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Season Seven Reviews
"everything dies"
7ABX04The Sixth Extinction
SummaryAfter a six month wait, I call it good. Were this to be delivered in the middle of the season, I may have had a different opinion. Still, I thought it was better than Biogenesis and a lot less confusing with fewer players. Kritschgau's character was put to effective and interesting use. Even evil Diana had her intriguing moments. (Funny enough, it was the single Mulder/Scully scene that didn't really do it for me. GA did a good job, but expressive dialogue it really wasn't. I have major issues with Scully merely saying "Hold on" when in reality, she has no reason to think that Mulder won't die. He's said "I love you" for less.) Oh, and this one ought to satisfy the segment of fans out there who like to see the "poor Mulder is suffering" stuff. Speaking of our G-Man, nice to see that he retains his sense of humour regardless of his personal situation. I think that's an aspect of Mulder that a lot of people miss when they write about the character in magazine articles... he's actually not dour and borderline depressive. Best or Worst MomentI've always thought that CC should stay away from the religious stuff.... I didn't care for the mixed metaphors of boiling seas, swarming locusts, blood as water and the mysterious reappearing "ghost" in the midst of this ball-breaking activity of decoding the stuff on the face of the spaceship. And yes, even though my nitpicker's hat was hanging in the closet, I couldn't help but groan when I saw Scully matching this odd little symbol to the letter "E"... The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati
SummaryI found this an odd episode on first viewing and it actually stays sort of odd on repeat viewings. This episode seemed so full of beautiful imagery and cliched symbolism all at once. The boys did so well at showcasing a multi-dimensional Diana Fowley character on her exit from the show, but what they did to Kritschgau was unimaginative and flat to say the least. (This was really too bad considering what I thought last week.) All of a sudden this man is threatening Dana Scully's life?? It seemed much too early in the episode for such a throwaway line. I wonder if they did a lot of editing for time on this one, because I found that the end came up much too quickly and abruptly. What resulted was the idea that I should have found it all very emotional, but I wasn't reacting to it in that way. Even though the dialogue was some of the most eloquent ever spoken between the two of them, it was as though I couldn't find the right sense of reality to get lost in the moment. Best or Worst MomentLoved the moments on the beach with the little boy, as evidenced by my fic, Reconnection. Appeals to the part of me who thinks that Mulder should get that simple moment in the sun of building "sandcastle" spaceships and not bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders. Sure, he may not be the hub of the universe, but on certain days, it sure seems like he is! Hungry
SummaryFirst of all, I appreciate the challenges involved with getting an episode into the can without using stars who were not quite back from their summer projects yet. Having known it in advance, I was okay with it and was able to enjoy this episode for what it was. And what it was, was a one-time-view kind of MOTW episode that was - at times - paint by numbers in the worst way. This poor mutation was obviously hoping for Mulder and Scully to solve his case, because he sure gave them everything they could have hoped for, right down to the murdered landlady. While you can always count on Vince Gilligan for some nice bits of humour and clever dialogue, I think history shows him at his best when he delves into the monstrosities and inconceivable quirks of human nature. Actual monsters are just too predictable. And stupid. Best or Worst MomentMulder's such a wimp sometimes, isn't he? The expression on his face when he points out the supposed "brain matter" underneath the stove was priceless, and - not to be outdone - Scully's resulting deadpan reply that it was only ground beef. Millennium
SummaryFor the fact that it was touted to be a wrap-up of the Millennium storyline, I was very happy to see something that was relatively easy to follow and even true to the spirit of TXF. (When I later saw End of Days, I recognized elements from it in this episode but I don't remember if the movie was released early enough for it to have been "ripped off". How original can such stories be, anyway?) It was even mildly comforting to see the weather-worn face of Frank Black again. He just seemed so instantly at home in the X-Files world. I must admit, however, that the pre-ep publicity over the last five minutes was unfortunate. (And this time, I don't know how I could have avoided those spoilers because I heard them on the radio and read them in the newspaper. This was truly one spoiler that you didn't need to be on-line to know about.) It seemed to hang over me as I watched the show, leaving me somewhat distracted to say the least. Best or Worst MomentOkay, so they kissed. Nice to get it out of the way so that we can all now say that they've officially done that deed. My personal take on it? It was sweet in the execution but slightly bittersweet in the aftermath...for whatever reasons. All in all, just more of 1013's "we don't give without taking something away." Rush
