"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!!**