Anasazi

There is so much going on in this ep I don't even know where to start. The mythology kicks into overdrive, and so does the UST.

A quick run-down:



Mulder's water has been contaminated, and it's making him violent.

He looses his temper at work, when he thinks he's found his holy grail, only to find the file is essentially gibberish. He throws things and kicks his garbage can! Scully tries to calm him, by suggesting hopefully that it looks like Navajo.



He even loses it on Skinner, not only calling him out on another bullshit assignment (after both M & S complaining about the last two), but taking a swing at him!!! Skinner shows him who's boss.



The authorities call Scully in to discipline her. For, you know, not having control of him or something. Christ Carter makes a gleeful appearance to shed some light on this weird little world he's created.



DIRECTOR 1: Do you have any explanation as to agent Mulder's, bizarre behavior?
S: No sir. Agent Mulder told me he was having trouble sleeping.
DIRECTOR 1: Do you think agent Mulder confides in you agent Scully?
S: Of course, he's my partner.
Chris Carter: Your partner. Weren't you originally assigned to agent Mulder to debunk his work?
S: Yes sir. A year and a half ago. I've been writing regular reports stating the validity of agent Mulder's work on The X-Files.
Chris Carter: Would you lie to protect him?
S: (yes, obviously!) Am I accused of lying?

Notice how she said 'stating the validity' of Mulder's work; not 'questioning' or 'undermining' his work. Even her reports reflect that she's on his side (and secretly she may have come to believe in certain things about aliens).

Mulder doesn't show up at work after his fist fight with Skinner. Scully goes to check up with him at his place; I love it any time she just lets herself into Mulder's apartment. He's sleeping so he doesn't hear her come in- he nearly pulls his gun on her! They have a face off of sorts anyway:



M: I came home. I must be running a fever. Maybe it's the threat of being burnt at the stake.

S: Mulder, you opened the door for them, they're just looking for a good reason now.
M: (sarcastically) Okay, I'll say I'm sorry.
S: Mulder, these files. Who knows you have them.?
M: Why?
S: Because I had to lie today. And I put my job in jeopardy in order to do so.

Mulder tapes an X to his window. Maybe that will help. Scully checks back later that night, but Mulder is gone. Instead, she gets shot at!



Meanwhile, CSM is paying a visit to .... Mulder's Dad!?!? Not only are they acquainted, but they go way, way back... and hint at Mr. Mulder's sinister history. God, the plot thickens. Even more so if you already know that Mr.Mulder isn't actually Mulder's.. dad...



Mr.Mulder has always felt guilt about the 'project', but now there is a good chance he is going to be found out. So he decides to man up and tell his son the truth before he can hear it from someone else. He even hugs Mulder when he arrives, which tells you how bad the news is.

Never gets to tell him though, because this happens:



Sonuvabitch.

I don't think I need to tell you how traumatic this is for Mulder. He does the only thing he can think of; call Scully.

M: I can't leave the crime scene, it'll look like I'm running, make me look guilty.
S: Mulder they're gonna suspect you anyway, you've got no ID on the shooter, you, your behavior has been irrational recently, Mulder can't you see that everything is pointing directly at you?



M: He was shot with somebody else's weapon.
S: Damn it Mulder, you're an FBI agent, you have access to weapons other than your own!
M: All right. Meet me back at my apartment.
S: No. No you can't come home. Someone shot through your window tonight, they almost killed me, they might be trying to kill you.

Mulder is so messed up at this point, he actually falls into Scully's arms when he walks through the door! LOL score!



Scully starts taking his jacket off for him and directs him to lay down, pulling him into her bedroom... LOL double score!



When he wakes up the next morning...



..RST? No, just kidding. Scully is gone; she having Mulder's gun checked out. She wants to clear him of suspicion, but Mulder's still on his violent rampage and yells at her, believing she's become the enemy.

M: What were you afraid that I was gonna shoot you too.?
S: Mulder, I'm being called into Skinners office this afternoon, they're gonna want answers and I'd like some good ones to give them.
M: So you can clear your conscience and your name?! You've been making reports on me since the beginning Scully, taking your little notes!
S: Mulder you're sick, you're not thinking straight, I'm on your side. You know that.
M: Look you have my files and you have my gun. Don't ask me for my trust (hangs up on her).

No telling what Mulder does for the rest of the day. The next scene is at night; he's returned to his apartment finally. Maybe he hit the local bar. He notices Krycek sneaking around.



Krycek is a dead man!

Except... Scully is also on the scene. She tries to convince Mulder not to kill Krycek (though if he killed my Dad, I'd kill him too). Mulder won't listen and Scully... shoots him? What? OMG. Later she explains; "If you killed Krycek with that weapon there would have been no way to prove that you didn't kill your father." OK, I guess.



She manages to get Mulder into a car and drives for 2 days him all the way to New Mexico!! When he finally wakes up, she's fussing over him again, giving him pillows and water.



Check out his face when Scully tells him there was LSD being pumped into his apartment's drinking supply.



We meet Albert Hosteen, who is possibly the most interesting and unlikely return character of all time. I love this guy.

ALBERT: You're lucky she's a good shot.
M: (smiling) Or a bad one.



At this point, M & S share one of those looks that, seriously, (and I don't normally talk like this) you only see on people who love each other. I don't have to mean "Love", but undeniably, there is an effing lot of love in this room. Hell, not only is Mulder not angry with Scully for shooting him, but he actually thanks her for taking care of him! This whole entire ep has been about caring for each other. Looking after each other. Protecting each other. You know, the usual Mulder and Scully stuff.



Scully has to go back right away. In driving unconscious Mulder across the country, she missed an important meeting with Skinner. She'll be hung for this.

S: There's something else. My name is in those files. It appears in the latest entries with Duane Barry's.
M: In what context.?
S: It's not clear, but it has something to do with a test. I want you to find out Mulder. I need you to.

Mulder is left to go check out a buried box car in the desert, filled with alien bodies. The season finale's cliffhanger ending comes in the form of M & S on the phone; Mulder cuts off- CSM has shown up to destroy the evidence and the man who is responsible for its leakage.



CANCERMAN: Nothing vanishes without a trace... Burn it.

Let's Rank Season Two!

In order of my personal enjoyment:

One Breath - Glen Morgan / James Wong
Sleepless - Howard Gordon
Ascension - Paul Brown
Little Green Men - GM / JW
Irresistible - Chris Carter
Anasazi - CC
Dod Kalm - HG
End Game - Frank Spotnitz
Die Hand Die Verletzt - GM / JW
Duane Barry - CC
The Host - CC
Humbug - Darin Morgan
Colony - CC
Aubrey - Sara B Charno
Firewalker - HG
Soft Light - Vince Gilligan
Our Town - Frank Spotnitz
Red Museum - CC
The Calusari - Sara B Charno
Fresh Bones - HG
Blood - GM / JW
Excelsis Dei - Paul Brown
Fearful Symmetry - Steve De Jarnatt
F. Emasculata - CC /HG
3 - Chris Ruppenthal / GM / JW

And Shippiness:

Irresistible - CC
Anasazi - CC
One Breath - GM / JW
Sleepless - HG
Dod Kalm - HG
The Host - CC
Little Green Men - GM / JW
Firewalker - HG
End Game - Frank Spotnitz
Red Museum - CC
Aubrey - Sara B Charno
Die Hand Die Verletzt - GM / JW
Humbug - Darin Morgan
Colony - CC
Our Town - Frank Spotnitz
Duane Barry - CC
Blood - GM / JW
Excelsis Dei - Paul Brown
Soft Light - Vince Gilligan
the Calusari - Sara B Charno
Fearfull Symmetry - Steve De Jarnatt
F.Emasculata - CC / HG
Fresh Bones - HG
3 - Chris Ruppenthal / GM / JW

Our Town

Twice this season, TXF has reminded me of why I am so grateful to be a vegetarian! First of all, the chicken processing plant here is effing gross, especially when the chick from Corner Gas falls into the chicken-leftover goo that they feed to their chickens (not fiction BTW). And second of all, until the end of the episode, the chicken goo is determined to be how the disease is passed on to everyone in the town. Just like BSE in cows. Uhh.. exactly like BSE. Nasty.

S: I just came up with a sick theory, Mulder.
M: (very intrigued!) Ooh, I’m listening.

So what the hell is Scully doing eating their chicken after they have come up with that hypothesis??



Knowing from the beginning this isn't a paranormal case, Scully is defensive again about why they have it. Just like in F.Emasculata, she feels their work is being undermined because of an obviously ordinary case.



Mulder begs to differ. He thinks it's foxfire. Scully thinks it's a bonfire. Scully's right. Sorry Mulder.

They get a lucky break when their car is run off the road. They are inspired to dredge the disgusting plant-runoff river for body parts. They find tons of bodies.



Upon closer inspection, the bones reveal they have been boiled. Mulder's new theory is cannibalism! And the whole town is in on it!



I like the man who owns the chicken plant. An interesting fellow, but also seemingly reasonable. Very matter-of-fact, even about autopsying his own Granddaughter. Even more interesting is that he's leading the town in a cannibalistic ritual he's imported from New Guinea.

So they aren't necessarily getting the disease from eating chicken, but from eating each other (or at least their rotten, cheating husbands!).

And eating outsiders. It becomes clear M & S have to be taken care of. Scully's kidnapped and is brought to a huge bonfire for slaughter!



