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Season Six Reviews
"believe the lie"
6X01The Beginning
SummaryThe more I watch this one, the less I like it. On first viewing, I found the unease between M&S quite alarming after their "love-in" during the movie (although truth be told, I found their bantering in the movie quite strange after the tension of the end of Season 5, so I guess there's precedent). Spender and Fowley still don't seem to be serving any purpose other than annoying us all to hell and the Bureau's sad treatment of M&S's work to date is frustrating to watch. Got the impression that by giving us more evidence, the creators had to take us several steps back on other fronts. Best or Worst MomentI'm going to go with worst moment here: the "Scully takes Mulder's hand and repeats the whole person quote back to him" moment. The camera zooming in on their hands was clumsy enough, but it was made worse by the fact that it led viewers to think that the two had not discussed any of "that stuff" in the days, weeks, or months before. Drive
SummaryAm I being unnecessarily harsh or was I just PMS-ing for the first part of Season Six?? With profuse apologies to Mr. Gilligan (whose work I have enjoyed immensely over the years) this one just made me spout out one sarcastic remark after another as I watched it - absolute proof that I wasn't enjoying the show! It didn't help that M&S were apart for much of the action, but I think the biggest problem was that I just couldn't muster up any sympathy for the antagonist. I've felt more for "obvious" bad guys like Modell and even Roche than I could for Mr. Crump. Despite the fact that the actual X-File part of the episode held promise, it got lost in the whole pointless ordeal. Best or Worst MomentThe best part of this ep was the teaser, with its quasi-realistic "breaking news" look. It got my hopes up for a rip-roaring episode, but it didn't turn out that way for me. I must admit, I wasn't feeling good about Season Six after this one! Triangle
SummaryThis definitely had potential to be an excellent episode, but for a variety of reasons, it didn't quite make it up there for me. One major complaint was the horrible lighting throughout. There's dark for the sake of mood, but so dark that you can't see at certain points is a bit much. Technically speaking, however, there was no doubt that the overall concept was grand and illustrates once again how TXF is so much like a series of movies in terms of overall quality and scope. CC was robbed by the Emmy Committee on this one when he didn't even merit a nomination. Best or Worst MomentI'm going with an obvious choice in this one...the "I love you" that Mulder says so sincerely to Scully, who then basically sends the moment clunking back down to earth by thinking he's off his rocker. DD played it so perfectly there in his delivery of that simple line. Dreamland I
SummaryThe "willing suspension of disbelief" thing accomplished, Dreamland was a good ride, and surely one of the more enjoyable TXF two-parters. I had a hard time with Scully's thickness in this one - a problem that a little more creativity in writing could have prevented - and it would have been nice to have Mulder's new family from hell seem a little less so, but they were obviously going for the humorous angle here. Best or Worst MomentThe best moment for me was Scully's "awakening" right at the end, with Mulder yelling that strange-sounding "He's not me!" repeatedly. It was an indication that the best was yet to come in Part II. For the first time in a long time, I was really anxious to see a continuing episode right away. Dreamland II
SummaryWith Scully back to her senses at last, this one was much more enjoyable than Part I. The pace picked up and the over-the-top humour was put aside for actual clever moments and some good old-fashioned tension. I liked the resolution of events. Performances by the extended guest cast were great. And in the end, I loved the "tender loving tones" with which M&S spoke during one of their famous cell phone conversations. This was a very strong finish for the two-parter, invoking very real emotions despite its generally light-hearted feel. Best or Worst MomentThe famous "sunflower seed goodbye"?? Powerful stuff that was, but I was also very moved by the exchange between Fletcher and his wife on their doorstep when they attempted to reconnect. With the M&S moment, you got the sense that they were mourning the loss of something that never really started, but with Morris and Joanne, you felt that perhaps they will have a chance to rekindle something that never should have died. It was a nice "reminder" kind of moment for those among us who have known the feeling of taking things for granted over time. How the Ghosts Stole Christmas
