"Empedocles"

"I saw Elvis in a potato chip once."
Originally Aired 4/22/01

There is a lot going on in this hour of The X-Files, much more character development than your average case-of-the-week episode, especially with "Empedocles" featuring four FBI agents. Technically Mulder is no longer allowed to investigate X-Files cases, so I'm not sure how he still has access to the basement office, let alone free to roam the hallways of the J. Edgar Hoover Building. Maybe he had a spare key made for such occasions, though I really wonder about the security at the FBI. Krycek always seems to have access, too.

Scully has a lighter load as she appears to be on maternity leave, though her role in this episode was not any less essential. Throughout this season she has offered advice to Doggett on their cases together, since she was once in his shoes as the "skeptic." This time Doggett actually comes to her, as the episode's case could have a link back to the mystery surrounding his son's abduction. Their brief moment together is the highlight of this episode as Doggett shows some cracks in his crusty exterior, asking Scully how she became a believer. It segues into a beautifully eerie scene with Doggett appearing in a field, as everyone else around him is in slow motion, which appears throughout the episode and finally reveals the moment when he discovered his son. Doggett later explains to Monica Reyes that he tried to do everything he could to find his son, and if a paranormal link is actually true, that means he didn't explore every possibility in his search. Some fans have said Doggett was merely a replacement character, either replacing Mulder as the person with a mysterious abduction that still haunts him or as a replacement for Scully's skeptic character. This episode strongly disproves either critique of the John Doggett character, as he is neither. While he is strongly skeptical of the paranormal, he approaches it from a different angle than our other characters; he's more like the previous non-believer, Agent Jeffrey Spender.

So with Scully on leave, and Mulder's position at the FBI in limbo, that leaves only two agents- Doggett and Reyes, who brings a case she is consulting on to Mulder's attention. I really like this dynamic with Mulder assuming the role of "mentor", almost sliding into Deep Throat's shoes. Mulder is still able to throw in his classic wisecracks and the tension between Doggett and Mulder is carried over from the previous episode. I feel like they should have done everything within their power to keep Duchovny from leaving the series so the Mulder-Doggett dynamic could continue as regular partners. It's kind of like a tv drama version of the old WWF wrinkle of "tag team partners who hate each other". Monica Reyes still does nothing for me as a character on this series. She feels like a really awkward version of Mulder, maybe even like Phoebe Buffay from Friends. The opening scene where she is asked if a case has a Satanic link because of Marilyn Manson CDs is awkward dialogue and doesn't do the character any favors either.

While I actually like the mysterious X-File case this week, which appears to be a thread of evil that is passed on from person to person at their most vulnerable moments, it seems a little under-developed. Maybe that's because I can't take "Bug" from Uncle Buck seriously as a "villain." I keep picturing him as the guy who's afraid of John Candy's character in that movie. Although the X-Files crew did excellent make-up effects when "Bug" tears skin from his face and reveals lava underneath; pretty creepy. It doesn't matter if that part of the plot isn't given enough time though, because it was mainly there to get Doggett to question his disbelief in the paranormal. This is exactly what the writers should have been doing sooner in the season, because now we only have 4 episodes remaining but there is so much more that could have been done with Doggett-Mulder. I recall this being one of the stronger episodes from Season 8 from when I first watched it, and after viewing it again, it is among the strongest of the entire run of episodes filmed in California. Not only is Doggett's background explored, but they also remembered Mulder's background as a criminal profiler. Bravo to writer Greg Walker!

Actually, excuse me, the best part of this episode was actually a few recurring moments with a sassy black nurse at the hospital. She tells Mulder and Doggett that it's "immediate family only", then later she scolds Doggett while he's visiting Scully. She appears a third time even, telling the agents again that it's family only. Such sass! Give that lady a raise.

"Three Words"

"For a guy who was in a coffin not too long ago, I think I'm doing pretty damn good."
Originally Aired 4/8/01

For the 8th season of The X-Files, David Duchovny was contracted to appear in 12 of the 21 episodes. So far we've seen Mulder in a flashback or two, in his alien fetish chair, as a disguise of the Alien Bounty Hunter, and he's also played dead. In "Three Words", David finally gets to play Fox Mulder alive and well, which marks his 7th appearance overall this season. Halfway through his contracted amount and he's finally able to play Mulder in the way we all know and love seems like it might not be the best use of that contract.

