"The Goldberg Variation"

"He said it's 'cause eveything happens for a reason. Only just sometimes it's hard for us to see."
Originally Aired 12/12/99

 
As Scully witnessed plagues caused by an unearthed alien spaceship and later discovered it's link to the Anasazi at the start of this season, she should be a believer by now; or at the very least be on the verge of believing. So it made sense that she was actually the one to theorize the cause of this week's episode, that Henry Weems (played by Willie Garson) is extremely lucky. And to continue with the Mulder-Scully romance that's blossoming, she playfully asks if they can leave "into the sunset" after coming to that conclusion. Despite the continuity, I felt this episode was far-fetched and maybe too whimsical. Had I written this review on Friday when I was basing it off my first impression, I'd have bashed it. Especially a scene where Mulder falls through the floor and into an apartment below.

After watching it again several times this weekend, my reaction is more much positive towards "The Goldberg Variation." The whimsical story about cause and effect, chain reactions of events, is actually the reason why I like it. It's actually nice to get an episode with a satisfying conclusion that ends on an uplifting note, because it is a change of pace from the typical down-trodden endings where Mulder winds up empty-handed. The scene that tipped the scales in favor of this episode was when Scully shared a moment with a young boy named Richie (played by Shia LaBeouf.) He's likely half the age of Gillian Anderson when they filmed this in 1999 but he holds his own, unlike your typical child actor. David Duchovny even looked like he had fun making this episode during a scene where he mocks kicking down a door as he's explaining another "chain of events" to Scully. Later he points to a number at random in the phone book, yet turns up an Islamic day care, "let's call that a dry run."

The chain of events, which initially made this episode of The X-Files feel more like I was watching Looney Tunes, played out just like that of a Rube Goldberg machine. They even have several within the episode. I was reminded of a board game that I played a few times as a kid called "Mouse Trap" and also a sequence in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure where he has his breakfast made for him. During this episode, one such "chain of events" occured when a mobster tried to kill Weems, yet accidentally shot a lamp when he's distracted by Mulder using the door buzzer, Weems topples over the couch in fear, which caused the mobster to somehow become hung by a ceiling fan. It's far-fetched, that's for sure. Henry Weems is certainly lucky but it leads to bad luck for people around him, much like that mobster, and now everyone in this episode is trapped within one giant Rube Goldberg.

The X-Files appears to be a long way off from the down-ward spiral that I've been bracing myself for since before this season began. I'm glad it actually wasn't "The Goldberg Variation" that's begun the slide. This episode proved there's still life in the series, more comedy to be mined, and more of these "cute" moments between Mulder and Scully. I can't believe I just typed that either, since I recall just a few years ago I was wanting only monsters. Now it's the monsters that seem by the numbers and these genuine David and Gillian scenes that leave me wanting more.

"Rush"

"You must've been a betty back in the day."
Originally Aired 12/5/99

I've realized that rarely do these current episodes follow the template of the early seasons in which Mulder discovered his cases by reading articles in the newspaper or watching a video tape. Instead, they're already on the case immediately following the opening credits, which is anywhere from a few hours to the next day following a murder or some supernatural occurrence. I'll just make believe that over the years Mulder's reputation as "Spooky Mulder" has grown so much that he's actually called upon to investigate cases, much like when Shaineh Berkowitz called him in "Post-Modern Prometheus." In "Rush", possibly the less time spent getting Mulder and Scully on the case allows for more time for teenage melodrama. At least "Rush" revisits an old X-Files staple with the local law enforcement officer who doesn't appreciate Mulder being on the case.

A trio of teens are involved in a murder investigation and it reminds me a lot of this recent movie Chronicle, where four super-powered teens end up battling each other and their own angst. I even liked the reference to the song title, "Smells Like Teen Spirit", when Mulder quips, "You think? Smells like murder to me."

The highlights of this episode come from the production crew. The sequence which shows Tony discovering the ability to vibrate and move at a high speed reminds me a lot of the special effects sequence in that first Saw movie where the character of Amanda is thrashing around in that trap on her head. There's another excellent sequence where the character of Tony follows Chastity through the woods and he discovers a cave. The music is unlike Mark Snow's usual score, in fact it's very dream-like and atmospheric, while the lighting and setting of the scene is more theatrical than the rest of the episode. Perhaps that was intentional on the part of Snow and the episode's director, Robert Liebermann, because the discovery of the cave was like a teenage rite of passage.

I can't say I really enjoyed the plot of the episode but I understand it's purpose, that the ability to move fast and the need to keep getting a "fix" is just like abusing a drug, hence the title being "Rush." The gruesome deaths of the deputy and the teacher also match the tone of this season so far, in which we've seen a much more violent X-Files than the previous season. Scully battled biblical plagues, the Cigarette Smoking Man watched the world burn, a shark-toothed monster devoured brain matter, and the dead rose from their graves. What's next for Season 7?

"Millennium"

"I was trying to walk the straight and narrow, leave the Millennium Group behind, but I know I can't do that anymore."
Originally Aired 11/28/99

I remember approaching the year 2000, the dawn of a new millennium and the fear of the Y2K bug crashing computers. I suppose it also could've caused a sense of dread and fears of the end of the world. Chris Carter tapped into that with his series, Millennium, and centered it around Lance Henriksen, who portrayed the character of Frank Black. He was a criminal profiler and possessed a gift to see inside the mind of a serial killer. Black also had a wife Catherine and young daughter Jordan, although by the end of the series he had lost both friends and family members at the hands of the Millennium Group, which he worked for and later turned against. The series came to an end in May 1999 when it was canceled after three seasons. I feel like it had a fitting ending, given that it wasn't meant to be a proper series finale, which saw Frank ride off into the sunset. Chris Carter didn't need to bring "closure" to Frank Black, but here we are with an episode titled "Millennium."

At the end of the day this is still an episode of The X-Files with Mulder and Scully, it just happens to contain a guest appearance by Frank Black. Chris Carter did invite the series' longtime director Thomas J. Wright to direct this episode and also Mark Snow's music score seems reminiscent of the early days of The X-Files and also Millennium, including a few notes of that series's theme song when we first see Frank Black. I feel like they should have asked a Millennium writer like Chip Johannessen to have a co-writer credit since Vince Gilligan was never a writer for the series and Frank Spotnitz only penned a handful of scripts. Yet, as I said, this is still an X-Files episode and you can't overwhelm the audience with too many details from a canceled series which only a fraction of the X-Files audience had watched. They created a fairly pedestrian zombie apocalypse plot, which I thought was more offensive when I first watched it in 2008 following my first run-through of Millennium, but time has been kinder to it.

Mulder and Scully arrive on the scene of what Mulder feels is more sinister than a grave robbery, which is confirmed when Skinner points them in the direction of the Millennim Group. While the group was never associated with zombies, they had an obsession with the turn of the century, and it's explained by Frank that this is the work of a schism within the group. I enjoyed how this zombie tale has roots to the black magic side of zombies than just a plague that creates zombies, which seems to be the trend in recent years. These zombies are created by a Necromancer who can make the dead rise again and salt repels them; which reminded me of an episode of Kolchak The Night Stalker, which I actually watched around the same as I saw "Millennium" for the first time. Kolchak actually dumped salt into the mouth of a zombie and attempted to sew his mouth shut to defeat the zombie, where here the opposite effect takes place. Scully arrived on the scene too late when an unsuspecting coroner removed staples from the mouth during an autopsy. I like how this episode creates classic X-Files visuals, like Mulder removing a note from the mouth of a deceased cop, the cop rising from the dead when his staples are removed, and later when flares are lit in a basement as Frank Black comes to the rescue.

