206 ASCENSION
"Deny Everything"

"The piper's calling you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow,
And did you know,
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind."

Led Zeppelin Page/Plant

"Man, Zep was wrong. There is no Stairway to Heaven!" Dude
"No way man, Zep is never wrong!" Crow

Soul Taker MST3K

WASHINGTON, D.C.
FBI HEADQUARTERS
RIXEYVILLE, VA
SKYLAND MOUNTAIN
WARRANTON, VA
QUANTICO

Mulder attempts to rescue Scully after she is kidnapped by Duane Barry.

SCULLYVISION

The view from the trunk of a car is a dark and scary one.

MULDERVISION

After getting the answering machine message from Scully, where he actually heard her being taken, he goes to Scully's to see it swarming with cops. Being the behavioral profiler-spooky guy, Mulder is able to see visions of how it had happened. He envisions Duane Barry as the kidnapper, as Barry's voice was on the message, "Come on, lady!"

When Margaret Scully appears, Mulder aids her to a chair and is wonderfully touching with her. Mulder finds out that Mrs. Scully has prophetic dreams, that she knew that something would happen to her daughter, but would never have told Dana that. Dana wouldn't have believed it.

True to form, when the Tram Operator tells Mulder not to go over 15 mph in that thing, what's the first thing Mulder does? Yep.

Mulder is crushed, his partner is gone. The one person who gave him the benefit of the doubt and had put herself on the line for him and his quest, gone. The one person that Mulder was actually friends with, gone. To the chagrin of Skinner and Krycek, Mulder will not and cannot trust anyone now that Scully is gone. But, there is a glimmer of trust in Mulder's eyes when Skinner questions Krycek toward the end of the episode. Mulder may not like it, but he does have to trust someone, it might as well be his superior.

KRYCEKVISION

A guy who was shot in the chest by a SWAT team can get out of the hospital and physically overtake a woman in her apartment? Everything that's seen of the crime at Scully's apartment was from Mulder's point of view as he had profiled it and had heard Barry's voice on the answering machine message. But, how did that happen?? As much as I hate to say it, Alex Krycek may have been the physical kidnapper, and Duane Barry was along for the ride. That's the only way, in my mind, that Duane Barry is able to kidnap Scully.

Being the good person he is deep down, he does still bring Mulder coffee, even after the shabby way he was treated last week by Kazdin.

Is he trying to use subliminal messages? Krycek wore a red, white and blue tie almost the entire episode.

He's just a young grunt in the organization that's still learning as he goes along. He's got a little more clout with Smokey than Skinner does if one is to assume aversion to cigarettes symbolic. Smokey will put out the offending appendage if Krycek coughs and grimaces, but will defiantly light it, puff one drag, then put it out half way so it keeps smoldering in his office if Skinner doesn't like it. Krycek asks Mulder questions about Duane Barry in such a way that he knows more than Mulder in some areas, but not evidential-wise.

Body count: Two. Tram operator's missing, so one can only assume that he was tossed over the cliff while unconscious; and Mr. Barry was last alive while talking to Krycek. That must have been some conversation. "And whatever you do, don't tell Mulder I helped kidnap Scully."

CARTERVISION

The government's, or at least this faction's, policy is Deny Everything. Mulder can't be killed, but he must be lied to and stalled. Krycek is probably just one of many grunts that are infiltrating government agencies around the world on behalf of the Consortium. Smokey has clout to be in on FBI meetings.

OH COME ON!

Our Ms. Scully isn't at all worried about anyone overhearing or tapping telephone conversations or messages left on answering machines like her ex-partner. She unabashedly left a long, detailed message on Mulder's machine about what was found inside Duane Barry.

A guy who was shot in the chest by a SWAT team can get out of the hospital and physically overtake a woman in her apartment?

Where did all that blood in the car come from?

Why did Duane get out of the car, walk to the trunk, open it and ominously stare at Scully after killing the highway patrolman if he was in such a hurry to get to the top of the mountain? Oh yeah! So Mulder could see that she's in the trunk from the surveillance camera on the cop car.

Why did the Tram Operator use the lingo, "Base to Car One" while talking to Mulder, the only person in the only working car? "Hey, FBI speed demon might have been more appropriate."

Why would a tram have the ability to go 30 mph if it's so damn dangerous going over the towers more than 15 mph?

THINGS LEARNED
or All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned From the X Files

Double agents come in attractive packages.

109,000 car accidents a year are caused by sleepiness.

SFX

Mulder's ride outside of the tram wasn't CGI and was pretty impressive.

