Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose

This episode is so funny in so many ways. Darin Morgan excels in writing the hilarious. I think the only way I can get through this one is in point form or something, so bear with me.

Let's do some funny quotes first (you can go ahead and call me lazy- I'm two whole discs behind in my reviews, so do you want them or not? ;P I mean, as if I'm going to be as entertaining as the actual episode here):

PHOTOGRAPHER: They say the eyes capture the last image the murder victim sees before they're killed.
CLINE: So what do they say about the entrails?
PHOTOGRAPHER: Yuck.

(presumably talking about Mulder)
CLINE: This guy's supposed to be an expert at this sort of thing.
HAVEZ: I heard he was a bit... unorthodox.
CLINE: He comes highly recommended.
HAVEZ: Yeah. I saw him on TV.
CLINE: Hey, so he's a publicity hound. As long as he gets results.
PHOTOGRAPHER: I once worked on a case he did. Very spooky.
CLINE: As long as he gives us leads, I don't care how big a kook.
(Mulder walks in, they stare at him)
CLINE: Who the hell are you?

CLINE: You believe in this stuff?
M: I'm not convinced of its accuracy but I'm pretty sure the victim was.
CLINE: Why?
M: Her leaves were telling her she was about to be murdered.



YAPPI: You give off negative energy.
M: I can assure you, Mister Yappi, I'm a believer in psychic ability.
YAPPI: So you say with your mouth but your thoughts tell me the truth.
CLINE: Agent Mulder, please.
S: I can't take you anywhere.



CLINE: Look, all I know is that so far, Yappi has provided more solid, concrete leads on this case than you have. Now, if you don't mind, I have to get an A.P.B. out on a white male, age seventeen to thirty-four, with or without a beard, maybe a tattoo... who's impotent. Let's go.
S: Might as well go home, Mulder, this case is as good as solved.



CLINE: It's kind of creepy, isn't it? The Stupendous Yappi said the first victim's body would be dumped somewhere, then we find it in a dumpster.
M: Oooh, I just got a chill down my spine.

Clyde essentially recreates the entire Stupendous Yappi scene, leaving Scully skeptical to say the least. He finishes on the so called 'rape' Yappi mentioned:

CLYDE BRUCKMAN: Oh, no, no, no, not at all. In fact, she's instigating the whole thing.
M: Then what's wrong?
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: Oh... sometimes, it... it just seems that everyone's having sex except for me.



M: Mister Bruckman, can you tell us why the killer is murdering people in the way that he is?
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: Why does anyone do the things they do? Why do I sell insurance? I wish I knew. Why did this woman collect dolls? What was it about her life? Was it one specific moment where she suddenly said, "I know... dolls."



PS; that doll that Mulder is gripping so tightly is almost certainly the same creepy one from season five's Chinga.

CLYDE BRUCKMAN: Do you want to know how you're going to die?
M: Y, yes, I would.
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: No, you don't. Of course, not knowing has its own drawbacks which is why a good insurance policy is so important. I, I don't know what kind of coverage the F.B.I. has, but, uh, General Mutual has...

M: Then if the future is written, then why bother to do anything?
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: Now you're catching on.
M: Mister Bruckman, I believe in your ability but not your attitude.
...
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: Well, you see, that's another reason I can't help you catch this guy. I might adversely affect the fate of the future. I mean, his next victim might be the mother of the daughter whose son invents the time machine. Then the son goes back in time and changes world history and then Columbus never discovers America, man never lands on the moon, the U.S. never invades Grenada...Or something less significant... resulting in the fact that my father never meets my mother and consequently, I'm never born.
(Pauses. Changes his mind; that is appealing to him!)
So when do we start?

M: Do you receive any other impressions from it (awful toad door stopper)?
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: It's ugly. Next.
...
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: I got it! This is yours. This is from your New York Knicks t-shirt! (Beyond the Sea reference!)



M: How are you receiving this information about the body's location?
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: How should I know?
M: I mean, are you seeing it in a vision or is it a... sensation? How do you know where to go?
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: I just know.
M: But how do you know?
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: I don't know!



(Mulder gives him a piece of lace in a small evidence bag.)
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: What's this?
M: The only evidence recovered from Claude Dukenfield's body. That fiber may have come from something the killer was wearing at the time of the crime.
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: Don't you have crime labs that analyze these things for you?
S: (directly at Mulder) Yes! Yes, we do.



M: Get this, Scully. The lab analysis from the first bit of fiber that was found just came back. It's lace.
S: Chantilly lace?
MULDER: You know what I like.



(both ridiculously amiable)
PUPPET: They brought you right to me, right to where I work.
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: What are the chances of that happening?
PUPPET: They're astronomical! It's beyond believability.
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: But not impossibility. I mean, after all, here we are.
PUPPET: It's funny how things work out sometimes, isn't it?
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: I'll say.
PUPPET: So there's something I've been wanting to ask you for some time now...



...
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: No. You don't kill me now.
PUPPET: I don't? Why not?
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: How should I know?


Actually he does know. He's been seeing visions of his own death; in fact, seems to be probably looking forward to it. He's planning on killing himself. It's a somewhat tragic fate; he leaves a note on the door:



S: "My neighbor, Mrs. Lowe, passed away last night. Please see that the remains of her remains are taken care of. Would you like a dog? He's paper-trained and well-behaved, regardless of his actions last night, which you can't really blame him for."

Ie the dog was starving, and ate his owner after she died. Neat for a Pomeranian.



S: (finally giving in to temptation) All right. So how do I die?
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: You don't.

Wow, this sparked, and continued to spark some crazy discussion in the XF world. We can't help but take that to be true, and I think often with later episodes, the writers found ways to subtly refer back to this (I am thinking specifically of season six's Tithonus, the classic example where Scully is slated to die, is shot, then lives miraculously).

Scully. Never. Dies.



In fact- how many different times has Mulder 'died'. It already happened once this/last season. I can think of at least three other times right off the top of my head where Mulder dies or "dies", and frankly, there are probably more. Aside from a near-death experience in One Breath (not an assumed-death, nor an actually-death-then-brought-back-to-life gimmick) I can't think of a single case where Scully dies or "dies".

This could even be seen as the episode that planted the Scully-as-Holy-Mother seed. In that way, that one simple two-word line is a total game-changer for the show.

DPO

I always loved this episode, even before Giovanni Ribisi became one of my favourite actors. Jack Black was a total bonus because I sure didn't know who he was way back then! Yeah, I can barely believe these two are in the same episode. Wicked. Look how young they are!!



This was also the first episode that I read in book form- you know, those cute little green books that were geared for younger readers.

The use of popular music (Filter) as the prominent soundtrack gives the episode such an obvious 90s teen movie feel to it. It's kind of different so I like it, plus if it's going to work in an episode of the X-Files, it'll be the one about the troubled teenager.



So troubled. His obsessive crush on his teacher, who awkwardly also happens to be his boss's wife; the blatant and typical disregard for other human beings ("Damn ABS brakes!") and his interaction with adults make him one of the most believable villains. He has special powers, yes, but he uses them on cows and people because he's just an asshole.

Hiding a cut-out yearbook photo of his teacher in a dirty magazine is genius on the part of the writer. I so believe this kid exists.



Anyway, cool as this one is (and it is), the most shocking thing about it is the minimal mention of the events of the previous story arc. Not much more than:

S: Look, after everything that we’ve just been through, after all that we’ve just seen, I hope you’re not thinking this has anything to do with government conspiracies or UFOs.
M: (smiles at her) None of the evidence so far indicates either of those possibilities.

The effects can sort of be felt though, in the sense that their unity seems strong here (before their partnership, it is generally agreed, sort of degrades in this season; more on that as it comes up). They are playful. Mulder gleefully watches as Scully struggles with a combative local law enforcer.



S: (sort of annoyed) Feel free to jump in anytime.
M: (smiles at her, teasing) Why? You were doing just fine.

They don't believe the deaths have been caused by lightning.. but the sheriff has kind of trapped Scully in that they have no alternative explanation.



When Scully examines the shoe print left in the fulgurite (see, I did my homework), there is an adorable little exchange.
S: Well, considering it’s a partial imprint there’s a lot of information here.
M: That’s great. Now can you make me a little cherub that squirts water?
S: (smirks at his joke) The tread looks like a standard military boot … men’s … size 8½.
M: (genuinely impressed) 8½? That’s pretty impressive, Scully.
S: (best teasing face ever) Well, it says it right here on the bottom.
M: (under is breath, sort of embarrassed) Oooo.



Also, barely worth noting, I love their looks when they interview Mrs Kaveat about Darrin.

SHARON: See, at first, I didn’t believe him. I thought he was just mouthing off. But after what happened today …
M: Did you tell anyone?
SHARON: Who would have believed me? (M and S share a look.)



On Scully's part it's a 'well, I probably wouldn't have believed you' kind of look, but Mulder's is more of a 'well?' searching kind of look.



Darrin really shows his character when he kills his best friend Zero (Jack Black), believing he may have squealed on him.. and then frighteningly shoves Zero's dead body into the elevator where Mr Kaveat is recovering. He then attempts to abduct his teacher.





Forgive me for saying so, but this is where she really shows her character as well, when she pulls the whole 'oh you just don't understand him, I'll go with him, I can help him' kind of thing. She sympathizes with him- and maybe she's flattered by his crush- so she starts to view him as primarily a victim rather than a... psychopath.



...which he is.

DARREN: You were the only person that was ever nice to me. You know that? I mean .. Hey, you remember that first day in class when you wore that green dress with the yellow flowers on it? And when you stood in front of the window you could almost see through it?

See? Gross.

Lucky for everyone, they get him institutionalized.



No one is sure how to proceed with the cases... Let's just leave them ruled as lightning strikes.

(too bad).

Paper Clip

This episode is soo full, I'm sorry if I let this entry go on for too long.



Are you sure that was only like, an hour?

Paper Clip opens with the Mexican Stand-off in Mulder's apartment.



OK, you have my attention.

Having lost his keys since being dead, Mulder breaks down his own door, gun at the ready. Does he know before he breaks down the door that he's about to aim a gun at his boss? Or does he just hear noises inside his apartment and move into self-preservation mode?



Either way, he points the gun at Skinner without hesitation when he sees that Skinner's gun is pointed at Scully. Mulder has no idea what is going on here; he simply goes along with what he sees Scully doing, knowing he's on her side no matter what kind of mess she gets into. He doesn't waste time being surprised to see either of them in his apartment, aiming guns at each other. Straight to the business of backing up his partner.



From here in, this episode is about their unity; their solidarity against all of this messed up shit going on.

Together they make Skinner back down, though they allow him to keep the DAT tape. Cryptically, he says to Scully "Let's go... There are truths out that aren't on that tape" and they exit (leaving Skinner alone in Mulder's apartment to wonder WTF just happened).



Waiting for the elevator, Scully suppresses a smile as best she can and acts sort of shy and coy. She almost can't believe Mulder is standing there. His look is so.. gentle.



Part of me expected more emotion from this particular reunion, I confess. Maybe it would have gone in a different direction if Scully hadn't gone the 'I went to your father's funeral' route.

S: Mulder, I am...
M: Scully, whatever you're going to say... (shouldn't have interrupted her, now we don't know what she would have said)
S: I went to your father's funeral. I told your mother that you were going to be okay.
M: How did you know?
S: I just knew. (Are you an Eve now? J/K)

They vanish into the elevator. USTy.

At this point in time, poor Maggie Scully is rushing into the hospital to find her daughter-again. Only she finds Melissa in her place.



Long-suffering Maggie Scully; I love feeling bad for her because I really do feel really, really awful for her. What a hard life she has.

M & S head to the Gunmen's to find out who the other men are in the old photograph of Mr Mulder etc. Mulder is gutted when Byers tells him it's just a poorly photoshopped POS.



No, I made that part up. Sort of.

Frohike arrives and is practically giddy about Mulder being alive, but unfortunately he brings the bad news about Melissa. Scully rushes out, but Mulder races after her, calling her name.



M: Scully, wait. Scully! Scully, wait! Scully!(He grabs her shoulder and turns her around.)
S: I have to go there, Mulder.
M: You can't go.
S: (understandably emotional) That bullet was meant for me.
M: If they're trying to kill you, that's the first place they're going to look. (isn't wrong)
S: (resigned) Those bastards...



Mulder finds the best solution; I find it incredibly sweet of him to send Albert Hosteen, who so effectively nurtured Mulder back to health, in hopes Albert can do the same for Melissa. Albert asks Maggie's permission to pray over her. He is so gentle. This scene is beautiful. Touching. He tells her that Scully is 'very sorry she can't come here to comfort you.'.



Believe it or not, the Consortium is equally (OK maybe not quite) upset about this mistake. CSM is in a world of trouble.



WMM: This is not a profession for men who make mistakes. My God, you presume to make us believe you can simply fix it with enough bullets?
CSM:(stirs uncomfortably in his chair.) No.
WMM: This woman... Scully... I know she believes her partner is still alive.
CSM: Mulder's dead. I took care of it myself.
WMM: And the computer tape containing the stolen files you tell us was recovered... you can show it to us?
CSM: I wasn't aware that my honesty was in question or doubt.
1ST ELDER: You have the tape?
CSM: Of course I have it.
ELDER: (totally calling his bluff) I think I'd like to see it.
ELDER: So would I.
CSM: (totally busted) I have vouchsafed it for reasons of security. I'll have it here for you tomorrow... by which time this whole matter will have been cleared up.
(leaves. awkwardly.)

Having officially lost the trust of the group, CSM goes after Skinner for the tape, then goes after (poor) Krycek for revenge.

Meanwhile M & S go after that elusive truth, and find it in a building set into the side of a hill. It's filled with dark tunnels and cabinets loaded with files... lots and lots of files (if you will). Before opening Pandora's box, Scully stops Mulder with a small but concerned warning.

S: No, wait, hang on a second. Whatever we find in here... I don't think you've had time to process everything that you've been through.
M: I'm okay, Scully...
S: You weren't even able to go to your father's funeral and if something in here were to cast doubt on the kind of man he was... I, I just know how it would affect me.



Very thoughtful. They proceed. They find the earliest files first, with medical records and tissue samples in each; they are all organized first by year, then alphabetically. Mulder thinks immediately of his partner; his first instinct is to look for a file on Scully. Oh-my-God moment. Both are shocked to find it there, but in doing so, Mulder is suddenly inspired to find one for Samantha. He now has an idea of exactly what these files are.



What he never expected to find is his own name hidden under Samantha's label. He was originally mean to be the one who was abducted. Un. Real. (Later Mulder confronts his mother about making a choice. Finally she relents: "I couldn't choose. It was your father's choice and I hated him for it. Even in his grave, I hate him still." Ouch. Seriously.)

This is a terrible time for them to be chased off, but to make up for it they both have close encounters. Yep. They both do.

Mulder observes a space craft lifting off and flying away.



Scully watches in shock as a small group of aliens run past her in the dark.



Even more bizarre.... neither of them mention it to the other.

....what?!?

Or if they did, we don't get to enjoy them talking about it. Well to be fair, the X-Files is about leaving all of the best stuff to the imagination, right?

What we do get, is the two of them sitting in a diner waiting to meet up with Skinner, looking very much like they are trying and failing to make sense of their lives right now. They look like they have been given more than they can handle.



Skinner advises them that he may be able to work a deal for their safety. By handing over the tape M & S can return to their lives, and Scully could finally see her sister. Losing the tape is like losing his quest, but Mulder knows what is right. Or at least he knows how unfair and unreasonable it would be to expect or insist they keep the tape and stay in hiding.

But it's killing him. He wishes like hell they could just keep the tape, so he won't accept the offer outright. He tells Scully that it's up to her. He knows what she'll say, even if it's not what he wants. Both of them feel strongly, but Mulder's not heartless- the opposite, obviously; he'd do anything for her, even when it means losing this essential proof.

He can't bring himself to watch the outcome of their conversation, so he waits outside. When they come out, Scully goes to him and tells him the deal's as good as made. His response:



M: I'm sorry about your sister, Scully.

No argument, or 'Can't we hang on to it a little longer', or anything. He may hate it, but he also knows that this is the right thing to do.

Right afterward, Skinner goes to the hospital to check on Melissa, and let Mrs Scully know her other daughter is OK.



I have always secretly shipped these two. Big time. Yeah!

Suspicious activity leads Skinner into a stairwell, where is beaten up by Krycek! Possibly the last time we see Krycek on this end of the ass-kicking.



Speaking of which...



CSM tries to blow him up. The awkward phone call that follows is priceless.

KRYCEK: I'm alive. Isn't that a surprise?
CSM: (awkwardly trying not to look surprised, pretending to be holding a conversation with good news) Yes, good, good, good. Uh, where are you?
KRYCEK: (fuming) Somewhere that you will never find me, you double-crossing son of a bitch.
CSM: (hopefully) Are you sure?
KRYCEK: I'm sure of this... if I so much as feel your presence, I'm going to make you a very, very famous man. You understand?
CSM: (smiles and nods as if everything is fine) Yes, thank you. I'm going to report that to the group.



Genius! Aaaaand..... Alex Krycek goes rogue. He's probably speaking with the Russians right now.

Meanwhile, back at the (orchid) ranch...

M & S confront WMM and discuss their findings. Mulder crosses a line he hasn't crossed before.



M: There were current records on file.
S: Yes, but records of what, Mulder?
M: Of abductions! Of abductees.

She glares at him and they try to stare each other down. Mulder has never said the 'A' word regarding his partner before. It's like they had an unspoken agreement A) not to talk about her disappearance, and B) NOT to call it an abduction. Ever. Under pain of death.



Scully can't handle it; she gives him her best 'how could you do that to me?' look, and he just looks like he's pleading with her; to believe, to finally accept that something awful happened to her and stop living in denial about it. Scully shelters herself so much with denial.



She leaves.

Here, this will cheer us up:

CSM: What is this?
SKINNER: This is where you pucker up and kiss my ass.



FUCK YEAH! Feel better? OK, now for the ultimate downer.

Mulder arrives at the hospital already knowing he's too late.



M: Skinner told me that he talked to you, that you were insistent about coming back to work. Now, if Melissa's death is...
S: I need something to put my back up against.
M: I feel the same way. We've both lost so much... but I believe that what we're looking for is in the X-Files. I'm more certain than ever that the truth is in there.




Translation: we need each other. Translation: I need to work for the distraction but also so that I can draw on your strength.