The highlight of this hour is actually the reunion of Frank and Jordan, and also of the actual actors Frank Black and Brittany Tiplady, who I would assume haven't seen each other since the conclusion of their series 6 months prior to this episode. The bond between them is real, having spent 3 years together playing father and daughter. The highlight for many X-Files fans, however, would be a New Year's kiss shared by Mulder and Scully. Fans have been waiting years for confirmation of a relationship between the two, though I feel like Mulder telling Scully that she is his "constant" at the end of "The Sixth Extinction" was the true sign.

"Hungry"

"And just maybe you can blow town before the long arm of the law reaches out and grabs you by the gonads."
Originally Aired 11/21/99

This is an interesting episode because when I was watching reruns on the Sci Fi Channel in the mid-2000's, I came across this episode a few times yet it was always during the final ten minutes. It seems like I'd always remember there was an afternoon rerun at the last possible chance to turn it on after I got home classes. It also happens to be interesting for another reason, because "Hungry" goes against the typical X-Files formula and is told from the perspective of the monster. While the series has featured sympathetic villains in the past such as in "Leonard Betts", those episodes still featured plenty of scenes with Mulder and Scully. Here they only get a handful of scenes together and most of the investigation seems to consist of Mulder stalking the monster, much like how he followed Wayne in "Terms of Endearment." "Hungry" isn't breaking new ground but I love how the writer Vince Gilligan has combined bits of previous episodes into a fun "monster of the week" tale.

Rob Roberts (Chad Donella) works at a burger joint but he doesn't have cravings for the double patty with cheese, instead he enjoys delicious brains. He's hiding his true self and feeds off excess ground beef once the joint closes, though he can't hold off his cravings much longer. I like that we follow his side of the story because we get some delicious slices of Vince Gilligan's dark comedy- Rob dreams he's frying up brains on the grill, and later, he sees a bald guy's throbbing brain through the back of his noggin. It's kind of like when a guy in a cartoon gets hungry and sees his plump friend as a hamburger.

Another guest star in this episode portrayed April O'Neal in the original live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, Judith Hoag, although the real treat was seeing Mark Pellegrino as "Derwood Spinks." Besides having the cool name of Derwood, it's nice to spot him in these earlier bit roles, after seeing him in key roles on TV shows, Lost and Supernatural. An interesting fun fact is that the P.I. Steve Kiziak is actually named Steve Kiziak, and he's also David Duchovny's stand-in.

The seventh season is actually off to a fine start despite my hestitations, which is actually closer to dragging my feet since I held off on writing anything new since the finale of Season 6. "Sixth Extinction" 1 & 2 and now "Hungry" are all solid episodes while also being "new" episodes, with exception to the ending of "Hungry." This leaves me with 10 new episodes and 9 I've already watched.

"Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati"

"And even though my world was unrecognizable and upside down, there was one thing that remained the same. You were my friend and you told me the truth."
Originally Aired 11/14/99

While I felt last week's episode was excellently paced, giving equal time to both parts of the story, this episode was written by two writers and it feels just that; one story smashed around another. The bulk of the episode was written by David Duchovny, which explores more of Mulder's brain activity and is spent in a dream world where he succumbed to temptation by the Cigarette Smoking Man, finally leaving the X-Files behind. This topic was visited in the past, when Mulder was tempted to leave The X-Files behind in order to cure Scully of her cancer, during Season 5's epic "Redux" story arc. Even Mulder's sister Samantha was used as bait by the Cigarette Smoking Man in that story, too. While it may have the feeling of deja vu, or Carter recycling old plots, there's enough new ground to keep it interesting. I love the return of Deep Throat and the revelation that he faked his death to escape the Syndicate. The dream world was filmed convincingly too, because Mulder turns up missing in the real world as he's released from the hospital by his mother, the same time as CSM leads him by the hand in the dream world. Even the scene where all of the security camera footage has been blacked out, save for a single circle that revealed CSM and Mrs. Mulder's conversation, was a nice touch of filmmaking.

While David brought his A-game both on and off-screen, Chris Carter's script packed a few punches as well. For years it seemed that the Syndicate could've easily done away with Mulder, and a character once questioned why they've kept him around, well this time CSM lucked into Mulder's brain activity/cancer/trauma. Had they killed him years earlier, the CSM never would've been able to reach the point where Mulder's become the science experiment he's longed for all these years; Mulder is now another "alien-human hybrid" due to the black oil being activated. I also loved Kritschgau going full "heel" as he threatened Scully in her office, "you destroy this and I'll destroy you." He doesn't live long enough to make good on his threat, as he's killed off in typical X-Files-fashion. Just as Carter did last season with Jeffrey Spender, I felt Kritschgau was killed off prematurely, which is where Carter's half of the episode falters. Not only is Kritschgau killed, but two other characters also exit the series; Agent Diana Fowley and Albert Hosteen. Fowley's exit is much like I figured would happen, as she does go "soft" on Mulder and pays for it at the hands of CSM (though it is off-screen.) Hosteen's death also makes sense as he appears in spirit form to guide Scully, much in the same way he guided Mulder and Scully in "The Blessing Way." Before we know he's a spirit, it is slightly creepy to think he was actually there in Scully's apartment; did he watch her sleep or something? Although I do question his appearance at all since we learn it was actually Fowley who helped Scully, by leaving both a book and a key card. Something I even noticed is that the book which explains the Sixth Extinction was actually on Scully's desk when she's woken by Kritschgau, long before Fowley covertly leaves it for her. OOPS! The brief screen time used for Hosteen might've been better served adding to Krycek's role in this since he's barely seen for more than 30 seconds. These character deaths make sense in the long run (well, minus Kritschgau), but watching it for the first time, it just seems that Carter was trigger happy with his 3-in-1 death spree.

That's something Carter has always failed to do properly, is to make Krycek more than just a plot device, who should probably be referred to as "Deus Ex Krychina." Every episode must end with the slate being wiped clean and all evidence vanishing, making Krycek the ideal foil. But there comes a time when there must be some explanation. What is he doing with this surplus of government files that he's collected? Who is he and why is he always a villain? CSM has had a clearly defined role, and I loved the revelation that he actually is Mulder's father, though it's left open to whether that was within the dream world or before.

Despite the mishandling of Krycek and Kritschgau, Carter did luck into a great escape for the alien spaceship. Ever since Season 4, I've loved the personal character moments more than the alien/monster/creepy crawler tales. That's why "Redux" worked so well, because it was about the bond between Mulder and Scully more than it was about abductions and bounty hunters. While Carter does weave a grand tapestry with the ancient ancestors/alien architect theory, tying that to the alien colonization, he convincingly brings it back to that bond without betraying all I've seen for the last 120 minutes. The Native American lore book reveals that the writings on the spaceship are proof positive of ancient alien visitors known as "Anasazi", tying that back into Season Two's finale, which first introduced Albert Hosteen and the Syndicate's experiments.

