"The End"

"I was sent to bring you back."
Originally Aired 5/17/98

After I watched this episode yesterday for the first time, I sent a text to a friend that said, "In The End...'Gibson Praise reads minds, Smoking Man returns to f*ck sh*t up.' Not really as cool as it sounds." Perhaps that summary was a bit hasty since I always seem to come around after the third watch. There are some very neat sequences and a new direction that is teased for the next season.

This is the most bittersweet episode I have ever watched of The X-Files. As I have stated before, I am watching the series from start to finish over nine years as way to stretch out episodes I haven't seen before and "savor the flavor." I am nearly at the point where what's been new to me and things I have discovered for these past five years, even things I have grown to love, have met what I previously knew about the alien conspiracy. Before watching this episode in full for the first time, I did have the accidental experience of witnessing the closing moments on the SciFi Channel when I remembered reruns were on in the afternoon; sometimes I remembered, sometimes I forgot. The rest was all new to me so I have counted this among the "unseen episodes"; a number that is fastly dwindling. 26 left to be exact.

The best sequences of this episode, no doubt, are the moments when the Cigarette Smoking Man is onscreen. In an earlier episode it was shown that the Smoking Man is nursing his wounds in a cabin and I want to believe he is passing the time by writing his third Jack Colquit story. However, he doesn't get to finish it when two men parachute down outside of his cabin, in a sequence that resembles an opening to a James Bond movie. The Smoking Man is retrieved by Alex Krycek, and when he reunites with the Syndicate, its like a triumphant hero returning. He's loving every minute of the fact that he's in demand, while the Well-Manicured Man is no doubt pissed about that fact. I really wish more had come of the splintering of the Syndicate, but I guess that's just implied with Smoking Man manipulating his son now. That's also a great scene when father meets son, and it reminded me a lot of the early years with Mulder meeting X in dark parking garages.

The Smoking Man isn't the only character in this episode, though. Mulder and Scully meet a chess prodigy who is more than meets the eye, while Agent Spender returns, and another new character is introduced. I liked Agent Spender a lot in the previous arc and he's just as good here as a foil for Mulder. I have no idea what Smoking Man's endgame is for bringing his son into the fold, and though it likely won't be realized, it is a cunning move on his part. Another principal character who's introduced is Diana Fowley, a former flame of Mulder who is instantly more convincing (and less annoying) than Season One's Phoebe Green. I mentioned before that this episode teased a new direction and it's through the use of Diana Fowley. I read for years that this was a wrong move on Chris Carter's part to bring in a female who could be a possible love interest for Mulder, however I didn't get that impression at all. It seems to me like she is just a plot device to bring Mulder and Scully together in a way that the series hasn't done yet. Previously Mulder and Scully have been close because they both have grieved over loss of family and Mulder blamed himself for eveything that happened to Scully, but none of it was ever in a romantic way. Now it seems like both, or at least Scully, are actually reflecting on those feelings for one another; in fact Gibson Praise just seems like a means to that end, too.

While Agent Spender, Gibson Praise, and Diana Fowley are new characters that are positives to this episode, it appears that longtime guest player Alex Krycek is getting lost in the shuffle. He's always been fun to watch but its more apparent than ever that there is no meat to the character, no motivation for anything. At least Spender was clearly defined as dismissing anything alien because of his mother, yet Krycek changes sides each season as he went from Syndicate henchman, to rogue operative, and finally a chauffeur for the Well-Manicured Man.

I would also kick myself later if I didn't mention Martin Ferrero as the assassin. He's likely more famous as "the blood-sucking lawyer" from Jurassic Park and I will always remember laughing hysterically the first time I watched him get chomped off the toliet by the T-Rex. Martin Ferrero is less famous to some as Izzy Moreno on Miami Vice; man, I need to get back to that show in my downtime before I start the sixth season of The X-Files. I digress. The FOX cartoon clips throughout this episode are a fun time capsule, especially since I didn't even know a Silver Surfer cartoon existed.

The bitter part of all of this is that I have finally reached the end of the Vancouver era and out of four seasons remaining, I have only the amount of a full season left of new episodes to go. This is even the last season finale that I haven't seen before, since I've seen 6, 7, and 8, and caught parts of the series finale during reruns (and dvd menu screen spoilers.) Yet, I enjoyed "The End" more than the past two season finales. The sweet part is that when I was becoming a fan back in 2007, I only wanted monsters and creeps and dismissed the sixth season as light, corny, and The X-Files gone soft. Six years later, I'm actually ready to embrace a lighter X-Files. Bring on Season Six! But not too soon, since I'm not ready for this ride to end.

With another season wrapped up, here are my "Fave Five" of the year.

1. The Post-Modern Prometheus
2. The Pine Bluff Variant
3. Patient X/The Red and The Black
4. Folie A Deux
5. Bad Blood

Honorable Mention: Unusual Suspects

"Folie A Deux"

"Dial and smile, Gary."
Originally Aired 5/10/98

Always a sign of a quality episode, despite Mulder making a face like he passed gas.

Before starting my "9 Seasons in 9 Years" journey, this fifth season episode was in my top ten episodes; now, I don't know. I think it lost a bit of it's luster after seeing several amazing episodes like "Musings of a Cigarette-Smoking Man", "One Breath", "Wetwired","The Post-Modern Prometheus", and even last week's episode, "The Pine Bluff Variant." That doesn't mean it's not an enjoyable hour of the series, it just means that this current season has been balls to the walls.