SummaryThis episode is better than Terms of Endearment and a lot better than Agua Mala, but unfortunately, the story still has all the markings of what I've never liked in TXF episodes: teenagers and their unspeakably misunderstood and miserable lives. Like Mulder said, I guess I'm "too old and stupid" to sympathize with them. That said, I liked the underlying premise of the story - although it was sort of intriguing when I saw it on Star Trek many years ago, too. It created a nice story that was well-paced and suitably X-File-ish, with better M&S interaction than in the above mentioned outings. But in the end, I was disappointed when Amann decided to take the easy way out and leave this one without any explanation whatsoever. I was along for the ride all this time and you don't want to reward me even a bit for having believed in it? Give me something! Best or Worst MomentOkay, because it is just so male, for best moment, I have to go with the Mulder "head turn" when he first encounters Chastity in the hallway. DD nailed the simple line that came after so well - "What?" - that you have to think, he's done that in real life as well! I know my hubby has. The Goldberg Variation
SummaryThe ridiculous and the sublime... Mr. Jeffrey Bell redeems himself in a big way with an X-File that is my first keeper of the season. (Not to fool anyone - least of all myself - but even though I will likely keep a couple of the eps to this point, this was the first one that occurred to me as I was watching it that it was a "keeper".) Almost everything that went wrong with The Rain King went right here. We got characters that we could care about, we got a marvellously original story idea, and we got a Mulder and Scully who are comfortable with each other and not playing mind games with themselves. What more can you ask for? This late in the series, it's not easy to score on all three counts. I especially liked the idea of luck being a double-edged sword that really can't be controlled, much like the idea of fate ("everything happens for a reason") in Monday. I came into this episode knowing just the title and the concept of a "lucky man". I didn't even know that it was Mr. Bell's script. All things considered, it was a wonderful surprise. Best or Worst MomentLots of choice pieces to choose from here... in much the same way as The Rain King gave us some memorable impressions, this ep was abound with bits that'll live long in our memories. Everything from those lovely smiles that they kept giving one another to Dana Scully's flirtatious promise of what might happen back in DC to Mulder's hilarious Bruce Lee impersonation. Loved it all. Orison
SummaryI suspect that although this episode was intense to watch the first time, I'll have more and more to pick apart the more I re-watch it. It was strangely deja vu in bringing back shades of Pusher of all things - the mind control element - and it was extremely heavy-handed in portraying someone - whom we had been told at the end of Irresistible as being just the boy next door gone bad, a la Jeffrey Dahlmer - as a real demon who was "pure evil". Having Scully kill Pfaster like she did was dramatic, but it's another one of those instances where I thought, how nice that in the TXF world we can all stop here and not have to consider how this would be a truly BIG issue - not just emotionally and psychologically, but legally and professionally - in real life. That said, I have to give kudos for the way in which the climax of this episode was presented. Very unnerving. Even though the "Mulder making it just in time again" (although not to save the day in this case) is getting just a bit old, the way the confrontation scene played out was very effective in a technical sense. Best or Worst MomentSometimes, the part of me that identifies most closely with Mulder is his "what? that's religion?" skepticism. (And at the same time, I know it's also something that really bugs other people about him.) But like Mulder, I have very little patience for the religious sorts out there who want to have it "all ways and back again". To that end, I have to select that little bit of dialogue regarding "nutbags" and "Has he ever talked to you?" as my 'best reaction to a worst moment'. Scully truly chose to take it as a personal slight despite her reply, but give me a break - how many more times do we have to give credence to psycho maniacs who claim that they're performing the will of God? The Amazing Maleeni