The episode's closing moments with Scully and Mulder at his apartment is another fine moment between these characters. I did anticipate the "constant" line coming from Mulder seconds before he told Scully she was there for him in both his dream and the real world, which means that one of the biggest moments in the TV series LOST may have been borrowed from The X-Files. We really have no idea just what cured Mulder of this brain activity that was either killing him or making him more human than human, and how it all affected the Smoking Man's noggin too, but using that heart to heart moment isn't something I see as a "cop out." I thought it was well-executed when Scully was simultaneously snapping him out of his dream and also coming to his aid at the Syndicate hospital/lab.

While I do think this episode may have worked better had it been split into two separate episodes, turning it into a 4-part arc, "The Sixth Extinction: Amor Fati" was more satisfying than it was a let-down. Perhaps I'm also viewing it too much in hind-sight, as this was still produced in the era before the great serial "boom", where every TV series is now given a two-hour season premiere and finale. Chris Carter, and even David Duchovny, had to make do with the 44 minutes that The X-Files was allotted this week.

"The Sixth Extinction"

"I was destroyed to protect what Mulder knew all along. And now he's the proof. He's the X-File!"
Originally Aired 11/7/99

I realized this has been my longest drought yet without an X-Files review, as I haven't written a single review since finishing Season 6 in May. And honestly, I can probably count the number of complete episodes I've watched on one hand, since it's become something I'll watch as I'm in bed and I'll fall asleep with the TV on. Surely it's a sad realization. Yet watching this episode proved just the opposite. "The Sixth Extinction" was actually a thrilling episode which I felt was better than the cliffhanger that led to this hour of television. "Biogenesis" seemed to pack in too much, possibly since it was the only installment of the mythology since the demise of the Syndicate in mid-season. While "Biogenesis" introduced a trio of doctors, the returns of Krycek and Fowley, a token Cigarette Smoking Man appearance, a spaceship buried in the sand, and a brief appearance by Albert Hosteen, this episode actually felt like it gave the story a chance to breath and played out at a slower pace.

Many installments of the mythology have featured two different storylines, for example Mulder darts off to investigate a UFO that was underwater while Scully is doing sciency lab work, and "The Sixth Extinction" is much the same. However I noticed it's actually a role reversal, where this time Scully is off to a faraway location to investigate a UFO, and Mulder is stuck in the middle of the sciency lab work. What makes it even better is that it's Skinner who gets a chance to shine, as he brings back Season 5's Michael Kritschgau, and they work to solve Mulder's mysterious brain trauma. Mulder is injected with a drug and is active long enough to play 'Simon' with a few computer monitors to test his ESP level, and I liked his little bee-bop slappiness. After that medication wore off, Mulder was back to his vegetative state and Kritschgau wanted to inject with him more, and Skinner objected sayingt hat Kritschgau wants to use Mulder since he's now proof of alien life. I think that would be a cool plot development to explore later, perhaps if Kritschgau would use Mulder to be in league with Krycek or the Cigarette Smoking Man. However it's Diana Fowler who returns, and while Mulder used his ESP to sense she's on the Dark Side, she still professes her love for him. Oh boy. Here I go thinking about stories that will never happen, but that would be cool if Cigarette Smoking Man were to ditch her for being "soft" on Mulder like his son was, so he kills her and sides with Kritschgau. Oh well, still a cool episode regardless of where they go for "Part 3."

As for Scully, she's finally out getting to have the kind of fun that Mulder usually does in these episodes. They've swapped out bees for locusts and other plagues, also adding machetes and Biblical writings on a spaceship. The best part of all is that Scully gets to knock a guy out with a chair! Gillian gets to do all of the cool stuff on The X-Files. I don't see how the spaceship that affected Mulder's brain can also be the cure for what ails him, though, so I have no idea how they get out of this mess. Especially with that spaceship disappearing at the end. So the spaceship brought the African Man back to life yet didn't bring the Doctor back? I did like the chaos the spaceship caused and the idea that our "God" is really from outer space, but maybe Carter didn't know where else to take it beyond that, so he's moving on to the the next story. It does seem like it's for the best since the series' best moments typically come in the form of the personal character moments than from the spacey, high-concepts; with examples being "One Breath" and "Redux II." No aliens were present in those episodes, just good ol' fashioned guns drawn and plenty of hospital beds to go around.

Only time will tell, but I actually enjoyed this episode more than most season premieres, as I'd put it ahead of "Little Green Men", "Herrenvolk", and "The Beginning" (just based on my initial reactions to these episodes.) With "The Sixth Extinction", Season 7 is off to a fine start and although I know how it ends, there are enough "new" episodes spread throughout the season to hopefully sustain my excitement.

"Biogenesis"

"Scully, you packing any latex?"
Originally Aired 5/16/99

When I watched the Season Two finale, "Anasazi", I felt that episode was a melting pot of ideas and it launched the series into new territory. The conspiracy which was seemingly lead by the Smoking Man was now linked to Mulder's family, Krycek killed his father before he could divulge any secrets, there was an appearance by the Lone Gunmen, Mulder threatened Skinner and almost lost his job, and not only that, Mulder was left for dead in a train car. It was intense. However, four years later, Season Six's finale "Biogenesis" feels like the opposite. It's a hodge-podge of half-baked ideas.

Actually, it isn't that terrible, because it starts off with an intriguing mystery surrounding an artifact found on the coast in Africa. Mulder and Scully don't even appear until well into the episode, around the ten-minute mark. Before they arrive, Dr. Merkmallen arrives in America with the artifact, which is now fused with a similar artifact. He intends to present it to a fellow Biology professor, Dr. Sandoz, who also has an artifact, however he's killed by a man posing as the doctor. The two doctors believe that life originated outside of our planet, which as we know could be true, since the alien oil seems to be a source of life for the Colonists. I like that the series is trying to tackle something as large as the "ancient astronaut" theory, since Season Six has a running theme of stretching the series in new and interesting directions. Where it became a "hodge-podge" is because they seem to use the Cigarette Smoking Man and the Syndicate as a crutch; while we know the Smoking Man is still lurking in the shadows, his presence seemingly serves no purpose here. Krycek should be "the man" now and assume the role as the series' top villain, he's earned it, I just feel like even a hint of the Smoking Man lurking in this episode has kept him from achieving his rightful spot.

I haven't used enough pictures of Scully this season.

Aside from that nitpick, "Biogenesis" actually feels like a subject that should have been tackled in the fifth season. During a conversation in an elevator between Mulder and Scully, she questions their role in this investigation with Mulder adding that he's a "hired gun." That scene feels like it was plucked out of the fifth season when Mulder was refusing to believe in aliens after realizing his quest for the truth was the cause of Scully's cancer. Not only that, he mentions wanting to find his sister, whom he last saw in "Redux II." The questions of God and aliens were also raised in Season 4's finale, "Gethsemane", when Mulder asked Scully if she would prove God existed if she had the means to do so. I get the feeling that this is indeed where the fifth season would have went if they weren't building to the movie, and would have been a more believable way for Mulder to become a believer in extraterrestrial life again.Instead, Season Five introduced Agent Spender, Diana Fowley, Cassandra Spender, and the Alien Rebels; perhaps Chris Carter kept this story idea on the back burner for a year.