Whether it was the best use of Duchovny or not, I really enjoyed everything about this episode, from the performances to the action. Mulder tells Scully he's not sure where he fits in and this show could've been pretty crowded with three lead actors and guest stars galore, along with the amount of stories it's trying to weave together. The first is the continuation of the mystery surrounding the returned abductees, and it seems a database has gathered information on all of these people, including Mulder and Billy Miles. Mulder investigates and brings along the Gunmen, giving that trio some action in the field in a scene reminiscent of the Mission Impossible films.

Doggett has an investigation of his own though its not of his own freewill. The creepy Absalom from the previous episodes has broken out of jail and he abducts Doggett because he wants to expose the government database too. I'm not sure his plan to break into that government facility would have been very successful, since the computer password was not revealed until much later in the episode. I'm really going to miss Absalom as he was a whole different kind of creepy compared to the Syndicate. He wasn't really a typical villain since he was actually trying to expose the secrets behind the experiments on the abductees, he just had a flair for the dramatic that ended in his death, like the guy who jumped over the White House fence in the episode's opening.

We also learn that not only is Doggett being used as as a fall guy at the FBI, he's also being used by his own friend Knowle Rohrer, played by Adam Baldwin. When we first saw Doggett, he was a golden boy at the FBI and was chummy with his fellows agents, but now all he has is that lonely basement office. He should have listened to Scully's warning and got out before it was too late. I'm not sure what's a worse punishment- being exiled to work in the basement office or being the boss of those who work in that basement? It's also interesting to note how Mulder was given an informant character named Deep Throat (and later X) and his rival was a former FBI agent. Now Doggett has an informant who is also being set up to be his rival. Even more people are shunning Doggett. Poor guy. Although with Rohrer as a new wave of villains with these bumpy neck spikes, and Absalom knowing how to detect them, it would have been a better use of the characters had they been able to come face to face. Perhaps Rohrer was one of the people at Absalom's UFO cult camp, so Rohrer kills him after he informs Mulder of their neck spikes.

The most interesting aspect of this episode is that Mulder is actually on the outside looking in, so he was right when he said he didn't know how he fit in. For 7 seasons the show was through Mulder's eyes and we saw every wrinkle in the conspiracy unfold as he discovered them. In this 8th season, til now it has been mostly Scully's journey as she searched for Mulder and was forced to work with a new partner. However this episode seems to be slowly passing the torch off to Robert Patrick's John Doggett. I used an example before that Doggett is like taking a character like Snake Plissken and placing him into a horror movie, but after viewing the conspiracies in "Three Words", I see Doggett closer to Roger Thornhill in North By Northwest. He's a regular guy that gets mixed up in a conspiracy in classic Hitchcock-style. Scully informed Mulder that Doggett was above reproach, which we know is true since he returned to government facility to save Mulder in the episode's climax, after he realized he unknowingly set up Mulder with the classified information.

Five episodes remain in Season 8, which isn't nearly enough screen time for the "friendship" between Doggett and Mulder to grow. I really enjoy their anti-bromance and it's nice to see Mulder interact with someone he clearly doesn't like, much like those scenes with Agent Spender in Seasons 5 and 6. I'm putting "Three Words" near the top of Season 8's collection of episodes.

"Deadalive"

"All aboard."
Originally Aired 4/1/01

While many fans of The X-Files were losing interest in the series during this time, Season 8 seems to have more of a focus on storytelling through it's mythology arc than previous seasons, with the intertwining of Scully's mysterious pregnancy and the disappearance of Mulder. One of those storylines appeared to meet it's end in the last episode, "This Is Not Happening", when Agent Mulder was returned following his abduction. The opening moments of "Deadalive" revealed several cracks in the direction this arc with Mulder has taken, as he's been dead and buried for three months, with the funeral being the worst scene I've ever watched in this series. Chris Carter has always lacked in trying to create tender moments between his characters and that cemetery scene between Scully and Skinner was truly laughably bad.

