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"Whatever you were infected with appears to be dormant and your recovery is being hailed as a miracle."
John Shiban may have found his niche on the X-Files writing staff. Let's face it, monster of the week is not his forte. His outings there always end up scaring us, but not in the way he intended. However, he does seem to have some talent for writing a more conspiracy themed standalone evidenced by both "Pine Bluff Variant" and this most recent outing. Teamed with Director Daniel Sackheim, he managed to give us some things that have been sadly lacking this season: parking garages, hospitals, scenes lit by a single source in the dark, trench coats, paranoia, big creepy buildings that always have wet floors for some weird reason, alley chases, Scully in scrubs, and double-crosses. All that and tension too! When Scully asks "Why are the lights out?" the obvious answer is because it has been too light for too long.
I'll be the first to admit I usually find the Skinner centered episodes about as exciting as watching paint dry so I was quite amazed that Shiban actually managed to give us something this interesting and compelling as far as both character and story are concerned. Perhaps it is because both Mulder and Scully continued to be critical to the story throughout. After all, as we find out once again, it is all about them. Remember the days when Mulder was the paranoid one? Scully just hops into the deep end right away without a second thought anymore. I guess being taken on an all expenses paid trip to the Antarctica nudist colony will do that to a girl. Of course, they are right. Who says paranoia is a bad thing.
Despite all the ideas explored and the race against time we never really find out how either the physicist or Skinner was actually poisoned. Mulder hypothesizes the doctor was there to warn Skinner and yet he only asks him for the time. What was the real connection between anyone here? Does Krycek work for *everyone*? Has Senator Matheson been a bad guy all along or just since he stopped returning emergency calls around "731"? Is the Tunisian diplomat a typical 1013 red herring or does it have something to do with those corn fields and bee domes in Tunisia? This is one of those episodes that raises a lot of questions, many of which have to do with the myth arc. That always makes me nervous in a standalone because we rarely see answers.
I'm guessing, unless they completely forget this episode ever happened - which of course it always possible on the X-Files - that the point may have been to ratchet up Skinner's skin in the game. I mean now we have nano-critters in Skinner that could go off at anytime, a chip in Scully's neck that could go off at anytime, and Mulder who doesn't need anything to go off at anytime. The big problem in this episode is the ending. We get the Varicose!Skinner deathbed voice over with matching confession to Scully about choices and how he should have been more firmly on their side and then an about face in the end so fast Scully actually looks like she's been sucker punched. No matter how you try to read this it just does not work. If your take is that Skinner really has completely gone back on what he was telling Scully then it totally negates that wonderful scene between Pileggi and Anderson which even manages to get Scully all wavery-voiced with his sincerity. However, if your take is that Skinner is just deciding to leave the terrible twosome out of this and take matters into his own hands not even the slightest hint of that is given to us by Pileggi. The ending makes us feel he's a coward, having been whupped by Krycek. Sometimes when I see an episode like this I wonder if Scully could cure cancer if she would just dedicate a solid month to it. Here she dons her trusty lab coat and does it all. She corrects Doctor Plant's analysis of Skinner's condition. She is not supposed to get Skinner's samples but she does. She figures out the behavior of the carbon in the blood. She stops the inept doctors from cutting off Skinner's arms by barging into an emergency room and announcing her presence. She is the only doctor to come up with the radical treatment plan to try to rid Skinner of the critters. "Who the hell is this woman" indeed. So, my final take on "S.R. 819" was that I enjoyed the return to all those things I have missed. Shiban certainly is earning a big gold star for most improved on staff. Just keep him away from the monsters. Please.
-No date stamp though we sure as hell know this episode is not taking place real time because our Senate isn't entertaining any Bills currently.
-OK, it is a stretch, but as an OBSSE member I did like the fact that one of the hospitals was St. Katherine's.
-What is it this season with scientists having pictures of *themselves* on their desks. First Sandy in "The Beginning" and now this. Narcissistic much?