I do like how there's continuity with Mulder's finger that was broken in "The Pine Bluff Variant", yet Mulder's attitude towards the case would have been better if this episode was placed before "Patient X." In the first portion of the season Mulder treats the X-Files like its just a job rather than his passion because his distrust of the government has reached its threshold. "Folie A Deux" also makes use of that doubting Mulder since he groans at being sent on another monster hunt, but I like how this turns out to be more than just a typical hunt. Vince Gilligan turned the typical monster hunt on it's head by shifting gears mid-way through and turning it into a character piece on Mulder.

Another aspect that I do like about this episode is the setting of a telemarketing office. Most people I know think those call centers are evil since they disrupt you at all hours of the day, but its funny that Vince Gilligan took it a step further and turned them into zombies. Even the gigantic, creepy bug that zips around all blurry is pretty unique, too. The work place horror stories that make people go insane (like "Blood") are wickedly relatable and effective thrillers. Yet, in a way, these hostage situations are a bit odd to watch since there have been too many recent incidents like that.

Mulder's madness in the second half of the episode, as he keeps digging into the case despite the hostage situation ending, is where "Folie A Deux" excels. Past episodes have shown Mulder's determination getting him into hot water, but never has it actually put him into a hospital. I recall reading that Morgan & Wong wanted to write a story arc into Season 4 where Scully has Mulder committed but that was rejected, yet it doesn't seem too far off from what happened in this episode. In fact, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. It's fun watching all of the ranges of David Duchovny, as Mulder goes from apathy to a hostage and then full-on freak-out while strapped to a bed. His "freak out" was a lot more convincing than when he had his arms amputated earlier in the season in "Kill Switch." While this may have been bumped from my top ten, it is on the short list of contenders.

"The Pine Bluff Variant"

"Is this the Pepsi Challenge?"
Originally Aired 5/3/98

I've read, and now have seen for myself how cinematic the series was through its film-making techniques, like tight close-ups and camera angles, and the talent of its actors. Watching this with my mom on my family's widescreen tv enhanced this even more, likely the true way they envisioned the series. Even though this episode was filmed after The X-Files movie, it serves as a teaser for the movie, because it plays out like a spy movie with its twist and turns. I could even tell it was filmed by the movie's director before his name appeared in the opening credits. It's a great episode that oozes coolness and is full of tension, which might even be the coolest episode I've seen from the series.

In this episode Mulder gets involved with a terrorist group that has a powerful chemical weapon that dissolves human flesh, but that isn't even the highlight of the episode. That would actually be the appearance of it's two guest stars who may be familiar to fans of the small screen. Sam Anderson was known for being the principal on Growing Pains, yet he's likely better known now as Bernard on Lost. The other man is Daniel Von Bargen, whom I instantly recognized as George's boss from Seinfeld and the eye-patch wearing drill sergeant from Malcolm in the Middle. Neither of these men would receive an Emmy Award nomination for their performance, unlike Lili Taylor in "Mind's Eye", but I certainly enjoyed seeing them. I have no idea if its a coincidence or intentional, but many actors from FOX sitcoms appeared on this show either before or during the run of their own series- Kurtwood Smith from That 70's Show, David Faustino from Married With Children, and Daniel Von Bargen and Bryan Cranston from Malcolm in the Middle.

Each season of the X-Files typically has an episode that is what I call a "runaround" episode, where they run around chasing something yet end up with nothing at the episode's end. "The Pine Bluff Variant" is the fifth season's version of that episode yet I like how they seem to find creative ways to mask this style of episode. Season Two used an explosive sore that appeared on people who were exposed to bacteria in "F. Emasculata", this time was a deadly flesh-eating chemical. To explain the twists and turns would be futile; I know this because my mom missed the last 5 minutes and seemed confused when I explained it. Yet if you watch it you know just how good this episode is. My only complaint would be Mulder hesitating to shoot a bank teller during the heist. We know Mulder would never shoot anyone but at least shoot the floor next to the guy to make it look like you're a bad guy; the endless stalling seemed odd to me. Despite that, I'm surprised this episode actually came from the mind of John Shiban because he isn't the strongest of the core writers for the series. Bravo, John.

"All Souls"

"Well, then maybe she flew here, Scully."
Originally Aired 4/26/98

It must be 1998 since the cellphones are smaller.

Another week behind and another difficult review to write. This week's episode feels closer to a plot from The X-Files' sister series Millennium than it does one of it's own. It's about girls who are mysteriously dying by the hand of either a demon or an angel in disguise, which is what feels like Millennium, but the moments I enjoyed involved Scully. She tells this episode in a flashback which is done with her in a confessional booth and I thought that was a creative way to tell this episode's story. I seem to be one of the few who enjoyed the two-part "Christmas Carol"/"Emily" story, so I guess that's why I liked that part of "All Souls." If this was just a typical X-Files case and not attached to that story, I think it would seem rather dull and "soulless", actually. Tying it in with that previous story gives Gillian Anderson a reason to flex her acting muscles (wings?) and I am even more of the belief that Seasons 4 and 5 are *her* story and not Mulder's.