SummaryI liked this one! Many people didn't and I understood their reasons, but I liked it for the fact that there was all that psycho-babble going on that may or may not have been true at one time or another. It obviously made our twosome do some thinking, which is always good. And yes, it was a bit of a gruesome choice for Christmas, but when it comes to the portrayal of M&S as eternal lovers, we're not likely to get much better from CC! And as a real Christmas present to the viewers, he didn't give just to take away again in this one. :) Best or Worst MomentI have to go with the obvious best moment in this one because it is also a unique TXF moment in my mind. To me, the gift exchange scene marks the singular "cannot help but smile while watching" moment in all TXF history. Along with the baseball scene in The Unnatural, it gave us some confirmation that life isn't always serious and painful for these two. Terms of Endearment
SummaryAt the time that I first watched this, it had been some time since we had an old-fashioned true X-File, but in an overall sense, this one was not one of the great keeper episodes, that's for sure. It was one of those odd episodes that plays out fairly well at first viewing, but provides very little of anything more for a second time. And why is it that every time I think about this episode, I find myself going back to that blatant "I'm not a psychologist" remark made by that amnesiac Mulder? Best or Worst MomentGotta laugh at Scully's interesting interview subjects! The moment that stands out for me in this ep was when she asked the "very professional looking guy" whether he had ever used drugs. No doubt that Dana Scully knows it's not PC to judge people based on their appearance! The Rain King
SummaryA whole lot of "wink, wink, nudge, nudge, Mulder and Scully are going to be forced to share a room" advance hype on this one that I probably should have avoided. Such nonsense is what it turned out to be, all wrapped around a so-so episode with supporting characters that were just hard to care about. (Oh, excuse me, I didn't rate this one "poor", did I?? This episode just didn't work for me on so many levels, it's no wonder I felt I had to write fic about it!) It wouldn't have been so bad if I didn't get the impression that Mr. Bell was pandering to the shippers out there; but the fact is, if that was the case, he didn't deliver or at least didn't understand what his audience wanted. Best or Worst MomentNot so much moments as images in this one. The lipstick smudged mouth, the two of them swaying to the music... they both made me smile. I suppose Scully's speech in the bathroom with Sheila merits a mention...but given that the impression of the episode is that M&S are happy in denial, it lacked a certain depth of meaning. S.R. 819
SummaryI loved the nanotechnology stuff presented here - especially as I had recently read something in the newspaper regarding real research in that area - and the story was also well put together with its sense of urgency. Probably the best "Skinner" ep ever. Although I don't suppose this is something that I will watch repeatedly, my overall impression was that it was a good outing for an X-File. Two things I didn't like about it, however, were the next-to-end sequence in Skinner's office - I'm not sure Skinner needed to be that cold to his saviours - and the apparent exposure of Senator Matheson as yet another person who is working against Mulder. Best or Worst MomentI guess I have a best and a worst moment to note in this one. I liked the bedside "confession" that Skinner made to Scully. It seemed very genuine and heartfelt to me when I first saw it - and I like to think that he meant it - but I must say that the subsequent scene in his office that I mentioned above negated the powerfulness of it. Tithonus
SummaryAnother episode that spoiler reviews simply raved about that I felt was good, but by no means up there with the best. Both DD and GA did great work - their scenes "together" were quite memorable - but the photography angle is at least a third revisitation by the X-Files. Combined with what I thought were weakly drawn secondary characters, this one didn't quite hit the high note that it could have. The old man "redeemed" himself in the end, but mainly to fulfill the show's requirement that the stars can't die. He didn't show me that he had any real remorse, or that he truly wished for his life to have been different. And Peyton Ritter? Well, he would have been a much more effective character had he not simply turned out to be a "kinder and gentler" Tom Colton. Best or Worst MomentMy fave moment was Mulder's call to Scully where he started by telling her how he used to sit beside her at the FBI... that was wonderfully funny and poignant at the same time. One can only guess what might have been going through his mind at the time, seeing his still valued (by the Bureau) partner out on an X-File case with a new blueblood. We've seen Mulder worry about losing Scully in many ways, but never to another potential partner. Two Fathers
