Autumn Tysko's X-Files Reviews

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Terma

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"These are congressmen we are talking about Agent Scully."
"I know that sir, and it is my natural inclination to believe that they are acting in the best interest of the truth - but I am not inclined to follow my own judgement in this case."
"So, you're going to follow Agent Mulder's? Is that it?"

Hmm. Apparently that's exactly what she meant from that "yup" look on her face, and probably the most interesting thing about this episode is that it clearly shows just how far Dana Scully has followed Agent Mulder's judgement after four years. The rest of the episode? Good, I thought, though more than a bit farfetched in parts and not as tight as "Tunguska". Certainly confusing, though it made a whole lot more sense the second time through. And, believe it or not, it does appear to start tying together some of the themes that for so long seemed unrelated.

So, onward into the fray. I'll talk about Scully first because I thought it a major character point that we actually heard her say (in front of a high level senate committee no less) that she had documents and interviews in support of "a wide ranging conspiracy to control a lethal bio-toxin that is in fact extraterrestrial." So, not only has she previously laid her cards on the table to them about her paranoid-sounding-yet-true views of the government - it is now *she* that is ridiculed with "are we talking little green men here?" I half expected to hear her say "grey", but hey, she's still got room to grow. So, you folks who like to think Scully a scientific stick in the mud - remember - when she's got her evidence - she's not afraid to say "extraterrestrial". Scully, practically becoming Mulder this episode (she's even turning off her cell phone to avoid calls and going to jail for the truth), is able to put her medical knowhow to good use again in linking the Well Manicured Man's squeeze Dr. Bonita Charne-Sayre back to that pesky small pox vaccination plot point. A girl's got to do something in prison. At least her prison stay was a bit more pleasant than Mulder's.

Meanwhile, back at the Gulag, the amazing Mulder is able to pull off his great escape with ease. It seems those Russian boys are too zombified to act up much as no one draws a gun when he hops into that Mercedes truck - hey, those poor people in Siberia have pretty good cars - well, maybe it was cheap because the brakes sucked - either that or the oilien makes you a real bad driver as a side effect. Luckily for Mulder, they don't call out the dogs and he escapes with only his head banged up.

Actually, the whole court charade was interesting in the way it tied into the substituted teaser message "E PUR SI MUOVE" which was what Galileo supposedly said after being forced to retract his ideas by the Inquisition - "and yet it moves". Scully was facing her own Inquisition of sorts - one that continued to "ask the wrong question" because they didn't "want the right answer".

Jail didn't teach Scully a lesson, as she continued to be obstinate in round two (too bad CSPAN couldn't cover this one - I'm sure she would've become the new conspiracy pinup girl) until Mulder rides into town with his hero music. I really enjoyed the way Gillian and David played these next moments. Scully allowing herself to express her relief and happiness to him but immediately returning to her stern mask as she turned to face the subcommittee - then after the gavel sounds practically leaping out of her chair. A very interesting display of affection between the two of them as usually we only see them embrace when something really bad has happened. To see them hug, Mulder with a big smile on his face saying "it's good to put my arms around you - both of them", in front of a crowd says a lot about the level at which they relate now. Heck, Skinner had to break them off from trying to catch up with his "some other time".

Well, we really need to give Krycek a hand as he has pulled off a great double-agent fiasco I never saw coming - now we know why he knows Russian, don't we. Maybe I never saw it coming because up to this point Krycek was always a henchman who followed orders, was almost killed for screwing up, and went underground selling secrets. Now, all of a sudden, Krycek (or as we learn Comrade Arntzen) has a lot more pull than I ever suspected as he is able to activate a retired KGB hit man to go on a massive killing spree - (and boy is Vassily good - he is able to break into both NASA Goddard and a meds cabinet at a health facility and not get caught). Though I have to admit, I can't wait to see how those RatBoyniks will try to rationalize this one. Tell us again how he's not really bad.

Frankly, I believe that CancerMan is back in cahoots with him at this point. Someone had to let Krycek out of the silo as the terrorist says he was approached by Krycek/Arntzen and I think CancerMan was the only one who knew he was there. Plus, who was feeding him all that information about Mulder being caught or escaping? Well-Manicured Man did seem perplexed as to how the Russians could have known they were working on the inoculations as well. CancerMan appears to be trying to play both sides against the middle here - he's definitely trying to play WMM with his "so you need me" and asking him to call off the investigation even when it is apparent that he has "the honorable" Sen. Sorenson in his pocket.

So now what about these Oiliens? They appear to be related to, but not the same as the original "Piper Maru" Oilien - sort of baby "black cancer" oiliens, if you will, that are being used to find a cure or inoculant for the Big Oiliens - all part of the project. In the teaser we see a normal acting Auntie Janet going to have a Kevorkian pulled (apparently the baby oiliens don't do much in the way of curing health problems like other aliens) only to leak the little black slugs. This leads one to believe that one can function quite normally while they are hosting the stuff. Which leads one to wonder if Mulder is both an alienated and oilienated agent at this point. It also leads one to question why the Goddard scientist was effected so dramatically by those little pineal gland attaching black vermiforms and the elderly and Russian test subjects weren't. Smaller doses? More oil less alien? Doing something to your small pox vaccination scar changes the effect? It seems that is what the Russians think, which is why everyone not in the camp has a good car or one arm - no scar/no test logic. Heck if I know.

Anyway, on to the end. Our heroes travel the land gathering evidence that will later be thrown away and Mulder falls back into his annoying habit of ordering Scully around - telling her to make calls for him and sending her back to an oddly deserted refinery. Meanwhile, the KGB bad guy drenches Mulder in oil (we have a Mulder in petroleum products conspiracy theme going this year) and blows up the rock thwarting Mulder from his hard evidence and distracting Scully enough with Mulder's possible demise to steal her gun. So, Scully drags Mulder off (which is really kind of funny to watch - someone her size trying that trick) and they march back to the senate to be ridiculed and then dismissed after Mulder gets to give a little impassioned speech about alien life.

So, what was the point? Our heroes continue to collect knowledge that it appears only they and their enemies care about and have their evidence destroyed or filed in the round file. I keep telling myself - someday it will matter. Someday they will win.

Random Musings

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- So, do ya suppose now that Mulder's had his little bout with the "black cancer" that if he ever wants to talk about it Scully might get a FAX?

- Glad to see the post production folks managed to spell subcommittee right this time in the legend when they replayed the "Tunguska" scene.

- Just who brought Scully all those books in jail? Pendrell hoping to get further on her good side?

- So, now their naming episodes after non-existent towns in North Dakota. Nah, they aren't being obtuse. What's next "Minot"?

- Fashion watch: while Mulder and Scully do their great airline- mileage-point-gaining 15 hour jaunt from DC to Boca Raton to New York to Alberta to DC - Scully may not change her suit, but she's always got two pairs of shoes with her - heels to flats to heels to flats. Good thing her psychic sense kicked in and she wore the flats on the helicopter. It's a bitch to climb fences in heels.

- I liked that they changed up the repeated scene a bit in editing - different reactions and camera angles.

- Mulder isn't quite out of his bully phase - putting the prisoner in a headlock again despite Scully's warning. And, what is it with him and his prison rape threats? This is like the third time I've heard him use that one.

- It was kind of fun watching Skinner grimace every time they mentioned that man being tossed from his apartment don't you think?

Autumn
"Yet what are we stuck on here?"

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