RECURRING CHARACTERS

Margaret Scully, Krycek, Duane Barry, Cigarette Smoking Man, Skinner, X

WRITER
Paul Brown

Wonderful Mulder-Duane Barry scenes, taking a marvelous character created by Chris Carter and expanding on him. His hope that Scully wasn't being hurt by the tests was enough to rip one's heart out.

DIRECTOR
Michael Lange

Really cool visual of the Tram Operator looking at camera (Mulder) to tell him that he can't stop him from using the tram, then Krycek's blurry, ominous face fills the background with a look that conveys that he could. More than likely, Krycek just got off the phone with Smokey, who wanted Mulder to not miss being at the top of the mountain for the 'magic moment', but just delay his arrival.

THE USUAL THINGS
Flashlights
Guns
Raining
Cell Phones
Scully's white clunky cordless phone
Necklace
Scully is kidnapped
"Mulder, it's me" - Scully on Mulder's answering machine
Krycek kills someone - two people actually
Mulder sees a "spaceship"

Side note: In Mulder's nightmarish vision of Scully with a rather large stomach during her abduction is actually Gillian Anderson's stomach. She gave birth to her daughter, Piper, a few weeks after filming this episode.

POINT/COUNTERPOINT

KAZDIN: Alex, my boy. Forgive me for butting in during an ep that I wasn't even in-BUTT-you seemed to have humbly served coffee to your nemesis, Agent Mulder, and yet you got all indignant when I made a similar request. Some people may think that "double agents come in attractive packages" but I have my doubts.

KRYCEK: Are you by chance a lesbian?

ATHENAEUM

Desperate for clues as to the whereabouts of Scully, Mulder went to the Atheneum. The Curator was nowhere in sight, which was just as well since Mulder was not in the mood for banter. He proceeded directly to the Unsolved Mysteries section of the dark and tome filled room. Leaving no rock unturned, Mulder had poured over everything Duane Barry had said. There had to be a clue somewhere. He quickly found the book he was looking for and pulled it down off the shelf. If solving one of rock and roll's great mysteries meant finding Scully, so be it.

Mulder sat at a table lit only by a small green lamp. He began to read "The Real Meaning of 'Stairway To Heaven'." Krycek had said that it was the tune that Duane Barry had whistled, and, of course, PartnerKrycek would never lie.

Mulder scanned the early chapters which explored the myths and facts of the concept of an actual staircase or ladder to heaven. He quickly learned that stories of such a thing have been around as long as mankind. This concept was particularly prominent in ancient Egypt, where tiny ladders were placed in tombs to aid the dead kings on their ascent to heaven. In fact, the pyramids themselves could be symbolic stairways to the stars.

Even the Makirtare Indians who live along the banks of the Orinoco River in what is now Venezuela passed down their traditions since the dawn of time. Among those traditions is the story of one hero's ascent to heaven via a ladder formed from a chain of arrows.

Mulder even came across a Seventh Century BC epic known as Nergal and Ereshkigal. In one episode, Nergal ascends a stairway in order to reach the assembly of the gods.

All of this was well and good, but did it really have anything to do with the song that Duane Barry whistled to Krycek? Mulder skipped ahead to the section about the song itself. Led Zeppelin's fourth album crept into record stores the week of November 8, 1971. On it was a song that was longer than the Beatles' Hey Jude. Stairway To Heaven was not released as a single and, what would ultimately become one of the greatest rock songs ever, was dismissed in a ROLLING STONE review that referred to it as "some stuff" on the album.

As for the lyrics, many have speculated on their meaning. Frequent interpretations point to Tolkien references. Robert Plant, however, says it isn't so. Some have interpreted the song as deeply religious and in praise of God. Others feel it is a tribute to Satan. In fact, in 1982, a California State Assembly Consumer Protection Committee hearing featured testimony from "experts" who claimed that when the song was played backward, contained the words: "I sing because I live with Satan. The Lord turns me off-there's no escaping it. Here's to my sweet Satan, whose power is Satan. He will give you 666. I live for Satan."

Many have gone to the source for enlightenment. Robert Plant says only that it's "a nice pleasant, well-meaning naive little song, very English. It's not the definitive Led Zeppelin song. Kashmir is." When pressed for the meaning, Plant also says "Well, we were all high on Moroccan dope at the time, so who knows?" When it comes down to it, Plant says he doesn't remember or doesn't know the meaning or perhaps there was no meaning at all.

