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"The world didn't end."
"No, it didn't."
I'll admit that I was not exactly thrilled when I found out the X-Files would be doing a crossover with a failed series as those events are usually overly self-indulgent. I was actually quite a fan of "Millennium" during it's second season when it seemed to finally gain focus and had those little things a fan appreciates like an interesting season long through line. However, when it was once again reset in season three ignoring what was built, I left the show behind. The irony is that it took this episode to give the X-Files back something it has been sorely lacking since the production's move to Los Angeles: that dark, wet, creepy, graveyard feel that so trademarked the show's earlier seasons.
Writers Spotnitz and Gilligan managed to pull off a crossover I was happy with. The "Millennium" focus was just another case for Mulder and Scully with Lance Henriksen's Frank Black acting as a strong addition in a supporting role. The writers did a good job of making a story that folks who did not watch "Millennium" could follow while still providing one of the base elements of that series: the war of good and evil. I would however be remiss if I did not scold the writers for stooping to a classically cheap moment. Skinner, apparently over his last bout of the palm pilot flu enough to go back to straddling the political fence, finds a body under a sheet while looking for Scully, but (SURPRISE!!) she's actually still alive. Who woulda thunk it.
On the other hand, I think that the writing staff is thus far doing a skillful job on playing with Scully's more open-minded approach. I would never expect her to forsake science as soon as something goes bump in the night. It's just not her nature. However, having her play with a hopeful Mulder with "see you had me up until then" or manage statements like "he was dead, and then somehow he wasn't" without flinching too much is a nice start. Humoring Mulder is coming a bit easier for her these days. Thus it seemed fitting that it is Scully, who is struggling with her own beliefs this season, who confronts Black in the end and asks if he believes and if good or evil will prevail.
t's been a while since I've been truly scared for Mulder, but seeing him bleeding, frightened and standing in that little salt circle did it for me. Duchovny did an excellent job of relaying the pure terror of that situation. Similarly I found myself tensing up at Scully's solo trip to the morgue. It's always fun to watch those "bummer, I hate it when I have no backup and there's blood on the floor" moments. Kudos to this episode for serving up some good old fashioned frights.
As far as Duchovny and Anderson were concerned, they both did nice work in an episode that was more about plot than character. I especially enjoyed seeing Mulder do the math and come to the realization that now was a pretty sure bet as he decided to celebrate the new year like everyone else. Anderson's scene with Black as she gets increasingly frustrated with his non- answers when her partner could be in danger is also well played. However, the highlight on both parts was the final few moments of the episode as we see the weight of the world again settle on the shoulders of our heroes. And for everyone who has ever complained that Anderson and Duchovny were dead pan in their roles, we may now compare and contrast with Lance Henriksen, the one lead Chris Carter found not able to easily usurp him in personality. Lance actually showed more character than most of the "Millennium" episodes I watched in this guest role. Holmes Osborne was appropriately nondescript in his part as a taxidermist turned necromancer loner with a purpose.
I have to credit director Thomas J. Wright who spent a lot of time working on the "Millennium" series for bringing that Vancouver sensibility with him in creating the wonderfully creepy atmosphere that filled this episode. Wright and Director of Photography Bill Roe made the basement zombie scenes some of the show's scariest, lighting them with flashlights and flares to great effect. I hope we shall be seeing Mr. Wright and his rain machines again sometime soon.
I am sure much will be made of the last minutes of this episode. I expect every second will be deconstructed and offered every possible interpretation. I choose to take it at face value. Mulder and Scully shared a sweet kiss and a moment of happiness in the midst of their all consuming and overwhelming fight for the truth. And the world did not end. And for a minute they lived a normal life. And it made both of them and me smile. And did I mention the world didn't end?
My hope is that this series in its final season will continue to find moments where these characters that we have all grown to love can find a sliver of light in the gloom. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I love the angst, but in the end I just want those kids to be happy.
-Date stamp: We start at December 21,1999 and end as the year 2000 strikes in Times Square. It's too bad they felt the need to run this episode during sweeps instead of closer to the actual dates portrayed. It always feels odd to get a "holiday" episode out of sequence. God only knows what sort of time traveling we are going to be doing between now and the end of the year as the rest of the episodes play out in shuffled format.
-I seem to recall that on one of the "Millennium" episodes I did watch there was an X-Files episode playing. One would think this would make a crossover unlikely.
