X-Files Rerun "Space"

Originally Aired 11/12/93

I think the less said about "Space", the better. The thing with The X-Files is that the production crew became such a well-oiled machine that, even if a script was weak, the episodes never looked bad. "Space" suffers from not only being poorly written but its early enough in the series that it looks poor too. The stock footage of space shuttles doesn't help either. Yet it is a testament to how the great series was (or perhaps how blinded I am with love) that it rarely, maybe never, sank this low again.

One aspect that I do like is the space entity possessing Col. Belt reminds me of an Outer Limits episode with William Shatner called "Cold Hands, Warm Heart." Shatner's character is possessed after returning from space, yet the effects done on The X-Files some thirty years later actually seem to be worse. This episode is boring, lacks suspense, and actually I'm so uninterested that I don't even want to take the time to find a picture from "Space." Since I already watched "Space" in 2007 when I was going in order to review it, and now again to archive a review over here, I really don't see the need to revisit this again. Unless I'm having trouble falling asleep.

I watched "Ice" last time, so what's next? OMG, NOOOOOO!!

X-Files Rerun "Ice"

"Bring Mittens."
Originally Aired 11/5/93

I have a strange relationship with this episode. I love John Carpenter's The Thing and this episode does a great job of recreating the paranoia in that movie, but that has little to do with my feelings towards "Ice." Thing is, I first saw this on the Sci Fi Channel before I became a fan and I really loved it. But once I started watching more episodes, "Ice" lost it's luster. I'll admit now that I can't judge the value of an episode based off the episodes surrounding it; hey, perhaps I am becoming a better critic.

As for the plot of "Ice", Mulder and Scully journey with a crew to Alaska in an attempt to find the cause of death of scientists. Morgan & Wong use the same tactic as with "Squeeze", where they borrow from another source, but this follows closer to The Thing than "Squeeze" did with Kolchak. Yet I think it works more in their favor since they removed the creature effects and enhanced the character drama. Most of what happened in The Thing were the actors reacting to the gooey and creepy effects but this episode's monster effects their hormones, so the monster is actually themselves. They really amp'ed up their performances, especially during the ending freak-out when we find out who's really infected.

I really enjoyed the guest stars here, which featured a Desperate Housewife, Kenny Bania, and John Connor's foster dad. I even recall seeing the guy playing the pilot on Law & Order and Buffy. Duchovny gives a fine performance too because its a departure from the usual quirkiness of Mulder, though the relationship with Scully is still the same (he warned her that he's safer being locked up than she is with the others.)

To wrap it up, I think this is a strong episode that places the focus on acting rather than an interesting monster. I even liked how it ended with a wink to The Thing because we're told that they burned the research facility.

X-Files Rerun "Ghost in the Machine"

Originally Aired 10/29/93

I brake for FBI Agents. (eh, that's all I got this time)

In "Squeeze" we were introduced to a colleague of Scully, now a case is brought to Mulder by one of his old colleagues from his pre-X-Files days. This week's plot seems rather cliched for a sci-fi series but I can't blame them for trying it; every series has the "computer has a mind of it's own" episode, especially so on Star Trek.

Again, another so-so plot but this episode is saved by the performances of the two series stars and the guests. Jerry the FBI agent is a prick who uses Mulder's notes on the case to look good in front of his superiors and even puts down Mulder by saying, "I taught him all he knows", so its nice when Mulder gives a little knowing nod which says, "yeah, he's a dick", behind his back. I've seen Rob LaBelle, who plays a computer programmer, on other shows in the 90's so I wonder if this started his typecasting of tech geeks. Another 90's tv actor named Blu Mankuma is here too, and I just wanted to mention him because of his cool name. And since I'm rewatching this after "Memento Mori", I think I spotted the actress who played Penny Northern.

It's also nice to see an appearance from Deep Throat in his first standalone episode. Even though he wasn't used as much more than a plot device, just the fact that Deep Throat shows up helps to further Mulder's belief in conspiracies and shows that he's not just some paranoid guy stuck in a basement office. The government really is evil. And computers are evil too, because they will eventually enslave us.

