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"You know, I hate to ruin your beautiful theory with ugly facts..."
Actually, "Salvage" wasn't that bad of an episode. I've seen much worse. However, it is once again ruined by 1013's refusal to imbue this season with any sort of real character arc at the time when they need it the most. I can remember back in the day when I was disappointed with the way they handled Dana Scully's cancer with a random nose bleed every four episodes or so. If they dropped the ball then, they've completely and totally missed the point now. In the past few weeks, the writers at 1013 have asked us to feel sorry for a sleazy lawyer who was breaking the law to imprison people while he lived the high life, a lovelorn murderer with X-ray vision, and a metal man who kills the one woman trying to help him. If we have to feel sorry for someone, why not make it someone we actually care about, like I don't know, maybe Dana Scully? They could add another whole layer of texture to the stories if only we were allowed to see her pain, her loss, her struggle, or her search for her missing partner even in glimpses while the boys at 1013 get to tell their "scary stories." Instead, all of that apparently happens off camera without a trace or hint of it revealed on the screen. When all of the interesting stuff is happening off camera you have a serious problem. Once again, 1013 is trapped by their own foolishness of deciding network sweeps is the only time the characters are allowed to act like characters with an actual history. Or maybe Chris Carter has decided character advancement can only occur in his episodes. Either way it is a mistake because until then nothing happens. The show sputters when it appears that the writers can conveniently forget things the audience cannot. It's a sad state for everyone.
On it's own, "Salvage" is, as I said, not a bad episode. In the context of the season however it is another in what is becoming a long line of exercises in frustration. Writer Jeff Bell at least manages to give us a decent and interesting story, which is a huge step up from "SureKill." Actually, Bell's strength as a writer has been his ability to put an extra level of humanity in his scripts, and he does it again here. I liked the idea that there really was no one person to blame, that a number of little people making mistakes contributed to the ruin of a man. The story was interesting and actually moved at a pretty good clip. However, as is the norm this season, there were a lot of conveniences for the sake of plot. And it's all about plot, right Frank and Chris? Like never explaining how Ray's non-cremation went unnoticed until Doggett uncovered it. Did the cremation place just lose the body and give Nora fireplace ashes to cover their ass? Why would the guy at the salvage yard automatically assume Ray wanted to kill him? Does he just happen to keep a loaded shotgun in his top desk drawer because of some crime wave at salvage yards we don't know about? How did everyone know Ray would go to the metal lab? Just because someone was shredding documents about that place they were able to procure a SWAT team? And why in the world does Bell have both Scully and Doggett ordering the chamber opened before they even knew there was a rupture when they just established they thought they could not stop Ray and less than ten seconds ago a guy that survived a shotgun blast and killed a car and two people was banging through a door four inches thick? That was utterly ridiculous.
I also really, really wish they'd quit having Doggett say things like "I hope you're not suggesting..." It just makes it all seem a little too convenient for the writers giving him all Scully's old lines. By the time Mulder does get back, he's going to think he's entered some weird alternate universe. If Doggett ever says "Mulder, it's me" that will be the last straw. Well, at least they don't always have Scully jumping at theories - here she appeared to be doing a diligent job of observation and fact gathering. Thankfully, there were not any huge leaps. Those are more difficult to swallow from Scully. I'd prefer her making conclusions from her scientific observations. It makes for a more logical transformation for the character.
Acting wise, I did enjoy the fun Scully was having at Doggett's expense about the whole "ordinary man" thing. The edge of sarcasm was entertaining. I also thought it was fun to watch Scully's excitement at seeing the blood turning to metal. I just wish they were giving Anderson more to do so she didn't have to struggle to find interesting moments to pounce on every script. I mean God bless her for trying, but they had an opportunity this season to put Scully front and center, and instead this week she's apparently trapped in an autopsy bay. We know Anderson's more than capable, for that matter anyone who watched Robert Patrick on "The Sopranos" knows he is as well. In the supporting actor's ranks, I enjoyed the quirky performance of Tamara Clatterbuck (now there's a hell of a last name for an actor) as Larina the overly helpful halfway house gal. She brought a real rough edge that served the character.
For as uneven as the writing has been this season, the production values have not faltered. The X-Files is still the slickest looking show on television, and it really showed this episode. From the little touches the set dressers give us like a shelf full of what I assume were bowling trophies at Ray's house to the spooky way D.P. Bill Roe washed the actors in a red glow as the camera artfully moved out the hole made by Ray's escape to the effect of the car being split, it was all top notch. This episode just looked good. The metal man in the can was pretty darn cool. This is also the second episode directed by Rod Hardy, and I'm thinking I'm starting to like his style. I really liked the way he started us out with that shot of Scully approaching the bloodied window and then takes us to the crane shot of her standing inside the wrecked hull of the car.
