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.