Mulder wondered if that were the key after all. It's like a blank screen. Put it up and everyone projects their own meanings on to it. Was that what was going on here? Someone abducted Scully and Mulder was projecting his alien-scenario on to it? Trying to fit Scully into his Samantha story? Maybe that's what he was doing or maybe someone had set him up to think that way.

Mulder had come in to the Athenaeum seeking clarity and now he was more confused than ever. One thing he knew for sure, Stairway To Heaven was indeed the greatest rock and roll song of all time It said so right in the book. Mulder closed the book, left the old library and walked home whistling a naive little tune.

QUOTES

SCULLY I need your help!

MULDER She's not in there.
MARGARET SCULLY Where is she?

MARGARET SCULLY I knew it would happen this way. I had this dream about Dana being taken away.

MULDER Agent Scully was carrying a small piece of metal that was removed from Duane Barry's abdomen, an implant he described as a tracking device.

DUANE BARRY But could you just give me the ticket now so I can go? I got to be someplace.
PATROLMAN Where?
DUANE BARRY I'm not sure but... they'll tell me when I get there.

KRYCEK You know, Chernobyl, Exxon Valdez, Three Mile Island... they were all linked to sleep deprivation. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that over 190,000 fatal car crashes every year are linked to sleepiness.
MULDER Did they estimate how many people are put to sleep listening to their statistics?
KRYCEK I'm just trying to keep you awake.

MULDER Stay here and whatever happens, don't let him stop the tram.

DUANE BARRY I'm free, you son of a bitches! You can't touch Duane Barry anymore!

MULDER Where is she? Where'd you leave her?
DUANE BARRY They took her.
MULDER Who?
DUANE BARRY Them!
He's looking to the skies.

DUANE BARRY The military's in on it, just ask them!

DUANE BARRY I'm sorry... they had to take her. I hope they're not hurting her... too much with the tests. I'm sorry.

KRYCEK He said you choked him!
MULDER No one is to interrogate the suspect.
KRYCEK Except you.
MULDER Except me. Did you ask him about Scully?
KRYCEK Yeah.
MULDER What'd he say?
KRYCEK He started whistling Stairway to Heaven.

KRYCEK Skinner's expecting my report on the Duane Barry incident. What do I tell him?
CIGARETTE SMOKING MAN The truth.

CIGARETTE SMOKING MAN Confirm Mulder's version of events. You've earned his trust, the object now is to preserve it.
KRYCEK For how much longer?
CIGARETTE SMOKING MAN Until your assignment is complete.
KRYCEK If Mulder is such a threat, why not eliminate him?
CIGARETTE SMOKING MAN That's not policy.
KRYCEK It's not? After what you had me do?
CIGARETTE SMOKING MAN Kill Mulder and you risk turning one man's religion into a crusade.
KRYCEK What about Scully?
CIGARETTE SMOKING MAN We've taken care of that.
KRYCEK How?
CIGARETTE SMOKING MAN We tell you only what you need to know.
KRYCEK I think I have a right to know.
CIGARETTE SMOKING MAN You have no rights, only orders to be carried out. If you have a problem with that, we'll make other arrangements.

MULDER Is Agent Krycek asserting that I killed him too?
SKINNER No. He corroborates your story. But the fact is, we've got a dead suspect, Agent Mulder and no other plausible cause of death. OPC wants the both of you to take a lie detector test. You're to report there immediately.

MULDER There is another plausible cause of death... poisoning by injection or ingestion. But you won't find that on the navy pathologist's report.
SKINNER What are you saying, Agent Mulder?
MULDER That the autopsy is incomplete. That the military covered up the toxicological findings.
SKINNER And why would they do that?
MULDER Because they know where Scully is.

MAN Why are you so paranoid, Mulder?
MULDER Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's because I find it hard to trust anybody.

X They have something on everyone, Mister Mulder. The question is when they'll use it.

X There are no answers for you, Mister Mulder. They only have one policy... Deny everything.

MULDER Who are these people who can just murder with impunity and we can't do anything about it?
SKINNER Let it go, Agent Mulder.
MULDER Like hell.
SKINNER There's nothing you can do.
MULDER What can you do about it?
SKINNER There's only one thing I can do, Agent Mulder. As of right now, I'm reopening the X-Files. That's what they fear the most.

Mulder hands Mrs. Scully Dana's cross necklace.
MULDER That's something I never considered about her. If she was... if she was such a skeptic, why did she wear that?
MARGARET SCULLY I gave it to her on her fifteenth birthday.

MARGARET SCULLY When you find her, you give it to her.