I was ready to declare this series as dead as Fox Mulder. However the episode seemed to have steered the ship away from crashing when it focused more on the drama surrounding Agent Doggett. With the investigation into Mulder's disappearance ending in his apparent death, Director Kersh moves for Doggett to be re-assigned off the X-Files division. That's what Doggett has wanted since the season premiere, "Within", yet he's seemingly had a change of heart. If he's reassigned and Scully takes maternity leave, Doggett comes to the realization that the X-Files office will be closed for good. Shaking his "Dick Doggett" image as the season has progressed, Doggett has firmly placed himself on "Team Mulder" with his decision to stay, scoring another one for the good guys.

Doggett has been introduced to the Lone Gunmen, and also worked closely with his superior, AD Skinner, and in "Deadalive" he's introduced to another character, the shady Alex Krycek. Doggett's introduction to Krycek was also my own introduction to him too, as Season 8 was the first season I had watched in order following several standalones seen in reruns. I liked his mysterious appearance as he seemingly holds Mulder's fate in his hands, giving Skinner a life or death choice to make. The parking lot scene between Krycek and Doggett is the best parking garage scene since X called Mulder his "tool" back in "One Breath." Although I can't recall many parking garage scenes in the years since then. If Doggett hadn't already chosen sides, then his attempt at standing up to Krycek firmly places him on Team Mulder.

Speaking of "One Breath", this episode feels a lot like that one, only flipping the scenario so that now Doggett, Scully, and even Skinner are working to save Mulder's life. Not only do these episodes share a lot of hospital scenes, but Doggett's decision on whether to be reassigned echoes Mulder's own decision to resign from the X-Files. Just like Mulder confronted the mysterious Smoking Man for answers on Scully, Doggett even questions another cryptic character, Absalom. Judson Scott has portrayed villains before but here he's excellently creepy and I wish he was being set up as more of a conspirator this season, than just a vessel for the Doggett character. 

The best scene of all in "Deadalive" isn't the conversation between Doggett and Absalom, nor is it the return of Krycek, it was a scene with Billy Miles, who also returned following Season 7's "Requiem." Billy is returned under likely 100 pounds of make-up and prosthetics, which looked super gruesome as he laid in a hospital bed on life support. Back when I first watched this episode as part of a weekend-long binge of Season 8, I was really impressed with the scene of Billy shedding his skin in the shower. It still holds up as a creepy effect, with his "flesh" dropping off and oozing into the shower drain. Just as Billy and Mulder were both resurrected in this hour of television, there still appears to be life left in The X-Files.

"This Is Not Happening"

"You ever hear of an alien in Nikes?"
Originally Aired 2/25/01

In previous mythology installments, they'd always bring back the role call of guest stars and make these two-parters jam-packed with characters. By mid-Season 8 a great many of these characters are long since deceased, so now the guest star credits is left with only supporting characters from last year's "Requiem" episode. It's really slim pickens at this point. It is a nice way to return to the events of "Requiem" though, with abductees being mysteriously returned, giving Scully hope that Mulder may be next.

The idea of a "UFO cult" being introduced is a bit silly. What I recall from the late 90's around the time of this episode being written is that people would join these cults, and then everyone would kill themselves in order to join a "mothership" that would take them to the after-life. Instead, what happens in "This Is Not Happening" is the opposite. Dead bodies are discovered, then taken to a compound where they are restored to full health, and after that they just kinda hang around with each other in the woods. Seems like while they're brought back life, they're left mute because none of them speak when questioned by Scully. This is also a way to re-introduce a character from Season 3, the shape-shifting Jeremiah Smith. Scully recognized his face from a video tape and explains that he has the power to heal, yet I can't recall her sharing any scenes with him prior to this. I guess her becoming a full-fledged believer this season means she is now fully embracing her role as Mulder, so she too makes quick leaps in beliefs.

Along with the returning Jeremiah Smith, two new characters are introduced as well, cult leader Absalom and FBI Agent Monica Reyes. I believe Absalom hangs around briefly, while Reyes will stick around for the rest of the series' run. It's now apparent that both are introduced to serve Doggett's character and further his beliefs. This really doesn't do the character of Monica Reyes any favors though. She is instantly presented as a "fruitcake" and even Scully quips that it feels like a therapy session, with Skinner rolling his eyes in the background. The scene she shared with Doggett at a hospital is the opposite; she comforts him when the case reminds him of what happened when he discovered his abducted son. Here she seems to stand on her own as a character and not just a "Mulder-wannabe" when she's on-screen with Scully. However I quickly realized she's not a "wannabe." Mulder's character echoed the sentiments and conspiracies stemming from the events of JFK's assassination, Watergate, and Vietnam, with Carter tapping into those feelings. Now, Reyes seems to be closer to the feelings from the 90's, such as the new-agey trend of Americans adopting Buddhism and being "spiritual"; kind of like Gillian Anderson and how she created her own episode, "All Things." I'll bet Reyes even wears a mood ring, were they ever to show a close-up on her hands.

