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"You muck up my case and Kersh will hear about it. Are we
clear Dana?"
"Scully... and we're done with this conversation."
As is the norm with Vince Gilligan episodes, "Tithonus" is a story with a lot of different layers to it. On the surface we have probably the most interesting "X-File" story of the season. Below that teems all sorts of subtext having to do with death and Scully's reactions to it. However, on still another level "Tithonus" is a great milestone in Scully's character arc over the past six years because it clearly shows us the substantial growth she has undergone. First, as far as the X-File goes, I'm a sucker for Gilligan's human "monsters". He has a knack for making things all the more real by giving us people instead of tree-monsters or the like to frighten us. I found this episode creepy from the start. The teaser expertly hones in on one of those irrational fears we all have of elevators. The tension was built in a wonderful way through interesting perspective shots, tight editing by Louise Innes, echoing footsteps, and a nice little performance of rising paranoia from the actress playing the secretary. Everything from the rushing air as the elevator plummeted to that last vision of a black and white arm surrounded by a tide of red as the camera clicked was great filmmaking.
It's also a fine idea on Vince Gilligan's part to put an episode that explores death in the capable hands of Gillian Anderson. Having had Scully go through the great cancer arc and avoid death herself has given the actress a wealth of subtext to play with, and play with it she does. I love it when she asks Fellig "How can you have too much life?" from the perspective of someone who almost had theirs cut short. Tie that together with Scully's unwavering compassion for others and you have one of the strongest character pieces for this actress that we've had in a long time. I loved watching a Scully who refused to let fate dictate death take on a thug twice her size and bitch slap him for good measure. The rising panic she brought to Scully as she tries to convince herself "I'm not going to die" while Fellig methodically prepares to capture her death is a another masterful sequence. I'm not sure I've heard a colder line than "I just want to take the picture." I really like the choices Geoffrey Lewis made in playing Fellig. He moves and talks slowly with a lack of emotion. For all practical purposes he is already dead to the world, animated only when speaking of dying. Together with Anderson they personified life and death.
There was something else that really spoke to me about this episode as far as Dana Scully's journey. Here, six years into the adventure, she's teamed with a fresh, young, cocky, green pup of an Agent eager to make an impression in Ritter. Sound familiar? She's the Senior Agent now, the one who is almost dismissed as a "lost cause" unless things quickly change. It's Ritter who is taking his little notes on her saying nice things, mostly, and looking for the easy answers (classic exchange: when he tells her it is blood and she replies "yeah, I got that" ). Even though our Scully has always been dedicated to the truth, unlike Ritter, the parallels are interesting. While she asks for "some science that I can hang this on" , she is whollyunconvincing when she claims "you know I don't believe you" with shimmering eyes that skirt about. What a weight these years have exacted on her soul. Things just aren't black and white anymore.
Director Michael Watkins is a great addition to the X-Files team as far as I'm concerned. He has a wonderful sense of finding the emotional core in a scene without losing the ability to give us some exciting sequences. I think a perfect example of this is the pacing of the scene in which Scully tries to save the prostitute, and despite her adrenaline pumped efforts is faced with the shock of her attempt being made in vain. He and Director of Photography Bill Roe worked together quite well in setting the mood through lighting, whether is was shimmering through the slats of a window, bathed in a red glow of the darkroom, or that terrific sequence where Scully and Fellig await death in the form of Ritter. Time slows, the light is another character, and we hear Scully breathing as Ritter makes his fatal mistake. Watkins at times reminds me of my favorite X-Files director David Nutter. I look forward to his next effort.
Duchovny doesn't have a lot to do in this episode, but what he does have he does well. I especially loved his delivery of "Hi, my name is Fox Mulder, we used to sit next to each other at the FBI." He plays Mulder with an insecurity over Scully's adventure that is endearing. Covering her back as best he can via cell.
So let's see. A scary well acted tale. Enhanced by the directing and photography. Hmm. I'd say we have a winner. I couldn't be more pleased. It's not often they get a Scullycentric episode this right.
-Agent Pup tells us in his "I've been to rock concerts, I know how to do this - check, check" speech to the microphone that the date is January 4th. Which doesn't make too much sense unless the FBI is forcing Mulder and Scully to do background checks on the Sunday after New Years.
-Speaking of the date, it certainly indicates a rough couple of weeks from Scully's perspective as far as getting shot in the gut goes. Sure, one really didn't happen, but twice in two weeks would make any girl paranoid.
-Well, seems Scully has switched apartments AGAIN if you are to believe her file that Kersh is perusing. It has her address back in Annapolis which is highly unlikely. Let's just hope she keeps the fridge in the kitchen in the new digs, which I'm willing to bet when we see them look surprisingly like every apartment she's ever had.
-Frank's Fashion Spot: Well, if she had to sacrifice a shirt to a bullet they certainly made a good choice. It looked more like a light blue pj top to me than anything else. Also, I couldn't tell at first if Mr. heart attack was just suffering acute shame from wearing those "designer" jeans in public or he really had a medical problem.
-Well, at least we know Mulder and Scully aren't the only Agents Kersh is trying to get to quit, as there appeared to be at least one other lucky fellow sharing their current thrilling assignment.
-The crime report for Margareta (great name!) Stoller reads like a trashy novel. It's all about a neighbor hating her and thinking she was a bitch because of some yelping dog.
-You know, in all the years he'd been a photographer you'd think Fellig would have learned how to get a decent picture of himself. It's sort of a cruel irony that he was so damn unphotogenic.
-I loved the way Gillian played Scully making little faces like a kid being sent to the principal's office as she whispers to Mulder that she's been called to Kersh's office.
-Scully's loyalty to Mulder was also nicely highlighted with she dragged Mulder into the equation with Kersh and her reassurances to Mulder that this was a one time thing.
-Now for the whole "Is Scully now immortal" debate. Yes, there is a nice tie in with Darin Morgan's throw away line in "Clyde Bruckman" and I think Gilligan might be playing with us a little when Mulder tells Scully of her quick recovery, but I don't think she should go out sword shopping just yet. After all, she wasn't actively trying to cheat death as Fellig had done in his story. Plus, she did spend at least a week in the hospital and Fellig's recuperative powers had been much more dramatic.
-I guess if you are going to commit murder, New York is the place. Wiggins wears a mug shot date of 3-18-92 and is out to kill again less than seven years later. What do you get for assault there? A stern talking to?
-Just how long does it take to bring a suspect in? Scully handcuffs the thug around 3AM and yet it is 8 o'clock before they reach the precinct.
-I think it is funny that in order to steal Scully's life line you merely take her cell phone.
-Great shot: Scully in stark black and white against that background bright with color.
-"You're a lucky man" is Mulderese for "If she had died I'd be feeding my fish your nuts." -Now, I always knew the Dynamic Duo was way cool, but now they even have their own secret handshake. Perhaps they can use that next time one of them is not who they are...
Autumn "I thought we were looking for the truth." Go back to the list of reviews