Welcome Back X-Files Fans!
Season 5
Wow! Where to start? Season 5 gives the fans only 20 shows instead of the traditional 22-25 but what good shows they were. The X-Files series is thick in conspiracy: Mulder has lost two "deep throats" to this point, Scully has cancer, the fans learn the origin of The Lone Gunmen, we get more episodes that feature Alex Krycek and the Smoking Man, Scully learns of her "daughter"and we are introduced to Cassandra Spender, Agent Jeffrey Spender, Arthur Dales, Faceless Aliens, and a cute little "special" boy named Gibson Praise. Again, it was absolutely impossible to narrow the choice to one so, chicken me, selected two and even that was tough!
Season 5, Episode 11: Kill Switch
Original Air Date: 15 February 1998
Original, fearless, shit blows-up - a lot, Scully gets to shoot her gun, which you never get to see, and Agent Mulder is trapped both physically and psychologically in a computer. Totally cool. The Lone Gunmen help Mulder and Scully and learn about an artificial intelligence that has deadly intentions.
Season 5, Episode 18: The Pine Bluff Variant
Original Air Date: 3 May 1998
I absolutely loved this show. Really FBI work mixed with Scully paranoia. Mulder is keeping a deep uncover assignment to himself and Scully, with all that has happened to her, is beginning to lose it. In all honesty, if half of have has happened to Scully happened to a 'real' person, they would have lost it a long time ago. Anyway...back at the ranch... Scully's intelligence and intuition has trumped her growing paranoia of 'trust no one' which, of course, helps her to maintain and learn the actual game. Additionally, this show had awesome special effects with the bodies in the movie theater. Kudos there.
My favorite part, however, is when Mulder gets head-butts the guy causing him pain who then gets up and breaks his thump - ouch! That hold scene rocks. I have watched just that scene several times for the intensity, which it still brings.
Addendum: I know that The Post-Modern Prometheus is at the top of everyone's X-Files list but I am really trying to hold true to my rules - two or less favorites per season. Besides, us women, only watching the ending over and over again, right?
Season 6
The season that David, rumor has it, got the show moved from Vancouver, BC to L.A. so he could be closer to his new blushing-bride. While Canadian fans burned X-File memorabilia in effigy, other fans from around the world awaited the new season with trepidation. However, to everyone's joyous discovery, this is one of the best seasons yet. The fans get access to never-seen-before actors such as Lily Tomlin, Ed Asner, John Hawkes, and a re-introduction of Raymond J. Barry as Sen. Matheson (and the question if even he can be trusted). So, once again, to select even just two shows from twenty-two was difficult but they are:
Season 6, Episode 6: How the Ghosts Stole Christmas
Original Air Date: 13 December 1998
Original, a dark comedy (which DD seems to like) and stars two of Hollywood's legendary actors that takes place in a haunted house but not on Halloween. What more could you want?
But my all-time favorite scene and subsentquently the reason I selected this show is the ghost Maurice's psychoanalyzing of Mulder. This has to be some of the best dialog written in the nine years of the series.
MAURICE: Why don't you have a seat, son.
(Short time later. MULDER is sitting with his face in his hands.)
MAURICE: You drink? Take drugs?
MULDER: No.
MAURICE: Get high?
MULDER: No.
MAURICE: Are you overcome by the impulse to make everyone believe you?
(MULDER looks up at him in surprise.)
MAURICE: I'm in the field of mental health. I specialize in disorders and manias related to pathological behavior as it pertains to the paranormal.
MULDER: Wow. I didn't know such a thing existed.
MAURICE: My specialty is in what I call soul prospectors-- a crossaxial classification I've codified by extensive interaction with visitors like yourself. I've found you all tend to fall into pretty much the same category.
MULDER: And what category is that?
MAURICE: Narcissistic, overzealous, self-righteous egomaniac.
MULDER: That's a category?
MAURICE: You kindly think of yourself as single-minded but you're prone to obsessive compulsiveness workaholism, antisocialism... Fertile fields for the descent into total wacko breakdown.
MULDER: I don't think that pegs me exactly.
MAURICE: Oh, really? Waving a gun around my house? Huh? Raving like a lunatic about some imaginary brick wall?
(MULDER looks over at … the brick wall in the doorway.)
MAURICE: You've probably convinced yourself you've seen aliens. You know why you think you see the things you do?