SummaryThis one made me laugh, but they weren't laughs of the Bad Blood kind, which to me is the epitome of an X-Files "comedy" episode. At the end of this one, I was left with the vague thought, "Well, that wasn't an x-file..." But I really didn't know if I was referring to an "x-file" in the sense that Mulder and Scully would refer to an x-file, or whether I was referring to an x-file as a long-time viewer of this weird and wonderful TV creation. It was an enjoyable hour of fluff, but I got the nagging feeling that I don't watch this show for its fluff value. I suppose when I get right down to it, it goes back to the fact that while something like Paper Hearts tops my list of episodes with which to introduce someone new to TXF, The Amazing Maleeni - even with nothing too terribly wrong with it - would likely wind up near the bottom of that list. (And as a final thought, what's so hard about that hand turning trick? As Mulder said, that's surely not the same as turning one's head right around!) Best or Worst MomentBy the way, this one has very limited subsequent viewing appeal as I found out on sitting down with it a second time. I suppose the scenes with M&S amusing one another with their versions of magic were my highlights of the ep. Nice to see them actually smile and laugh and have fun with one another. Signs and Wonders
SummaryWhat can I say - I really hated this one. Scheduling-wise, it really caught me at a bad time, as I am at the point of overdosing on religion-based eps right now. As someone has already said, why has The X-Files turned into Millennium? This one pushed all the wrong buttons so badly that it made me question whether I should go back and downscale my rating for the Millennium episode! I can't believe that an episode as strong as The Goldberg Variation managed to find its way out of Jeffrey Bell if this is the stuff that he's following up with... this one was just plain irritating. It brought to mind Die Hand Die Verletzt and I can't say that I was a fan of that one either. Let's just say that there are episodes where, twenty minutes in, I know I'm going to be in for a memorable ride and there are those - albeit few, Travelers comes to mind - where twenty minutes in, I feel like turning off my VCR. I disliked this so badly that I won't even bother going into all the reasons why. I know, I know, real reviewers can't get away with simply saying that they hated it "because" but no one's paying me to do this, so... ;) Best or Worst MomentBest moment? Mulder lying in his hospital bed proclaiming himself to be "proud and fancy-free". (At least he was out of his silly looking clothes.) There. That's all I want to say about this episode. Sein Und Zeit
SummaryIs this one of the great all-time TXF episodes? Despite the strong performances from all and the interesting plot, I couldn't answer yes and therefore I feel slightly guilty at giving this ep a "Good" when I was anticipating giving it an "Excellent". (Mind you, as a February sweeps mythology two-parter, we have seen worse, so I was very pleased with this outing.) Nothing like an episode like this to remind us that the X-Files - no matter what has developed over the past seven seasons - is still centered on the character of Fox Mulder and his personal journey. I've always been able to feel his pain, but that pain has never been brought so much to the forefront as in this ep, which held so much hope and yet contained so much despair. I'm not sure I understand why the creators felt that this ambiguous ending for Mrs. Mulder was necessary, but I certainly hope it's the last of the tragedies for Mulder in this series. Best or Worst MomentI was totally "spoiled" for that now infamous "SUZ breakdown scene" and I must say that it played out exactly like I thought it would. (And it was marvelously done.) But I think I'll pick the "morning after" scene to be my best moment. I really don't think Skinner has any misconceptions about what might or might not be going on between these two. At some point at the end of all of this, I think he'd be one of the surprised ones if these two don't get together. Closure
SummaryAgain, I feel guilty about not elevating this rating to an "Excellent" because I really think that the performances and the writing and the whole production itself really deserves it. So what's holding me back? I didn't think this provided closure - for Mulder or for myself. If this episode and the previous could somehow exist on their own outside of the X-Files world as we know it, I would have no trouble saying that it was tremendously well done and deserving of the highest accolades (despite the spiritual bent which I constantly have trouble with, but then that's just me). Within the X-Files world, however, I feel cheated and misled by the creators after my years of loyalty. To me, this is not the end of the Samantha thing, but maybe that's all CC wants to give us. How unfortunate. Best or Worst MomentThese two episodes (which I managed to see back to back due to my having been on vacation when they aired) have been a stupendous showcase for DD. I've marveled at how much he's continued to improve as an actor, with the result that any number of moments from these two eps could be highlighted as memorable. I have a soft spot for the coffee shop diary reading scene. He applied just the right amount of agonized control and GA responded magnificently in providing the same without benefit of too many lines. The result was one of the great all-time Mulder/Scully moments of the series. X-Cops