Robert Patrick is the best part of this episode and the majority of this season thus far. Here, his character of Doggett is a bit more subdued than previous episodes, less dickish than normal. I feel like that's why Reyes was introduced this way, as Doggett gets to play one way with Scully and another with Reyes. Isn't that how Mulder was originally? He appeared "spooky" around everyone else, while Scully was able to see who he really is. Doggett isn't a believer but I like how he does buy into the alien stories enough to suit his real-world theory- its's like he'll only dip his toes in the water but if you mention that Alien Bounty Hunter again, he's outta here.

"This Is Not Happening" doesn't do much for me, and I much preferred the way The X-Files returned to the conspiracy in last week's "Per Manum". Although it seems that previous seasons only had one conspiracy involving the Syndicate, Season 8 has two mysteries being woven- the mysterious pregnancy of Scully and the abduction of Mulder. Never did I think I would ever enjoy the baby subplot more than Mulder's arc.

"My Struggle II"

Aired 2/22/16

When this X-Files "6-episode" mini-series was announced in the spring of 2015, I thought it was just that, a mini-series to wrap up the conspiracy. As the time counted down closer and closer to the re-launch, I possibly read too much. At first I wanted to avoid spoilers, except after it was announced the Smoking Man was returning, I had to know how that could be! His character was engulfed in flames by a missile when last seen in Season 9, so I assumed it had to be through flashbacks. Then I discovered who was returning on the production side, as well as more familiar on-screen faces. I even learned this was ending on a cliffhanger at the end of the 6th episode. My grandma likened it to being prepared a feast, then having it taken away from you just after it's served. For a perfect example of how to end a science fiction show on a cliffhanger, I look to Fringe, especially Season 3. Those guys weren't sure if they would be returning for another season, so they closed the door on the current storyline, only leaving a hint of what's to come. Carter did the opposite, perhaps to stir up the fans so they'd demand a swift return?

I feel like ending it the way this mini-series did, now properly titled Season 10, is a risk that Chris Carter shouldn't have taken. When the series wrapped for the first time back in 2002, they had hoped to launch a series of movies, which never happened until the lone sequel in 2008. Nothing was in the works until 2015, almost 7 years later. I just wonder how many chances Chris Carter will receive? I'd have just thrown all of my eggs into one basket, went full-tilt, and delivered a conspiracy-heavy string of episodes. It certainly seemed like Chris Carter had enough threads of the mythology for a full 6 episodes, only it was condensed to 2. This make room for other writers to return and add their own personal touches, which is actually something that was lacking in the previous movie, I Want To Believe. So if this does get a Season 11 sooner rather than later, I hope the supporting writers are shuffled around, giving all of the alumni a chance to return.

I've only talked about the conclusion. As for the actual 40-some odd minutes that preceded it, there was much that I did enjoy, including the Smoking Man's return. While he was briefly teased in "My Struggle", here he receives plenty of screen time in both the past and the present. My question of how he survived yet another "death" was answered, through an injection of alien DNA that was a major focal point in this episode. Former X-Files investigator Monica Reyes is summoned by Smoking Man's minions and she is offered a chance to join him, so she too will receive this alien DNA in return for lighting his smokes. Seems like a fair trade. It's actually the best use of Monica in the entire season (and some odd episodes) she appeared in, since I cannot recall other "evil" agents aligned with him having any sort of motivation for doing so. Krycek, Marita, and Diana Fowley were already under his thumb in secret when they first appeared. Both Krycek and Marita were responsible for one of his "deaths" and Fowley turned on him, only to be killed off-screen. So I can assume that Monica will suffer a similar fate now that she's spilled the beans to Scully about his plot to wipe out humanity like a Bond villain.

