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"Stop trying to validate your theories and just give us the truth."
Hey Carter. I'm talking to you with the "steam coming out of [your] ears" about online reaction to "The X-Files". Why do you think the reaction has been that way this season? If I may offer an opinion, it is because you've got your core audience to the point where after eight long years the games are beyond tiresome. Now, even when you offer up a decent episode like this one, people still lack any faith or hope in your ability to end this thing in an honorable way. You've broken your trust with your audience badly. How did you get to this point? By making it about the writers and what they thought was clever or cool rather than thinking about honestly portraying characters. The sad thing is, it is possible to do both. You just have to be clever and cool enough to realize how. What was the weakest part of this episode? Easy, the writers forcing characters to say lines or do things that did not ring true. What was the best part of this episode? Easy, once again, it was the acting.
Case in point: "This is not happening". The writing team of Carter and Spotnitz decided it would be clever to have this phrase (the episode name) repeated over and over to the audience even when it did not ring true to character. We don't know enough about Richie except for his odd penchant to shout out different lines (like "Gary" in "Requiem"), but even with this kid the third time I heard him say it I was over it. We do know a lot about Scully and this choice of a line to have her yell at the end (just, it appears, to bookend the episode in the manner Carter is overly fond of) becomes an obvious writer stunt and does not seem like what Scully would yell in this situation. The last line "Noooo," which I suspect was not scripted and came from the actress to try to make the end work better on an emotional level for the character, would have been better off without having to follow the "clever" teaser tie in.
Case in point: John Doggett. Poor Robert Patrick. He's worked hard on this character despite the fact that the writing for Doggett has been literally all over the map this season. And it was all over the map this episode. In feeling they had to keep their own so important skeptic/believer concept they've found a way to create a skeptic even more grating than Scully was on her very worst days. Doggett doesn't debate or try to find another reason for things. He just puts on the blinders. And it makes him look ridiculous. Half the time he's supportive of Scully, half the time he's just plain rude and insensitive. Here his partner is struggling with what she sees in a victim and he pipes up smugly "You're welcome to stay here and discuss foreign objects, but..." Later, continuing his insensitive streak he admonishes Scully for her fears outside Richie's room. Then, in the second half of the episode, he's sensitive!Doggett out of the blue. He broods in the hallway (hopefully thinking about what an ass he's been), but wait there's a reason for this sudden sensitivity - we're supposed to feel bad for Doggett because we're going to find out the kid whose picture he carries around in his wallet is dead. Doggett is later back to just plain stupid as he watches another man turn into him and then uses "the hell it was - that's me and I never even went in that building" to somehow support his ridiculous stance. Oookay. The reason we like Mulder and Scully is that they are smart. Even Scully back in her skeptic seasons was smart in her arguments and approach. Doggett just comes across as a bumpkin when written this way.
Case in point: Monica Reyes. Annabeth Gish seems like a nice enough young actress. They certainly wanted us to think so since they had her grinning from ear to ear the whole episode. She got to smile more in one episode than Scully has in eight seasons - even when it was highly inappropriate. She's probably the only person who says "ritual abuse" with a smile. No wonder Scully was shooting Doggett daggers with her eyes. They obviously really want us to like her. Perhaps they thought Spender did not go over well because he never smiled. Even Doggett gets a goofy grin on his face when he walks towards her. Agent Smiley is given a particularly dramatic introduction, the ritualistic crime specialist standing alone against the not-so-big sky of Montanfornia and then she just talks in circles. Big, odd circles. She manages to say nothing in more words than most people need to tell a whole story. Who could blame Scully for wanting to smack her half the time. But wait! She's gifted! She has "feelings" and she says she doesn't "not believe" and is a "black sheep". (It is amusing to watch Scully nearly sprain an eyebrow during this little characterization exposition and why not - Reyes is a grinning cross between Mulder and Melissa. She's Mulissa.) On the flip side, Gish does fine with what she's given here. Given what she had to work with she could have been infinitely more annoying. If the writers understand how to write realistic interaction between women there is the potential for some interesting interplay between her and Scully. However, I'm not holding my breath after Fowley and Marita.
