Index to all seasons | Abbey Home Page
"Why would you do that?"
"Because I can."
This is the answer the creator gives for his experiment in the Chris Carter written and directed masterpiece "Post Modern Prometheus", and in it I think we see just why he gave us this utterly unique episode. I am thrilled that this show can still be surprising. That it still takes risks. That it still experiments with style. However, experiments with style seem to always turn some folks off which is why I know this episode will have its share of detractors who find it a hideous beast. I was delighted at the introduction of the "new monster on the block" with its comic book flavor, classic horror movie edge, black and white cinematography, and fantasy happy ending. It's an amazing thing that after all these years and 100 plus episodes the X-Files can still occasionally reinvent itself - this time completely at the hands of Chris Carter. It is almost enough to make me forgive him for "The List". Somewhere in the land a monster lurked ...
So Mulder and Scully travel to Bloomington, Indiana to find it (and I bet the folks that live there are thrilled at their portrayal in this episode - why J.J.'s -with two "J"s- Diner is probably buzzing). Oops, sorry, didn't mean to allude to bees there. While Scully reads aloud the letter that summoned them to the burg, being filled in on such fun facts as Mulder is actually mentioned as an expert on Jerry Springer and that he visited (apparently without her knowledge) a woman who had a "werewolf baby", Mulder gives her blank looks while checking her rather predictable reactions. If he's that famous maybe he should get his own 1-900 number - God knows he gives them enough business himself. I will say I've been waiting a long time for Scully to ask what she does in this episode: "Is there anything that you don't believe in Mulder?" What is interesting is that Carter gives us a bittersweet link to recent mythology events in that Mulder says of alien abductions "I don't even know if I believe in that stuff anymore" - it seems that the "beautiful lies" have struck him pretty hard.
For the most part though the interplay between Mulder and Scully is lighthearted. They are the new stars in the town where talk shows, tabloids, and gossip rule. The mindless masses (who are so stupid they inadvertently burn down a barn) are swayed by the daily newspaper version of Mulder and Scully or a Doctor with a torch and a monster tale - leaving our heroes as the sole voice of reason in the episode. Even that gets turned on its head at one point where after a synchronized stumble into unconsciousness drugged by animal anesthetics they become frumpy doped up versions of themselves - Scully, at her most disheveled trying mightily to sound reasonable and Mulder stumbling and chattering on about violated frying pans and peanut butter smoking guns. Duchovny and Anderson appear to be having a blast filming this episode, and when they have fun, we have fun - their performances are even more delightful than usual, and I was laughing out loud most of the episode.
What monster story would be complete without the mad scientist and John O'Hurley plays him with flair - highlighted by Carter's generous use of thunder and lightening to punctuate his revelations. The town folk led by Pattie Tierce as Shaineh Berkowitz are a riot (even when they aren't rioting). The scenes at the diner where everyone alternately loves and hates Mulder make them much scarier than the monster they seek.
It isn't often that I enjoy Carter's writing style this much. The overly self-important philosophical ramblings were fittingly left to the Doctor, and even Mulder's occasional digressions into Frankenstein analogies worked. The parallels to horror classics juxtaposed with the Jerry Springer mentality of today and lots of humor was an odd combination that paid off (monster hunting with a peanut butter sandwich is something I thought I'd never see). Even the usually heavy handed moral lesson wasn't annoying this time around - perhaps because the episode doesn't end there.
The biggest risk that Carter takes with this episode is at the very end, And it gives the biggest payoff. The case is solved, but not to Mulder's satisfaction because even though "Dr. Frankenstein pays for his evil ambition" in this case the monster did not "escape to go search for his bride". Instead of another in a long string of trademark gloomy X-Files endings something very odd happens. Mulder muses that he wants to speak to "the writer" to change things and in walks Mutato comic book author Izzie to give Mulder the ending he wants - one in which Cher plays intimate venues where our heroes and the "monster"can get front row seats to the bride of his dreams, one in which Cher sings of Elvis and Mulder and Scully are happy and smiling, one in which people say "what's not to love" about deformities, one where the hero does his own Elvis move and gets the girl, and one in which X-Files fans get their first real happy ending - only it isn't real.
