X-Files Rerun "Young at Heart"

"Man, this is...this is the land of the free!"
Originally Aired 2/11/94

"This is where you pucker up and kiss my ass!" Oh wait, wrong episode!

Rewatching Season One has opened my eyes to how enjoyable it is. There are a few clunkers in the first half of the season but the show really found its groove around the time of "Eve" and "Beyond the Sea." It could also be that after watching the fourth season and now revisiting the past, its fun to actually see Mulder and Scully doing some real investigating.

This time around Mulder is called to a case by his former mentor, Reggie Purdue, when a convicted killer is suspected to be up to his old tricks. Its not just a cat and mouse game with the killer, John Barnett, as the case soon turns to the typical sci fi that we're used to. But that's not all; we even get to see a neat lizard hand! The way this episode keeps adding layers, you'd almost think it would fall apart under its own weight, but its really an entertaining hour. Though to be honest, some moments I thought were similar to episodes from earlier this year, but that might be just me confusing the episodes since I haven't watched "Young at Heart" in years. I think what I like best about this episode are the phone calls between Mulder and Barnett, who sounds like a creepy serial killer hippie. Another good moment is when Scully is typing up her report, then intense music kicks in when she suspects someone is inside her apartment.

This episode could even be considered a mythology thriller since that part of the series wasn't fully formed yet. Deep Throat makes an appearance and warns Mulder that the government wants research that the villain has, which would've been fun to follow-up in a later episode. Lots of these early X-Files episodes end in similar fashion, yet at least Mulder gets to make up for the "mistake" he made the last time he saw Barnett.

X-Files Rerun "Lazarus"

"Two men died in that crash room, Scully. One man came back."
Originally Aired 2/4/94

You're a little late for Halloween.

Rewatching "Lazarus" has been one of the most surprising rewatches since I started reviewing episodes. I think that before it could have been lost in the shuffle between great episodes like "Beyond the Sea" and "Ice" and the lesser episodes like "Genderbender" and "Space." Its not only a great thriller but there are also a few interesting turns in the story.

One thing I enjoy about Season One is that there are episodes where we get to know Mulder and Scully better through someone from their past. It was about time Scully had another turn since "Ghost in the Machine" had a former partner of Mulder and I could also include "Beyond the Sea", because Mulder said Luther Lee Boggs liked the profile he had made. As I get further into the series, I tend to forget that's Mulder's background before The X-Files, and I think a few of the writers would forget that, too. In this episode its Chris Allport as Agent Jack Willis, who was kind of a lover and mentor of Scully when she was getting her start in the FBI. Through strange circumstances he becomes "possessed" by a criminal, which means Allport has a dual role in this episode.

There really is a lot going on in this episode, from Mulder using his smarts and showing good investigative work to Scully losing someone else who was close to her. I like that everything has a pay-off later, like Scully's fear of the anonymous tip to a plane heard briefly when searching unsuccessfully for Lula. Humor is also present because I laughed when the detective said Lula's brother doesn't have any family resemblance after taking a gunshot to the face. Grim, I know, but I chuckled.

"Lazarus" is an episode I would call the "sleeper hit" of Season One.

"Gethsemane"

No witty quotes since I'm too busy crying.
Originally Aired 5/18/97

Where's his Emmy?

I hate to say this but I feel underwhelmed. Perhaps I have built up this episode too much over the last week following "Demons" or it could be that the course of watching the series in order is nearing the spot at which I know more about the mythology. I've known for awhile that this is where the cancer comes to a head and what consequences it has on Mulder, I just didn't know the specifics. I also feel the need to apologize since my usual goal in writing reviews is to discuss an episode without revealing too many details, but this review is heavy on spoilers (of course, this episode is fifteen years old. heh)

It seemed that Mulder committed suicide because he was duped yet from the start he's skeptical about the discovery of the alien. I think the ending with Mulder has more to do with feelings of guilt. He pulled Scully away from a family dinner, but not just that, she lost her sister because of working on The X-Files and now she will lose her own life. That's quite a lot to weigh on someone's conscious. I know its just a television series, yet it's a little hard to watch that final scene with Mulder on his couch as he realizes that he's caused all of this death and destruction. But why kill yourself? Why not just resign from the FBI like he wanted to do in Season Two?