Not only does the alien artifact levitate and cause monkeys to freak out, it is seemingly causing Mulder to have a migraine and read minds. Is he becoming just like Gibson Praise? Mulder's headaches increase, causing him to pass out, and somehow becomes under the care of Diana Fowley. She has him committed, which was a rumored plot thread that Morgan & Wong presented in Season Four, yet that was actually Scully having Mulder committed in a season-ending cliffhanger. Was Carter using an idea he had on the back burner or just recycling previous plots? I guess that will be answered in Season 7.

Contrary to my previous belief when I was a young X-Files fan, I love this season's collection of episodes. I love it so much that I am having a hard time narrowing down my list of favorites to only five episodes. Previous seasons had clear favorites and duds, while this season was the most consistent from start to finish, which is a shame that it ended on such an uneven episode like "Biogenesis." I created a list of favorites but I'm sure that'll change even before Season Seven rolls around in November.

Season 6 Top Five
1. Dreamland II
2. The Unnatural
3. Two Fathers
4. Drive
5. Triangle

Honorable Mention
S.R. 819

"Field Trip"

"It sounds like crap when you say it."
Originally Aired 5/9/99

Season 6 is almost over!? Say it isn't so!

Finally, a return to the classic X-Files format in which Mulder presents a case to Scully with his trusty overhead projector. However, it's off-center and he says, "I don't know what they did to this thing", possibly referencing Spender's time as an X-Files agent along with Diana Fowley. The case Mulder shows Scully is that of a missing couple's skeletons which have been found in the woods near Brown Mountain, but not only that, they've been stripped down to the bone. Scully's theory is that it has "ritualistic overtones", while Mulder argues his case about "Brown Mountain Lights" and historical UFO activity in that area. I'm with Scully here; random UFO abductions were so 1993.

Both agents are wrong, as the "monster of the week" this time is actually a fungus. As they arrive separately at the base of the mountain, both Mulder and Scully are seen stepping on a mushroom, which releases spores that cause hallucinations. I enjoyed the "poof!" sound effect that it makes when they crush the mushroom under their shoe. That, along with a cave that Mulder encounters, reminds me a lot of the first season of the original Star Trek series. There was an episode called "This Side of Paradise", which the crew of the Enterprise were under the influence of similar spores. Mulder and Scully's fungal foe actually causes hallucinations while it digests you, which were much more deadly than that of what Captain Kirk encountered. These hallucinations actually cause an alternate-reality that takes place in 3 acts- the first is Mulder's, then Scully's, and finally a shared hallucination.

I remember when I first watched this episode on the Sci Fi Channel one afternoon and I was glued to the TV, wondering just how Mulder and Scully would get out of this impossible scenario. I hadn't noticed the time until the episode was just about over; "there's 5 minutes left of the episode!" The trick was that they don't actually make it out on their own- Skinner and a search party save the day. It reminded me a lot of the endings used in the early seasons, such as "Darkness" in Season One, when Mulder and Scully narrowly escape being cocooned. I felt like this was almost a cop-out, as the concept was so good, yet they relied on using an ending that had been done before. Being the new fan I was, the significance was lost on me. I was looking too much at the ending and how Mulder and Scully would escape, than actually "digesting" the content of the story. "Field Trip" began in typical fashion, with Scully and Mulder having opposing theories, yet this time Mulder points out that he's right about many of their X-Files cases. That leads into Mulder's hallucination, which reveals the married couple have actually been abducted so they could be tested on by aliens. It seems a bit too convenient that everything Mulder predicted turned out to be true and he starts to question it when even Scully agrees that he was right. I guess Mulder is so used to the dichotomy between his theories and Scully's. Suddenly the story shifts to Scully's perspective as she finds that Mulder's skeletal remains at Brown Mountain; he's suffered the same fate of the couple they were investigating. Scully should've realized something funky was going on when not only was Mulder's wake in his apartment, but that there were so many extra people paying their respects to the deceased. It's long been established that Mulder doesn't have a social life outside of FBI work with Scully and visiting the Gunmen. Speaking of them, I loved the part when Frohike says he could use a drink, then every time the camera cuts to him, he's taking a swig straight out of a bottle of liquor.

Scully comes to realize things aren't as they seem, and it bleeds into a shared hallucination when they both escape...or did they? "Field Trip" is actually much better than I realized, although I feel like this is likely the point where Duchovny was coming to the realization that he wanted out of the series. Hallucinating from mushrooms does seem a bit far-fetched, even for The X-Files. The conversation between Mulder and Scully in his apartment would have seemed very cheesy if it weren't for the talent of David and Gillian. The standalones have been a mixed bag since the destruction of the Syndicate in "One Son" and we haven't had another conspiracy episode since then. Whatever was lacking in terms of plots for episodes, the production crew was certainly making up for it with creative visuals. The yellow melting computer effects are seriously outdated by today's standards, but the sight of Mulder and Scully emerging from the underground cave while covered in dirt and goo was pretty damn cool.

"Three Of A Kind"

"Hey man, you wanna 'Thunderdome'? Let's go!"
Originally Aired 5/2/99

Many episodes of The X-Files have opened with a narration from Mulder and Scully, but also her mother in "One Breath", and even earlier this season when Morris Fletcher (guest star Michael McKean) gave a funny description of the life of Fox Mulder to open "Dreamland II." But nothing has been as unique as the opening teaser for "Three Of A Kind." Byers (Bruce Harwood) of the Lone Gunmen tells of a dream he has in which the political landscape of our nation is different, also he appears to have never been a member of the Gunmen as he has a wonderful suburban home, and he's living the American dream with a family. His wife is a familiar face- Susanne Modeski, who we last saw in the Gunmen's origin episode, Season Five's "Unusual Suspects." However his dream life drifts away and he's left with a cruel reality. I liked how the teaser not only focuses on a member of the Gunmen, but I like its dream-like filming quality, which is truly another sign of the move to California, and I've still seen minimal signs of this move. Other than sweeping crane camera angles like this, I've rarely noticed anything that would tip off a viewer to the series' new surroundings.

While the previous Gunmen episode in Season Five told of their origin and how they met Mulder, this time around they're paired with Agent Scully when they dupe her into assisting their investigation in Las Vegas. The Vegas setting is another sign of the L.A. move and they're really embracing it now in the home stretch of the season. Not only are they embracing the sunny West coast of the U.S., this episode is also reveling in geekiness and references to past episodes, thanks to the pair of Vince Gilligan and John Shiban. I just love how The X-Files decides to center an episode in Vegas and they do the opposite of every other television show by centering it around a convention called "Def Con", meaning the Gunmen have met their match in geeks. There's even a Lord Manhammer reference! Michael McKean makes a cameo as Morris Fletcher in a nod to "Dreamland", Signy Coleman returns as Susanne Modeski, and I also loved the "Thunderdome" line from Frohike. As for the plot of the episode, I wasn't begging for the return of Susanne Modeski, though it is a pleasure to see the Gunmen used as more than just a tool for Mulder to gain classified government information. They were a blast in "Unusual Suspects", so why not reward the trio with another episode centered around them?

However, I can't stop thinking that this would have been the perfect opportunity for another Skinner episode or even one featuring the Cigarette Smoking Man. We haven't seen nearly as much of the Smoking Man this season as we have in past years and it's an especially opportune time to show what he's been up to following the destruction of the Syndicate. Skinner was already given center stage in "SR 819", but what ever happened to Krycek and his nanobot device that gives him control over Skinner? The conspiracy has been non-existent in the second half of Season 6, which seems like a bad sign to me because the creative juices were flowing fast and furious in the early portion of the season.