MULDER: Because I have seen them?
MAURICE: 'Cause you're a lonely man. A lonely man chasing paramasturbatory illusions that you believe will give your life meaning and significance and which your pathetic social maladjustment makes impossible for you to find elsewhere. You probably consider yourself passionate, serious, misunderstood. Am I right?
MULDER: "Paramasturbatory"?
MAURICE: Most people would rather stick their fingers in a wall socket than spend a minute with you.
MULDER: All right, now just, uh... Just back off for a second.
MAURICE: Spend every Christmas this way... Alone?
MULDER: (confident) I'm not alone.
MAURICE: More self-delusion.
MULDER: No, I came here with my partner. She's somewhere in the house.
MAURICE: Behind a brick wall?
(MULDER smiles and nods.)
MAURICE: How'd you get her to come with you? Steal her car keys?
(MULDER drops his smile.)
MAURICE: You know why you do it-- listen endlessly to her droning rationalizations. 'Cause you're afraid. Afraid of the loneliness. Am I right?
MULDER: I'd just like to find my partner.
MAURICE: Good... Easy. Piece of cake.
(MAURICE gets up and walks through the clear doorway. He turns back to face MULDER.)
MAURICE: Brick wall (indicates doorway) ... Or brick wall? (points to his head) Go ahead, change your life.
(MULDER gets up and starts to walk through the now clear doorway. He runs into an invisible wall which we quickly perceive as the brick wall again. MAURICE is now out of sight. MULDER turns to see the now dark library which quickly cuts to SCULLY's version of the library.)
SCULLY: Mulder?
Season 6, Episode 18: Milagro
Original Air Date: 18 April 1999
Chris Carter written and Kim Manners directed one of my all-time favorite episodes. If you haven't already, listen to the commentary by Manners as the show is playing. There is absolutely no flaws in this show and they could not have cast a better actor for Philip Padgett than John Hawkes who develops an obsession with Scully and moves into Mulder's building in order to be closer to her.
This show is beyond-classic thriller. What gets stuffed into this 42:30 minute show is unreal and how it ends is incredible and fantastic. We get to see Scully's vulnerable side, Mulder's brain just a working away on solve yet another X-File mystery and one of the best moments between Mulder and Scully to close out the scene. Major Kudos. CC, KM, and JH's kung fu is the best!
Addendum: I know that one show(s) that ends up on everyone's top ten X-Files list is Dreamland I and II. I liked it as well. But, again, sticking to my own rules, no more than two shows from the season, and that I happened to like a couple of others a little better, it did not list them.
Secondly, I have to mentioned couple of scenes from The Rain King. I have watched a couple of scenes repeatedly (as oppose to the entire show) because they are just soooo good. One was the look on Mulder's face when he realized that a cow was about to enter his motel room via the roof. There is NO other episode does Mulder give that same "Oh Shit" look. It was just perfect.
The other scene is when Daryl Mootz takes a swing at Mulder after stating "What does he have that I don't have?" with the scene ending with a kiss from Sheila Fontaine and Scully and the weather man walking 'in' on them.
Season 7
I like this season just for the fact we get a little deeper in Scully's character. We feel for her cancer and by this time the feature film Fight The Future so she has been abducted, again, she has lost her father (season 1), her sister (season 3) and losses her "daughter" and has a brother who hates Mulder. So, who was Scully before the X-Files? Also, now entrenched in the X-Files and follows Mulder around like a lost puppy sometimes, can she go solo. Well, season 7 gives the fans a new insight to Scully and adds some tension to the Mulder/Scully relationship. Now, this is also a big season for Mulder and his driving-force for doing what and how he does. With that, my first selection is:
Season 7, Episode 11: Closure
Original Air Date: 13 February 2000
Mulder meets Harold Piller, a police psychic, and begins the search for a missing little girl and ends with the pair discovering the truth about Samantha. Scully and even the Cigarette Smoking Man aid in learning the melancholy truth. However, we learn of Samantha's faith but we do not learn how or why. As a true X-Files, the show leaves more questions than answers.