SummaryWas there anything in TXF history that we looked forward to more than this?? I'll be the first to admit that the mythology part of the series has worn thin on me over the years, but that doesn't mean that if I'm promised - what was it? "full disclosure"? - that I won't hang around for a look. This one seemed well on its way to being a great story: Cassandra reappearing miraculously cured, Spender finally being given something significant to deal with (although I almost picked the "CSM slapping Jeffy" scene as my best moment), Fowley being revealed as at least somewhat tainted.... Best or Worst MomentThe best moment for me in this episode was the scene in M&S's "office" (if you can call it that) where Scully catches a glimpse of the images that Mulder is viewing on his monitor. He has been refusing to go along with Spender's request because he thinks it's all a setup but when Scully recognizes her own experience with similarly burned bodies, he instantly softens his stand. I found DD's interpretation of the scene quite interesting in the way he has Mulder look at Scully while nibbling thoughtfully at his thumb. There was a lot of hidden emotion there was they revisited that unhappy memory. One Son
SummaryWhat a disappointment this was, given the potential of the lead-in from Part 1. The creators should know by now not to stir up hype over something that isn't going to deliver the goods, and they really, really should have known that this episode was not going to deliver the goods. It certainly left us with a lot more questions than answers, but it also left me a lot less interested in this on-going mythology. It's one thing to have CC and Co. joke about "making it up as they go", it's another to have it appear as though that's exactly the case. And I'm not even going to dwell on the bad vibes between M&S - that's what Reparation is for! Best or Worst MomentWhat's the worst moment in an episode loaded with painfully bad moments? What can I say? I was as frustrated as Kersh was at the end of this episode, when M&S gave their cryptic answers to the "big questions". Mulder's had answers for years? Truly? Here I thought that he's only been searching for answers. "All bets are off"? "Don't bet against him"? To paraphrase Det. Manners, what the bleep do you mean?! Agua Mala
SummaryI think I'm being generous, because this one is also one of those episodes that grows in the wrong direction with me... I find more things to dislike about it the more I watch it. It was definitely the case that more than the "agua" was "mala" here. The secondary characters were one-dimensional to the point of being cartoonish. This seems an unfortunate pattern that is obviously meant to increase the humour content, but it falls flat more often than it succeeds. And while I agree that Scully has saved Mulder's butt more than once and deserves all the thanks in the world, I was confused by Dales' comment at the end of the show when he gives her credit for saving Mulder's life in this one. Huh??? Best or Worst MomentTo continue on the theme established above, most definitely the worst moment in his episode is Dana Scully's casual acceptance of the fact that Mulder is left out to die in the hall while she plays the part of midwife. The episode totally lost me from that point onwards. That was simply BAD characterization - and further proof to me that Scully did not in fact save Mulder's life this time. Monday
SummaryFor once, I don't mind the Star Trek rehash! I was really looking forward to this episode when I first heard it described and it definitely lived up to my expectations. To me, everything about this episode works: the understated interactions between M&S, the metaphysical stuff about reality and the idea of fate and how some things might just have to be, the great and convincing performances by all concerned... everything except that screaming woman in the bank. :) Best or Worst MomentThe obvious best moments were the ones of Scully hovering over the critically wounded Mulder, I suppose, but there were also a lot of nice little moments that stood out simply for their "ordinary-ness", in that the exchanges between M&S were not overly serious or intentionally comical. But maybe the best and worst moment to me was every time that she asked him about that waterbed... answer her, dammit! Arcadia
SummaryThis wasn't the shipper-fest that some were anticipating, but I didn't find it to be as depressing as some die-hard shippers found it to be. Great dialogue exchanges and tiny little things that GA and DD did added to my enjoyment of the show in general. And you had to love poor Mike. The MOTW elements were admittedly a bit on the weak side and not entirely original, but the entire episode was well executed all in all. (I for one couldn't see where the creators had apparent difficulties getting it into the can.) Best or Worst MomentMy favourite sequence in this episode was Mulder's wanton destruction of his mailbox stand leading to his subsequent watch over it from inside his front door. He conveyed his "need" perfectly when he squirmed in his chair and then considered his empty juice container. Funny! Alpha
