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"It's all a game. You just take their pieces one by one until the board is cleared."
As if they had not lost enough pieces already the X-Files gives us a season five finale that leaves our heroes utterly devastated and literally in ruins. In the best season ender since "Anasazi", we are led to believe again and again that this is indeed "The End" even though we know it is just a new beginning. Chris Carter writes a tale that strips Mulder and Scully of themselves, of the things that have for years defined them. He shakes Scully's confidence in her beliefs and her role in Mulder's life. He burns Mulder's files (I'll bet he *really* hates fire now). He leaves the partners, once again so close to the truth, shell shocked and facing reassignment. At the beginning of the episode a post it note jokingly tells us "You are here" on the UFO of the trademark poster, but at the end that is exactly where we all are. In ashes. This was the X-Files at its depressing best. I hope Mulder & Scully's journey to the big screen is a little more pleasant.
While I enjoyed the ride, there was so much packed into this episode that plot points occasionally fell by the wayside. Carter choose to focus on the character's emotions more than the events this time around (much to my delighted shock) and because of that the events didn't always make sense. While I found the idea of Gibson's special talent quite interesting and important to Mulder and Scully's work, I can hardly see how it was the key to "everything" in the X-Files nor do I understand why they seemed so convinced that it was. Sure, it was inferred that these talents were alien in origin, but we've seen a lot of things over the years that have nothing to do with that. It seemed like they were making a pretty big leap to hang it all on the kid with the amount of information that they had. I'm also unsure as to just what the point of having Krycek in this episode was. Now, by his apparent position of surly chauffeur to the Well Manicured Man, we are, I guess, supposed to infer some new allegiance on his part. He seemed just tossed into the mix without much to do. Skinner is again painted as en enigma as well. Having him wander around Mulder's office, files in hand, asking Mulder about his career path strongly imply he knows something is up and it ain't good.
Despite all these plot points flurrying about, the heart of this story quickly became the story of the child and the impact an outsider (in this case Mimi Rogers' Diana Fowley) has on the Scully/Mulder partnership. Gillian Anderson, always at her best at showing a Scully in turmoil, has a field day with this one. Saying it all without lines she give us a Scully who is uncharacteristically distracted by this interloper and trying to sort out for herself why this is. Is it because Mulder never told her about this past? Does her sadness stem from the fact that this is another woman or another partner who was/is important to Mulder? I'm sure all this "Fox" and "Diana" stuff doesn't help matters any. Kudos to Anderson for delivering this all so well. That furtive walk by in the hallway with the sigh filled moment in the car and the tight pained smile to Byers' comment about wondering why they ever broke up said it all.
I do find it interesting that Carter chose to dwell so much on this particular issue. Right from the start we learn (besides the well known fact that Mulder has a dirty mind) that there is a lot of thinking about each other going on in that threesome. It is convenient that through Gibson we have a vehicle to read the psyche of these characters that seem to be spending all their time wondering and worrying about each other rather than the case at hand. By the time Scully visited the Lone Gunmen it seemed like getting their help on the case was secondary to grilling them about the chickadee in Mulder's past. Meanwhile Mulder is making it clear to Fowley that the partnership is working just fine thank you very much. Oh yeah, and there's a kid with special powers too.
Watching "The End" did give me a sense of mourning for some of the behind the scenes folks who will be most likely not making the journey for the next chapter in the X saga. Director of Photography Joel Ransom has really grown into the job this year. His last efforts just kept getting better and better. Nicely using reflections and just the right shadows he made the film a canvas here, and the final sequence that he and director Bob Goodwin constructed of a red and blue strobe of disaster surrounding Scully clutching at an unresponsive Mulder was masterful. I hope Goodwin is able to come to Los Angeles on occasion for an "old times sake" directing stint.