The Smoking Man's make-up effects are pretty cool too, as he still has his neck hole, but now he has a detachable nose piece. Maybe he should be renamed Mr. Potato Head, and next time he'll attach a bright clown nose onto his face. The best of all was the close-up on his two fingers, motioning for a cigarette, all while confined to a hospital bed. That finger rubbing scene oozed creepiness.

Like many installments of the mythology, Mulder and Scully are separated. Mulder is searching for answers from the Smoking Man, while Scully teams up with the new kids on the block, spending most of that time with Einstein. What a lousy name. I really liked how this episode ramped up the suspense as the victims of a plague begin to line up at Scully's hospital, with Tad O'Malley popping in for reports that this incident is NOT confined to the Washington D.C. area. His pop-in reports reminded me a lot of Orson Welles' War Of The Worlds broadcast, and I like how O'Malley is increasingly becoming infected until he likely keeled over too. I'm not sure if O'Malley is a modern version of Mulder's informant character or his new tech friend to replace the deceased Lone Gunmen character. Either way, I like Joel McHale as O'Malley, since he brings a modern feel to this 1990's show that seems desperate to be relevant throughout Season 10.

It was stated before that this alien DNA wrinkle in the mythology may be a way to clean the slate and "reboot" the mythology but I still believe it has it's roots in the old conspiracy tales. The Smoking Man and his Syndicate pals were revealed to have an "alliance" of sorts with alien colonists that were going to reclaim planet Earth. It was never stated how they were going to survive an apocalypse, just that one day they would be spared as part of the plan, though the Syndicate worked against them in secret. I feel like these alien DNA injections were their way of surviving, leaving the Smoking Man to inject whomever he saw fit to continue the human race with him. The episode ends with a UFO overhead and I feel like it's the alien colonists returning to finish the job. If this UFO was zooming to the rescue of the FBI agents on the bridge, then why would it blow up Svetta in the premiere? I guess we will find out in 5 years. See ya then.

"Per Manum"

"I'm in the dark pretty much my entire time on The X-Files."
Originally Aired 2/18/01

Scully has been mysteriously pregnant since the conclusion of last season and this is the first episode to make it the focus of an entire hour. "Per Manum" opens with a freaky sequence of a woman giving birth to an alien baby. It's really intense because the doctors seem to know what's going on yet the pregnant woman was clearly in the dark about what has been growing inside of her for 9 months. I'd compare it to the scene in The Fly, where Gena Davis gave birth to a mutant maggot baby. I also like the use of the woman's point of view being out of focus, so we don't know what she gave birth to either until it's finally revealed, yet we hear an alien shriek. Even the baby alien creature is a cool prop since it's mouth is clearly moving as it cries. The little snot plunger thing makes me laugh, though.

The husband of the lady who gave birth to the alien shares his story with a skeptical Scully, while Doggett actually believes it in an interesting twist. Apparently he's still been reading every X-Files investigation case file, as was stated back in the episode "Patience", and tells Scully that the man named Duffy shared a story that sounds similar to her's- abduction, being diagnosed with cancer, and a miraculous recovery. On past seasons of The X-Files, Mulder and Scully would quite frequently split up into two separate investigations, mostly in these mythology tales. This time it is clear that Scully is filling the role of Mulder and she conducts a secret investigation unknown to her partner. Meanwhile Doggett looks into the background of this shady Duffy character. There's even a third thread woven into this episode, which features a returning David Duchovny in flashback sequences with Scully remembering past conversations with Mulder that callback to Season 4's "Memento Mori." With having three separate stories within one episode you'd think it would be a mess, yet "Per Manum" has allows each story to have equal time and never feels rushed.

I've always been intrigued by the happenings of the Syndicate, since as viewers we only saw the meetings held in the creepy boardroom with the Smoking Man and the Elders, but there had to be so many levels of this conspiracy. There were the Elders at the top, the men in black underneath them like X who worked for the Smoking Man, also cloning doctors that we saw in "Memento Mori", then later the doctors working on the hybrid project in "Two Fathers", but I'm sure it had to go deeper than that. And what happened after the Syndicate was burned alive by the aliens, did these doctors just stop working on their evil experiments? I feel like this episode finally gets us up to speed on what's been happening since Season 6, that several of these doctors have possibly continued their work on alien-human hybrids. The grey-haired doctor from the alien baby birth sequence has always looked eerily like Donnie Pfaster to me. And revisiting this episode after so many years away, I still recall laughing at Doggett's pronunciation of the doctor's name as "Paren-TAY", while Scully says "Paren-TEE." It's the small things that make me laugh.