SummaryThis one gets worse as I re-watch it, so that about says it all. I suppose the underlying theme of territoriality is meant to be significant with respect to the M&S relationship, but I simply found Scully's reactions out of place. And it was impossible to feel any sort of kinship with Karin. All I can say is, she must have had some on-line personality! (BTW, anyone know what the motivation is with TXF consistently spelling Karin with an "i"?) Best or Worst MomentI'll go the other way and find something to like about this one... I liked the comment Scully made about Mulder's "untrainability" when they first pull up to Karin's kennel. It's not all that often that Scully participates in making the funnies. That and the odd quip from Mulder are the only things that make this episode stand out from the stinkers. Trevor
SummaryI would have rated this one higher had I not found it sort of predictable. There are elements that are certainly original in the X-File sense - and in general, I applaud the first efforts of this writing team - but in the end there were no real surprises and nothing to make it stand out. Best or Worst MomentAn obvious pick for best moment in this ep was at the beginning where Scully seems to take on the role of "believer", but the fan fixation on that sequence and corresponding dialogue has all but ruined it for me, so I thought I'd pick something else... but nothing else comes to mind! Oh well, I guess that reaction look on Mulder's face - when Scully throws that "Shut up, Mulder" line at him - is precious enough to go with that one. Milagro
Summary"Disturbing" and "powerful" were the words I had in mind when I finished viewing this ep the first time. Great character study by the TXF veteran writers here with realistically emotional interactions between our two. Excellent performances from all. Both DD and GA played their roles perfectly. There just wasn't a whole lot wrong with this one, and it gave me considerable inspiration for the Dana Scully characterization study that became a significant part of Soul on Soul. Best or Worst MomentI don't like the "hit me over the head" editing that accompanies the significant touches these days, but the one in the jail cell that Padgett catches full on - which subsequently reveals to him that Scully's heart is elsewhere - is very telling in terms of the relationship growth between M&S. Mulder has a habit of having his way with prisoners and in the past, he's never paid much mind to any sort of protest from Scully, but here he restrains himself at her light touch and call of his name. Nice. The Unnatural
SummaryI went into this telling myself that I mustn't be predisposed to like it just because it was DD's effort, but I gotta say that it didn't take long for me to lose myself in this heart-warming story. I think I like it best for the fact that it could be interpreted as simply that: a story. I didn't even have time to miss Mulder and Scully given the wonderful portrayal of the extremely lovable Exley and his pal Dales. Great dialogue abounds. DD's managed to create what I thought would be improbable if not impossible: a "feel good" X-Files ep! Best or Worst MomentShould I go for the obvious??? No, I'll leave the M&S scenes out of it and instead select one of DD's "messages" to the viewing audience. I loved it when Dales says that he doesn't have many opinions about [blah, blah, blah] "or even Canadians and vegetarians for that matter". As a resident of the Great White North (and I don't mean Minnesota), I had to laugh at that one. Poor David and the unfortunate fallout over his supposed insult to a certain segment of rain-soaked - and sensitive - Vancouverites... (who really can't accept the fact that by most people's standards, it does rain too much there)! Three of a Kind
SummaryDidn't expect to like this one as much as I did, but I suppose I eventually got to like Unusual Suspects and this proved to be a worthy sequel. Susanne Modeski is a multi-dimensionally well-developed and likeable character, and her scenes with Byers show real chemistry. Oh, and of course, you gotta love it when it's all that and Vegas too! (Absolutely identified with and laughed at Langly's last comment: "Got any quarters?") Best or Worst MomentI found the Drugged!Scully moments a little too over the top (although who am I to question what she would act like under those circumstances), but I did like Frohike's valiant rescue of our heroine from the clutches of the conventioneers in the hotel bar. And Scully's return smack on the butt to Morris Fletcher was cute in a warped sort of way! Field Trip
SummaryI found this surprisingly powerful - not to mention deep - for a standard MOTW offering. And the really wonderful thing about it is the fact that I've found it more and more watchable every time I come back to it, which is actually not something I can say about many episodes. I particularly liked the underlying tension between M&S at the beginning that set up the eventual sequences of "rediscovery". What a classic case of "I wish I had taken the time to tell you..." GA and DD also did a great job in giving us just the right amount of differentiation between reality and non-reality. Best or Worst MomentThere are a lot of good dramatic moments that can be scooped from this one, particularly with respect to GA's reaction work during the "Mulder's dead" sequences. But the thing that struck me about this one when I first saw it was that memorable line from Mulder: "It sounds like crap when you say it." That seems to sum up quite a bit about our Scully sometimes - and I mean that in both a light-hearted and serious way! Biogenesis