A few notes on some of the technical aspects of this piece. I've never spent much time talking about cinematographer Joel Ransom before because, well, I still miss John Bartley - and if you don't know why then go watch "Grotesque" - and Ransom has never filled that hole for me. I will say that I really liked what he did in collaborating with director Carter in this episode in working with the smoke and shadows and that ever present lightening. Scenes like the murder taking place in shadows on the wall and the Mutato dancing to "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" amidst the smoke obscured kitsch were memorable. Speaking of kitsch, kudos to production designer Graeme Murray and gang for making those homes appear somehow trapped in the 50s (enhancing that creature feature feel) complete with old fashioned clutter , classic cars, old appliances, and that scary house of Dr. Pollidori that had garland like kudzu on all the walls. Editor Lynne Willingham was also hard at work completing the look and feel, but I am especially impressed with her editing of the last scene where she does such a deft job in showing us just enough but not too much of the Cher impersonator used in this episode that it is sure to fool some folks into thinking that they saw the real thing. As usual Mark Snow comes through with a stylized score of his own - one that evoked for me thoughts of a carousel or circus with its repeated use of bell tones - perfect for the episode.
Well, I've told you many of the reasons that I consider this episode to be amongst the best of the series so I'll come clean on the last purely personal reason. I have to love any episode that manages to give me Mulder and Scully doing what they do so well with "Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves" playing in the background - "Preach a little gospel, sell a couple of bottles of Dr. Good". What more can I say?
-Retread Alert: Chris Owens who played Mutato here was last seen sans makeup as Young CancerMan in "Musings" and "Demons".
-I really, really wish they would have redone the credits as well - it would have made the effect complete had they used that left to right swiping old horror movie font with credits like: "Starring David Duchovny as Special Agent Fox Mulder, FBI" underneath their pictures.
-The ending may have been a fantasy (for Mulder as well as some fans), but it did prove something beyond a shadow of a doubt - My God those two look great together. Smiles are such a rarity on this show and to see Mulder and Scully happy, smiling, and dancing made me have to hang on tight to the fence I sit on.
-Frank's Fashion Spot: The costumers were working overtime on this one to help complete that scary small town retro feel. I loved the series of tasteless outfits worn by Mrs. Berkowitz and the feather fringed smock of our chicken scratch reporter. The elements (rain, wind, torch carrying crowd) did manage to cause a bit of a downturn in Scully's hair though...
-Really nice bit with the Cher obsession (explained so perfectly by the movie "Mask"). Now if I could only figure out the thing for the "Dr. Nutter's Peanut Butter" (perhaps an ode to former XF director David Nutter). Did he just want his tongue to stick to the roof of both mouths?
-Mulder and Scully are served "Perk" cola - is that the lesser cousin of "Jolt"?
-Every time I hear a line like "You can't plant a seed in a barren field" I can't help but think of Scully. Her non-reaction to this as well as their discussion on procreation leads me to believe that Mulder has indeed not told her about her own situation.
-I thought the animal parentage insinuations were pretty humorous. The chicken-like reporter, the goatee boy, and Izzie who loved pigs and kept his room like a "pig sty" especially.
-I found it amusing that when Scully finds the comic book and makes the connections about it a light bulb goes on above her head in the string that is hanging there.
-The sandwich with the two bites out of it was a nice touch - as was Scully admitting "We were chasing what they told us was a monster".
-Our Little Sailor: "Who the hell is that?"
-It cracked me up to watch Scully fumble a bit with her explanation to Mulder after she'd told the Doctor she would understand because she was a scientist.
-Scully needs to work a little on her quick draw - she seemed to get tangled in her trench.
Autumn
"We already have that ability Mulder - it's called procreation."