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"No matter how paranoid you are - you're not paranoid enough."
In this enjoyable little blast from the past writer Vince Gilligan takes us back to May of 1989 and delivers the tale of the roots of paranoia on the X-Files. An interesting story with a light comic touch, "Unusual Suspects" chronicles that fated day when the Lone Gunmen - the narc, do-hickey, and the hippie jerk - banded together and found their religion under the influence of a mysterious woman. Framed as a narrative by Byers relating his story to Homicide's Det. Munch (Richard Belzer) we see the pieces all fall together making them the characters we know and love today.
Bruce Harwood lives up to the promise he showed in "Memento Mori" by giving us a sweet performance of a man caught up in the dark side just by trying to do the right thing. He establishes his motivations, like Mulder, as a seeker of truth. I thought it was a really nice moment when he shut his eyes for that last innocent kiss. Tom Braidwood's Frohike continues to be the lovable lecher, greeting potential prey with "Hello pretty lady" and the hilarious "Oh yeah" as the "hot" woman draws his curtains closed. Watching him say "act casual" while sporting that head gear gave me quite a chuckle. However, I have to say I got the biggest laugh in the episode watching Dean Haglund's Langly (aka "Lord Manhammer") mutter "Daddy needs a new sword of wounding" during a game of high-stakes Dungeons and Dragons.
I liked the way Gilligan managed to weave that Lone Gunmen touchstone - the Kennedy assassination through the script from Byers name, to his "it's all true" paranoid epiphany, to that wonderful X line that names the trio: "I heard it was a Lone Gunman". Plus, the bit about the Gideon bibles was as inspired as that great "E.B.E." first meeting where they were tearing apart Scully's twenty dollar bill as a tracking device.
In Mulder's pre-X-Files, pre-Scully days he's just a regular agent with Violent Crimes and "commendations out the yin yang" toting around a cellular phone almost as big as his head. (Vince Gilligan continues to endear himself to we fans of continuity by once again proving he's one X-Files writer that actually pays attention to past episodes in making the call from Mulder's former partner Reggie Purdue - thank you Mr. Gilligan.) Unfortunately for him, and fortunately for us, on this day Mulder wanders by a convention booth proclaiming "They're here!" and "alien invaders are among us" not too long before he gets hit with an asthma inhaler overload of paranoia juice. This appears to have left him with "weird ideas in [his] head that [he] can't seem to shake" as well as a strong desire to take off his clothes and bare his tan lines. I loved Duchovny's reading of his last line, the incredulous "What?" as the Gunmen began to weave their story of government deception. A paranoid is born.
Some nice work from the supporting performers here. Signy Coleman as Susanne (which Byers must be psychic for spelling correctly) gave such a nice performance shading her character's strengths and weaknesses that I couldn't help but wonder how things might have been different if she were playing Marita. It was also nice to see Steven Williams again. What a reminder about how much menace he could bring to the part with just a simple look. X's role here foreshadows Mulder's importance as he clearly recognizes him with a "no one touches this man".
To be honest, as an X-Files fan it has always been Mulder and Scully that interest me and those episodes that stray from this to focus on the other characters aren't ones that often grace my VCR again. So while I can say that I found the time I spent with "Unusual Suspects" an entertaining diversion I can't say it is one of my favorites. However, what this episode does tell us fans is that the X-Files well has not run dry. There are still stories to tell and new and different ways of telling them - and by continuing to explore those avenues the show can continue to thrive.
-There's also a nice nod to continuity as far as a potential tie-in to the episode "Blood" which focuses on the results of public testing of a paranoia inducing substance.
-It was rather fitting that when Byers first set eyes on the objection of his obsession that she is under a sign that reads "Super Racks".
-Frank's Fashion Spot: Today's fashion spot will focus on that all important aspect of the show - hair. They did a pretty good job of recreating Mulder's early hair, which I like SO much better than that silly hair wings thing he sported all last season. Also, I enjoyed Langly's little touch of cornrow look.
-The "DigDug" master was played by the show's Prop master - Ken Hawryliw. He is listed in the shows credits as "Himself".
-Finally someone on the show calls Mulder what folks online have been saying for quite sometime: "PUNK". Now that made me laugh.
-That's our Mulder: Wandering around by himself to pursue a suspect that the FBI database claims is extremely dangerous to the point they say to call for immediate backup. Sometimes I wonder how he lived long enough to meet Scully if this has always been his mode of operation.
-Despite the fact that the names of the Lone Gunmen were leaked out a long time ago, Langly's first name didn't seem to make the cut in the episode. He'll live as Ringo only in the script at this point.
-Langly's excuse for handicapped parking: Tinnitus - a ringing sensation in the ears. Yup, that's a good one.
-Loved the convention war of "Quality bootleg cable" between Frohike Electronics Corp. (complete with scary Frohike face logo) and Langly Vision (who closes down his booth to play in Middle Earth).
-In typical X-Files fashion the computer show's AI booth deals not with artificial intelligence but "Abduction Insurance".
-We get an "official" fill in of some of Mulder's personal time frame. Oxford 1983-86, and Quantico in 1986.
-Where is Skinner when you need him? Those folks certainly did not do a very good job of cleaning up after themselves. "Buddy" never would have left those nasty blood spots.
Autumn
"My kung fu is the best."