Case in point: Richie's tireless search for his "buddy" Gary. Well, no matter what their relationship was, at least he cared. It was insulting to find out this "UFO nut" had gone to great lengths, doing everything he could think of to look for his friend, when it appears all Scully and Doggett were looking for over the months was "a break" to land in their laps. It was such a huge mistake on the part of the writers this year to not make the tiny effort it would have taken to convince the audience that indeed Scully was searching for Mulder in her off hours even while continuing her exciting day job of butt genie investigation. You cannot convince me Gillian Anderson could not have sold this in just seconds an episode given the opportunity by the writers. It could have made so much difference in giving us an emotionally rich season. But no, apparently 1013 thought that would have detracted from episodes like "SureKill."
Case in point: The starlight speech. It was a really nice scene - don't get me wrong. I thought it was extremely well played by both Pileggi (whose Skinner is putty in Scully's hands) and Anderson. I have always found the relationship between these two characters fascinating. She goes from treating him with so little patience in his office to seeking him out as the one person left she can be vulnerable around. Skinner tries to be strong for her and give her hope; Scully breaks down in his arms giving the audience the sniffles. It's a beautiful scene marred only by the fact that the writing evokes the last time 1013 totally disregarded what had played for years on the series and decided Samantha was a long dead starlight child.
Case in point: Mulder is dead. Again. Wow, there's a new one. How many times has this been a cliffhanger now? You never can go to that well too many times apparently. At least it affords Gillian Anderson some good moments.
Speaking of that, let's spend some time on the things I did really like about this episode. Anderson was on her game and that always elevates an episode when she's given the chance to sink her teeth into something. Her Scully was teetering just on the edge of control the entire time. She's admonishing a tentative Skinner to get to the point because of her fears at the start. Scully is forcing down a reaction when she sees Teresa Hoese and is clearly imagining Mulder in the same state. However, the scene that just killed me was watching her starting to break down as she starts the autopsy of Gary. Her empathy for Richie, her deep breath trying to gain control, and that oh-so-Scully "there's work to do here" were perfectly executed. Then there was the interrogation where her fear was all over her as her eyes watered, her voice quavered, her breathing was shallow, and her face literally quivered. The delivery on "I asked you to give me the truth" took my breath away. God bless her.
The ending to this episode was well done. Scully, now on to the way of shape shifters, sniffs out Smith and won't take no for an answer. Smith lays a healthy amount of guilt on Scully's shoulders for his lackadaisical approach to healing as if it is her fault he hadn't gotten around to touching Mulder's forehead. We get to watch a dozen emotions cross Scully's face when she hears the words "it's Mulder" and we finally get to see her snap after an entire episode of flirting with it. There was something so chilling in hearing her yell "how bad is he" over and over and just run full tilt barely pausing to note the big UFO only to reach a pit of anguish when Smith and his Nikes are gone.
Compared to the rest of this season, "This is Not Happening" was one of the better episodes. I was emotionally engaged by Scully's pain and fear. It was well acted and directed. There's still a chance for a respectful conclusion to "The X-Files". I really hope that happens. It is time to be truthful with these characters not coy. Otherwise, when all is said and done, season eight will be best summed up by that oh so tactful phrase penned by the boys at 1013 - "circling the drain." I want my faith back. I need it back.
-Date Stamp: There is a verbal confirmation that Scully and Richie met "late last spring" which backs up the timeframe set in "The Gift" and still makes Scully like 10 months pregnant and not showing according to "Medusa" and "Per Manum". Someone please buy Frank a calculator for Christmas this year.
-I do find it amusing that both Doggett and Skinner seem to be terrified of wrath of Scully. Doggett won't even start to explain what is going on and just shepherds her upstairs where Skinner looks like a nervous Nelly waiting for her.
-Poor Scully, she had to hurry into the office so fast for the news that she did not have time to give her hair that "Per Manum" poof. That's how we know just how serious, how very very serious this all is. The more serious is gets the flatter her hair gets - hence the autopsy hair.