Just when I thought it was impossible for the show to give us a more annoying character than Marita, Chris Carter steps up to the plate to deliver another foul ball in Agent Spender. Irritating in the "Patient 'X'"/"The Red and the Black" two parter he now moves past that into the total worm zone. I find the whole "I'm your father" one big dull whatever. By the time CancerMan actually says to him "You're a bright boy" all I could think was that's delusional wishful thinking if I've ever seen it. I only wish Mulder had taken more of a shot at him when he had the chance.
And so we have the end to a rag tag shortened season of ups and downs. I'm glad to see it all end on a note filled with character insight and a few exciting twists. Plus, as a perk, no dead Mulder! Here's hoping that little head shop on M street still has a few posters in stock.
-Apparently the game has many endings. When we see the Russian shot he knocks the chessboard to the floor. In the very next shot it is back on the table. Plus, when it is shown on videotape it is a totally different take (again the board stays on the table).
-Too bad Scully left the hotel room before "King of the Hill" was over. There's a pretty cool show that comes on right after.
-Nice touch to have the opening office shot be like a trip down memory lane. The camera travels from the poster to newspaper articles on Duane Barry, Tooms, and Leonard Betts, as well as pictures of the Eves, the Nisei doctors, and finally a photo of Mulder and Scully working together (a rarity this season).
-The hospital Gibson is at is called "Inget Murray" named after Vancouver set designers Shirley Inget and Graham Murray. I loved their parting gift to us of that chess game podium. They also did a grand job of destroying the office they created. I guess that's one set that will not need to be moved to Los Angeles. I'm hoping the next digs Mulder and Scully get has two desks and two names on the door.
-Make up your mind already boys! First in "Conduit" Samantha's file reads "Samantha T. Mulder". Then in "Paperclip" we get "Samantha Ann Mulder". Now when CancerMan steals her X-File we are back to "T." as the middle initial. Maybe it is Samantha Tena Ann Mulder …
-Is it possible for the Well Manicured Man to get through one entire episode without that haughty angry sounding "My God" escaping his lips? Sure it sounds good in an English accent, but really, are the things he is reacting so strongly to really a surprise?
-Frank's Fashion Spot: Well it was nice to see that Frohike's vest fetish extends even to sleepwear. Though I don't really understand why one needs to wear kevlar and those little fingerless gloves to bed. I guess those boys really don't have homes of their own. In Scullywear, the Casual!Scully fashion rut is back and the long sleeved button ups have returned. I did like the collared blouse that she wore under the double-breasted black suit though. Very stylish.
-I love the disappointed look that crosses Frohike's face when the others come into the room breaking up his late night party with Scully.
-Actually it was quite delightful on the whole to have a solo Scully scene with the Gunmen. She was indeed taking a "walk on the wild side".
-I bet parachuting into the frozen tundra with one arm is no picnic.
-Mulder and Scully are partners, right? Then why does Spudner, if he doesn't want Mulder's involvement, include Scully on his handpicked team? And even more irritating, why does Skinner insist on talking only to Mulder about the future of the X-Files asking Scully to join the rest of the folks out in the hall? I think it should be clear to him at least by now that her life and reputation are invested in this as well.
-Looks like the First Elder finally got a chance to take advantage of the evil guy's dental plan and fix that nasty tooth problem he was having.
-I guess we are meant to infer from this episode that Mulder "discovered" the X-Files in 1991 and was working with Fowley at the time. I suppose this could work time wise, though I do think that they've inferred a couple of times that he may have discovered them a little earlier than that in the 1989ish time frame. Scully isn't the only one surprised to find out she isn't the first woman to work with Mulder on the files. "The Pilot" seemed to paint him as a little more of a lone wolf rather than a guy between partners.
-Way to put on the car alarm with the driver's window rolled down Spender. That's helpful.
-If she survives I think it is time for Fowley to go back to Special Agent school. She falls asleep while protecting the kid and then parades herself around in front of the window after hearing there is a shooter. And she was working terrorist duty? Yeah right.
Autumn
"Mulder, he was goofing on you."