SummaryLet me first say that the way the storyline wrapped up was disappointing, but I have to base my views today on how this show continues to take chances and do something different this deep into its run. I thought it was an adventurous move that mainly succeeded. It was entertaining, realistic for a COPS outing, and Mulder and Scully were portrayed consistently as the type of people that we would suppose them to be in that sort of situation. I can always trust Vince Gilligan to know how to "write" M&S, even though I'm having trouble with his forays into "monster-land" this season. We've seen this one before, in both TXF and ST. I'm starting to wonder if everything at this point is in danger of being rehash? If it is, then we need more variety - like this episode - to effectively camouflage it. As a final thought, perhaps M&S should consider moving out to the California office, what with the amount of time they've spent out on the west coast over the past little while... Best or Worst MomentI liked the sequence where M&S are heading up the walk - back to Steve and Edie's I believe - and Mulder's doing some background narrative for the cameraman. Scully says, "Are you talking to me?" By this time, like it or not, they have both "settled" into the routine of having someone follow them while they work. First Person Shooter
SummaryDidn't like Kill Switch and in the end, I really didn't like this one any better. The final ten minutes made it worthy of a "Poor" rating. I'm giving it as high as "Average" because of the technical presentation - giving it high "repeat viewing value" - and because I had a weakness for the image of Mulder dressed in his VR finery. (Hell, is that any better or worse than the attitudes purported by the episode itself? I think not!) The writing was quite frankly bad in this ep, and I don't think I've ever accused TXF of that in even its worst episodes. In the end, this one failed for me because I just couldn't achieve that "willing suspension of disbelief". Every time I tried, something truly dumb in the script would snap me back to reality. Give me mothmen, werewolves, even aliens of the sort from Space, but God help me, I can't feel fear when the solution that would have prevented this whole episode from happening was as simple as pulling the plug out of the wall. If I were a total computer illiterate, maybe I could have bought it, but unfortunately I'm not. None of what happened made any sense. And about Ivan lamenting the fact that "it'll kill the whole program" - what? You don't keep backups? You, sir, are too stupid to be a computer geek. Best or Worst MomentThere were so many candidates for worst moment that I won't even go there. But where to find a best moment?? I suppose the only semblance of intelligent conversation has to get the nod. The sequence where Mulder and Scully talk about the merits of indulging in "shooting the crap out of everything" after her autopsy was interesting and brought back some nice memories of past conversations between these two. Theef
SummaryA strong showing of a good old-fashioned X-File with nice interaction between our two heroes. It was suitably creepy and well-paced. The occult theme wasn't a hard sell. I really liked the explanation that the guy at work here was "charmed", though. It made it more reassuring and believable in the sense that this is not something that the average Joe can just pick up and wreak havoc with...! I felt genuine sympathy for the doctor and could understand what motivated Peattie. (And I've also decided that being a landlady in the TXF world is equivalent to wearing the red sweaters of security on ST... eek!) On the negative side, I had a bit of trouble with the fact that while our backwoods country bumpkin didn't seem to understand the concept of microwave popcorn, he had no trouble actually using the machine. (I don't know about you, but I've met more than a few confusing microwave ovens in my time.) I also found the climax a bit contrived; it seemed so easy and convenient for the bad guy that he probably should have succeeded. But then where would we be next week? (Speaking of where we'll be, I still don't get why the writers keep sending our pair out to California, as there didn't seem to be much to this story that required any specific locale, but... anyway.) Best or Worst MomentI just have to pick the sequence in the bedroom when Mulder shows Scully the dirt on the bed and leads her into the whole voodoo magic theory. Expecting her to pooh-pooh the idea as usual, she surprises him by acquiescing, thus lending support to his previous comment that she continually keeps him guessing. I suppose Mulder was wondering what he'd done to deserve that benefit of the doubt, huh?? En Ami
SummaryA good ep in general because it was a character-driven story; a different flavor. But then I hear CC's voice saying that this is a plot driven show and believe me, this plot had some severe holes in it. That said, it was still a compelling story that held my attention for at least three quarters of the way. But then when you get a scene where an expert sniper has someone in his sight for several seconds - on two separate occasions at that - and he doesn't get his shot, you get pissed off at the unnecessary manipulation. Or at least I do. Other plot holes? Well, that crony of CSM's must have moonlighted back in the '60s as a CONTROL agent because unless he was in that mailbox when Scully dropped her envelope, there was no way that he could have had it in his hands fifteen seconds later. (What was even the point of that? Surely the mail system couldn't have delivered it to Mulder quick enough for him to care?) Was she drugged or wasn't she? And if she was, how? Did she finally accept a spiked lifesaver from him? Couldn't CSM have found an easier way to "intercept" Scully's email than to have access to her laptop? (The boys said that the deleted messages were on her hard drive; it's not like he was doing his magic remotely.) Oh, and were those extreme closeups of Scully's chest really necessary? Best or Worst MomentWith the season fast winding up, the show seems to be driving M&S apart more than bringing them together, despite Doctor CGB's astute statement regarding Scully's attraction to powerful men, etc., etc. (By the way, who are these "men"? Surely not Ed Jerse and Philip Padgett... or does Mulder constitute "men" in the plural because he's just that good??) Anyway, my pick for best moment was that silent scene in Mulder's apartment when they're doing the scan on the disk to find out that it's empty. Scully looks up at Mulder standing in the doorway but he won't return her forlorn gaze. I wouldn't be surprised if these two decide to call it quits as partners at the end of the "season". I think they've gotten to the point where their working relationship is preventing them from going forward personally. How's that for a potential series ender?? Chimera
SummaryWhat a relief not to feel overly critical of this one! David Amann finally comes up with one that breaks out of the subpar category for me. In the fashion of this season's earlier Rush ep, he doesn't much like to explain the real nature of the situations that he creates, but I could accept this one better than the "let's pour concrete into the cave" denouement of the former outing. It was a successful MOTW, and that says something given how these must be terribly difficult to write at this point in the show. In fact, I really didn't have too many problems with this one - didn't even miss Scully. The other characters were interesting enough (even in their stereotypes, but at least it wasn't the Agua Mala style of stereotyping) that I cared about their outcomes. The only thing I wondered about was the motivation of the Sheriff to find himself drawn to two such different women. It's fine that we're not privy to whatever has caused the marriage to go sour (obviously he doesn't care for her amazing efficiency) and I personally know people who are as warped as she is to want to preserve a relationship at whatever cost, but the fact of the husband sleeping with the wife's best friend as well as this rough-looking chick from the wrong side of the tracks seemed more for the sake of throwing the viewer off than a convincing reality that I could buy. Best or Worst MomentOutside of the obvious "shipper" moment (and it seems like there's now one of these in nearly every episode: people who tell either Mulder or Scully that love will conquer all), this was another of those eps where I was left with memorable images rather than whole moments. There were those admittedly fascinating shots of Mulder chewing gum and eating bacon(!)... the inexplicably unshaved face, the slightly self-conscious way in which he arrived to the breakfast table, and - wonderfully funny - during the conversation with Skinner, "No, really, what did I do?" all things
SummaryOne thought kept nagging at me as I watched this episode, "Do FBI agents have to undergo annual psych reviews?" I think Scully is overdue for hers.... Having recently read a lot of descriptions of Fox Mulder (Return to Me promos) as being "dour, unsmiling and moody", it occurred to me that I've never found Mulder to be that way, but Dana Scully has sure turned into this person. So was this episode to tell me that Gillian Anderson thinks so too and likes her that way?? No one was too likeable in this outing, least of all Scully. (By the way, are we to believe that an FBI pathologist knows more than the resident cardiologist regarding the best way to take care of a heart patient? And what kind of hospital is this where someone goes into cardiac arrest and a visitor takes over the revival process? I don't care that she's a doctor; that was just stupid.) Whatever went on between Scully and her "nth mentor that she fell for and slept with" I just didn't get, except that this man was at least partly responsible for making her as hard-nosed about science as she's been all these years. As for the "slow down and smell the roses" message, well, it wasn't all that convincing. I don't think Scully will change one iota after this - it's the nature of the show for the characters not to change, so why have them take these elaborate walks down these intricately decorated halls of life? And the bit about fate and how/why things are as they are or are meant to be? See Monday and Field Trip. So what good thing do I have to say about this ep? I respect the overall effort enough to give it an "average" rating, but