Even though this episode may lack elements of the series' alien mythology, it is a fine conspiracy episode that features an assassination plot that uses brainwashing, possibly in a nod to The Manchurian Candidate. The Gunmen encounter geeks like themselves in Vegas, such as geeks named Timmy and Jimmy. Jimmy is wearing a shirt which says "Government Patsy" (I want that!!) and he explains the entire plot of the episode, only to be laughed on by the Gunmen. Yet in delicious, ironic storytelling from Shiban and Gilligan, he could have actually become a patsy, only Langly is chosen instead. In the past I doubted Shiban's storytelling ability, but he surprised me with back to back episodes ("The Pine Bluff Variant" and "SR 819") which were knee-deep in government conspiracy elements. I think I can thank him for delivering another such episode, although this one is technically a satire. And then there's Gillian Anderson, who is hilarious when Scully is drugged by the bad guy's brainwashing serum. The neat thing about it is we've had plenty of Scully autopsy scenes before but throwing Langly into the mix was an inspired bit of comedy. "Three Of A Kind" is another home run in a season of fine comedic episodes.

"The Unnatural"

"But to be a man is to have the heart of a man. Integrity, decency, sympathy. These are the things that make a man a man. And Ex had them all. Had them all, more than you or I."
Originally Aired 4/25/99

When I first watched this episode in 2007, I ranked it among my top ten, although I had only watched around half of the series' episodes. It seemed like a touching fairy tale, something I didn't expect out of the series. At the time that I was becoming a fan of The X-Files, I felt it was very similar to the The Twilight Zone because each week there is a new story and they would range from aliens to monsters and even an episode with a repeating day scenario. There was also a sentimental side to a few episodes of The Twilight Zone  and here The X-Files ventures into that territory as well. It's a fantasy involving aliens and baseball that may seem too out there even for this series, though it works, and it also comes from an unlikely source- series star David Duchovny.

David's name had been attached to episodes in the past, although they were mostly story credits, but with "The Unnatural" he's contributed not just the script but also directed it. It's quite a feat that the star of the show has also written perhaps it's most creative episode. The story is about an alien who has taken the form of a black man in the negro baseball league after he fell in love with the sport, and allows him to hide in plain sight as a black ball player. It's told through flashbacks by Arthur Dales, however this time Dales is not the same one played by Darren McGavin. That is actually the only flaw with the episode, since it was clearly written for McGavin, though his replacement M. Emmit Walsh does a bang-up job as his brother who's also named Arthur. He tells Mulder they even had a sister and a goldfish named Arthur. The only thing I can't figure out is why Mulder didn't remember that he had already visited Dales in Florida, so he wouldn't be living in that same apartment anyway.

I said I loved this episode upon my first viewing in 2007, and now after watching all of the series up until this point, I appreciate it even more. It's very similar to Morgan & Wong's "Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man" from the Fourth Season. They aren't similar stories but they share the same theme. Previous mythology tales had taken cues from real world events, such as "Operation Paper Clip" and the use of Nazi scientists following World War II, and I liked the twisting of history to enhance the sinister nature of the Syndicate. Morgan & Wong sought to try something even better, by taking those historical events, adding the roots of the conspiracy, and crafting an entirely original story. It was a genius move on their part because the building blocks were already in place, they just shuffled the pieces around and created a complete backstory for the Cigarette Smoking Man. Whether it's a true origin or not isn't the point; the fact that they took a risk is, and it's what opened doors for all of the experimental episodes in these past two seasons. David Duchovny used same method as Morgan & Wong- one part conspiracy, one part reality, and combined them into a fantasy episode. I feel like he actually outdid the "CSM" episode because while that episode was centered around an already established character (although in a younger version), this episode features an unknown character (Jesse L. Martin as Josh Exley) and a one-time guest actor (Frederic Lane as Arthur Dales.) I also support more opportunities to see The Alien Bounty Hunter, too (which is also a co-creation by Duchovny.) A funny thing is that while sitting in the theater last year watching that 42 movie about Jackie Robinson, all I could think about is that a year from now I could finally watch "The Unnatural" again. Nothing against the Jackie Robinson movie, though.

I'm not quite sure if "The Unnatural" returns to its former spot in my Top Ten episodes, even though I do feel it is the most creative episode that the series produced. Much like this is a very sentimental episode, I have my own sentimental favorites that I feel I can't move down a notch or two...yet.

"Milagro"

"I live in my head."
Originally Aired 4/18/99

Scully has been put in danger several times over the course of this series, from episodes like "2Shy" to "Never Again", so you would assume that she could spot a creep from a mile away. Well, not this time in "Milagro." She briefly encounters a man on her way to Mulder's apartment and they exchange glances. Later she discovers a charm, called a "milagro", has been slid under the door of the X-Files' office. Suddenly she's meeting this man once again at a church because he deduced she would visit a particular painting, a fact he knew because he has been stalking her. The man even admits this to Scully because he's "taken by her"; she has muscular calves, which mean she's a runner, also her government parking pass allows her to park anywhere. I have one word for Scully: run! Use those muscular calves and get away from him.

Perhaps I am missing the point of "Milagro". The reason why this man, Phillip Padgett (John Hawkes) knows these intimate details of Agent Scully and also where her office is located so he can leave the "milagro" for her, is because he imagined it. He's writing a story about hearts being removed from victims, which is the exact case that Mulder is investigating. Padgett began to fantasize about Scully after their brief meeting in the hallway, and now they're seeing each other again at the church. Scully's unusual behavior can be explained because she's been written this way by Padgett. It does feel a little too much like Season 4's "Never Again", which is an episode I really enjoyed, although this episode suffers a bit too much from Chris Carter's gift of overly-wordy inner monologues.

I actually do enjoy the character of Padgett and the dialogue he has between Mulder and Scully, such as the repeated use of the line, "anything I'd know?" It's usage during the conversation between Padgett and Mulder, when he asks if the case is anything he'd know, increases his creep factor because the murder case *is* something he'd know. He's the one creating the it. The conversation he has with Scully before entering his apartment is my favorite moment in the episode, especially the line that "loneliness is a choice." I can relate to that.

With Season Six winding down and only four more episodes remain, I really wanted to enjoy this episode more than I do. I watched it multiple times, trying to gain some meaning from it and understand the concept better. I feel perhaps it may have been too hyped since it was one of the "unseen" episodes from this season, I'd known it was a favorite episode among the writers and also actor Sean Penn, plus it's inclusion on an "Essential" DVD collection of episodes that was released before the feature film, I Want To Believe. Including it with fan favorites like "The Post-Modern Prometheus", "The Host", and "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" meant that it must be highly regarded. Maybe I'm still missing the point of this episode or perhaps Carter and company are too close to the subject, it's too personal, so they fail to see the flaws within. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and Padgett does tell Scully that motive is never easy and "sometimes it occurs to one only later", so perhaps I'll see the beauty of "Milagro" during a future rewatching of this episode.

