Index to all seasons | Abbey Home Page
"What if he got really really lucky? That's your big scientific explanation, Scully?"
Writer Jeffrey Bell finally gets lucky himself on the X-Files with "The Goldberg Variation" and for the second week in a row a sophomore writer comes through with a much improved episode over last year's efforts. Bell, whose "Rain King" script I believe was pulled under by poorly directed caricatures in the supporting roles, does much better with Thomas J. Wright at the helm for this whimsical outing. I must say that after "Millennium" and this I'm very glad to see Wright as part of the regular directing crew for the season.
So, like "Rain King", this week's "monster" was a goodhearted man with an odd power. Not quite the Wile E. Coyote genetic mutant Mulder was looking for, just someone with seriously dumb luck. Mulder and Scully become part of this "cause and effect" world of his from the moment Mulder literally drops in on him. I liked the way they consistently missed the hitmen by a second and yet still randomly contributed to the stopping of both of them. The whole chain of events that led up to a dead guy hanging from a shoelace was entertaining even if the head over heels Xena flip was unrealistic. While I enjoyed the gadgets and chain of events occurrences that we saw, I only wish there had been a way to pull back more to appreciate the overall effects rather than concentrating on tight close-ups (especially with the first toy or the "death by shoelace"). I don't know if the intricacy of what was happening demanded filming it in that way, or it was editor Lynne Willingham's choice to splice it together in that manner.
I guess this is the season of the Mulder and Scully "meet cute" as they once again manage a fun little twist when the agents first find each other. This time Mulder is rising up with the steam behind Scully as she tries to shout over the din into her cell phone. I'm not sure what decisions were made over the summer, but how delightful that for the final season we have such a playful return of the patented Mulder/Scully chemistry. They clearly enjoy each other's company these days, and it's a welcome and wonderful change to see them actually get to smile and joke with each other to this extent. I think the two of them smiled more this episode than all of last season. Duchovny and Anderson seem to really be reinvested in their characters as they head into the home stretch. They're making every moment count, and that truly makes the interplay a joy to watch.
Anderson's best moments in this episode come from two very different places. The first needs no words, as is her forte, as Scully goes from rather unsuccessfully hiding a laugh at her partner's expense to shock as he drops suddenly through the floor. I also like the quiet way she led Richie away from the crime scene to prevent him seeing what little boys should not. Duchovny makes the most of the comedy behind Mulder proving once and for all that they are indeed not plumbers. He's also doing a lot more reacting these days, for instance letting Mulder enjoy Scully's little jokes, finding them far more amusing than he used to.
This episode boasted a nice supporting cast as well. Never a fan of the overdone gangster types, I thought Ramy Zada did a good job of not letting stereotypical lines get the best of him. Alyson Reed as Maggie Lupone was a refreshing change of pace after the mother we had to sit through in "Rush". She gave us all the emotion we needed without resorting to overblown speeches. Lastly, Willie Garson's sad sack of a winner was right on, making us root for a man who only wanted enough money to help a sick child.
I think one of the most refreshing things about this episode was that while it was lighter in tone, it was definitely a new twist of a story. A new type of X-file. Having not been inundated with lighter episodes this season, it was merely a change of pace with a story that kept you interested. "The Goldberg Variation" is a nice addition to a season that is shaping up quite well.
-Retread Alert: What a surprise seeing as though the move to Los Angeles has made these few and far between. Willie Garson who played Weems also played Roach in "The Walk."
-Apparently Mulder stays up all night listening to some sort of worldwide FBI Scanner and wondering if every report could contain a genetic mutant. That must explain why he was unable to wait for Scully and flew to Chicago before 9AM when the crime itself happened a little before 11PM the night before.
-It's really not a wonder that Scully wants to return to DC before sunset since she stepped out of that cab without an overnight bag. However the way she talked about her little plan made me wonder exactly what she thought would be going on in DC after sunset that would make all right with the world. She was certainly trying to sell that idea for all it was worth.
-Best throwaway line that speaks volumes: "I like baseball too." Oh, I bet you do Scully. Amazing what a little batting practice will do for a girl. I'll take this continuity.
-I used to be amazed at the plethora of gadgets Scully could keep in her trench coat pockets, but now even her slim cut suits have bottomless pockets enough to hold cell phones, flashlights, keys, etc. all with nary a bulge.
-Frank's Fashion Spot: Did you have to say "Hey, nice outfit" Mulder? You're only going to encourage the woman to wear even more black. Though frankly a black suit may have helped Mulder's ensemble as the dark brown suit, dark blue shirt, and dark tie combination once again reminded me he is colorblind. Of course it only got worse once the coat got all wet and wrinkly.
-Our Little Sailor: She's back. "What the hell happened here, Mulder?" and "Hell Mulder, I just beat him."
-Speaking of "What the hell happened here," what the hell happened to Scully's hair when she got in the car to have a conversation with Mulder about Weems' lack of a past? I mean I like her hair floofier, but my God it was suddenly so huge I thought I was watching an X-Files about good hairspray gone bad.
-Scully's not the only person with hair issues this episode. I'm convinced we have now seen the weedwacker 'do at its worst: Sticking straight on end every which way after being towel dried.
-On the Scully Rational Explanation (SRE) front, Little Miss Facts pulls out a 1998 story of a British soldier falling 4500 feet and augments it with updrafts and luck. The funny thing is, this time the SRE was right.
-I'm not quite following the logic of Maggie just running up to well dressed strangers in the hall and drafting them into plumber duty.
-If Mulder thought that watching someone put a glass eye back in was tough, he never would have made it in my crowd. I've a friend who would take hers out and puts it in a water glass to terrorize the occasional waiter.
-All that time in a hospital and not once did Scully become Dr. Bossypants. Though she did manage to diagnose what was wrong with Richie just by looking at him and the equipment in his room.
-Mark Snow gives us one of his better original scores in this episode, both enjoyable and fitting to the action on the screen.
-I like the panic that hit Mulder when he realized Scully, not known for her luck, beat Weems at the card game.
-Finally a phone book without all 555 numbers. Of course the problem is they obviously just placed a few new ads in a Los Angeles book, as I don't think there is also a Topanga Canyon Road in Chicago.
-So, all of Chicago starts flickering because someone kicks another handy iron into a bucket of water? That's some infrastructure they must have there. No wonder a single cow once took out most of the city.
-At first I thought it a bit too much of a contrivance that a person would be wearing a blood type bracelet, but if it is indeed a rare blood type and he is a mobster maybe it was merely prudence on his part.
Autumn
"Maybe he can't see his way to the door."