God help me, let there not be an eighth season where we'll see more eps from the cast... Best or Worst MomentThe opening scene during the credits was strangely reminiscent of DD's ep last season, albeit at the opposite end of the temperature scale. Which in itself is not bad - the beginning of Never Again was just that and it was no less effective. This time, however, I really wanted Mulder to say, "Look, Scully, when you figure out what it is you want out of life, you call me. Maybe I'll still care." Harsh? I don't know. I'm sorta late coming into this "What's up with Scully?" psychoanalysis, but I must admit it's getting hard to ignore. If she didn't want to be there on a Saturday, she could have stayed home and taken her bath or whatever. What's with the bitchy victimized martyr treatment? The way this scene played out took away from whatever enjoyment I may have gotten from the closing scene. (And as for the veiled implication that they may have had sex - I don't think so, but honestly? I'd be totally appalled, under the circumstances. After this episode, I'd almost question why Mulder ever wants to spend more than five minutes with her.) Brand X
SummarySo, ex-Harsh Realm writers are now infiltrating... All in all this one was suitably icky. (When I saw that glass of bloody water, it brought back strong memories of Poltergeist II, even though the guys here had nothing on Craig T. Nelson who eventually had to cough up something roughly the size of a cow.) I appreciated the originality of the story itself, but the telling of it was decidedly "off". The pacing was odd; too slow at the beginning and then seemingly not enough time to give the ending a decent treatment. But can someone tell me why this guy Weaver was continually being given the Brand X cigarettes?? I mean, I didn't quite understand if all the company bigwigs knew the full implications of the effect of the smoke - although Voss certainly seemed to indicate that he knew by recoiling when Weaver threatened to light up in front of him. But if they knew, why did they keep giving them to this guy?? I don't buy the idea that it was to keep him from squealing because they already had that problem in a bigger and more credible way in the person of Scobie. Oh and I hated the last scene with the allusion to a Cigarette Smoking Mulder. How the hell much nicotine did they give him anyway and why wouldn't they foresee this nasty side effect?? Moreover, if he bought a pack coming in to work after two weeks on his own, what's to say that he hasn't been smoking up a storm during his recuperation? That was just silly. (And yes, it barely takes a grade five education to "get" the connection to the whole Darth Vader thing, but I don't even want to go there.) Best or Worst MomentThe worst - prolonged - moment was seeing Skinner stand there with his gun on Weaver. The best moment otherwise was Mulder's return comment to the legal eagles regarding not violating the FBI's confidentiality. I think I've been encountering these same types of folks in my RL life recently. Hollywood A.D.
SummaryIn a season where change is a good thing, it was a relief to get something like this, a throwback to Darin Morgan's off-beat treatments with a satirical bent and snappy writing. DD even knows how to write bad stuff "well"! I know that this one isn't going to get the mass approval that The Unnatural may have gotten, but I'm glad that I was able to enjoy this. (I read a comment from someone who stated that DD must have had a lot of "help" in writing TU because this one was so far off the mark. Well, I don't see how one can miss the same sharp dialogue that pervades both episodes. Whether or not one likes both is, of course, determined by personal taste, but to me, the consistency of the writing behind them is indisputable.) As in TU, I love how distinctly the other characters are fleshed out - when they speak, you know what individual inflections to expect; the dialogue is not interchangeable the way it is sometimes in a lesser writer's hands. By the way, I think it's funny how some fans are so expert at knowing M&S and Skinner that they claim they were "out of character" in the hilarious bathtub scene. None of these three would ever be able to enjoy a simple human pleasure like taking a bubble bath in a ritzy hotel, right? They're professional and business-like ALL THE TIME, right? I think it's safe to say that we have not ever received a lot of background into what these people do off-duty to make any sort of assumptions as to what is or is not in character for them. Oh well. I've already read some vitriolic comments regarding "worst ep ever". This was so intentionally tongue-in-cheek, that for anyone to take it so seriously that they seem to be frothing at the mouth about it makes me want to laugh even more... and I'm already laughed out. Best or Worst MomentBefore I forget, thank you, David, for restoring my faith in the Mulder/Scully relationship. I thought it was dead in the water a few weeks ago, but now I think that I can go back to considering that she might just love the guy after all. Best moment? The Shandling/Mulder exchange regarding which side he dresses on, because I was so engrossed in their conversation that I completely missed the "Scully running" demonstration in the background! A close second would have to be Mulder's follow-up to Skinner's "It's still me, Mulder" when he couldn't get the phone line to switch properly. Rather than being the least bit embarrassed or horrified or whatever, he merely reconnected to Scully properly and repeated his original line. Fight Club