"Trevor"

"Dear Diary, today my heart leapt when Agent Scully suggested 'spontaneous human combustion.'"
Originally Aired 4/11/99

I believe that critics at the time this aired, along with the rest of The X-Files fan community, aren't too fond of this episode. "Trevor" isn't an episode that breaks new ground like several previous episodes we've seen this season but it is a success at being a true "monster of the week" investigation. The writers raised the bar in the first half of this season, then they seemed to have attempted to return to their previous level of storytelling, though the transition may not have been as smooth as they had intended. "Agua Mala" and "Alpha" were a 'run of the mill' return to the "monster of the week" format. I can't even recall any good one-liners from Mulder in those episodes, which is occasionally a good measuring stick for the quality of an episode. With "Trevor", the interaction between the agents is a step up, it's villain is interesting and leaves unique victims in his wake, and the plot itself was compelling.

Previously in Season Five The X-Files had poked fun at programs like Jerry Springer, with werewolf babies and even mutated children like the Great Mutato in the "Post Modern Prometheus." This episode actually lifts a bit of the paternity battles that occur on those programs, which were popular at the time, with the series' own spin on it. That's the best I can come up with for a description: The X-Files Meets "Who's Your Daddy?" It's honestly a better episode than that. When the episode begins, a tornado is bearing down on a ram-shackled prison, so the prisoners are doing what they can to board up windows and brace for impact. One prisoner, "Pinker" Rawls, is ordered to ride out the storm in "the box", though through some scientific wackiness that only Agent Scully can explain, he gains the super-power to pass through matter. He uses the most of his newfound ability to escape from prison and search for a child that was conceived before he was incarcerated. It's a somewhat touching story, though he did go to prison for a reason, so there are a few gruesome bodies that he leaves behind. The special effects team for the series did a great job of making these bodies look as gruesome as possible- the prison warden is completely severed in half, while an old buddy of Pinker is missing his entire face.

While "Trevor" isn't a new episode for me, I feel like my goal of watching the series in order has another benefit, which is that I was able to successfully guess that this episode was directed by Rob Bowman. His use of close-ups and camera angles is what tipped me off; though I also liked the lighting and music used within the episode too. Even David Duchovny seemed more enthusiastic about this episode than the previous batch of episodes. Mulder's jokey nature balances out the serious tone of the story and I'm glad he's having fun as Mulder. That also leads me to the early scene where Mulder and Scully are exchanging theories on the cause of death of the warden. Mulder is actually stumped this time, while Scully tosses out a theory: spontaneous human combustion. It's that line from Mulder, "Dear Diary, today my heart leapt when Agent Scully suggested 'spontaneous human combustion'" that pops in my head at moments when I find out a female is interested in me. Maybe that plays a small part in why I give this episode more credit than most.

"Alpha"

"Animals that aren't supposed to exist, like Sasquatch, the Ogopogo, and the Abominable Snowman-"
"Don't mind him. He'll go on forever."
Originally Aired 3/28/99

Sixteen episodes into the season and we finally have a back-to-basics, "monster of the week" investigation. Yet, it just feels so plain and ordinary, at a time when revisiting the "monster" format should feel refreshing. Mulder and Scully are tracking a wild animal on a killing spree, which turns out to be a shape-shifter, so it really is back to the old format since that type of story was done before in Season One's "Shapes." While that episode focused on Native America lore, "Alpha" focuses on an extinct form of a dog called a Wanshang Dhole. I almost wrote that as "D'hole"; guess I was thinking about Homer Simpson's exclamation of "D'oh." "D'oh, it's time to watch 'Alpha!"

The basic story of the evil dog isn't where the episode fails, that lies with it's use of guest stars. Andrew Robinson, famous for being the killer in Dirty Harry and as Garak on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, is Dr. Detweiler who had actually captured this dog once before. Melinda Culea is Karin Berquist, an animal expert whom Mulder had met on the internet. The episode tries to go in a direction where there could be a flirtation between Mulder and Karen, yet I'm just not buying it at all. The lady doesn't just love dogs, she worships them and even writes books about how they're better than humans. Maybe that was an attempt to make her just as "quirky" as Mulder, yet we have seen entertaining quirky characters that are easily relatable to Mulder; the Lone Gunmen, Max Fenig, even Eddie Van Blundht. Berquist, however, is just far off in another plateau of weirdness and the only thing she shares with Mulder is an old, familiar poster. Scully appears to pick up on the wedged-in "romance", though I'd rather believe she is suspicious of Mulder and Berquist meeting on the internet because she remembers a previous case too well. That would be Season 3's "2Shy", in which a man used a dating service to seduce his victims. Otherwise Scully has no reason to infer anything between Mulder and this creepy lady because Mulder has even found X-Files cases through grocery tabloids and old VHS tapes; using the internet is just updating the series to follow the current trends.

What the episodes lacks in the script, it makes up for with the series' trademark visuals. I really liked the scenes with the killer dog appearing in foggy alleys and the camera angles used throughout the episode. The make-up crew added to the visuals with gruesome wounds inflicted by the dog, making this feel they were straight out of a horror movie. So while this episode was filmed in California following the move between Seasons 5 and 6, I wouldn't have guessed it judging by it's use of camerawork. In fact, the only episodes where the California location is obvious would be "Arcadia" and "Monday." So it's a credit to the series' crew that they were successfully masking the California setting by keeping things in the shadows. There is another positive aspect of "Alpha", that is the return of Mulder's "I Want To Believe" poster, which puts the final touches on his return to The X-Files.

"Arcadia"

"Woman, get back in here and make me a sandwich."
Originally Aired 3/7/99

As I thought back to how long ago it's been since I had watched this episode, I counted on my fingers like a goofball, and came to the realization that I've been a fan of this series for 8 years. Wow. A wave of nostalgia rushed over me and it nearly brought a tear to my eye. I'm sure it's even more so for the multitude of fans who watched this episode on their televisions in 1999. I didn't like this episode the first time, but time has been kinder to it, or perhaps it's because I'm more of fond of the series now.

Many episodes this season have brought a lighter tone to the series as it stretched outside the boundaries of the typical "case of the week" format. "Triangle" pitted Mulder against Nazis on a boat in the midst of World War II, while another was a romantic comedy about a weatherman whose unrequited love caused severe weather to occur. This episode, much like "Terms of Endearment", is a blend of the new-found comedic tone that series has taken this season with the familiar darkness we've come to expect on The X-Files. It also puts a new spin on the Mulder-Scully partnership as they must assume the roles of a married couple who have just moved in to a gated community to investigate the disappearance of the previous homeowners. The gated community appears Stepford-like, as everyone must comply with a multitude of rules and regulations, including a maximum of 16 pounds allowed for a pet. Sounds like you can't even fatten up Scruffy with a Milk Bone or two. However it is a real "treat" to watch David Duchovny in another comedic opportunity as he tries his damndest to break the rules with a yard flamingo and a portable basketball hoop. He also relishes the moments he can tease Scully about being a housewife, even jokingly commanding her to make him a sandwich. Gillian Anderson happily throws it right back at him.

As for the darkness within "Arcadia", there is something sinister lurking after dark for those who happen to break the rules. When the monster's true form is finally revealed, the goofiness of it almost ruins an otherwise fun hour of The X-Files, though I've come to realize that's likely the point. Another example of the campiness in this episode is when Mulder stirs the pot with his neighbors by having a backhoe dig a "reflecting pool" in his front yard, while the head of the community remarks that he's digging his own grave. "Arcadia" is straddling the edge of being over the top, and it would have totally passed that mark had the community leader twirled a handbar muscle while uttering the grave-digging line. However, a Snidely Whiplash mustache may have been too long under the facial hair guidelines in the community's rulebook.