As I said, despite the predictable plot, it has its share of fun moments which keeps "Ghost in the Machine" from being a total dud. Mulder brings the funny and Scully gets a piece of the action when she climbs in an air duct, which I always wonder if those things are big enough for a person in real life.

X-Files Rerun "Shadows"

Originally Aired 10/22/93

David Duchovny stars in a Lifetime Movie.

At this stage of the series they were still working out what makes an "x-file" and what doesn't. Morgan & Wong are my favorite writers on the series but this actually feels more like the plot of a Law & Order episode than what I'd come to expect from the duo. What happens is a businessman is killed, so he comes back from beyond the grave to avenge his death and expose the dirty dealings within his company. There is some cool ghost chokings though, where he uses his supernatural powers to crush the throats of people who would harm his secretary.

While the plot isn't great, the character moments are, which shows how well developed they were right from the start. The scene that introduces Mulder and Scully in a dark morgue was neat, as well as Mulder's ingenuity when he uses his glasses to get fingerprints. Mulder's Elvis references started here with his remark that "one person successfully faked his own death."

My favorite part of the whole episode really has nothing to do with Mulder or Scully, its when they show a close-up on this black lady who says, "Howard Graves is very dead." I'm sorry to admit that's really all I can say about "Shadows"; its a fine episode, though not particularly memorable.

YIKES!

"Unrequited"

Originally Aired 2/13/97

I was ready to give this episode a good thrashing because it seemed like "Unrequited" could be the worst of Season 4. Some complaints were that it follows the revelation of Scully's cancer but fails to follow up, its mostly an attempt to turn an episode into an action movie, also that its the shortest of the season so it repeats the closing moments as its opening teaser. After watching it for the first time, I can see where these complaints are coming from, yet I don't agree. I liked "Unrequited", although its not an episode that breaks any new ground.

"Unrequited" feels like a hybrid of Season Two's "Sleepless" and "Tunguska" from earlier in this season. It takes the story of a soldier from the Vietnam War and inserts him into a faster paced hour (without the myth elements), which has that book-end style, much like the Russian two-parter. I can see why they chose to start the episode that way as the story itself lacks the typical "punch" at the beginning like most of these episodes have. They could have easily put the death of the General inside of his limo as the opening, yet if they did, they'd have to "pad" the episode to fill the rest of the hour. That would slow down the pace, which seems to be a no-no on this series; any time you slow things down, you give viewers like me a chance to ask questions.

I compared this episode to "Sleepless" because it has a similar villain, yet their abilities are far from similar. I actually wish they had spent more time on the blind spot explanation and more of the bleeding eyes, but that's a small knock on the episode. What I did like was the calling card left by the villain. Its certainly not going to win any honors for favorite episode but it never has a dull moment. They can't all have the emotional weight of a "Paper Hearts" or a "Memento Mori" nor a creative plot like "Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man", but that's the point. It succeeds at what it's supposed to, and feels a lot like a first season episode, so "Unrequited" is one I will watch again soon.

"Kaddish"

"A Jew pulled it off 2000 years ago."
Originally Aired 2/16/97

I prayed that I would like this episode too...

Having never seen this episode before, it didn't grab me the first time, nor even the third viewing. I really wanted to give this episode a chance, so even having fallen asleep a few times, I decided I would watch it once from start to finish before I could write this review. While its not the best executed, I do appreciate the thought behind it.

"Kaddish" is a dark, twisted love story. Its similar in theme to the Pet Semetary movie (well, Stephen King story), in that bringing someone back to life doesn't always have the intended consequences. This episode is also "classic" Howard Gordon, because a fellow writer refers to his tales as being supernatural revenge stories. A victim of a hate crime within a Jewish community dies, then he's brought back to life to avenge his death. I know that sounds very exciting, yet its hardly suspenseful. The "living dead" has a chance to off the remaining two of his killers, yet he just kills them one at a time, maybe to fill time and stretch this episode out to a full hour. It also seems a lot heavier on dialogue than most X-Files episodes. I never understood how or why the kid was in the Jewish church.

I always try to find the good in every episode of this series and there are some within "Kaddish." I love the darkness in this episode, even the dark precinct, because I always think to myself that police couldn't afford to pay their light bill. Also, the scene at the end of the teaser where the mud man comes to life, with his chest rising after taking a breath was neat. Later at the end, when the "villain" or "golem" ceases to live was excellently executed special effort that The X-Files is known for. I can't state that "Kaddish" is the worst among the 4th Season episodes so far, yet it doesn't seem like one I will revisit regularly. Perhaps when I need to something to watch at bedtime.

"Memento Mori"

Originally Aired 2/9/97

So here it is, one of the remaining Holy Grails of the unseen episodes. This is the episode where Scully's family and Mulder learn she has cancer, it earned Gillian Anderson an Emmy Award, also was nominated for a Best Writing Emmy, and was the sole "Mythology" episode included on the "best of" The X-Files dvd release back in 2008. Perhaps that put a lot of pressure on it to deliver.

While Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny deliver their usual awesome performance we've come to expect, its nice that the media was finally recognizing it. However, "Memento Mori" felt like a blend of plot threads we've seen before- clones, more clones in tanks, stilettos, even Mulder demanding to meet the Smoking Man. I guess that's not so much a complaint as it is an observation; just processing all that I have seen. I liked the references back to previous episodes, like the clones in the tanks in "The Erlenmeyer Flask", the MUFON Group in "Nisei" (I think it was even on Max's hat in Season One), and the bubbling green alien blood in this episode shows an increase in the budget. Before it just looked like jello, now its sizzling! Too bad the reference to "One Breath" was cut for time, though I understand why as it would just bring the fast-paced hour to a halt.

I felt that the most interesting moments in "Memento Mori" did not even involve the main characters. Instead I loved the scene with Mrs. Scully, where she was angry with her daughter for not telling her sooner that she had cancer. They have put Mrs. Scully through the wringer- she lost her husband and daughter, her other daughter was abducted and returned on life support, and finally Scully went crazy and nearly killed her partner in front of her. It's about time Mrs. Scully let loose!

Another interesting element to this episode is when The Lone Gunmen get involved in the field with Mulder. In the first 3 seasons, they would always have help in these episodes, whether from X, Deep Throat, or even Skinner. All season long they've been on their own so it was nice to see an expanded role for the trio.

Okay, I guess my only complaint is just the many uses of clones. They've had those cloned doctors and Samantha clones in Season 2, cloned children earlier this season, now cloned guys from fertilized eggs. Are all of these experiments related to each other? And if they're all hybrids, are they from the same experiments in "The Erlenmeyer Flask"? Could be just a means to an end so we can go from cancer to Skinner's deal with The Smoking Man. I've said earlier this season that I am enjoying the character moments more than the actual alien happenings, so...why am I complaining again?

"Never Again"

Originally Aired 2/2/97

It's such a sad day. This is the very last episode of the series for Morgan & Wong, my favorite X-Files writers, though at least they get to exit on a high note. In their four episodes for Season 4, they have given individual episodes to the Cigarette-Smoking Man, Mulder, and now Scully, after starting off with a horror movie-esque episode that still managed to provide depth to the characters. Controversial or not, I appreciate the extra layers they added to the characters while still working within the confines of standalone episodes.