Perhaps "Gethsemane" is still slightly underwhelming because its not typical of an X-Files season finale, maybe not even typical of a mythology episode. There is no sign of The Syndicate, who have been considerably absent this season. There aren't even any other supporting characters like the Lone Gunmen nor Marita Covarrubias. We do see Scully's mother and brother, who shares a really good moment with Scully, which I'd say is the shining moment of the episode. Another new character is introduced named Michael Kritschgau, who reveals the conspiracy to Mulder and Scully. I do think what he has to say is neat and shows the great lengths that the government has went to, including pouring this fake alien material through tubes so it can be frozen in ice.

I would think that something this Earth-shattering, with Mulder killing himself, would have a massive effect on him and may even change the dynamic of the show. Yet I know that by this time "next year" will be The X-Files movie, so Mulder needs to firmly become a believer again. So why tease this to Mulder if it won't impact the series? It kind of feels like I'm being cheated and this would be better left as a post-movie development for the series. But see, this is what happens since I have watched too much and now I'm going backwards to watch in order; things cannot be unseen or unlearned.

I do over-think everything, even more when it comes to The X-Files. After all of the drama and darkness this season, I was beginning to think that Season 4 was a turning point, actually a new chapter in the series. In the middle of the season Scully was told she had cancer ("Leonard Betts"), then in the next episode she acts slightly out of characer ("Never Again.") The placement of that episode will forever be debated but it seems that its in the proper spot. Much like Mulder's decision to kill himself in this episode, the thought of cancer could've made Scully become irrational, too. In "Memento Mori", the cancer was confirmed true, which I believed was the start of that new chapter. The impact of cancer to Mulder and Scully is what could have stirred up feelings of love for each other. I also think the end of Season 4 was the start of something for Chris Carter, that he wanted to add a philosophical layer to the show that it lacked. Questioning the existence of God is a big step, I just think Chris may have lacked the ability to fully form his thoughts into words. Instead, Mulder and Scully speak in long monologues and conversations that almost feel like a child searching for the biggest words in a thesaurus. However, like all of these mythology episodes, its just the first part of a larger story, so I am anxiously awaiting Season 5 in November.

My Top 5 from Season 4:
1. Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man
2. Small Potatoes
3. Home
4. Paper Hearts
5. Demons

X-Files Rerun "Genderbender"

"The Addams Family finds religion."
Originally Aired 1/21/94

What's the quickest route out of this!

Did I have to watch this episode? I don't even think I can find anything positive to say about "Genderbender", except I cheered at the "Executive Producer Chris Carter" credit because it means I don't have to watch this again. It's a bad episode that might even be worse than "Space." Perhaps not, it just feels like its the worst episode because it followed the best episode. Anything is going to feel less after watching "Beyond the Sea".

I don't know the circumstances but it seems to me like the writers of "Genderbender" had one idea of what the series is, while the other writers had a different vision. Writers like Howard Gordon, Morgan & Wong, and Chris Carter felt that the series could stretch beyond the weekly limitations of aliens abductions. Other writers (even writers of the comic book series) seemed to think that everything needed some type of "not-what-it-seems" undercurrent. I guess a person who can change sexes wasn't enough, because they also had to be from a cult, which then wasn't even from this world. The script just seemed to be over-complicated, though it did have a few funny quips from Mulder; but don't they all?

X-Files Rerun "Beyond the Sea"

"From here we can return to the past. We can see the present. We can know the future."
Originally Aired 1/7/94

There's nothing anyone could dislike about "Beyond the Sea." Several Season One episodes dealt with Mulder's search for his sister; here we get a glimpse of Scully's life. After her parents visit for dinner, tragedy strikes the Scully family. She doesn't take time off to grieve; instead she joins Mulder on a chase for a murderer, which brings up things left unsaid with her father. Gillian Anderson gets plenty of time to shine here as the spotlight moves onto her character and her confrontations with Luther Lee Boggs.

Boggs is played excellently, no; he's played superbly, no; I don't think any adjectives even exist that can describe Brad Dourif's performance in this episode. At times its comical and also downright frightening. I say comical because he has a slight Southern drawl the way he says "Dana" and at other times he made me laugh, like saying "...BARRELS." But those comical moments are just a small fraction of his performance. From the moment we see Boggs, he has a few tears in his eyes, as if the psychic ability he has is so strong that its painful for him. Mulder asks if he's a spiritual conduit, so the many souls of the dead would be a powerful thing to have flowing through you. It reminds me of episodes I've seen on other shows (The 4400 and Buffy) where a character can read minds but is hearing so many voices at once and cannot turn it off. The frightening side of Boggs comes out when Scully confronts him and he utters "NO", when he demands a deal which will keep him from the death penalty. That also leads into a black and white sequence showing Boggs' march to the chair with his eerie narration.

When I was reading about later episodes, like "One Breath", David Duchovny had told writers that he wanted an episode for Mulder which would be his own "Beyond the Sea." It feels to me like Dana/Gillian deserved to be at the center this time because most of these episodes are showcases for Mulder. Mulder's search for his sister and the way he relates to similar victims dominated episodes like "Conduit", "Oubliette", and "Paper Hearts." His family history has dominated the mythology as well.

"Beyond the Sea" is a definite home run for the series and showed that The X-Files could definitely find success in more than just tales about government conspiracies.

X-Files Rerun "Eve"

Originally Aired 12/10/93

Nice teeth!

The deeper I get into the mythology, the more I am reminded of this episode. It featured the idea of cloning and the consequences of that, like a side effect that the clones are more violent with each generation. I keep thinking about how many different sets of clones we've seen over the years and whether they're all related to the Syndicate. I'm sure its pointless to ponder such things.

As for the episode itself, I enjoy it every time I watch it because its not just an interesting story, it's chilling, too. There's just something that isn't right about those girls finishing each others sentences. Child actors are always a mixed bag but these roles don't really require them to play anything other than creepy, which they did a fine job. Now as for the Adult Eve, one was good, one was evil, the other was kooky; quite the range of acting there! I enjoyed her acting and also the appearance of Deep Throat is always welcome. His presence makes these standalones seem more important, so I'll just assume the Adam and Eve clones really were a Syndicate project. My belief is that the Syndicate abandoned them once it was discovered they were defective clones, due to the violent side effects. Ever since the first time I watched this, I felt that it deserved a sequel as much as the other stories that were given a sequel, if not more. Though now that I've almost finished the 4th Season, I've realized an "Eve" sequel would already enter the territory they covered with the mythology. Perhaps that's even why the myth featured clones; Carter could've borrowed it for his own use.

I just realized I've barely even talked about the episode itself. I kept talking about "what if's." Back to the episode, I'll say that the dark and moody atmosphere really enhanced this story; just look at the photo I used. The mental hospital scenes were dark and creepy, as well as the sequences where the girls where abducted from their rooms. Eve crashing through the sliding glass door was pretty cool too. In fact while watching it this time, I finally noticed the Eves are given super strength, explaining that door-busting moment. Pretty cool.

"Demons"

"What do you want, to kill him again?"
Originally Aired 5/11/97

Ahhhhhh! Ice cream brain freeze!

Just wanted to start by saying this is another of many from Season 4 that I haven't already watched. What I knew going into the episode was that Mulder had amnesia and there were "flashbacks" to his childhood, except what happened was so outlandish yet entertaining.

"Demons" begins with a great teaser, where it appears Mulder is dreaming, then wakens to find he's wearing a blood-soaked shirt. He phones Scully and tells her he doesn't know what's happened to him. She comes to his aid and we discover he's also fired his gun twice, as well as drove someone's car. Immediately my mind jumped back to "Paper Hearts", which had a fantastic plot, yet was so implausible that Mulder would still be employed after letting a convicted child murderer escape custody. In this episode I was entertained by the way the events unfolded, yet once again it's crazy to think Mulder would still have a job in the FBI for another 4 years. I tried really hard to ignore that, until Mulder confronted his mother about his childhood. He asked her if she had a fling with the Smoking Man, when she lets him have it and slaps her son! Yes! At that moment I was able to totally let go and even a line from the Mystery Science Theater 3000 theme popped into my head, "Just repeat to yourself, 'It's just a show, I should really just relax.'" Not only that, I started thinking about what holiday meals at the Mulder house would be like, possibly with Mama Mulder asking if Fox would pass the corn, to which he says, "like the way you passed your daughter over to the aliens?!"

When the mystery of what happened to Mulder was finally revealed, its such a Season One-styled story that focuses on Mulder's wildly driven quest for the truth, not just about aliens but also his sister. In Season One, there was an episode where he investigated a possible x-file because of something he read in a magazine. That was "Conduit", which showed his wild way of investigating things and showcased first-hand how much his sister's abduction affected him. This time in "Demons" he read about an experimental form of therapy and wanted to try it out, which isn't out of character for Mulder since he's already been hypnotized in the past. The gripe I had about Mulder remaining an FBI agent was explained through that therapy. The experimental treatment caused these reactions in the patients, so Mulder wouldn't be charged for murder. The ending narration with Scully typing a report was also Season One-inspired, serving a purpose with Scully explaining what happened to Mulder. It was a good conclusion to an excellently-crafted and, most importantly, a fun mystery.

Even though I know how the season finale ends, this episode was a great way to foreshadow what's going to happen to Mulder. It's just like the ending to last season, where what seemed like another standalone episode actually sets up what would happen to Mulder's mysterious informant named X. It's so strange to think that two very important episodes came from unusual sources. "Demons" is definitely an episode that will get a lot of spins in my dvd player.

Gotta love 1990's futuristic gadgets. This looks like Mulder is wearing those lame virtual reality glasses.

"Elegy"

"Sloppy Joe Night"
Originally Aired 5/4/97

Always lying around on the job.

I really wanted to like this episode, honestly, I did. I even watched it several times before finally sitting down to write this, in an effort to give myself a chance to let it sink in. A week later and it's still just "okay." It's about half-good, half-bad.

What the episode does succeed at would be it's quirky moments and there are a lot. First would be when Mulder is talking to Scully about apparitions, rolls a strike at the bowling alley, then goes right back to talking without missing a beat. Even Scully was impressed! Later on, Mulder and Scully visit a psychiatric center, which provides more comedy. Mulder asks if anyone has used a payphone to report a murder, to which one guys confesses, "I admit it. I did it. I'm just a human being after all." Good performances there from David, Gillian, and the guest stars.

Besides the fun and quirky moments, there is a serious side to this episode with Scully's cancer having a presence. After having another nose bleed, she spots an apparition like others have in this episode, so she visits an FBI psych. Its a reference to Season 2's "Irresistible, which I enjoyed because it echoes the same theme in that episode, with Scully questioning whether she can still perform her job as an agent. Gillian Anderson's facial expressions in this episode are so good that she could even get away without talking at all. I assume she won her Lead Actress Emmy for "Memento Mori" yet she was great in every episode this year.

However, now comes the part where I talk about what I didn't enjoy. I felt the first 30 minutes or so of "Elegy" was excellent, like I mentioned already, from the comedy to the drama. Yet the conclusion wasn't satisfying. A nurse is guilty of ruining someone's happiness by messing with his pills and killing women who visited the bowling alley. It just didn't fit at all. It felt wedged into the episode just to give it a killer and tie a neat bow onto the end. The last ten minutes of an episode shouldn't ruin the 30 minutes that I did enjoy, but it doesn't leave me with a sense of urgency to revisit it often.

One interesting aspect that I noticed is that "Elegy" is more like the type of episodes I see now on Supernatural and especially Fringe, where the standalone cases are tied to that season's storyline. In this episode people who are dying see visions of people who have just died. An example on Fringe would be when the two leads (Peter and Olivia) are falling in love, while at the same time a killer is preying on people in love, so it causes them to reflect even more on their feelings. Maybe its because I'm set in my ways but I prefer The X-Files method of having storyline elements pop up when least expected, rather than bludgeoning me over the head with the major storyline week after week.