Speaking of Doggett, he's seemingly dropped the "dickish" side of his character, now transforming into 'Concerned Citizen Doggett.' He's been left out of the loop on this whole pregnancy, so I understand his frustration and I like the development of his character in this episode. I watched Season 8 way back in 2007 across a single weekend, Memorial Day in fact, and I believe this was a watershed moment for Doggett and when I began to really like the character. I also recall this not only being a turning point for Doggett, but for the entire season, because until now it was almost entirely standalone episodes. From here it becomes a string of mythology episodes as it builds into the series finale. A new character is also introduced, as Doggett turns to a friend for help, who would be special guest star Adam Baldwin in the role of Knowle Rohrer. I met Adam in 2013 and I was surprised he correctly spelled that name on my X-Files poster.

I think "Per Manum" is a fantastic episode that improved through a rewatch or two, though it's not without a gripe or two. My main gripe with this episode, or actually the season as a whole, is that Scully's pregnancy was written out of thin air. It was briefly hinted at that Scully and Mulder were much closer than partners and friends, but nothing of her wanting a baby seemed to be clear either. Now through these flashbacks they've attempted to rewrite this pregnancy in reverse, as we learn Mulder told her she was left barren, so Scully sought fertilization treatments to become pregnant. I don't mind it so much, because "Per Manum" has injected the paranoia into the series that's been long gone since Scully's cancer arc was wrapped up in early Season 5.

"Babylon"

"Is this what you want Agent Mulder, your 'woo woo paranormal'?"
Aired 2/15/16

 

My fandom isn't the same as most X-Files fans, or in some circles are referred to as, "X-Philes." I came late to the party, after the series had already ended its run back in 2002. Its been fun experiencing new episodes on TV, and now I have a new wrinkle to add to my own fandom, which is "Babylon." I just happened to be surfing the web as this episode was leaked days before it's airdate, whether intentional or accidental. Myself and thousands of other fans were treated to a sneak preview before it vanished from Hulu within the hour. I even signed up for a free trial of Hulu just to watch this episode!

However, out of ten seasons of television and two feature films, this was the most bizarre installment of them all. "Babylon" began with a terrorist bombing of an art gallery, almost like one of those "ripped from the headlines" episodes of Law & Order. Mulder and Scully then meet their doppelgangers (unlike the doppelgangers in "Fight Club"), who inform them that one of the bombers is still alive, although unconscious. They pair off in wacky, unlikely duos, with Mulder and Not-Scully trying to communicate with the bomber through a wild and wacky mushroom-induced hallucination. Did I already say how wacky that is? Well, it is. David Duchovny definitely excels in comedic roles, much like he did in the middle years of the series when they fully embraced comedy; "Dreamland" always springs to mind. I liked that Mulder's hallucination was a way to work in the deceased Lone Gunmen characters, especially after seeing a behind the scenes clip where the trio were wearing ten-gallon hats. The hallucination also featured Skinner and the Cigarette-Smoking Man, although his appearance was slightly disturbing to me. I believe David would be fantastic on Dancing With The Stars but this was not X-Files.

Once Mulder's bad trip wore off, the episode was right back to it's serious tone dealing with an act of terrorism. "Babylon" was giving me whiplash with that back and forth shifting. I think perhaps this episode was just chock full of country songs and current pop songs that it was hard to look beyond that and enjoy the episode for what it was trying to accomplish. The X-Files rarely used contemporary music outside of its score created by Mark Snow, except for a few examples such as Cher and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Perhaps Chris Carter didn't know what he was trying to accomplish though, which can make for a bad viewing experience.

The X-Files never touched on social events either, unlike what it did here in "Babylon". While I do enjoy those moments when the series would link WWII planes with UFOs, those are radically different from trying to make your episode into an "After School Special." During the opening moments, I thought maybe I was supposed to relate to the Muslim kid, because I too like to check out females and eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. But then he turned out to be a suicide bomber, which I can't relate to that at all. The investigation is wrapped up when his mom shows up and says she never raised a son to be a killer. The Dawson's Creek-styled ending was out of character, too, with all of the characters reflecting on the episode's events over a pop song playing in the background; just a real mish-mashing of ideas. I think Chris Carter is like I am at times- I have a lot of ideas swirling in my head, but the end result isn't quite what I intended to say.