Following "Monday", this has been two episodes in a row that have put Season 6 back on track and continued the unique spin on storytelling that was slightly derailed with "Agua Mala." With all of the creative juices that have been flowing behind the camera, and also the fun performances seen on screen, one sub-par episode can easily be overlooked; especially with a gem like "Arcadia." I'm glad I've come around on this one.

"Monday"

"Scully, did you ever have one of those days you wish you could just rewind and start all over again from the beginning?"
"Yes. Frequently."
Originally Aired 2/28/99

There is a reason singers choose to write songs about disliking Mondays, from the Mamas and the Papas to The Bangles, with songs such as "Manic Monday", "Monday Monday", "I Don't Like Mondays", and "Rainy Days and Mondays." Other bands, such as Stone Temple Pilots, have sang about other days of the week, but nothing rings true quite like being down on the first day of the "work" week. Mulder is just like us, as this episode shows he has bad days too, with mundane problems like potentially bouncing a check and oversleeping when the alarm doesn't go off. Except Mulder's "Mundane Monday" turns out to be a fatal one, in what is one of the better teasers in the series. In fact, Season Six has had a wave of exceptionally entertaining and thrilling teasers, from a chest-bursting alien in "The Beginning", Michael McKean's guest narration in "Dreamland II", to Skinner's throbbing, veiny face in "S.R. 819." As "Monday" begins, Skinner arrives on the scene of a bank robbery and is informed that shots have been fired, which cuts to inside the bank revealing that Mulder is the victim of a fatal gunshot wound. That's not all, as the robber is also armed with explosives that he detonates before the opening credits roll. Intense!!

However, the next time we see Mulder he has woken up to find his water bed sprung a leak and has caused him to oversleep when the alarm clock shorted out. I love the reference to the pair of "Dreamland" episodes from earlier this season, which is when Mulder "acquired" his waterbed. David Duchovny plays it straight, as he sighs off the annoyance, which I'd prefer than if he'd played it over the top and comical. It's actually the same way he acted in "Dreamland" to his newfound situation of being a "dad" when in the body of Morris Fletcher. But I'm getting ahead of myself, as this is about "Monday" and I already gushed over "Dreamland"earlier in this review and earlier still when I reviewed those two episodes.

This is The X-Files' take on Groundhog Day as well as an episode of the classic Twilight Zone series called "Shadow Play", in which a man is fated to relive the day of his execution on a seemingly endless loop. This episode runs through several "Mondays" in the cycle, which could become repetitive, yet The X-Files staff keeps it fresh. Many instances Mulder makes it to the bank, only to become the victim of a gunshot; another time Scully takes his check stub to the bank for him. What I found humorous is how Mulder is depositing his paycheck on a Monday as I don't know of any job that passes out payroll checks on the first day of the week. This even dates the episode as being clearly before the advent of online banking and direct deposit. I'm not knocking this episode for being "dated", since not only does The X-Files rarely have an episode that feels dated, but it also doesn't affect the story in any way.

Another way the writers kept "Monday" feeling fresh, and also gave it the typical X-Files spin, is through Mulder and Scully's conversation about "fate" vs "free will." I believe in a similar stance, that things aren't "meant to happen", it's just random events that occur. It's kind of like those storybooks for kids, where if you wanted to choose between option A or option B, you turned to either page 45 or 67 according to your choice. I used to believe that the course of events were preordained, though I'd rather believe in free will. As for the episode, "Monday" is a blast (pun not intended), as I loved the slight wink to earlier in the season, as well as the performances by Anderson and Duchovny, and also the fact that the writers are continuing to play with the format of the show despite Mulder and Scully being back to solving X-Files cases again. I'm loving Season Six because of the willingness to take risks.

"Agua Mala"

"Yes, I'm curious, Mulder, but I'm also suspicious I think that Mr. Dales' story is fueled more by his imagination and not much deeper than the bottom of a highball."
Originally Aired 2/21/99

And so ends The X-Files twenty-three episode streak of excellence which began with "Chinga" on February 8, 1998. That was the creative peak of The X-Files and it was an amazing year that included the faceless alien rebels, one of the most beloved fan favorites called "Bad Blood", Michael McKean's guest role as "Morris Fletcher", the demise of the Syndicate, and even the feature film Fight the Future. I just realized that sounds like I am eulogizing the series. I'm not, yet it's always a bit strange how the series follows up a big two-part conspiracy thriller with a "status quo" episode that makes no mention of the Earth-shaking events from the previous week. There's no mention of Jeffrey Spender's whereabouts and Scully seems perfectly fine with Mulder nearly turning to the dark side and choosing Diana Fowley over her.

I enjoyed Season Five's approach to following the huge mythology episodes, which is that they didn't follow-up at all. They did the complete opposite and featured "flashback" stories about the beginnings of The X-Files. "Usual Suspects" was an episode that told the backstory of the Lone Gunmen and how they came to meet Agent Mulder. "Travelers" went back even further and told how Mulder learned of The X-Files and who originally worked on these "unsolved cases." The "father of The X-Files" was Agent Arthur Dales and he was portrayed in a later version of the character by Darren McGavin. The actor is most famous for the movie A Christmas Story but it was his TV character of Kolchak that actually served as a partial inspiration for The X-Files TV series. His presence lifts the episode somewhat above being a stinker, though it's odd that he appears here of all places.

Another factor that gives this episode a boost is Gillian Anderson. She always brings a fiery intensity to her role of Agent Scully and "Agua Mala" is no different. I've noticed that if an episode is on a one-way ticket to Dullsville, Scully is more likely to salvage it than Mulder. Sure, Mulder is the reigning king of one-liners, but Scully's manner of shooting down his theories with the greatest of ease is often a thing of beauty. Her make-shift operation in this episode was pretty neat, too.

I usually try to find something enjoyable in every episode of The X-Files, which in "Agua Mala" are Scully and Arthur Dales, though I'm not sure they turned this into a classic episode. While it is a return to form with a "monster-of-the-week" and the monster does have unique look to it (it reminded me of a face hugger in Aliens), this dud of a script is a lot to overcome for even the best of actors. It's set in Florida during a hurricane, with Mulder and Scully investigating a disappearance at the request of Mr. Dales. During the episode Scully informs Mulder that the airport is closing due to the weather and I'm honestly surprised they were even able to arrive in Florida in the first place. I know Mulder can fly off to faraway places like Russia on a whim and I'll go along with it for the sake of good drama, but this does not match the intensity of "Tunguska" nor "Piper Maru." There's even a lot of traveling for them by car, as they travel from Dales' residence to the site of the disappearance and off to an apartment complex for the bulk of the episode. I think this episode needed another revision to its script that could have combined this into one location. It might have made slightly more sense if the family that disappeared were also in this apartment complex, maybe even Dales too, then actually teaming with the agents could have justified his appearance in another standalone episode. The cast of characters housed in this apartment complex aren't the most "complex" of characters, though I did kind of enjoy the radical, gun nut guy. I've read other X-Files reviewers state that the guest stars in this episode are stereotypical, though maybe they actually haven't spent much time in Florida. I think these are exactly the types of folks you'd encounter in Florida, especially if you've ever head of the segment called "Germany or Florida?" on the radio program, Loveline. All the nuts really do roll down to Florida.

"One Son"

"I ordered them, yes, but it was never my intention to harm you. It was to save you...and Jeffrey."
Originally Aired 2/14/99

Last week I had proclaimed I was at the zenith of The X-Files before I sat down to watch "Two Fathers." I said that because Season 5 was the most watched season of the series, ranking 11th overall that year, but also because it was a very creative period. While there were several hilarious comedies and tense thrillers in past seasons, this time they were going above and beyond with concepts like a Frankenstein monster, an episode filmed in black and white, and even an episode based solely on an occasionally-seen trio of secondary characters. The current season has taken even greater risks by removing Mulder and Scully from the X-Files office, presenting new ways to investigate the paranormal through anonymous tips and TV newscasts.

While I knew the series will suffer a slight decline in the coming seasons, I did not expect to enjoy "One Son" less than "Two Fathers." I wouldn't say "One Son" failed to live up to expectations, because I knew many details just as I did with "Two Fathers." I feel like parts of this episode were unnecessary and even rushed, also too much reliance on running up and down corridors and back and forth between two military bases. One of the plot threads running throughout this hour is the return of an item from the first season's finale, "The Erlenmeyer Flask", which is an alien frozen in a lab at Fort Marlene. It's origin is finally revealed, which is that it was offered by the aliens as part of their collaboration with the Syndicate. That group of men each offered up a member of his own family and in return the aliens handed over this alien fetus. While I love references to past episodes, especially when events come around full-circle, I think Chris Carter failed to remember his own ending to "The Erlenmeyer Flask." The alien fetus wasn't returned to Fort Marlene, instead it was taken by the Cigarette-Smoking Man to that vault within the Pentagon. Perhaps there is more than one alien fetus since that one in the Pentagon likely thawed out and spoiled.

The use of the fetus from Season One adds more dramatic weight, or possibly confusion, to Deep Throat's actions in "The Erlenmeyer Flask." In that episode, Mulder was taken prisoner by men in black, likely operatives working for the Smoking Man, and Deep Throat instructed Scully to trade the object for Mulder's life. It cost him his own life when they exchanged this fetus for Mulder. Deep Throat had to know just how valuable this fetus is since it's tissue has been used in experiments dating back to the early 1970's. It was never realized exactly what his role in the conspiracy was, although now it seems like he had turned his back on the Syndicate and possibly aided Mulder to atone for his part in their dastardly deeds. But he had to know his punishment would be death for stealing from the bad guys, just to give their science experiment back to them as bait. Seems to me that Deep Throat willingly gave his life for Fox Mulder.

Another revelation with "One Son" is the role that Bill Mulder played. As this episode seeks to come full circle with Season One's finale, it actually does a better job at doing the same with the Season Two finale, "Anasazi." It shocked me to learn so early in the series that Bill Mulder knew the Smoking Man, but before we could learn anything about their history, Krycek shot him dead in his bathroom. All that was said was a cryptic warning from father to son that he would come to learn things. I always thought it would make more sense that Fox, rather than Samantha, would have been offered as a test in these experiments since he is not Bill's biological child. Here we learn that Samantha was the fateful child because Fox being spared meant that Bill's legacy could continue with Fox carrying the torch and seeking the truth. Bill Mulder dying meant that another had to be sacrificed for Fox Mulder's quest.

Jeffrey Spender is a character I liked the from the start, though it was more out of amusement from his lines like "flying motherwheel" when insulting Mulder's belief in aliens and U.F.O.'s. "Two Fathers" was a turning point because he came to realize how he was being manipulated by his father and added another dimension to his character when he wanted to undo the damage he has caused. Though he had a much larger role in "Two Fathers", he still has a presence in this week's episode. I hate the character met a tragic end just as he was on the verge of becoming a crucial ally to Mulder's crusade, in fact it even feels like somewhat of a cop out because Carter can't go one mythology arc without killing someone. Bill Mulder, Melissa Scully, X, Agent Pendrell, The Smoking Man (although he returned), The Well-Manicured Man, and now Jeffrey Spender is among them. Although Spender's death does fit the story being told here, which tells of the legacy of Bill Mulder and the Cigarette Smoking Man. Bill's legacy lives on in his son and he was sacrificed to ensure it continues, while CSM has valued his legacy more than he valued family, so he sacrificed them. Whether he assassinated political figures or not, he does have an extremely high opinion of himself, so it doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility to add more deaths to his already high body count. I just want to know how many have to die for Mulder's quest.

The centerpiece that this whole hour revives around, and I feel this episode lives or dies on it, is a confrontation between Fox Mulder and the man we now know as C.G.B. Spender. Mulder held a gun to the Smoking Man before in Season Two, possibly another reference to the past, but this time feels like a mistake by the writers. They were trying to create the illusion that Mulder could be lead astray by the Smoking Man, finally deceived into joining his cause and preserving his legacy. I feel this is the wrong time to tease a new wrinkle, not just because it had been done before (in Season Five's "Redux II"), but because everything is rushing towards the confrontation between the Syndicate and aliens. This occupies a large portion of the episode, leaving the remaining characters of Krycek, Spender, and Marita Covarrubious to rush around the previously mentioned corridors. I feel like this confrontation should have been saved for the next mythology installment with Mulder vowing to make CSM pay for his sins that resulted in the deaths of men, women, and children. Then CSM can plead his case, in an attempt to deceive Mulder and guilt him into joining his cause, which would have been a great cliffhanger to end the season. Instead, the writers take a detour mid-episode and tried to tear Mulder and Scully apart, when they should have been closer than ever at this point in the series. Many previous episodes this season have flirted with a possible relationship, such as their "kiss" in "Triangle." If the writers are going to tease dividing Mulder and Scully, with Mulder joining the Cigarette-Smoking Man, it should have been given a full episode or more devoted to it, rather than being a subplot. It could have even made more sense here had they planted a few seeds in "Two Fathers".

Perhaps the best part of this entire episode is a scene near the end. We've known for years that the Smoking Man is only working for this own interests, which actually makes him more like Krycek than he would like to believe, so it's almost comedic when he sneaks away as the Syndicate is about to become toasty bar-be-que. Forget the "almost" part! It *is* funny how they sneak away with a slow tip toe, then it turns to a mad dash towards their car. It's strange how we never see Mulder and Scully arrive at the Air Force base where the Syndicate depart the series for good; they're too late to the party. It would have made for a funny deleted scene had Mulder and Scully passed CSM and Diana Fowley on the highway as they were sneaking away from the base. Actually, scratch that deleted scene idea, that's how it should have went down since the writers included CSM's attempt to dupe Mulder into joining him. That would have been a chilling way for Mulder to realize he nearly had the wool pulled over his eyes by CSM and Fowley.

As for the other characters, I was glad that Jeffrey Spender went out as somewhat of a hero, with his attempt to save Marita from Fort Marlene, whom we haven't seen since the middle of Season Five. Although I wish that Krycek had actually snuck away with the fetus since it seemed like he still had his own agenda while working alongside the Syndicate. In summary, "One Son" is a fitting ending for the Syndicate, though its a somewhat flawed episode as a whole.