SummaryHoly f***, this was bad! Made all the more unfortunate by the fact that I happen to find Kathy Griffin one of the most irritating actors ever. (Her guest stint on Seinfeld really started it for me. She is annoying like all hell.) I am so tempted to give this one less than zero because I was not set up in the least to care anything about what was said or done here. These people aren't identical twins but look exactly alike? They're not even alternate universe travellers? (Which might have been a neat explanation of the chaos they cause... I didn't much like the Alternative Factor episode of ST, but I didn't dislike it as much as I dislike this.) I didn't even find M&S's initial sequence amusing... it was just weird. Was the deal with bringing out Steve and Arlene to see if CC could sell the show without his two real stars, because this episode was also so M&S light that I wondered what I was watching at times. I can see why something that was written by CC would get made, period (regardless of how bad), but how on earth did this one get placed anywhere near sweeps period? I cringe at the thought of anyone watching this as anything other than a seasoned viewer. This one is - without a doubt - among the top three TXF bottom feeders of all time. Best or Worst MomentI laughed three times during this episode, which is definitely more than normal, but each time I wondered what sort of flavour CC was trying to aim for with it. The first time was when Mulder got sucked down into the manhole. (Just a good sight gag, that's all. Wonder if DD requested it as a way to "disappear" from this God-awful episode?) The second time was during Scully's interview with Damphousse when he gives her the "what makes you so special" jibe. The third was when I saw Scully's beat-up face at the end. By the time I saw Mulder's face, however, the scene had become truly appalling. And that was as good as this one ever got. Je Souhaite
Summary"I'm all right, don't nobody worry about me" - Kenny Loggins describes Mulder perfectly as he sits back with his Cheshire Cat smile. That aside, I must admit to being torn about rating this one. I had issues about the topic being treated so lightly with stereotypically stupid supporting characters, especially as it might be the second last TXF ep to appear on regular TV and I'm getting increasingly antsy about going out on a high note. Decided to give it the benefit of the doubt, however, since it hit a few significant high points, most notably the final scene of Jen sitting back and watching the world go by as she has a coffee. The concept of appreciating the simple things in life is a favourite theme of mine. (By the way, as a supporting character, I liked her. And I totally agree with her perception of people being stupid because I've been saying that for ages and I haven't even had the advantage of her five hundred years on this earth. However, most people aren't stupid in the way that these brothers were, and that's where I had a bit of a problem with the characterization.) For me, the main trouble with this ep was that wish-making really isn't a totally frivolous activity (suspension of disbelief notwithstanding). For example, it's hard to believe that with the possibility of any type of wish being granted that Mulder wouldn't have wanted a final moment with his mother, or, quite frankly, to have his mother or his sister be alive again. Was there something in that type of wish that wouldn't have been altruistic enough? Maybe it should have been made clear that Jen didn't have the power to bring back the dead - I certainly could have done without the scene where Dumb and Dumber were reunited. Overall, while most of the laughs were fine, I just thought the subject matter deserved a less cavalier treatment. It would have made for a stronger ep, quite possibly along the lines of Monday. Best or Worst MomentAbout time Mulder goes "Ohh!" in aggravation when Scully decides to backtrack YET AGAIN on what she might have seen as being anything other than "what it was". Give it up, lady, you've seen too much to stay a skeptic. As was opined a couple of eps ago, "You're crazy for not believing what he believes." Requiem