It's been 4 years since I've been able to watch "Never Again", so I've been waiting til I could finally watch it within the context of the series, not just randomly viewing it once after buying the Complete Series set. "Never Again" works in the order it was aired and I think it could also work if it aired before "Leonard Betts", too. Scully's feelings in this episode aren't completely out of character or crafted just for the sake of drama. If its viewed before last week's episode, then Scully is finally feeling fatigued by all of their running around after space rocks and UFO's. She's already lost two family members and it's sinking in that she didn't choose the X-Files, it was chosen for her. Morgan & Wong also link it to past episodes because in "Beyond the Sea" we learned that Scully was a sort of rebellious teenager, while in "Lazarus" we found out that she has had questionable relationships in the past. While having this personal crisis, Mulder is feeling the opposite of his partner, as he says he's going on a spiritual journey...and I love when they finally reveal what he's doing. It brings back that quirky side of Mulder which has been absent all season.

Have Mercy!

There's more to this than Scully's "Girls Night Out" to get a tattoo and spend the night with a strange man. Morgan & Wong created a unique villain in the form of a "talking" tattoo while also departing from the typical X-Files formula. Its refreshing to see an episode like this; there's no case, the characters are "real", the gloves are off. Enough with metaphors. Most don't view this as a classic episode, seems as if many would like to skip it, but I think an episode like this is necessary. Also straying from typical X-Files formula is the ending. We aren't left hanging to wonder what happened to an alien that got away, instead it's Mulder's unfinished sentence.

Rob Bowman brings a unique touch to the episode as well. My favorite part is the sequence where Ed kills his neighbor and the camera moves in one continuous motion as it pulls back down the hallway and down the stairs, showing Ed bring her body down to dispose of it, then spins around the room. Again, more proof of how cinematic this series was. I'm sure "Never Again" won't make any "Best Of" lists, perhaps a list of underrated episodes is where you'll find it.

Don't worry, I'm not hearing voices...

"Leonard Betts"

aka "Leonard Betts or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Cancer"
Originally Aired 1/26/97

Rub-a-Dub-Dub, Leonard Betts in a Tub!

I am incredibly late in viewing "Leonard Betts" and I don't really have a valid excuse. However I seem to always fall behind by this point in the season since I started reviewing these a couple of years ago. With that out of the way, "Leonard Betts" first aired following Super Bowl XXXI and was seen by approximately 29 million people. Holy Moly! I never watched during the initial run of the series (except for trying it near the very end) so its cool to think about just how huge this was in the 90's.

This episode is notable for several reasons. First, it was written by the trio of Frank Spotnitz, John Shiban, and Vince Gilligan, who before now were never really involved in pivotal moments of the series arc. Behind the scenes it seems like things were transitioning from the old guard (Gordon, Wong, and Morgan) to these three who would become Chris Carter's co-Producers for the rest of the series' run.

Another reason is because this episode is not just a typical standalone "monster" tale. I guess you could call it a "myth-monster" episode. The character for which the episode gets its name loses his head and dies in the opening, but then in a neat camera trick, his body gets up and walks away. Mulder and Scully are on the case to see if its a body-snatching bandit or Leonard Betts actually survived the fatal accident. Once all is revealed, it does feel like its a lot to swallow. Cancer, regeneration, then even eating cancer? In traditional X-Files style, you just gotta roll with it.

Looks like Mulder is having a hard time explaining it too!

I remember watching this episode for the first time in 2007 when I bought a used copy of the vhs with "Leonard Betts/Memento Mori" for $1 at a comic book store. The episode was fun and the ending was dynamite, if only I hadn't accidentally spoiled it for myself by reading too much on wikipedia. Even expecting it, they do give Scully a chance to shine. She is tough and resourceful, rather than playing the usual tv "damsel in distress."

While it is a good episode that leaves you with a lot to chew on, I feel like if this had aired during any other season it would be the best episode of that year. Yet in this fourth season, its been given a lot of tough competition. We've seen Cigarette Smoking Man's "origin", a nasty tale of mutated men, a possible end for Mulder's search for his sister, and the return of Krycek. I do like how the series main arc is finally pulling Scully back into it. The previous two-part stories have been more Mulder-centric, while Scully was playing a secondary role. Now she's front and center and since this "Cancer Arc" is all brand new to me (though I am familiar with it), I'm interested in finally seeing it for myself.