Syzygy

So out of character, but that's astrology for ya! M & S almost seem to be trying to piss each other off in this episode; both are so childish! (But in a wonderful way?)

My personal favourite is when they are in their respective hotel rooms; Scully is so pissed that she's actually smoking, pacing around her room muttering about Det White.

And Mulder is so stressed he's making screwdrivers out of frozen juice concentrate. Holy shit, you guys!

Mulder antagonizes Scully from the start with his snarky comments:

M: If you detect a hint of skepticism or incredulity in agent Scully’s voice, that’s because of the overwhelming evidence gathered by the FBI debunking virtually all claims of ritual abuse by satanic cults.

WHITE: Is that true?

M: Don’t ask me… 

Or 

S: I don’t suppose there have been any actual reports of stolen infants, or mass graves being uncovered anywhere in town, or that you found an alter, or any other evidence of a black mass?

WHITE: No, no, in fact, we haven’t.

S: The problem is, that the details of these accounts could have been taken from any newspaper or magazine. As horrific as they sound, the stories that these girls told are common, even cliché.

M: If you detect a hint of impatience in agent Scully’s voice, that’s because the FBI’s study also found that in most cases, like the McWarren preschool trial, witnesses were often prompted in their statements by rumors of stories that were being circulated and that there was in fact nothing to support them.

WHITE: How do you explain the burning coffin at the funeral?

M: Don’t ask me…

He does stick up for her in a way, but not to her face.

M: "she tends to be rather rigid, but, but rigid in a wonderful way, not like she was today"

It's not exactly the highest praise, but i do like Mulder describing Scully's rgidity as 'wonderful' :P

The directing sets up M & S in this antagonistic way too; especially during the scenes where they are getting statements from the two girls. They seem to use the girls as weapons against each other, even at the end- something not lost on Scully:

M: I’m at a crime scene, a new one. I think I have a solid lead on these deaths.

S: I’m way ahead of you, Mulder. I’ve got a suspect I wanna bring in.

M: Who’s that?

S: Margi Kleinjan.

M: (walking out of Margi’s hearing range) (to Margi) Hold on a second (to Scully) Margi Kleinjan?

S: That’s right, her friend just gave us a statement.

M: Actually, I’m way ahead of you, Scully, because I’m standing here with Margi Kleinjan and she just gave me a statement implicating her friend.

S: Who?

M: Terri.

S: Well, actually I’m way ahead of you, Mulder, because I’m with Terri right now.

M: You what?

S: I’ve got your suspect and you’ve got mine. Why does that make sense to me at this point?

They do seem to just.. hate each other in this ep! Scully just wants out. Or at least she wants Mulder to play ball if she's going to tag along, but eventually she feels like a third wheel to say the least.

S: Look, we’ve been working together for, what, two years now? We have different opinions, but I didn’t expect you to ditch me.

M: I didn’t ditch you!

S: Fine, whatever. 

I find that a funny thing to say because Mulder is famous for his constant ditching, but whatever. She's just upset because she was ditched to go do some investigating with this Det White chick who she hated instantly. Then she found a reason to hate her and it's game over, really.

She confronts Mulder after they bring Terri in to ID the remains of her dog that they exhumed while looking for evidence of sacrificed babies that were never reported missing or anything.

M: This may not be any time to mention it, but someone is wearing my favorite perfume.

S: (stares at him seething, not believe he's seriously doing this right now) Can I have a word with you? 

(they step outside into the hall)

S: This has gone on far enough.

M: (totally serious) What?

S: (fuming) I am not going to be humiliated by you, in front of you, or by having to bring a teenage girl in, on her birthday of all days, to identify the bones of her dead dog, Mr. Tippy! I see no reason to pursue this case any further and not only that, I find your conduct and comportment in this investigation not just alarming, but highly objectionable... (Mulder begins sniffing around her head exaggeratedly)

S: What are you doing?!

M: (distracted) Must be detective White…(actually it's the cross-dressing doctor they were questioning!)

S: ('oh, I see' face) If that’s the reason we’re sticking around, that’s your business. (Walks away.)

M:  (legitimately surprised, has no idea what she's talking about)What? What are you talking about?

S: Detective White.

M: We came down here because of three unexplained deaths, detective White is just trying to solve them. She could use our help.

S: Well, you two seem to have a certain…simpatico. I’m going back to Washington in the morning.

(Mulder slumps to the wall while Scully leaves.)

And strangely, Mulder really is surprised. He's been unusually.... innocent towards Det. White, and even tries to decline her advances in the hotel room. But she's 'feeling weird' and pounces! Then Scully walks in, and if she wasn't furious before, now she's ready to go nuclear.

Taking pains not to mention what just happened, instead Scully snaps at Mulder in the parking lot about never getting to drive the car.

M: Will you let me drive!?

S: I’m driv… Why do you always have to drive? Because you’re the guy? Because you’re the big macho man?

M: No. I was just never sure your little feet could reach the pedals.

I feel I should point out that Mulder is drunk.... But then I guess at the end of the ep Scully blows through a stop sign so that makes them even. The Claims Adjuster in me is just crying....

Anyway... so Mulder makes Scully take Det White with her in the car. I don't know why guys always do this, but they do. 'Let's put the two girls who like me together and make force one of them to swallow her pride and be nice to the other because I know she's responsible'.

Despicable.

In the meantime (similarly?) Terri and Margi kill the guy they both have a crush on. Ooops.

I dig these two chicks. They have great taste in music (Live, Danzig), and they remind me of the sisters in Ginger Snaps crossed with the witches in the Craft. Damn, those are good movies.

Terri, Margi, Mulder, Scully and Det White converge on the police station and all hell breaks loose. Their guns all go off, furniture is flung around and the planetary alignment peaks. Mulder throws the girls into solitary confinement or a closet or something and at the stroke of midnight, life returns to normal.

Oh. Thank. God.

Well, mostly.

M: You just…. ran a stop sign back there, Scully.

S: Shut up, Mulder.