-So her husband "didn't leave a note" - I'd think if she was paying any attention at all to her spouse she'd have at least a clue where to start looking for reasons. After all, he was a Millennium Group member sure enough of his cause to take his own life. Maybe she just though he worked for a snake screensaver.
-Thank God they had a closed casket funeral with this dead guy because the undertaker didn't seem to bother to do much besides dress the man. It sure looked like he was already half way to gray skinned, rotting-flesh zombiehood.
-It's more than slightly ooky to see someone undress in front of a casket, especially with a clip on tie.
-Sign me up for the cell phone that stays active from Dec. 21st to December 29th. That's a hell of a battery to last eight days. I guess zombies aren't really interested in the "talk time" features. Did Johnson have to sit outside in the graveyard that whole time waiting for the call? God knows one can't get cell phone service at his house there in the Maryland boondocks.
-If Johnson was actually wearing Crouch's outfit for eight straight days I personally think the corpse smells are the least of the dry cleaner's problems. I have to wonder if it was Johnson the deputy was smelling and not the contents of the car.
-Frank's Fashion Spot: If you have to dress her in black, dress her in this. A resounding "Hoo Boy" to the ribbed black mock turtleneck Scully wore with her suit. It was enough to help me forget that odd gray/green jacket she had to sport the rest of the episode.
-Gillian Anderson provides us with one of the more enjoyable Scully entrances as we see Scully piece together that Mulder is indeed up to something in her short conversation with the undertaker.
-I guess Scully must have been taking the week between Christmas and New Year's off before getting called in on this one since she and Mulder share a bemused "Merry Christmas" in that warm holiday tradition over a grave desecration.
-Those other agents in Skinners office are mighty efficient little worker bees if they managed to go through 21 years of cases enough to ascertain no one disliked the guy that quickly.
-It would have been nice if the writers had at least let Scully be the one to explain the ouroborus since she wears one on her back. Jeers to the writers for not even mentioning her skin deep connection.
-Rice County? Unless they are talking about Kansas or Minnesota it appears we are back to making up locations again. It doesn't seem like a very safe place to live as it was only mid morning at the county morgue and they were already backed up three stiffs.
-Time, time, time, look what you've done to me: The morgue needs a new clock, while the time stamp read 10:32 AM the wall clock said 11:20. Also the 11:21 time stamp was back, and it looked like the clock read 10:13 when Frank visited the dead man's party.
-Fun and perfectly in character exchange: Scully: "And besides 2001 is actually the start of the new millennium." Mulder: "Nobody likes a math geek, Scully." Mulder I wouldn't be so sure about that…
-One has to think that the Millennium Group were really a bunch of idiots. Not only do they not know when the real millennium is, they thought these guys were going to be the four horsemen of the apocalypse. These dermatology nightmares didn't seem capable of much beyond "Night of the Living Dead" zombie skulking about, biting and moaning. And just how was it decided what would be the time zone for the end of the world? Or did they have it rigged to end in hour increments throughout the world as the New Year rang in?
-If Mr. Revelation really was that afraid that the guy would come back to life he sure as heck did not do a very good job of burying Deputy Clue Mouth or covering his tracks.
-I must admit to a little inner neener at Mulder when he was getting frustrated with Black for occasionally dropping "the little arcane hint" and not coming out and saying something. Gee Mulder, it is annoying, isn't it? Maybe that's why he actually gave Scully a straight answer for a change when she asked "And what are you going to do?"
-So, since Scully shot the last zombie does that mean she saved the world from evil yet again? Like she needs more brownie points in that arena. And as a reward she gets to celebrate New Years in a hospital. How fun.
-At least Mark Snow didn't have to spend this episode sampling from his movie soundtrack since he had Millennium music to draw from instead.
-Lucky for Mulder a little of that Kosher salt goes a long way. How he managed to make that circle out of a small handful is yet another mystery. Speaking of, I was confused as to why when Black came in Mulder had managed to get out of that circle and into a corner with his tie tourniquet without being attacked.
-It's a wonder that any of Mulder and Scully's charges stick as often as these two enter homes without a warrant by picking locks, etc.
-Just what was the point of showing us a gun with six bullets? Especially since after doing so Mulder and Black managed to get off seven rounds from it.
Autumn
"Mulder, you been spreading rumors?"