Scully says: This is the worst season ever! Let Mulder play victim for a minute! Can't he get shot or something? ;)

Mulder to the rescue once more. It's a shame I'm getting a bit sick of the formula, because it's a great rescue scene. Mulder pries Scully's head from a vice, then to demonstrate how hot duct tape is, Scully uses her best 'oh!' face. What I need here is an animation, actually...



Mulder touches her head and pulls her hair out of her face, a surprisingly tender moment for such an otherwise ordinary episode.

Soft Light

Vince Gilligan debuts! I like the shadow-becomes-black-hole idea very very much! Though you could nitpick the hell out of this one if you really wanted to. Like how does his shadow reach under the door?

And why is Scully suddenly a feminist? Part of what makes gender (or race, or sexuality) equality truly work it not calling attention to it. That's why Scully is such a strong character; she doesn't have to prove that she's as good as Mulder, she just is. And also, how could she have taught anyone if she herself was fresh out of the academy in the Pilot? Plus her student was 30; about the same age as Scully (not that that's impossible, it just seems less likely)

Forgetting all of that, the episode has a few gems. Like M & S going over their theories.

S: Spontaneous human combustion?
M: I have over a dozen case files of human bodies reduced to ash without any attendant burning or melting. Rapid oxidation without heat.
S: Let's just forget for the moment that there's no scientific theory to support it.
M: OK. (walks into the elevator, leaving her standing there)



Or Mulder's introduction to Scully's former student.

RYAN: (to Mulder) Heard a lot about you.
M: (to Scully playfully) We'll talk later.
S:(smiles sheepishly- busted!)



Or a great reference to Victor Tooms!

RYAN: Agent Scully, what are you looking at?
S: Uh, the heat register.
RYAN: You don't think anyone could have squeezed in there?
M: You never know

Squeezed, har har har! Whatever, I'm easily amused. Also lots of elevator UST. Because all elevators= UST.



M: Check this out. My newest tool in the fight against crime - $49.95 at your local hardware store.(He produces a red flashlight from his pocket and shines a red light on the fixture, which shows the outline of some fingerprints.)
S: Neat trick. For your birthday, I'll buy you a utility belt.



Have you noticed yet I don't have much to say about this episode? Sorry! I guess I'm just keeping my nasty comments to myself.

Mostly I just don't like Scully getting all Germaine Greer on us.

M: That leaves us with 3 days of train station videotapes to cross-reference and hopefully find out who this guy is.
S: That's assuming we're looking for a guy.



What is that about? Even Mulder pauses and looks put-off for a sec before he continues. But she does this all through the episode and it's getting on my nerves!

Even after her student turns on them, Scully is still doing the feminist thing and defending her. Mulder, perhaps momentarily having a greater sense of loyalty to their partnership, loses interest in helping Ryan out. (oh I just noticed her last name is a man's name. Intentional commentary about a woman being in the man's world of law enforcement?)

S: She's a woman trying to survive the boys' club, Mulder. Believe me, I know how she feels.
M: The difference is you never put yourself ahead of your work, and that's what happening here.
S: Look. The fact is, we have no jurisdiction here. We were called in as a favor.
M: And as a favor, we just handed over the A-bomb over to the Boy Scouts.

Who hand the 'A-Bomb' over to X. Because he kicks ass and gets what he wants. Of course... Mulder is the one who led X to the scientist with the black hole shadow. I actually think it's his fault, but he doesn't have to know that.



I'm not even sorry when Ryan dies. Interestingly, she is the only person the scientist kills intentionally with his shadow.

I really like Mulder picking Scully up from her funeral though. What a nice partner she has.



M: I know it must be hard.
S: This shouldn't have happened. This never should have happened.

The ending to this episode is so great, because the camera closes in on his face while a bright light flashes... but every time it's lit up, it's just a little closer than it should be if the motion were at a constant pace. It is great to watch!

F. Emasculata

I completely forgot what this episode was about. Normally I see a title, it rings some bells, but I couldn't for the life of me remember this one...

...Until I saw that gross boar covered in turkey vultures and boils. I must blocked this one from my memory on purpose because it is the grossest episode ever. I feel fairly dedicated to watching every episode in this rewatch. But. I have to say, I don't think I ever need to watch this one again.

Written in true Chris Carter style, there is a lot of sound-bitey dialogue, things like 'You see what I let you see' or 'There'll be a time for the truth, Mulder, but this isn't it'. Does not help me enjoy this episode. However, I do really love how the incinerator scenes are shot, I think the dark redness looks really great.



Scully is very interesting in this episode. In the first scenes, she is very upset with being saddled with a prison break. It's not an X-File so why do they have to do it? I just find it amazing that a case is not paranormal enough for her liking.

S: According to my briefing, the prisoners escaped by hiding in a laundry cart.
M: I don't think the guards are watching enough prison movies.