Last week we had an episode with Mulder forming an attachment to a victim, just like he has in the past, so it was nice that Scully was given an episode where she was forming an attachment. However her's was more about letting go of her lost child. Now you would think as much as I enjoyed Scully's scenes, I'm not sure how much I enjoyed it overall. It didn't seem to develop it's villain very much, though I did like the make-up effects used on the body of a pastor that he appeared to have set on fire from the inside of his body. My other complaint is more of a nit-pick; I think Father McCue is a terrible pastor. During a scene where Scully is trying to explain that she saw a heavenly figure, he explains the entire plot of this episode, only to dismiss it as a bogus story. If he had actually believed in that story, he could have prevented all of these girls from dying! He says its just a story and it isn't even recognized by the "Church." Which church is that, just his own? Because it seems like that is religion in a nutshell. That's why we have Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Catholics, and Baptists; they're all basically Christians, its just they decided to leave out certain things. So which is really right and which is just a story?

The X-Files motto was "I Want To Believe" and it took on multiple meanings throughout the course of the series. I like that it wasn't just a belief in aliens; it could have been in human nature, the paranormal, and in religion. However it seems that when The X-Files actually had a plot that used religion, it was hit or miss; mostly miss.

"Mind's Eye"

"We found her at the scene doing a Formula 409."
Originally Aired 4/19/98

This is a very great episode, so why was it so hard to review? I was even pretty good this season at keeping myself from falling behind until "Mind's Eye." In a season full of experimenting and episodes that played with the show's formula, this one is also different from the normal formula. It feels so much like an episode of Law & Order because its set at a police station for a majority of the scenes, and it also deals more with murders than ghouls. Yet in typical X-Files style, its done as a character-driven story, and its guest is very good! Lili Taylor as a blind woman, who's also the suspect, was so good she was even nominated for a "Guest Star Emmy Award."

Lili Taylor's character, Marty Glenn, is why this episode works so well. This episode is very "talky" and full of dialogue, so to make it work it needed a great guest who will get you engaged into what's being said. To compare it to another X-Files episode, I think this actually is what Glenn Morgan was attempting to do with "The Field Where I Died", but it didn't quite translate from page to screen. Mulder becomes attached and is determined to clear Marty's name, much like he connected with Melissa in that episode. A better comparison outside of the series would be to Millennium's first season episode, "Covenant", in which Frank Black fights to clear the name of an innocent man whom everyone thinks is guilty. To connect it back to The X-Files, that episode's guest star, John Finn, also played Michael Kritschgau in this season. Only difference is this episode ends tragically, making it one of the most heart-wrenching standalones in the run of the series. In fact, I struggled to find a humorous line that would work as my intro quote; "Mind's Eye" is too much of a downer.

This one was a real treat out of my remaining "unseen" episodes. I wasn't really sure what to expect before I was able to finally see it. Four episodes remain of Season Five, with only one of them being an episode that I have seen before ("Folie A Deux".) With just four left, it doesn't feel like the end of the season already. Even though there were fewer episodes than normal, they seemed to spread them out more with at least 3 breaks that lasted three weeks each; guess it doesn't help that I fell an extra two weeks behind.

Scully: the Original Duckface

"Travelers"

"No, its a case that has been designated 'unsolved.'"
Originally Aired 3/29/98

This gets my vote for "Most Polarizing Episode" of the series. I can guess many fans would hate this, first off because it lacks Scully, and Mulder only serves to bookend the episode with scenes in the present day (of 1990.) Secondly, I am sure it gets some hatred because it follows a huge chapter of the mythology and instead of following up, it goes back to the past, much like "Unusual Suspects" from earlier in the season. However, I don't agree with hating it just because it lacks the main characters since the series rarely explored it's roots; I think its a welcome change.

"Travelers" focuses on an investigation of possible communists through the eyes of an FBI Agent named Arthur Dales. In the present he is played by Darren McGavin, who also narrates, while the bulk of Dales' scenes are acted by Fredric Lane. I really like how they recreate the 1940's, since it looks and feels like an entirely different series. People hating the lack of Mulder and Scully will no doubt hate the different atmosphere too, but I like how this has its own identity. The X-Files' sister series Millennium did the same thing with a younger FBI Agent; and that episode also featured the same guest actor playing the FBI's Director. Most of this episode actually feels a bit like an episode of Kolchak the Night Stalker, which was an inspiration for The X-Files. In those episodes, Kolchak (played by McGavin) would narrate portions of each episode and he also stumbles on a monster on a rampage while investigating a different story, much like Dales does in "Travelers." For what this episode is trying to do, I think it excels at creating another world within that of The X-Files. I wish they had revisited the past more, and I'd even like to know exactly what Bill Mulder's role was and how it's linked to the overall conspiracy. After his appearance here and in "Apocrypha", it seems like he would be involved with preserving national security.

Now I can agree with those disliking it because of it's placement within Season Five. The previous episodes, "Patient X" and "The Red and The Black", advanced the mythology and built up a lot of momentum by linking several threads like Scully's abduction and the Russian experiments. It almost feels like that momentum was stalled by going back to the past instead of forward. I understand the use of flashbacks and new characters to make up for a lack of Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny, but rather than "Travelers", why not follow up on new characters they just created last week? It would be nice to actually let Chris Owens (as Agent Spender) carry an episode since he already proved he could do it in Season 4. Since Scully was recently hospitalized in "The Red and The Black", I would have used that to leave her on the sidelines so that Mulder has to investigate an X-File with Spender, who is assigned as his temporary partner.

Another fun part of this episode I haven't mentioned yet is it seemed like David Duchovny was trolling the internet before trolling was a common practice. It would have been fun to see an entire internet fan community explode like that guy's head in Scanners once they saw Mulder with a wedding ring. As for the actual story of "Travelers", I enjoyed it. The conspiracy in this episode doesn't feel forced, unlike when they revisited random abductions in "Max"; this captures the naivety of Season One. The series writers and producers put their faith in a crew of guest stars to carry an hour of the series and it paid off. Looking back, that was a super bold move on the part of both X-Files and FOX to do this so close to the release of The X-Files feature film.