Season 7, Episode 15: En Ami
Original Air Date: 19 March 2000
Scully gets sneaky with Mulder and with the Cigarette Smoking Man of all people. When Mulder finally learns of Scully's secret trip, he is beyond pissed-off at her. I like this show though because Scully takes a chance, without Mulder, keeps it from him and reveals the hypocrisy of Mulder can do anything he wants with or without Scully's knowledge but when she turns the tables, he ain't a fan. Of course, the data tape that she risked everything for becomes the physical proof for Mulder to say "I told yea so" - that no one can trust the Smoking Man.
Season 7, Episode 17: All Things
Original Air Date: 9 April 2000
Love this show. Written and directed by Gillian (with CC in the wings helping out when she asked). She writes Mulder out of the majority of the show so it can focus on Gillian and her past - and what a great, real-life past. It shows that she is human, had hard-choices to make, and old wounds can heel. Most importantly, her entire life does not need to revolve around Mulder and his never-ending chase for the truth. Scully can take time to reflect and accept - a healthy part of life.
Yes, I picked three shows. Deal with it.
Season 8
Lots of changes. People do not like change - especially fans. It did not matter who they found to "replace" Mulder, the fans were having none of it. Well, life goes and although I am proponent of ending a show when it is up and especially when one of the main characters exits, I have to give major Kudos to Chris and the team for pulling this season off. It was a lose-lose situation and they came out winners, in my humble opinion. Not all shows were good - some were even, well, not so good but Robert Patrick (got a love a guy who has two first names) just rocks.
He is smart, witty, funny, mature, and an all-around nice guy. Robert also came into the show knowing the odds and they weren't good. The fact he made this show happened not one but for two more season, major Kudos!
Now, for the season selection.
Season 8, Episode 2: Without
Original Air Date: 12 November 2000
I like road trips. It gets the gang out of that dank office and into some sun for a roll with the aliens and their conspirators. Scully, Skinner and Doggett travel to the toasty stat of Arizona to protect our favorite half-boy half-alien, Gibson Praise who is being chased by yet, another favorite character, the Alien Bounty Hunter but this time is disguised as the missing Mulder. Good times.
How can you not like this show? Doggett had clues before, because he is of course smart and an x-cop, that FBI and his new boss, FBI Deputy Director Alvin Kersh ain't all cherries and roses. When Skinner finally clues him in on 'being on the outside looking in', Doggett realizes he is on his own and the game is a foot. And the taste -the sweet but bitter taste of Scully being so close to finding Mulder, yet so far. Not knowing who to trust - not even old friends. Dealing with Shape-shifters, bounty hunters, and trying to figure out who is on who's side, is a daunting task for anyone. However, both Agent Doggett and Scully are able to stay a head of the game.
Season 8, Episode 17: Empedocles
Original Air Date: 22 April 2001
Empedocles is a solid, well-written and played episode that explores more in earnest Doggett's back-story. This is the only time that you'll see all four of the agents working on a monster of the week case together, though Scully is in the hospital most of the time. This episode offers humor with the "pizza man" and serious conflict between Agent Doggett and Mulder. You can sense a hint of jealous with Mulder and that Doggett has basically taken over the X-Files. The only problem I have with the show is that it falls on the heels of Mulder's being driven insane by a piece of paper with an "alien" rubbing and an abduction that was pretty tough to watch the first couple of times around. Mulder has been through all of this and Scully's baby and still can jump back into the game. Well, I guess that is why they call it the X-Files.
Season 9
Last Season - sigh. However, the show did good. Of course, die-hard fans will watch just about anything X-Files related but with both Scully and Mulder gone, there is no point. As good as the 'other' two agents are - they ain't them and it is time to let the sleepy dog lie. Given this, the obvious selection for my favorite Season 9 episode(s) is:
Season 9, Episode 19: The Truth: Parts 1 & 2
Original Air Date: 19 May 2002
A military tribunal. How fitting in today's world. In the X-Files world, however, it was a nice way to revisit the past, sprinkle in some missing details, and sum it all up. It was like watching an X-Files version of "This is You Life" and it played well. I think the fans were mostly satisfied with how it "ended". With Mulder and Scully as fugitives - last seen spooning in an Arizona's motel room - of course it leaves the series open for movies (which will be getting in less than 24 hours).
Sidebar: DD will be appearing on Letterman tonight and Regis tomorrow morning. I have already seen him on Jay Leno. He will not reveal anything about the movie but many share some bizarre "daddy" moments.
See Yea At The Movies!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment