence on this show) as a desperate and wrecked Mulder. The myriad of emotions that play across his face as the ever faithful Scully comforts Mulder with a single-minded concern is wonderful. I have to say that despite the ditch, the level of caring between these two friends - which often seemed lost last season - is back with a vengeance. Anderson, as usual, makes the most of her screen time as Scully basically ignores everyone else whenever dealing with Mulder and even tells him "I don't care what the doctors say".
Just when they are so close that skeptical Scully admits she can feel it, their window to the answers is slammed shut. We now know the shocker for the episode was the death of Steven Williams' character X. As a farewell gift to us he gives an edgy, paranoid performance and a truly great creepy death scene (with some great creepy music). His scene with Scully is wonderful (starting from the funny "Open the door Agent Scully") and their ensuing battle of words as she tries to get tough with him to find the answers she needs is nicely done. What we learned from this is that if you are a semi-regular X-Files character *do not* get a new series or you are toast. With X's death he leads Mulder via his final "SRSG" clue to the Special Representative to the Secretary General. Laurie Holden now appears to be taking the place of Mulder's informant - who for the first time in Mulder informant history actually has a name - Marita Covarrubias. (We'll be seeing her next in "Teliko"). We can only speculate as to what her motivations are, though at first glance she appears to be a kinder, gentler informant to a Mulder still broken up a month later over his "very personal losses". I wonder how thrilled Scully will be when she finds out Mulder's new helper is an attractive woman.
-A few production notes - William B. Davis now receives an "also starring" credit like Mitch Pileggi and I saw a name I didn't recognize as a "Consulting Producer" - Ken Horton.
-It was almost disconcerting to see the blue skies and rolling hills that formed the Alberta home of The Project. Looks like we will be back to our comfortable rain again by the next episode.
-Did anyone else find it really funny that right after Mulder tells Scully "You can't use your gun" when the Bounty Hunter can hear him she assumes the classic stance? Well, she got punished for that by a blow - surprisingly *not* to her left temple.
-It appeared to me that Scully was pretty much ready to say a not-ready-for prime-time word when MMBH jumped on her car.
-So much for that piercing the base of the scull theory, eh? What good are those ice pick thingees if they don't work?
-Check out that retro lamp in Mulder's apartment next to the billiard ball coat hanger - way cool.
-Does is seem to anyone else that Scully spends more time alone in Mulder's apartment than she does her own?
-Gasoline as a bee deterrent? I just kept thinking "light up" a la "Pusher". I'm sure he smelled really pretty when Scully hugged him.
-Why oh why is Scully wearing a black bra with a light colored blouse? Now we know why Pendrell gets all flustered.
-My God - the dialogue that woman has to memorize. No wonder Gillian had a hard time with that science project scene - it was like doing math just listening to her!
-I guess Morris Panych is now playing the all purpose consortium hit man with Krycek out of the picture and Luis Cardinal dead. We saw him previously in both "Piper Maru" and "Avatar" being generally bad.
Autumn
"You know what these are. Confirm or deny."