"The Red And The Black"

"I was sent by a man, a man who knows as I do, that resistance is in our grasp and in yours."
Originally Aired 3/8/98

Before I start reviewing this week's episode, I'd like to bring up something I forgot to mention last week. There were so many great things to say about "Patient X", that I forgot to do my usual nit-picking. I even made sure I presented evidence for my complaint. Chris Carter's poor geography skills were a focal point for "The Host" back in Season Three and they also played a part in this mythology story. Carter having poor skills is the only way I can rationalize the amount of times Mulder flies to faraway places. This time is by boat.

Now in "The Host" episode, the Flukeman was a radiated stow-away on a Russian cargo ship that somehow sailed from Russia to New Jersey, while this time Krycek and his stitched-up face companion travel nearly the same distance. I drew a red line to show the actual distance and the green line to show Chris Carter's wacky continental sailing.

Onto "The Red and The Black", this episode is actually better than last week's, and it's one that makes me so proud to call myself an X-Files fan. "The Red And The Black" is one of the most satisfying hours of the conspiracy because it not only ties together the black oil episodes from Season 4 that seemed like a disconnected plot thread with Scully's abduction/cancer saga, and even advances the mythology further. While I liked those Russian episodes ("Tunguska" and "Terma") for being action-packed and fast-paced, they did seem to be a case of The X-Files conspiracy spinning it's wheels. This two-parter brings back the oil and presents a cure for it, which raises the stakes. I like how there's even a race of the familiar bounty hunters that have actually mutilated their faces to resist being possessed by the oil; it's frightening imagery that this series is known for. What's a neat wrinkle with those aliens is that while they are against the bounty hunters and the aliens that plan to take over Earth, it's not clear whether they are really good guys. In order for them to ruin the colonization plans, they had to murder innocent citizens. Well, not just murder; they set them on fire.

I really wish this development had led to the Syndicate splintering into factions just like the alien race. It would have been neat to stretch it past this episode, with The Well-Manicured Man and Krycek trying to woo Mulder (and maybe even Scully) to their "resist" side, since that's something that not even The Cigarette Smoking Man could do. Instead, the Elders decided way too quickly to stay on the "serve" side. I even pointed out back in "E.B.E." that it would have been cool if Mulder would be forced to follow in Deep Throat's footsteps and shoot an alien to keep the conspiracy quiet. So it would have been awesome if Mulder actually had a flashback to Deep Throat's scene when he is about to become a stow-away on the Bounty Hunter's truck carrying the captured rebel. Then in a future episode, maybe Well-Manicured Man serves as a mentor like Deep Throat to Mulder. It seems like this season they have set up a few interesting directions to take the series, yet they only tease them briefly within the episode.

I can't review what I didn't see though, but what they did do with the characters was very engaging. I felt like the Well-Manicured Man was very awesome to watch, as he looks hopeful for the vaccine to work, scolds Krycek, and then questions his associates in the Syndicate. The actor who plays the Elder and the actor who plays the Well-Manicured Man are polar opposites, but not even the lame, montone Elder can hold back the Well-Manicured Man from acting circles around him. I really liked watching Jeffrey Spender, too. The character has so much potential (especially once you see the closing seconds of the episode) and I even feel sorry for the guy. He just wanted to protect his mom by keeping the X-Files away from her, only to end up that she actually becomes an X-File. Also notable is how frustrated Mulder is. He's trying to deny aliens and abandon those beliefs because that is what caused Scully to be abducted and resulted in her cancer, yet now she's actually starting to believe in that along with Skinner! Another character returns from last week, Marita Covarrubias, yet both Krycek and the Well-Manicured Man shrug it off; guess the b*tch got what she deserved. Something I noticed after seeing Quiet Willy again is that he is like a doppleganger for Terry O'Quinn, who actually shows up in the movie. Would have been cool if they had actually cast Terry for the role of Willy, then kept him alive for that part in the movie; more wishful thinking.

While some of the characters have reverted to the status quo after "The Red and The Black", the mythology is anything but that. I really love how this took a few previous episodes and laid them as a foundation for what happened in this two-part story. We have the Syndicate revealed as not just responsible for the government experimenting on humans, but now it's actually for the purpose of serving an alien race. Well-Manicured Man is on the verge of becoming a good guy (like Deep Throat?), Agent Spender is introduced, Cigarette-Smoking Man has returned, and Cassandra Spender has disappeared. As much as I love "The Red and The Black", I can't stop thinking that this is the beginning of the end, rather than the beginning of a new chapter.

Looking at just the facial expressions changes that whole conversation.

"Patient X"

"Well, I guess I'm done here. You seem to have invalidated your own work. Have a nice life."
Originally Aired 3/1/98

More than "Redux" and "Redux II", this feels like the biggest episode yet of the series. There are role reversals, new layers to old characters, even new characters on the scene, and a possible new direction for the mythology. I think when watching the Redux Trilogy for the first time I was too hung up on the series taking on a new direction. I now see that it's purpose was to close a chapter on not just Scully's cancer, but her abduction, and even Mulder's quest to unravel the government conspiracy on aliens. This next chapter of the mythology is actually where the new direction takes shape; at least that's what I am remaining skeptical about.

First off, the biggest development is the role reversal of Mulder and Scully. We have had standalone episodes where Scully was a believer and Mulder wasn't, like "Beyond the Sea", but never an installment of the series' mythology. He refuses to believe in an abductee's story while Scully is much more open and sympathetic to her, especially since they seem to have a connection. I like how this even goes way back to Season Two and references "Duane Barry", showing that The X-Files still has a lot of back-story that they can mine. That abductee is named Cassandra Spender, who also has a son named Jeffrey who is a fellow FBI Agent. At first he asks Scully to stay away from his mother but later orders Mulder and Scully to stay away when he sees them in his mother's room. That scene struck me as unintentionally funny because he showed up to his mother's room but never once even acknowledged her being there. Jeffrey came off as a jerk but he instantly endeared himself to me when he said his mother believed she would be taken away by a "flying mother wheel."

Returning characters, possibly due to the absence of the Cigarette-Smoking Man and Skinner, are Krycek, Marita, and The Well-Manicured Man. Krycek hasn't been seen since the previous story in Russia and it seems he is still working for them to develop a vaccine to the black oil; that is until he goes rogue again. I like how this even referenced the gulag and brought back the evil, bald doctor character. Sadly, no arms were severed nor were any horses present. The last time Marita was seen it was revealed that she is in fact a shady character, though I wasn't really begging for her return unlike Krycek. Laurie Holden is no doubt the weirdest actor I have seen on the series thus far because of her odd whispering and helmet hair. At least this time they are playing up her role as a vixen since she seems to have seduced Krycek in order for his Russian guinea pig kid to escape. Well, he was dumb enough to leave the door open.

I always watch these a few times through before starting my review and it allows things to sink in or so I can pick up on something I may have missed. To be honest, the first time watching this I groaned during the opening narration by David Duchovny. It seemed to be another of those ridiculously worded Chris Carter narrations but in fact it actually sums up the episode and offers a few clues. I interpreted it as the Syndicate could have seen the aliens as Gods and that's why they allowed themselves be colonized, just like how a UFO cult would offer themselves up for being sacrificed at one of these abduction sites. Except they are actually working in secret to prevent Colonization while those UFO people are just crazy. Also, now that I have reached this crucial point in the Colonization story, I can now listen to the commentary tracks on the "Colonization" Mythology DVD that I bought exactly for this occasion. It came in handy because Kim Manners' commentary revealed the reason for Cassandra Spender leaving her greasy fingerprints on her window. She was making the stars of a constellation that Scully ended up seeing, which proved Cassandra may not actually be as crazy as Mulder believed. The constellation was even in the opening sequence, which I totally missed the first time.

I am remaining skeptical for "The Red and The Black" because this episode has set a solid foundation for a dynamite hour of The X-Files. With so many new and old characters appearing, I hope it won't crumble under its own weight.

"Bad Blood"

"Begin autopsy on white male, age 60, who is arguably having a worse time in Texas than I am, although not by much."

Originally Aired 2/22/98

Having completed the autopsy, I checked into the Davey Crockett Motor Court.

The usual “Winter Blues” have struck again. I seem to always fall behind around the middle of the season and it’s not for lack of quality X-Files episodes, it’s just the weather makes me so cold that I don’t want to take my hands out from under the covers to type reviews. The most I can do is reach out quickly and press “play” on a remote. I fell behind starting with “Kill Switch”, since I watched it two weeks ago but just now posted a review on the weekend where I should have watched “Patient X.” However, “Bad Blood” seems to have zapped me back to life. It’s hard to not want to write about this episode immediately once the credits have rolled; I actually wanted to write this episode as soon as the teaser ended! Seriously, that is the best 90 second teaser in the show’s entire run.

The fun doesn’t stop with the teaser though, as Mulder and Scully spend the entire episode telling exaggerated versions of an X-Files case they investigated on vampires. An earlier episode named “El Mundo Gira” featured an ending where multiple sides to a story were told, but “Bad Blood” goes a step further by making an entire episode about it. This episode even references that past episode too, which I obviously didn’t get back in 2007 when I first watched it. “Bad Blood” doesn’t wear thin either, instead it’s a comical look at how Mulder and Scully view each other. Scully sees Mulder as being go hung to solve cases, while Mulder views Scully as being bored and even annoyed by her work on the investigation because it interfered with her chance to flirt with the town sheriff (played by a wonderful Luke Wilson.)

This is an episode that I appreciate much more today than I did when I first watched it in 2007 after purchasing the then-complete, uber, mega X-Files boxset. Back then I was an X-Files newb who wanted “monsters, monsters, and more monsters.” Now I think I have matured somewhat, especially after having grown with the characters for 5 years, and I appreciate the comedy of “Bad Blood.” David Duchovny seems to be much more suited for this goofy version of Mulder which we really only had glimpses of during one-liners about “little grey men” in the early episodes. So it’s really not surprising why he has been nominated, and even won awards, for comedic roles on Californication and The Larry Sanders Show. I wonder if maybe that’s why he grew bored with The X-Files after seven years and wanted to leave the show because he didn’t feel challenged in his role. One week he could flex his comedic muscles in an episode like “Bad Blood”, but then spend the next month or two in typical standalone episodes that didn’t offer much besides a funny quip or two. As much as I love the standalone nature of the series, maybe it also held the show back in some small way? Today’s tv shows are mostly serialized dramas, an example being The Walking Dead, that tell a story over multiple episodes or across seasons. Even many movie actors are making the jump to act on the small screen; and now my simple review has morphed into an analysis on the evolution of the drama series.

Back to “Bad Blood”, the comedy isn’t the only interesting feature of this episode. For some reason it seems “bluer” than usual, and I don’t mean my “winter blues.” The blue in Gillian Anderson’s eyes even seem to be deeper than usual. Even the wardrobe is full of blue, from Scully’s blouse and FBI badge to Mulder’s dress shirt. The cinematographer must’ve been in-sync with the wardrobe department on this particular week.

The name of it was actually the Sam Houston Motor Lodge.

"Kill Switch"

Originally Aired 2/15/98

"Hellooo, nurse!" Wait; "Helloooo, goth chick!"

I know this won’t be a popular opinion in X-Files fan circles, but this episode is so dated that it’s even painful to watch. It’s actually not the computer software that feels outdated when compared to an earlier episode with an “evil” computer called “Ghost in the Machine”. In fact, the computer that tracks Mulder and Scully is a form of GPS before there was GPS. (That’s probably not accurate but I didn’t know about GPS until a decade after this episode.) What makes this feel way too “90’s” is all of the techno-geek babble when Invisi-Goth explains the computer to Mulder and Scully, then later her conversation with the Lone Gunmen. Also, there's the fact that her name is “Invisi-Goth.” I wouldn’t normally think of the “goth” crowd being the same as the computer geek crowd but I guess they would be equally socially-awkward. Also her choice of music adds to the dated feel, since she seems to be jamming out to KMFDM while in her hide-out in a shipping yard. She reminds me of Angelina Jolie from that 90’s hacker movie, which I think was even called “Hackers.”

The highlight that somewhat redeems the episode would be Gillian Anderson. During all of the techno-babble scenes I felt I could relate to Scully, like when she rolled her eyes and mocked the computer’s choice to kill its creator in the middle of a gang shoot-out. I’m sure all X-Files fans love the sequence where Mulder is drugged by the computer and hallucinates that his arms have been severed, which is a great scene; especially when Kung Fu Scully saves the day. I personally loved Gillian’s hair flip when she blows her hair out of face after showing off her kung fu skills. 

Though I said this episode is severely dated, I think it’s actually a positive that so many episodes of this series don’t feel that way. After the first season’s bad wardrobe and hair style choices, the following seasons up to this point are everything but dated. The filming by the directors and cinematographers were excellent and even beyond most tv standards of that period. I don’t know if this is entirely true but to me it seems like they even made the jump to filming in widescreen before most of their television peers. So one “dated” episode is a pretty good track record and hardly spoils this season of daring episodes.

"Chinga"

"Are you aware of the statistics of decapitation?"
Originally Aired 2/8/98

It's only been a month between episodes of The X-Files, yet this January-February break felt longer than a typical summer off. When I was finally able to pop the disc with "Chinga" into my dvd player and press "play", maybe I was too excited for this "brand new" episode. With Season 5 being a top notch batch of episodes and also this one being co-written by Stephen King, more hype was surrounding it than most first-time episodes. I felt underwhelmed, so I watched it again, and then again; even a 4th time and 5th time. The other two instances where it took me this long to watch an episode, its because I had fallen asleep! ("3" and "Kaddish", in case you were curious.)

Honestly, "Chinga" isn't that terrible of an episode, it just took awhile for it to sink in. The first time through I focused too much on the case and the premise of the story, which revolves around a young girl and her doll. They're both overcooked horror cliches, especially creepy kids in the world of The X-Files, going all the way back to Season One's "Eve." The evil doll has been done famously in the Child's Play films and an episode of the original Twilight Zone series. So its easy to groan at going to that well again. But judging it on that alone, I wasn't being fair to this episode. It follows the pattern of this season's "Post-Modern Prometheus" and even last season's "Small Potatoes", because it mixes the horror elements with humor. "Chinga" even has the most frightening scenes of the series since "Home", with people clawing their eyes and getting skewered with a harpoon. Besides going to the horror cliche well, the other part that bugged me was the main guest actress who played Melissa Turner. What bugged me about her was just her manner of speaking, how she keeps saying, "but Buddy!"

With this being a Stephen King episode, the touches he contributed are easily noticeable. Setting the story in Maine is obvious, also the crazy old lady in town who preaches about religion, or in this case condemns the single mom. I think the increased level of terror is also a touch of King. But one thing I also noticed right away is an increase in melodrama, with Melissa Turner being the object of affection of the town butcher and even the deputy. I can't recall an episode with a love triangle like that, unless you go all the way back to Season One's "Conduit."

Another interesting thing to note is that right before I watched this episode, in the fact the day before, I was going to introduce a friend to The X-Files. I tossed around a few ideas for an episode to sell the series to a new fan with a fellow fan, and one that he suggested was "Chinga." Now I've never skipped ahead on my plan to watch every episode in order and I wasn't going to make an exception now. I decided on the quirky "Humbug", but after watching "Chinga", I realized it wouldn't be a good choice anyways. With this episode falling in the middle of Season Five, it does have the benefit of Gillian and David being so great with their characters that any new fan would easily spot Mulder's quirks and Scully's ingenuity. Yet the mix of humor and horror that I mentioned earlier may only be appreciated by a long time fan. Even though within the episode Mulder and Scully are miles apart, they're actually closer then ever as characters. Mulder seems so at ease when tossing out his quip about marrying Scully (has he ever said something like that before?), yet later it appears he would be so embarrassed should Scully find out that he misses her. Season Five really seems to be The X-Files at it's creative peak and I'm really looking foward to next week's new episode, "Killswitch"; but maybe I should dial that excitement down a notch.

"Schizogeny"

"Is it possible that he took the term 'mud pie' literally?"
Originally Aired 1/11/98

I'd have been your friend.

Season Five has been an exciting and emotional series of episodes on The X-Files. Episodes have dealt with Scully's cancer, clone children, romantic mutants, and even the background of our favorite trio of computer hackers, The Lone Gunmen. While those episodes have broken new ground for The X-Files, this week's episode feels like a relic of Season One; maybe it was an unused script that was unearthed by tree roots.

This is one of the few from this season that I've previously watched (the others being "Unusual Suspects", "Bad Blood", "Travelers", and "Folie a Deux"), and it really sticks out like a sore thumb among the rest of the season. It isn't because its the worst episode of the series, perhaps just the worst of this season. "Schizogeny" seems like it has a unique subject matter that The X-Files hasn't tackled before- child abuse and teen angst. I even like Mark Snow's music for the episode; it feels darker like his scores for Millennium. Along with Mark Snow's score, the main character of the episode accused of murder is a boy named Bobby, seems to have a love for heavy metal music. In the opening scene he's listening to a song by Rob Zombie featuring Alice Cooper, then later he's listening to Danzig in his truck. That wouldn't make him an outsider to me, since anyone who listens to Alice Cooper is a friend of mine. Another interesting part of this episode is the setting of an orchard. It looks eerie on it's own, but it's downright frightening when filmed by The X-Files crew.

That's about where the positives of this episode end. It felt like a first season episode of the show because it didn't know what it wanted to be. The "Teen Angst Trees", or even if they used some other supernatural force, defending abused children would be a good storyline. That's similar to past episodes, like a ghost from beyond the grave defending a secretary in Season One's "Shadows." Yet "Schizogeny" seems to go off the rails when it takes inspiration from Psycho, like the therapist being possessed by her dad and locking people in her basement. It seemed a bit grim when she met her fate thanks to an axe, but I'm down for a decapitation every now and then.

Something else I want to make note of is I seem to take for granted how easily I can get screen captures for every episode of The X-Files. I didn't realize that until I started writing reviews for other tv shows, like Justified. They aren't as accessible as my beloved X-Files, so I want to extend a BIG thank you to Chris Nu for his screen captures website.

"Kitsunegari"

"Hey, it's Mel Cooley."
Originally Aired 1/4/98

I always watch an episode at least twice before I sit down to write my review, whether I've never seen the episode before or I've watched it ten times already. It's a good thing I watched this week's episode more than once, because the second time put a completely different spin on it. The first time I watched it, I liked the chase for the escaped Robert Modell (from Season Three's "Pusher"), but I thought it fell apart halfway through once another character was introduced; especially when they copied a scene straight out of an episode from Season Two. When I saw it the second time, I picked up more on the dialogue, especially the words of "Pusher" Modell.

What changed my perspective the second time was when "Pusher" is on the phone with Mulder, he told him he wanted to talk. Mulder's response was "Pusher" should tell him in person, which is exactly what happens later in the episode. If only Mulder had listened to his enemy sooner, but who could blame him since "Pusher" gave a man a heart attack over the phone in their last encounter. I did like when they're on the phone how Duchovny hesitates before hanging up the phone, as if Mulder really is under the spell of "Pusher." I guess I was just confused why "Pusher" was portrayed as a sympathetic character in this episode, when before he had used his abilities to kill at least 3 people. I suppose he's not really sympathetic or villainous, instead the episode just portrays him as directionless. It seems he just kind of hides out in warehouses til he's able to talk face to face with Mulder, but I think I was focusing too much on the details again, like always.

X-Files is great at not spelling things out for the viewer. Perhaps that's because focusing too much on the details would slow down the pace. I do like how the pacing of this episode is in the style of a "mini-movie" that the series is known for being. Even the prison set pieces, lighting, and camera work make it feel much more like a movie than just a television show. But back to the "details", that they didn't spell out- Modell went to the sporting goods store for a sweat suit, Linda Bowman was one of the nuns that visited the prison (only after discovering she had a brother), and as I said before, Modell's reason for being on the run was just to warn Mulder. This episode would have been totally different had Mulder just listened to him on the phone. I would have liked to have seen Linda Bowman running around in her nun attire but that might've turned this episode in a parody than a suspenseful episode.

"Kitsunegari" is obviously an episode that gets better with multiple viewings, since the first time through I thought it was a confusing cat and mouse game because it left too much out. But now I see it as a fine thriller, though it's obviously not as strong as the original. It doesn't have any memorable moments like the first, such as "Frank Burst" and defining "The Whammy." Why this episode may seem confusing is as the viewer we're supposed to be in Mulder's shoes, and it's about the effect the case has on him, more than it is about Modell. We already saw Modell in action before, so I think the writers assumed that any type of shenanigans from him would just be rehashing scenes from the first. Instead they just made references to those scenes.

"Emily"

"Does F.B.I. stand for Federal Bureau of Imagination?"
Originally Aired 12/14/97



One of the interesting sub-plots of The X-Files series has been the use of clones. They only pop up every so often, like once per season, so maybe X-Files writers have about as much of a clue as to their purpose as I do. They first appeared in Season One's "Eve" as young girls that had an evil urge to kill, though I suppose no one has a "happy" urge to kill. Season Two's "Colony/Endgame" featured the possibility that these clones are more than just a failed, one-off science experiment and that its part of a greater conspiracy, even with clones of Mulder's long disappeared sister. I think Season 3 was relatively clone-free, until Season 4 re-introduced the Samantha clones. The clones always seemed to have defects, maybe birth defects because they're artificial and not the creation of a man and woman. I like that this episode explores more into these clones and ties it into Scully's story that I thought was over in "Redux II."