-I know that it sometimes has to be done to catch the "casual viewer" up - if "The X-Files" even has any casual viewers anymore - but it is so very annoying to have to listen to characters say out loud what they already know just to bring a few couch potatoes who happen upon "The X-Files" at the end of the eighth season and decide to finally try it up to speed. So, this time we get Skinner telling us who Richie is and Scully getting to remember out loud who Teresa Hoese is.
-Speaking of Teresa Hoese, she wasn't speaking. And for that we can... be very... thank...ful.
-Does that UFO nut farm have a lot of dirty sheets or what? They were surrounded by sheets hung out to dry in the middle of the night. Or maybe they just really liked sheets for decoration since the house was filled with plastic ones. Maybe it's a millennium cult thing.
-Why does Scully carry around a picture of Mulder that looks like it is printed on glossy magazine paper? That just seemed odd, like she ripped it out of "Tiger Beat" or something.
-It's the little things that count: I loved Scully badly covering from "I saw him" to "I saw something" as she quickly realizes she can't let the new girl think she's a total nutcase.
-It was nice to see Roy Thinnes back as Jeremiah Smith even though I assumed he was dead. Then again, there were a bunch of Jeremiah types as I recall which makes me wonder why he is claiming to be the "only one" unless all the others got wiped out. What did not make sense to me was why the heck he was waiting to heal people since it only takes a second. Why bundle up Mulder and bring him back to the camp and then just wait around until it is too late to heal him?
-Frank's Fashion Spot: Well we did have some nice clothes moments. Heck, Scully even wore a skirt - it's been so long since we've seen that it almost looked weird. We also got an all too brief return of the silk jammies, but at least she threw on a turtleneck to visit Skinner in his skivvies. Don't even get me started on how irritated I was to notice that in her very first episode they let Reyes wear jeans and a jersey top while the most casual Scully ever seems to get to be is an untucked blouse. Oh, never mind that's Scully's business outfit. I keep forgetting.
-Psychic!Scully is alive and well. First dreaming about a slightly moldy Mulder and his stone throne where he is having his jowls widened. Then, in her typical "I see dead people" manner, being apparently visited by his ghost in her room.
-This week's product placement: Nike. All the good aliens are wearing them these days. For when you really need to heal your heels.
-One thing you can always count on about Scully - when she falls asleep, she really falls asleep. So, while she may have fretted most of the night away, when she finally passes out it is on top of the covers, fully clothed, and even the long risen sun doesn't stir her until the phone rings.
-Our Little Sailor: Scully may not swear in this episode, but I think we all know she wouldn't be caught dead saying "no freaking way."
-They've given lovable Agent Smiley a vice - Morley Lights - for when you're occasionally feeling slightly evil. She tells us she's trying to quit. It's really nice of her to toss her butt out there in the country she tells us is beautiful - she's certainly doing her part to protect that beauty. At least she finally stamped the thing out so we can't blame the next wildfire on her.
-You know sometimes I have a hard time understanding Robert Patrick's enunciation through his Doggett accent, but put a bullhorn to his mouth and I had no clue whatsoever what he was saying. I suspect it was "would you like fries with that?"
-Manly Man Meter: Well he certainly gets point for being an insensitive clod for most of the episode. However he was a little too whipped in the first scene. Plus he let Scully, who is like half his size, run through him twice with ease. Face it, this was a pretty mediocre outing on the manly side. 4
-See you all in April when we get the exciting answers to these burning questions: Will Agent Mulder survive or is "MoLder DeD"? Will Scully ever get to be pregnant? If you buy pink for a girl and blue for a boy do you buy green or grey for a baby lizard alien just to cover all the bases? Will Agent Reyes kick the habit and smile while doing it? Will Doggett ever get a ten on the manly man meter? What pastel color will Skinner wear next? Will everyone realize that "Buffy" and "West Wing" are really well acted *and* written shows that respect their characters and audiences?
Autumn
"I'm sorry, this feels like therapy"