SummarySeason Six finished on a high note in general IMHO, but this one just didn't deliver for me as a finale. I don't know if it simply wasn't well-executed or what, but although I am most definitely interested in the mystery of the artifact and what it means, the show just didn't leave me immediately needing to see the continuation. That said, I'm thinking that the best parts of this story will be in the Season Seven openers. Best or Worst MomentI try not to dwell on the potentially bad moments of an episode that I don't outright consider bad, but CC and the Boys really irked me with that "Diana peeling off her top" scene. Talk about a totally unnecessary moment. To me, that just smacked of plain manipulation, because the thing is, the viewers are already pretty pissed at the fact that she's there in his apartment at all. Rather than invoke the intended reaction - which I suppose was, hey look, Diana and Fox are going to get it on (which, given his condition at the time, would make dear Fox an even better lover than fanfic makes him out to be) - it simply made me think, "Oh, the writers are feeling the need to flex their muscles, are they?" ... back to top
Overall Rating: 2.81 out of 4This season started off on a snarky note in many ways. There were those who were making snide comments about the fact that the show had moved to L.A. and had therefore lost its dark edge. (Funny, all the years in which it had been produced in Vancouver, no one had ever really said that the city was the real reason behind the success of the show.) A certain subset of those individuals then began its requisite DD-bashing. Personally, I thought that the first part of the season was just shaky in terms of quality. It had nothing to do with where they were filming. But as the "controversial" season wound down, I was pleasantly surprised by the results. At this point, (although I haven't finished rating all the episodes for all seasons) I'm pretty sure that the 2.8 rating above might actually be the highest total. Worst / BestThe worst of the bunch is usually pretty easy to identify. My vote goes to Alpha. Close seconds are Agua Mala and The Beginning or One Son. Huh you say? Strange choices? It's the "morning after" syndrome, or some "settling down" of intense feelings after watching episodes for a second and third time. For example, I hate Drive less over time, while I dislike the above mentioned ones more over time. In fact, I recently watched The Beginning and thought, what a goddamn mess... they've left Gibson out there for two years! Episodes that have turned out to be "not so memorable" for me on subsequent viewing include S.R. 819 (although it was good the first time out), Tithonus (surprisingly enough), and Trevor. The best of season six? Wow. Quite a few towards the end. How do you choose from among Monday, Milagro, The Unnatural and Field Trip? Each one of these episodes evokes a strong emotion from me, and in very different ways. In the end, I love the message and the feeling behind The Unnatural, simply because it was so new and fresh for The X-Files. Every time I watch it, I seem to come away with some new insight into what's important in life. Most Disappointing / Most SurprisingThe previous season (five) ended on a dramatic note, with what I thought were a lot of unresolved feelings and issues between our heroes. The bridging movie seemed to indicate that they had worked out their difficulties; at least that was my impression upon seeing their "cuter than cute" interactions at the start of the film. Therefore the honour of most disappointing has to go to The Beginning, for taking so many steps backwards in the respective behaviours of Mulder and Scully. He, for seemingly siding with Diana Fowley for no good reasons that we were able to see, and she, for being so hideously and grossly unsupportive that it more or less drove him into "The Foul One"'s arms. This of course, sets up my second pick for most disappointing, One Son. 'Nuff said. I'm picking Field Trip for most surprising, with Monday coming a close second. From hearing their respective spoilers, both seemed somewhat unoriginal and had the potential to be contrived and uninspired; they were anything but. Field Trip in particular brought some nasty feelings between M&S to the surface. How does a partnership made up of individuals so different survive the perceived blows to their respective egos and belief systems, time after time? Will the differences eventually destroy them? Not necessarily, because everyone is capable of growth in areas that they wouldn't think possible. In any case, this episode had a lot to more to say and show us than an unlikely x-file involving magic mushrooms. ... back to top |
The Beginning
Other Reviews: Season 1
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