I have a feeling I am reading too much into the clone in this story, since neither Mulder nor Scully ever act like she is a clone despite all of the evidence that she is. The big tip-off to them should have been the green bulge on Emily's neck and Mulder almost doesn't even realize in time for it to be stabbed, just like the alien stiletto to the back of the neck in past episodes. The scene when the nurse does poke at Emily's neck is almost like something straight out of a horror movie, with Emily sitting up as if nothing has happened. I don't know if the child is a bad actor since she shows no emotion or if they told her to sit up like a zombie, but it works well enough to make for a creepy scene.

It feels to me like they wanted to explain why these clones have short shelf lives so they used Scully's extracted ova to tell it. "Emily: The Life of a Syndicate Clone", which is what you could call this episode, has a radical change of pace from the previous episode but I like it. I think that once they revealed the green blood, it pretty much spelled the end for Emily. You knew she was going to die, but yet like I said before, Mulder and Scully are in a race to save her life. Its similar to those horror movies where teens are being chased by a killer, so they run upstairs and end up being cornered, rather than exit the house. They're dumbed down to further the story, just like Mulder and Scully have been dumbed down to advance the plot of this episode.

The moment I didn't like is when Mulder confronts Emily's doctor and threatens him with his gun. Scenes like that work best in dark parking garages when mysterious gun men are being threatened by X or Mulder, but when it involves Mulder doing it in someone's office, it can only be described as hokey. All of Scully's tests on Emily are pointless too, because its obvious she doesn't have real blood; the girl has that bubbly, green alien blood. That's why her weirdo doctor only said she had "anemia" as a code for those experimental treatments he was doing on her. Though it makes me wonder how nobody noticed the green blood before that. Kids are always running and playing and sometimes they fall down and scrape their knees, so did her parents just ignore the weird goo oozing from her knees? In classic X-Files style, just ignore the minor details like that. Yet, I do have one other complaint with this episode. I think it would have been better if the morphing Alien Bounty Hunters would have just stabbed Emily with their stilettos and killed her themselves. It seems to me their presence in this episode was as a "clean-up crew", just like in Season Two. The clones can do Syndicate work in secret, but once it hits the media, the bounty hunters are alerted and its "bye bye clones." The mom comitted suicide, which brought Scully to the case and also meant Mulder would be appearing eventually, so the aliens were getting rid of the evidence. They killed the father, then her doctor, and should have just killed Emily too. Instead, television shows and movies never kill kids. Its like some untouchable tv taboo; so instead Emily goes into a coma and then disappears. Oh well. Despite some gripes, I really do like this two-part story. It's like an extention of Redux/Redux II because it references several seasons' worth of plots and tries to tie them all together into a single story.

"Christmas Carol"

"There is no right or wrong; life is just a path. You follow your heart and it'll take you where you're supposed to go."
Originally Aired 12/7/97



I figured a post-cancer Scully Christmas get-together with Dana, Bill, and their mother would obviously lead to a discussion where her family blames all of their grief, sadness, and loss on Dana's career choice of the FBI. Ever since she joined the FBI, The X-Files specifically, they've lost a father (indirectly), a daughter, suffered through Scully's abduction, and now her bout with cancer. This episode of The X-Files did not do that; instead they gave us "their" version of the obvious- mysterious men in cars, needle punctures, and mysterious children all wrapped around an unsolved murder. "It's a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma."

Scully is my favorite character on the series so its a nice change that she gets an episode all to herself, especially one that reminds us that even though the story arcs about her abduction and cancer may be over, she's still dealing with the fall-out. I'm not totally into this story, but I do recognize and appreciate the effort. I actually wish it would have been more of the supernatural tale that appeared to be at the start with ghostly phone calls, then Scully would be visited by "Ghosts of Christmas Past" (and Future) that cause her to reflect on why she chose the FBI and what would have happened if she didn't. I assume Scully's life would be a lot more mundane without The X-Files, probably even bordering on depressing. Mulder would probably have been a victim of the conspiracy without her. This is what I meant when I said The X-Files didn't go for the obvious and present their version of "It's a Wonderful Life."

Scully doesn't believe it's a suicide, so she uses her FBI contacts to order blood tests, an autopsy, and other sciency things, which made me believe that working with Mulder has rubbed off on her more than she may realize. I like how everything she thinks is a possible lead, like the needle punctures, has a rational explanation to it. The episode appears over, then (cue the ominous music)...the mysterious, suited men in the car appear again! All will be revealed next week; same X-Files time, same X-Files channel.

Honestly, while I do enjoy more of the spotlight on Dana Scully, this episode is just okay. Its a necessary episode to follow up on Scully's past stories and possibly resolve any loose ends, but I still think the "It's A Wonderful Life" episode would be a much more memorable one. I guess I'll have to settle for the flashbacks to younger Danas that are relevant to future Dana, such as the scene where Melissa tells her life is a path and her interactions are what's most important.

"The Post-Modern Prometheus"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Detour"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Unusual Suspects"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Welcome to the dark side."

"Redux II"

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

One sorry son of a bitch speaking.

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks buddy.

"Redux I"

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

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

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

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

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

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