"En Ami"

"Wow. I'm learning a whole other side to you. You're not just a cold-blooded killer. You're a pop psychologist as well."
Originally Aired 3/19/00

Finally, the Cigarette Smoking Man is back! These last few seasons have been light on Ol' Smokey, limiting his scenes to only the big event, two-part installments of the on-going conspiracy since Season 5, save for a fantasy sequence as a Nazi in Season 6's "Triangle." Not only is the character back for an episode, but the actor portraying him- William B. Davis, also wrote the script. His scenes in the episode are paired with Agent Scully and it's interesting to see those two interact with each other. This is the man responsible for her cancer so it's only fitting they finally have a face-to-face "confrontation." I can't recall a time where they ever had any scenes together except for those early moments when the Cigarette Smoking Man would lean against a filing cabinet and smoke. I believe she's met every other Syndicate baddie, both the Well-Manicured Man and the 'lead' Elder in Season 3, and Deep Throat long before them.

Just like the ending to "Theef", this is one I saw in the early morning hours on TNT, so I must've watched "En Ami" after that one ended. Either way, I saw this long before I began watching the series in order so my only knowledge of the series' most important villain was only through the "Duane Barry"/"Ascension" two-part story. After seeing the "how" and "why" of the entire cancer storyline with Scully unfold over the years, this episode has a bigger impact than it would've back in 2007. I've read online that some say this episode is out of character for Scully but my opinion differs. This is totally in-line with Dana Scully- why would she ignore a news report of a child who was miraculously cured of cancer? Especially when the boy also has a similar scar on the back of his neck and even the Smoking Man's mention of a chip cannot be ignored. The Smoking Man has always believed his actions have always been for a just cause, and he's viewed himself as a hero, so I chuckled when he told Scully he's doing God's work. Scully is also far from out of character since she realized she might be in the middle of another game of the Smoking Man, whether he actually is doing "God's work" or not, so she wore a wire and attempted to mail cassette tapes back to Mulder for evidence. She'd be a fool to not try to protect herself, because after all, this is a man who murdered his own son Jeffrey. ...or am I the only one who cared about Agent Spender?

It's also neat to see the Smoking Man's office...if it really is his office. In my head I called the building, "Syndicate Central", since we've never seen much other than that smoke-filled office in New York where the Elders would meet to discuss catastrophes that threatened their secrets, like alien rebels and black oil. There has to be some kind of behind the scenes work like that, complete with offices and secretaries, since they did all those experiments with clones and vaccines. Might have been a fun reference to the past if the building was labeled under the Roush company banner.

Not only was it interesting to see a new wrinkle to the series with Scully and the Smoking Man, but they also brought back the grey-haired "Man in Black" from the Fight The Future movie as the Smoking Man's shadowy assistant, and even the Lone Gunmen get a fun appearance when they're each disguised as a different member of the trio. Although this is also a bitter sweet episode because it's the last to be directed by long-time series director Rob Bowman, who's been with the show since late in Season One and also directed the movie, too.

As I'm writing this, I did realize I've been mistaken about any interaction between the Smoking Man and Scully, since it was just a mere four episodes ago when he appeared in her apartment to tell her of his involvement in the abduction of Samantha Mulder. I also said that scene was foreshadowing his larger role in this episode, which this episode and even Season 7 as whole seem to be slowly working towards Scully's character evolving into a "believer." I recalled Scully and Smoking Man interacting but now I can't remember a time when the Gunmen met Skinner. After 7 years of reviews I should've learned to take better notes on these matters. I do have to say that even though I enjoyed this one for what it was in 2007 as a fun goose-chase for a cure for cancer, I now have to say it's the best episode of not just Season 7, but since "The Unnatural." I guess I truly have transformed my own character beliefs, just like Dana Scully, as I'm now a firm believer in the character episodes than the "monster of the week" episodes.