-I'm certain that Dr. Cabrera is evil. I mean did you see the dismissive look she gave the guy when he mentioned Skinner had been being prepped for the procedure Scully recommended like it was stupid? Then she doesn't try to save Skinner after hearing the name he whispered, nor obviously does she let Mulder or Scully know what it was while Skinner was recovering.
-You know it is a pity that the FOX promotional folks tend to sap all the surprises out of an episode via their previews (thankfully they have not done this with "Tithonus" - then again the week is young). It was pretty obvious in the teaser that we were initially supposed to think they were talking about Mulder with all that "call Scully" /"FBI Agent" stuff - after all it was a hospital scene - but anyone who'd read a TV Guide or seen a preview knew it was not.
-My nomination for most annoying character nickname: "Slugger". Looked like "Slugee" was more appropriate. Plus the bad Burgess Meredith impersonation by the trainer was too much to stomach.
-You know, I'm pretty irritated. I *thought* I had a top of the line Palm Pilot and yet not only can I not watch the Emmys on the damn thing I can't get it to leave threatening phone calls or block people's arteries either. Um. Not that I would do that. Well, maybe a prank call. But the artery thing definitely not.
-I wish they would just figure out where "it" really is. Scully thinks "it" is in her. Krycek's palm pilot tells Skinner "it" is in him. Mulder seems to think "it" is all about him.
-That Dr. Plant certainly doesn't seem to have any concern for medical hygiene. When he first visits Skinner he washes his hands with perhaps a teaspoon of water completely ignoring the anti-bacterial soap by the sink, and later he tags along with Scully in her usual operating room assault.
-Apparently Tunisian diplomats are very very bad shots. This guy is standing a few feet from a stopped vehicle, taking careful aim and still misses. At least Skinner had the excuse that he was sick for missing twice.
-That Skinner must be pretty burly to take out a dent in a car that size just by falling against it. That or someone really got ripped off on some body work.
-It's good to see Mulder burning the 10:21 oil in his new assignment. Does this man have no life? He'd rather sit in the dark in the bullpen and throw pencils at the ceiling than do anything productive? Trying to make the new office more like home perhaps?
-Frank's Fashion Spot: Only Dana Scully could make what amounts to Professional Geranimals look good. Dark maroon pants, dark gray top, mid gray jacket, and a black trench swirling behind her. Well, it was late.
-Just when you thought you'd seen the worst wig on the show comes this thing. If that was "expensive" as the technician tells us I'd hate to see the cheap model. As it stands Krycek comes off looking like the poor man's "Bob" from Twin Peaks.
-I am really beginning to wonder about the security at the good old FBI. First the Lone Gunmen are able to easily hop in and find Scully in "Triangle" , but the fact that they let someone looking like a way disgruntled panhandler wander the halls unescorted is ridiculous.
-Hey you Krycek lovers out there? The ones who think he is just misunderstood? Just to amuse me please rationalize the torture here. I always enjoy this part.
-Is it just me or does Skinner really seem to resent the fact he wakes up alone? Hey, in that group it is par for the course.
-Seems Shiban is even getting a little self-referential. I thought of "Pine Bluff Variant" immediately when the gloved doctor touched Skinner's arm.
-Let me get this straight. Super Sight Scully can recognize someone from her "Who's Who in Physics" book off a bad video feed. Mulder was able to video enhance and correctly identify Skinner from a bad dark shot in a hat in "Zero Sum". Yet, neither one of these two can do the short list of their mortal enemies and compare it to that photo to come up with Krycek? Helloooo, Mr. Shiban? How silly is that?
-Glad to hear our heroes have such great health insurance since Doctor Plant tells us no one has even bothered with the samples because they are from the "government HMO".
-Am I the only one amused at the odd and desperate attempts not to make Arlene Pileggi's hair look like Scully hair anymore? There's wrong hair, and there's wrong hair.
-Mulderism I could have done without: "Don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful." -I swear I could almost hear "release the pigeons" as Senator Matheson walked into the power plant and it appeared birds were literally thrown at his face.
Autumn
"Look, if you want to save this man listen to what I am saying."