I also find her general behaviour to be interesting; she is in serious ass-kicking, don't-do-anything-by-the-book mode once they find out there is a contagion involved. Sometimes the by-the-book Scully of Season One seems so long ago. She has been working too closely with Mulder for far too long.

Also, she doesn't seem to take any precautions with the contagion. None. She doesn't even bother to wear that flimsy face mask most of the time. How is she not infected?!

And how did they end up with this case anyway? It isn't an X-File, it's just dangerous.

CSM was setting them up. He sent it through Skinner, though if he wanted them dead, it would have happened already. Uhm, any number of times.



Mulder is visibly disappointed (and so am I) to see that Skinner is still in CSM's pocket. Though now that Mulder and CSM have had at it face to face, Mulder doesn't hesitate to speak directly to the man who normally would have just loomed in the corner of the room.

The main theme, or moral, of the episode is public access to knowledge. All of the threats are about making the masses aware of the outbreak, which the perps want to avoid at all costs. Mulder becomes obsessed with letting the truth be known. He's even mad at Scully when she tells him they can't leak the information until they have more information.



Interestingly, when Mulder asks if she's OK, Scully replies "Yeah. I'm okay" not 'I'm fine', which would be code for 'not fine'. She's not too worried about herself despite being really unsafe around the infected boils.

S: Take care of yourself, Mulder.

He doesn't. He puts himself on the bus with the escaped prisoner even though the Greyhound station was already swarming with US Marshals. I can't believe this guy thinks he's getting into our country with those sick boils on his face! Oh well, as long as he's headed to Toronto and not here... :P

Final scene.... public has a right to know.. blah blah blah... The most interesting part of the episode is this:

S: The Costa Rican government just faxed me the report on the missing scientist.
His name is Robert Torrence, the same as our prisoner. It was their failsafe in case it ever came to this so they could blame it on a simple postal error. A mistake.
M:(laughs/scoffs, to Skinner) That's why we were given this assignment, right? They knew all along... so that even if we succeeded in finding the truth, we'd be discredited as part of it. Am I right? Am I right?!

That is so clever, I just love it.

SKINNER: You never had a chance, Agent Mulder. For every step you take, they're three steps ahead.
M: Well, what about you, where do you stand?
SKINNER: I stand right on the line that you keep crossing.

Uggh...What does that even mean?



To show their frustration and solidarity, M & S go to leave. Skinner stops them.

SKINNER: I'm saying this as a friend. Watch your back. This is just the beginning.

Of what... exactly? Is this alluding to Anasazi somehow?

Gah, whatever. Next episode, please!

The Calusari

OK, not exactly a shippy one, but definitely a creepy one. The scenario reminds me a little of Paranormal Activity, where a demon slowly manifests itself, first by creepy poltergeist pranks, then a physical form causing physical harm.

What I'm noticing a lot of in this episode, is a pattern of M & S parting and rejoining each other. Where normally they might use their phones to keep the other up to date, here they tend to actually seek each other out.




Even when they are both hanging out at the hospital, Mulder goes to get a drink of water, then returns to Scully, who is, is dunno, holding their spot on the stairs. Sort of guarding their territory. But in general, that seems to be the movement of the episode; rejoining.



Mulder also laughs a little too hard at Scully's jokes.

Dr Burks: In 1979 I witnessed a guru named Sai Baba create an entire feast out of thin air.
S: Too bad you didn't take a picture. You could have run it through your computer and seen the entire Last Supper.



It's not nearly as funny as Mulder made it out to be. In fact, I don't get the impression Scully even said it to be particularly funny or make anyone laugh. Laughing too loud completely counts as flirting in my books. Because it was in front of his friend Chuck, and because he seems to make a big show of it by looking directly at both of them while he laughs, I'd go so far as to say he's making a statement to him about Scully. Ie going out of his way to say 'I think Scully is funny. I like funny.'. Naturally, this communicates all kinds of information to Chuck.

Scully is not above giving Mulder a hard time either.

M: You see this helium balloon here and the only thing I learned in kindergarten is when you let them go they float up, up and away. But you see, this is moving away from him. Horizontally.
S: Did you learn about wind in kindergarten?

Even though Scully is away from Mulder for the episode's climax, for once, she doesn't miss any of the action. While Mulder assists in the exorcism, Scully goes to the house and sees the woman floating on the wall. Scully herself is flung across the room!

Meanwhile, this is easily the most frightened we've ever seen Mulder.




That exorcism is a seriously scary scene and that kid is so very convincing! One of the Calusari instructs Mulder to look away, but it's too late, 'It' recognizes him. And indeed, this is not the last time Mulder and Scully will encounter the Devil.



Calusari: But you must be careful. It knows you.

Scary statement, Mulder is visibly shaken.



Oh, please don't ask me why this is USTy, but it is.