"The Post-Modern Prometheus"

"Scully, do you think it's too soon to get my own 1-900 number?"
Originally Aired 11/30/97

Well, that was certainly something. I was looking forward to this episode for a long time and so expectations would naturally be high. I can't say it exceeded my expectations, it didn't even meet them, what happened was that teaser just completely derailed any and all thoughts I had about where this episode was headed.

Maybe I was just completely baffled because this hour presented a dark fairy tale that not even the demented mind of Tim Burton could dream up, then it even gave us a happy ending. That concept has never been done on this show before. While Scully was just cured of her cancer at the start of the season, it wasn't a true happy ending because now Mulder's beliefs in aliens are challenged, and there's still the dark cloud of the government conspiracy on the horizon. Though I hate to say it now and take it away, I think the happy ending was just make believe. "The Post-Modern Prometheus" begins and ends with an illustration of a comic book, so this episode takes place as a work of fiction within a work of fiction; or at least the ending.

Mulder and Scully investigate a small town woman's claims that she was impregnated by an unknown force, and their interactions with her are what I can only describe as a "hoot." I believe The X-Files are even trying their hand at social commentary by the line about everybody dreaming about appearing on The Jerry Springer Show. While that may have been true in 1997, its certainly true today if you swap Jerry Springer with one of the many asinine shows on tv networks now like Pawn Stars, Pawn Wars, Storage Wars, Storage Sagas, and Honey Boo Boo Child especially. I thought maybe this episode was going to take that social commentary even further by saying the X-Files' version of a "frankenstein monster" is not created with lightning and re-animated limbs, but it's done through birth defects. That's somewhat where this episode went, but not quite. The mutations in "The Post-Modern Prometheus" are still man-made but this time there is an extra ingredient: love. Everybody wants to be loved whether it's from a parent, a play-mate, or just a mate. When creating this episode, Chris Carter was just as demented as Dr. Frankenstein because I don't know if once again he was a genius or a crack-pot. Actually, it's probably I who is the crack-pot for shouting for joy at a fifteen year old television show that isn't even in syndication anymore. But I digress.

While this episode does take The X-Files further into the territory of fantasy than before, it still has their usual trademark of "break-neck pacing so you won't stop to question it's flaws." That flaw would be using rape for laughs again. While it's not as pronounced as last season's "Small Potatoes", it's still kind of strange that characters get away with it and it's okay. Well, I guess it's okay as long as you're a weirdo with a heart of gold. And like they say on Mystery Science Theater 3000, it's just a tv show and I should I relax.

To sum up the past 45 minutes that I spent with The X-Files today could probably be done with a word I already used, a "hoot." I really got a kick out of the mother and son in this episode, especially her remark when the son says he's 18 and can do what he wants: "but where you gonna live when you get back?" I also love how at this point in the series David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson don't even need to speak, they can say so much with just their facial expressions. I could probably follow along for 3 more years without even turning the sound on. Bravo X-Files!

**I also want to add that you cannot sing a Cher song out loud (even in your head) without doing a mock version of her voice. It cannot be done!!**

"Detour"

"Yeah. How do I say this without using any negative words, Scully. "
Originally Aired 11/23/97

"Sorry, nobody down here but the FBI's most unwanted."

Being a fan of science fiction and supernatural stories means you're willing to go along with a multitude of concepts, from mutated fluke worms to wearing sunglasses to read subliminal messages. Yet there's something about this episode that just didn't sit right with me. I'd rather have no explanation than the one we were given.

Now don't think I totally hated this hour of The X-Files, though it did take a while for it to interest me. Mulder doesn't even let Scully drive the car, so I don't think he'd even consider handing over the keys to someone else, especially that guy! Most episodes involve a case being presented to Mulder and Scully, so I thought it was refreshing how this one actually came to them when they stumbled onto it. Also, I really liked the effects used to create the monsters that stalked their prey in the forest. While the cloaking effect was kind of like the movie Predator or even Season One's "Fallen Angel", I didn't mind it since they still had their own unique look, including their red eyes. There's even a scene that's similar to Season 3's "Quagmire", except I felt like the heartfelt conversation between Mulder and Scully was better suited to this episode. The scene in "Quagmire" felt like it was added to a weak episode to give it something memorable, while in "Detour" they were reflecting on Scully's recent bout with cancer.

Where things get a little silly was the moment when Mulder and Scully team up with the rescue crew to look for the missing people. Despite being silly, this stretch of the episode won me over after the first half was a fairly typical X-Files investigation. This lady with Mulder and Scully literally leaves behind a trail of breadcrumbs and I was thinking about how some animal would probably eat them, and at that moment the monstery hand appears to grab one! It looked more like a jelly bean, but seriously lady, why not leave something a lot less edible like a flag? I was also thinking to myself that with the amount of people that have disappeared, they've probably just fallen into a really deep hole out there in the woods. That's EXACTLY what happened, too! I'm "two for two" in this episode. Well, it's not like they fell into the hole, its more like the invisible baddies live underground and have strung up their victims in a tunnel.

Okay, so here's the moment you've been waiting for...or not. Even though I said I liked the creativity in creating the baddies and I got both of my predictions right, now I'll explain why I wasn't totally satisfied with "Detour." I just didn't like the explanation for the baddies, I'd rather have it be a mystery. I did like the fact that this episode shares a similar plot to Season One's "Darkness Falls", in which nature strikes back. I'd have just left it with that rather than adding some wacky theory about the baddies being ancient Spanish Conquistador spirits. Especially that ending scene where the remaining Spanish spirit has followed Scully to her exact hotel room; how did he know which one was hers? I would rather leave it open to the possibility that more of these baddies are haunting the woods and not stalking an unlucky cleaning lady.

Maybe this episode will win me over with time. Its happened to other episodes like "Syzygy". For now my thoughts are it's a good episode with a bad ending; cut off that motel room epilogue and I'd be a happy camper.

"Unusual Suspects"

"The coolest hack in the world."
Originally Aired 11/16/97

"We don't need no stinkin' badges."

Usually on The X-Files when you get big developments in their conspiracy/alien mythology episodes, it's followed up with one that's right back to the status quo, like hunting for a mutant. This episode doesn't just ignore last week's episode, it doesn't even star anyone who was even it! I don't know if it's a brilliant move or completely bone-headed.

The "Redux" trilogy was an important part of the series as it brought 4 seasons together, closed some stories and created potential stories, yet the follow-up involves the history of secondary characters, the Lone Gunmen. Other episodes have followed Cigarette Smoking Man and Skinner as lead characters for an hour, but featuring John Fitzgerald Byers as a central character works surprisingly as well. At heart, he's as good-natured and nerdy as Fox Mulder, just dialed up to 11, while Langly and Melvin Frohike are just nerds who steal cable. I like how Mulder is weaved into it briefly and it not just shows the start of their friendship, but also the genesis of his work on The X-Files. I guess when you consider that this is the true start of the The X-Files and the other winks to the series this episode makes, it is a good follow-up to "Redux" which had several references too. Why I think it might be bad placement in the season is because it while it was filmed first, it could have been shown at any time and not effected anything.

I actually watched this episode about five years ago and haven't seen it since, so it's a nice stop-gap between 5 episodes I hadn't watched before ("Elegy" to "Redux II") and 5 more I have never watched ("Detour" through "Kitsunegari".) In the meantime I've watched many episodes of Law & Order and Homicide: Life On The Street, which now gives this episode another reason to be memorable. Richard Belzer guest stars as his character Detective John Munch, who was on NBC's Homicide: Life On The Street, making these two shows within the same universe. Not only that, Det. Munch was later on Law & Order, Law & Order Special Victims Unit, The Wire, and even Arrested Development, making him one of the longest running televised characters and also featured on the most amount of tv shows. What's funny is that Munch even mentioned "staying home to watch X-Files" on an episode of Homcide.

I don't think this is writer Vince Gilligan's funniest episode or his most creative, but it did make for an enjoyable hour filled with laughs and intrigue. While Morgan & Wong are my favorite writers on the series, I think this episode proves that Vince may have been the writer most suited for this show. He understands every character on the series and is able to weave them convincingly with humor and heart, like a weird hybrid of the stylings of Morgan, Wong, and the other Morgan, Darin; I think he "got it."

"Welcome to the dark side."

"Redux II"

"Too freakin' amazing."
Originally Aired 11/9/97

One sorry son of a bitch speaking.

This is one of the hardest reviews I've ever written. That's not because I didn't enjoy this hour of The X-Files, it's because I think my expectations were too great to be matched. I think I focused much more on the interesting choices that Fox Mulder was offered than I did on the path that he did choose. I cannot comment on what didn't happen in an episode or on what should have happened, especially not on a fifteen year old television series. I would sound quite silly.

On the surface it may seem like "Gethsemane" and "Redux I" sought to take The X-Files series into a bold new direction, but when you watch "Redux II" and reach the closing moments, you come to realize that what this 3-part story did was take its direction inward. Scully's cancer and seeking its cure has brought Mulder and Scully closer than ever. I really wanted to see Mulder accept the deal offered from the Cigarette Smoking Man, which could have produced some interesting episodes unlike what we've seen before. Even the teaser that the Smoking Man offered to Mulder which was seeing his sister offered up new possibilities. It was clear from the start that this was just a ruse; she was probably one of the clones from Season Two. And what of Michael Kritchsgau? He had a lot of screen time in the first two installments but this time he's reduced to a brief scene as part of the hearing.

I can't review what I didn't see, but there were still a few flaws within the episode. The Elder is seriously the worst regular character I've seen in this show's history. I think they signed this guy to the role more for his presence than for any acting talent that he has. Also, the scene where Mulder visits Scully in her room one last time before testifying at the FBI Panel hearing, ruined any suspense that the climax was supposed to have. The climax with Mulder testifying, Scully and her pastor praying, and the Smoking Man in his apartment is still an excellent piece of editing work, acting from all involved, along with the music from Mark Snow, yet I think Chris Carter blew it...slightly. Mulder was at Scully's bedside in tears and it seemed like he was about to accept the deal. The next morning he tells Scully that he's not and that he believes Skinner is telling the truth. I wish Mulder had said he was unsure, Scully told him that her faith has been restored and hopes his will be, then maybe Mulder decides after seeing Scully at peace; it just seemed reversed to me. One small moment that I did like was when The Elder is first shown he is watching a mini tv set. Later Skinner jots down the name "Roush", then rather than show him investigating Roush, they have him appear on The Elder's tv set. Neat effects and editing work there.

Also, for four years now during these reviews I often question the consequences, if any, that Mulder has for breaking the rules. He's always jeopardizing his job or letting criminals loose in his sleep (like "Paper Hearts"), so to see him actually testify before his superiors about his actions is a nice nod to those episodes. It was also neat to actually have a series of episodes that wasn't related to any type of monster, mutant, or alien. This was solely about Mulder, Scully, and the evils inside the FBI. Kind of a nice distraction, actually, which is funny coming from me since I really only wanted monsters when I first became a fan.

While "Redux II" didn't open any doors to new storylines, what it did act as was a very good closing to the first four years of The X-Files and also Scully's cancer. Mulder and Scully are closer than before, Skinner is clearly their boss and mentor, and all 3 are safe in their positions at the FBI...for now.

Thanks buddy.

"Redux I"

"The line between science and science fiction doesn't exist anymore."
Originally Aired 11/2/97

I’ve finally reached Season Five after 6 long months and it opened with a bang; literally! Well, not really since the bang happened at least 5 minutes into the episode, but that’s just a minor detail. Last season’s cliffhanger ending attempted to top that of Season Two, in which Mulder was “blowed up” in a train car, as this time he took his own life. I like how the teaser still leaves the audience hanging since Mulder confronts the man who was spying on him, there’s a gun shot, then finally a door closes before the opening credits roll.

Season Four’s ending left me feeling a little flat because the episode lacked the normal conspiracy figures that I am used to seeing, while I was also excited to see how they would explain Mulder’s suicide. The answer from Chris Carter was awesome and is one of the best resolutions I’ve seen on any tv show. Mulder and Scully have been played for so long by their superiors in the FBI and others involved in a shadowy conspiracy, in fact it’s even cost them loved ones. So Mulder’s decision to flip the bird to the FBI and create his own lie wasn’t just a stroke of genius, it’s pretty much the only resolution. That may have felt like a cop out to some viewers at the time, but to Mulder and Scully, the last four years of their lives have become a “lie”. They would be fools to just sit back and accept it. Even the Cigarette-Smoking Man was fooled as there’s a scene where he enters Mulder’s apartment and appears nostalgic after spotting a picture of a younger Mulder and his sister Samantha, then it turns to sorrow when he looks down at the blood-stained carpet, before finally looking up and doing one of those cartoonish “big gulps” when he sees the hole in the ceiling used to spy on Mulder.

To me, this episode is everything “Gethsemane” was not. It’s briskly paced from start to finish, the conspiracy members are present like CSM and Skinner, and Carter even threw in the typical conspiracy moments where if you think too much, you’ll get a headache. For example, everybody in the FBI believes Mulder is dead after Scully makes a positive identification, but couldn’t they have just checked the guy’s fingerprints? I suppose you only have fingerprints on file if you have a prior criminal record, which Mulder nor the FBI guy should have one; thank you Law & Order for giving me that knowledge. Though I do like “Redux 1” much more than “Gethsemane”, I understand it was a necessary episode to get to this point. “Redux 1” is not just a good season opener, it also feels like it’s a culmination of nearly everything we’ve seen on this series. We’re about to see the resolution of Scully’s cancer, which actually started when she was abducted nearly 3 years ago in Season Two. Along with CSM and Skinner making appearances, there’s the new character named Michael Kritschgau, as well as Section Chief Blevins from Season One, and even Holly from Season Three’s “Pusher”, to give it an even grander feel. Even Skinner being revealed as the man who ordered them to be spied on is an awesome touch, because as the viewer we know what lengths Skinner has reached to protect his agents, yet Mulder and Scully never saw the deal he made with CSM nor the time Skinner told him to kiss his ass!

Other awesome touches would be the footage shown while Kritschgau and Mulder are walking and talking, which would be ridiculously boring if the scene was just that; cutting to the newsreel footage kept it interesting. Also, Season Five is now in spectacular widescreen and with it we have the definite “looks” for Mulder and Scully; her cropped but vivid red hair and his droopy but parted hair. Even the Indiana Jones’ Raiders of the Lost Ark-like warehouse where CSM deposited evidence is revisited as well as a new set piece which is a massive room of manufactured alien bodies; awesome stuff. The only downside to this episode is the constant narration from both Mulder and Scully. It’s really unnecessary because we can see what’s going on, we don’t need to hear them recite it as well. I think David and Gillian are more than capable of emoting. Perhaps tv viewers in 1997 wouldn’t have been used to an entire 7-minute act of a tv series being without dialogue, so Carter added the narration to keep people tuned in; tv still wasn’t an art form then as it is now.

The bang I mentioned at the beginning of this review wasn’t the “bang” from a gun; it was the entire hour of “Redux 1.” I just hope “Redux 2” can sustain the same level of excitement and intrigue. If it can’t, at least I know there are other great episodes to look forward to, as this is the last season of the show where I haven’t watched a majority of the episodes already. Thumbs way up for “Redux 1”!