Mitch Pileggi is looking an awful lot like Sean Connery in The Last Crusade.

I will say this about "Babylon", that what it does get right are those moments between the central characters of Mulder and Scully, which has returned to the series after that initial premiere episode. Mulder's quick wit and David Duchovny's comedic timing are in top form here and throughout these "standalone" cases. I suppose that's been the journey of Mulder throughout this mini-series, as he became depressed and drove a wedge between himself and Scully in his years away from the FBI, but now he's regained that old Mulder spirit. But if I hear more of "Honky Tonk Ba-Donk-A-Donk" during The X-Files, that space ship better beam me up too, cause I'm out.

"Medusa"

"I'm a good shot."
Originally Aired 2/11/01

At this point in the season, at the 10th "monster of the week" in a row and 12th episode overall, I was ready for a break from this type of story-telling. Give me Mulder, give me aliens, give me anything to sink my teeth into. I couldn't recall much from "Medusa" before I sat down to watch it, except that I have a doll of Agent John Doggett, who's decked out in tactical gear from this episode. Moments into "Medusa", I recalled the plot right away, and felt like it was a strong episode among Season 8's crop of stories.

Apparently some chemical or ooze is causing human flesh to disintegrate in the tunnels of the Boston Subway, so Doggett and Scully are called in as consultants because of their knowledge of weird happenings like that. I like how Doggett basically knows his role and shuts his mouth, saying "I'm with her", and lets Scully take charge. After ten cases together, Doggett is finally getting the hang of his role in The X-Files. I really like the scene where Doggett "suits up" with his crew, which is when we're introduced to several faces from television and film. Penny Johnson (from The Larry Sanders Show, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Castle) is a doctor with the CDC, except she mostly just looks at things in the subway and then yells to Agent Doggett. There's also a guy by the name of Brent Sexton, whom I can't recall from any specific roles, yet I know I've seen his face. He's usually in roles like this, where he's a sidekick or "heavy" and then gets killed. Another member of the group is actor Vyto Ruginis, playing the stereotypical tough guy Lieutenant who may or may not be Italian, and I know I've seen him in roles like that before, too. All four of them suit up in tactical gear and bring a lot of fire power into the subway, yet we sadly don't get to see any of that in use.

Meanwhile, Scully stays above ground in an elaborately decorated control center and also yells to Agent Doggett a lot. She's really annoyed by another familiar face, actor Ken Jenkins, who was a doctor on Scrubs. I usually confuse him with actor Philip Baker Hall for some reason. His character in "Medusa" is that of Chief Karras, who keeps reminding Scully that he's releasing the trains on time for the 5 o'clock commute, whether Doggett is out of the subway or not. Now I've said before that Doggett's hard boiled character in this world of the paranormal is like putting Snake Plissken into a horror movie, and "Medusa" is coincidentally the best example of that. Karras has placed a deadline on Doggett and Scully, much like Snake's 24 hour mission into New York City. He's also decked out in tactical gear, somewhat like Snake's leather and camo appearance. This episode also makes use of an incredibly elaborate subway that I assume is a set built just for this episode, heightening the action movie-like quality of the episode.

When the mystery is revealed, it's not quite as impressive as the build to that mystery, though I still enjoyed this episode quite a lot. Several X-Files tropes are present- local law enforcement standing in their way, giant flashlights in dark passageways, and also "annoyed Scully" makes an appearance. I love "annoyed Scully" so much and she always raises the bar for every episode she appears in. I assume "Medusa" won't be many X-Files fans' cup of tea, but I'm an action movie fan, and I enjoy this 40-minute attempt at being a blockbuster action movie of the 90's. It feels a little like that Daylight movie with Stallone (granted I only watched that once on tv over a decade ago) and that one movie with Penelope Ann Miller in the sewers (which I saw once on HBO even further back.) Doggett is on the clock and racing against time, Scully is barking orders and rushing around to find answers while watching on closed-circuit monitors, and I was entertained, so there. Bravo X-Files.