"Salvage" may be a victim of bad timing. An average, rather than poor, episode made worse by what it is not. I didn't mind watching this one again to write this review. And frankly, it's been a task lately. I'd even say it was a new idea for the X-Files if they didn't make it so obvious how clever they thought they were by referring in in-joke manner to what is arguably Robert Patrick's most famous role in "Terminator 2." I'll bet there was a big old laugh in the writer's room over making Patrick say the line about metal men only happening in the movies. All it got from me was a groan. If 1013 wants to save this season they need to think a little harder about engaging their audience over amusing themselves.
-Date Stamp: the closest thing we get is a newspaper headline that pins this episode sometime in the December/January time frame of this year since it refers to Clinton leaving office and the president-elect coming in.
-That Carl was a real pal. He stuck around Nora's house until she was sobbing and then instead of comforting her he was off like a prom dress.
-Speaking of Carl, he's a lousy driver or his car sucked. Despite what Doggett tells us about his speed he was not going that fast and frankly had plenty of time to stop his car after he saw Ray. From the crash you'd think he'd taken that junker from 0 to 80 in no time on a neighborhood street instead of just puttering away from the house as he was.
-Is it too much trouble for the writers to even establish why in the world the X-Files FBI agents are called into cases anymore? Or do Scully & Doggett now just fly out overnight to investigate any weird car crash in the continental U.S.? It's especially annoying when the fact that it is an X-File is uncovered because of their investigation. Or is it that they just really like crack of dawn flights to Muncie? Somehow I just can't imagine Skinner calling Scully in the middle of the night and telling her to be on a 5AM flight to investigate a Midwestern car crash the night before. It amazes me that the writers can imagine that. Where's Chesty Short when you need him? At least it ended on the same sort of note. The metal man "ran away," so suddenly their work was done as oddly as it started.
-Those people in Muncie generate some serious trash. Almost every house had two bins plus overflow in front of them. Then again, being trash day, it did help move along the plot since Scully automatically found the body the first bin she peeked in. They always make investigating these sorts of things look easy, because if we've learned anything from this show besides stay the hell out of bathroom, it is when looking for clues check the trash first.
-4300 times the density of steel? Ooookay. Then why can this guy stop a car going "at least 40" dead in its tracks but still get knocked backwards and out a window by a little buckshot? How come a shotgun blast tears off his arm, but a car just bruises him up a little? It's a plot thing, right?
-You know you've got a hard life when you have to shave with nail clippers. I admit I laughed at every little "tink" as the metal hit the sink to the strains of classical music.
-Frank's Fashion Spot: As a big fan of Autopsy!Scully, I let out a squeal of delight at seeing my favorite Agent in scrubs, but then, for some weird reason, she stayed in those scrubs for days. Scully is usually pretty fast with an autopsy, but not this time. While Doggett ran off investigating, she entered day two of the autopsy of Carl. Then to make matters worse, when Doggett called her to ask her about the blue paint she had to actually check. Had she not thoroughly investigated the body by then? Day three she is STILL THERE while Doggett was learning about smart metal screen savers. This time with two bodies still all covered up that she appears to be ignoring. What the heck had she been doing for three days? Just trying to avoid field work with Doggett? Hanging out in scrubs? Is she being held in an autopsy bay against her will? Can't she review old medical records someplace else? Then it became clear. Scully had simply forgotten to pack enough clothes. Why else would she spend the next few days wearing the same powder blue turtleneck. Don't get me wrong, it was a lovely powder blue turtleneck, but from when Doggett picked her up at the hospital until the end that's all she had.
-Now I suppose some of you might say that everything else just happened that same night. If that's the case then tell me why that accountant just happened to be out joy riding with his family sometime after 3AM in the morning since the last time stamp when they took Nora home was 2:17.
-They could have made my Frank's Fashion Spot even more exciting this week, but no. Would it have killed them to put Scully in kevlar? Huh? Apparently it makes much more sense to have her stand in street clothes in front of a bunch of guys in full SWAT gear.
-Doggett has already caught the bad X-Files habit of just hanging up the phone without any real indication. Maybe it's just me, but I've always found that lack of goodbye just plain weird.
-Manly Man Meter: It was a week where things canceled each other out. On one hand, they make a point of letting us know how Doggett fought in "the war", but then he gives a big old squeamish face at finding the body in the trash bin. He's using a tiny flashlight again but at the same time he gets to use his pocket knife twice for things it was not really necessary for. So I'm afraid I can't give him big balls of steel this time around. Instead I assign the rank of 5.
-My absolute favorite moment of ridiculousness this episode? A script that takes pains to point out the dangers of toxic waste has Doggett kicking over a hazardous waste barrel, spilling out the contents of the same sort of stuff that killed two men. Someone at the EPA needs to go medieval on his ass.
Autumn
"Like a bowling ball."