SummaryTurns out we don't have to organize a requiem for CC's creativity after all. Despite what we saw two weeks ago, his heart hasn't left the show, at least not with this outing. For a "throw everyone into this hour, we may not have another chance to come back" effort, this was a tightly paced episode, full of passion and spirit and a slightly heavy-hearted reminder that life is ever-changing. I will forgive the consistent error throughout that M&S have only been together for as long as we have been watching the series (their original 1992 visitation of Oregon is actually eight years ago, not seven), but regardless of actual numbers, it must have been an eye-opener for them to return and find new lives, growth, and relative normality. And what have the past seven or eight years been to them? Have they enjoyed any such simplicity as picking a life partner, settling down and starting a family? No, they've more or less been eliminated from playing that game. Or have they? If I have any bone to pick with this one, it's this whole pregnancy thing. Whether this baby is a normal (presumably Mulder) baby - in which case, did she have an egg left somewhere in her system that they didn't take or did CSM orchestrate some act of "putting back"?? - or whether they play it up to be some other type of baby, I don't see a future where Mom and Pop Scully and Mulder head off to big screen adventures while leaving baby at home. Whatever it turns out to be, it's gotta go, despite the potentially horrifying angst that would cause. That's just my opinion. Best or Worst MomentIn the style of Redux II, CC gave us some wonderfully tender moments between Mulder and Scully. As soon as Mulder uttered his first line of "It's not worth it, Scully", I felt my vision blurring. (Maybe it was Mark Snow's music; first time in a long time I've found myself paying attention to it.) I actually haven't had too many moments in this series where I've felt such emotion, especially in a scene that wasn't meant to be particularly distressing. Nice sendoff, CC. And Mulder - we'll be missin' ya like crazy. Come back soon. ... back to top
Overall Rating: 2.73 out of 4Isn't it always the case that when you go back to watch episodes again, some are better than you initially thought them to be and some are just worse? I must admit that the summer of "post season seven" has been quite dark for me... I've encountered more that I've felt are worse rather than better. Combined with the nasty news regarding the possibilities for the upcoming year, quite frankly, I'm ready to leave it all behind. The only thing keeping me on board on a part-time basis this upcoming year is DD's part-time involvement. Otherwise, this fan is on a downward slide from a five year TXF high, let me tell you! Worst / BestOkay, so what were the highlights and lowlights of Season Seven? Easy pick for absolute worst is Fight Club but there actually are a few runners-up that - upon completion of that all-important repeat viewing - are almost as aggravating. Orison, Signs & Wonders, First Person Shooter and all things are all considerably harder on the nerves the second time around. (In other words, if I were doing the ratings now, I'd be downgrading the ratings of each of the above by one notch.) And by the way, I'm betting that if you watch Orison together with all things, you might just start wondering if indeed God is talking to Scully... at the very least you'll think that GA likes the idea. I also encountered several so-so eps that really don't provide any subsequent viewing appeal: Theef, The Amazing Maleeni, and Brand X to name a few. Best ep? I still have to go with The Goldberg Variation. Out of the three episodes that I gave "excellent" ratings to, GV was the one that had the convincing and interesting x-file component. It was also sweet, touching, and real in terms of characterization. It wasn't edgy in the way that many TXF episodes usually are, but I think the fact that I didn't miss the edginess says a lot. I'm still amazed that one and the same writer put out two such opposing episodes (in terms of quality) in a single season. Most Disappointing / Most SurprisingMost disappointing ep is a little harder to pin down, because it's not often that I have such high expectations of any specific ep - basically, I just know better than to do that - that I get shattered by the reality of it being the pits. That said, this year's Orison and Closure were both a little disappointing for me. The former for the fact that it was simply not well executed as a follow-up to a very good episode and the latter for the fact that I had hoped for something less elusive and more conclusive. But all told, I was totally disappointed by the lack of believability in First Person Shooter, for all the eye candy appeal of that episode and for all the "talented" writers behind it. (Oh, and for anyone wondering about Fight Club, I wasn't disappointed by that ep, merely disgusted that it got made.) Most surprising? Hollywood A.D., definitely. I was cringing on the sidelines as news came out that DD had indeed not been kidding when he said that he'd cast Leoni and Shandling in his episode. (And I have nothing against these people, it was just that I thought DD was once again making himself a bullseye target for the masses out there who have severe problems with every breath he takes and every word he utters. I have since come to the conclusion that he probably couldn't care less about those people.) Everything that I heard about the episode - and granted, I tried to hear as little was possible - prepared me for the worst. And it turned out that I was very pleasantly surprised. Go figure. ... back to top |
The Sixth Extinction
Other Reviews: Season 1
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