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"In case you've forgot that's from your own graduate thesis. You were a lot more open minded when you were a youngster."
I remember reading an interview with Chris Carter years ago when he wisely mentioned that he would never do an episode about time travel, then again he also has said that there would be no Mulder/Scully romance and well... ( I know, I know - we'll talk about that next week). Anyway, back to this week (though it seems the "Small Potatoes" preview may overshadow most conversation about "Synchrony", I'm going to now block out that red wine drinking, sweater clad picture of St. Scully with Mulder or fauxMulder or Darin Mulder or whoever swooping in). OK, I think I've done it. Now, where were we? Oh yes, X-Files does "Back to the Future" or the Frosty the Freezinator.
New staffer and producer David Greenwalt offers his first script in conjunction with Howard Gordon. A script which seemed to be big on the stage directions "Scully scowls" and "Scully purses her lips" as that was most of what we got from Scully this episode. (Someone really needs to warn her when she does that all the time that if we learned *anything* this episode it was that your face *can* freeze that way). Despite the fact that X-Files has stayed away from this time travel topic for so long, Greenwalt and Gordon appeared ready to tackle it armed with Dana Scully's *senior* (not graduate boys, rewatch the pilot and learn - I hear it's available on tape) thesis as their backing. Supposedly, if Scully once said it was theoretically possible (with caveats of course) - even if she doesn't believe it now it -it makes the concept more plausible? Heck, now I'm confused.
On the whole, while I didn't find this X-Files outing dull or stupid, it was, despite a few great moments pretty darn average. Just one of those episodes where the dynamic duo don't do much besides bumble around firmly grounded in their respective roles. In the end a number of people have died, the "monster" wasn't scary - just sad, nothing was really solved, the future will still no doubt play out in that depressing "world without history, a world without hope" scenario, and all we are really left with is the knowledge that Mulder has memorized Scully's "Einstein's Twin Paradox: A New Interpretation" thesis and has been waiting for years to use it against her - much to her chagrin. When, in looking for highlights you think things like "Gee, Mulder looked pretty cute wearing that pencil" or have to consider "And if your sister is your aunt and your mother marries your uncle then you'd be your own grandpa" the episode's Scullyism it is slim pickings.
I did enjoy greatly, as usual, Mark Snow's score with the spiraling woodwind sound. I did think that the "Oh my God, he's on fire" only to have it become true literally was quite well done (so to speak). And, sports fans - for the record - that's just about as much shock as you ever see in Scully's face - of course Mulder looks merely fascinated. I did enjoy some of the banter (but then again I always do) - especially "OK, so this photo that was never taken - when was it never taken?". I did enjoy Scully being so taken aback by Mulder's theory that she could only repeat an incredulous "What?" I did think it was funny to watch how Scully thought it was pretty darn low of Mulder to try to use her own theories against her. However, all those things do not a great episode make. In this case they made an OK episode.
-Hiro Kanagawa, who played the doomed Dr. Yonechi, died another horrible death in "Firewalker". He's one retread that certainly has got to do some pretty intense death scenes.
-Speaking of cast members, perhaps the biggest mystery is why in the heck did FOX put out an official press release saying Charles Nelson Reilly was in this episode?
-So Lucas in the teaser was definitely not having a "lucky" day - he's hit by a bus advertising a lottery because an illegally parked car (ticket and all) blocks the driver's view while his colleague is desperately warning him. That is destiny.
-I can't help but be a bit disappointed that despite Scully calling Mulder several times she never gets to say "Mulder, it's me". "Where are you?" just isn't the same without it.
-That computer simulation of the deep freeze agent named it "Compound X".
-Bone-headed Moose move of the week: Mulder takes a fire extinguisher and breaks a big hole in the glass so he can peer through it instead of using that same fire extinguisher in his hands to perhaps put out the fire that is burning two people to death. Nah, much more interesting just to watch.
-I'm a little confused by the "I was 23 when I wrote that" line, as I think it sort of throws off the Scully time frame we've had to concoct in order to get her through college, med school, residency, FBI training, and working at Quantico by the time she joins the X-Files in March of 1992 (from the pilot episode) at the age of 28. Plus, she should have gotten her undergraduate physics degree at age 21 or 22.
-Surely Mr. Frosty from the future would know that deleting files off a computer at a major university wouldn't amount to anything. They do have a thing called backups at places like MIT.
-So, Mulder, who has a cell phone and knows how to use it, tells the guy he just sprung on bail for murder to go tell Scully something instead of just calling her? I think maybe without Scully around Mulder just wanted to tell someone what to do.
-So what are the amazing healing powers of the mysterious yellow bath? Personally, my Mom always warned me against stuff like that.
-Even though Scully firmly declares "This isn't gonna work" she is still the first to glance at the monitor for a heartbeat. Anyone else surprised at the second defreeze scene given how the first little experiment turned out? Did they just decide to blow off melting the campus policeman?
-I had to laugh at Scully's comment ("I'm not sure if living is a word I'd use on this place") about the hotel room as it really didn't look that much worse than some of the places they've stayed.
-Evidence of tachions? Someone call the Federation it's time to get to work on that Tachion Pulse!
Autumn
"If he lied for you what makes you think he wouldn't lie to you?"