Ar-ca-di-a (är-ka'di-e), n. 1. an ancient pastoral district of the central Peloponnesus, Greece; hence, 2. any place of rural peace and simplicity.

As I began to write this review, an advertisement came on the radio. I managed to pick up some of it, and what I did hear quite intrigued me... "The calm serenity, the clean, crisp air, the view of the mountains... See how the clean fresh air can radically change your life." The Falls at Arcadia? Nope. This was Heritage Hills. Kind of coincidental, wouldn't you say? It goes to show how popular gated communities have become. As our population ages, more and more people are beginning to look for safe, secure places to live, "Arcadias" free from the violence of the modern world. It's no surprise that a gated community represents that security. Because of their secretive nature, it's also no surprise that they should be featured in an X-File. The oligarchical community committees, the neighborhood watches reminiscent of the Thought Police... Makes you kind of paranoid, huh? And it definitely gives new meaning to taking out the garbage... ;)

"Oh, yeah. Nothing weird going on around here."

Now I may be reading *way* too much into this episode, but I kind of liked it. "Arcadia" was cute, it was fun, and if you looked close enough, it had an interesting social commentary too. Sure, it may have only been a thinly disguised way to appease fans by having Mulder and Scully get "married". Its special effects were anything but, and the whole idea of a garbage monster laughable, but nevertheless, I was entertained. I could trash "Arcadia," but I prefer to extrapolate from it, trying to see what Daniel Arkin was saying with this tulpa of his. Like "Terms of Endearment," he attempted to personify evil, which can apparently take many forms...including the garbage. Of course, we already knew that - children are indoctrinated with the evils of garbage at an early age simply by watching "Sesame Street." But this was no ordinary garbage. Oh no, it was a tulpa, a Tibetan thought- form suspiciously similar-looking to the Golem from "Kaddish" willed into being by a man whose idea of anarchy is putting a basketball hoop on your driveway. But this monster was more than just ketchup and brake fluid. It was the material form of the repression and fear of an entire community, rising up to destroy those who could not maintain the standard of false perfection and security. You may wonder why these Arcadians didn't move to escape their "paradise." They must have known who controlled the garbage man. Even if they didn't know who was behind it, who would put up with such tyranny? Perhaps they were akin to the citizens of Oceania, content to live under a strict regime simply to maintain the status quo. They would put with anything to live the American Dream, even when it seemed more like the Orwellian vision of 1984. At least Mulder seems immune from this belief. Like a lone flamingo, he'll always stick out.

"Have you noticed how everybody around here is obsessed with the neighborhood rules and the CC&Rs? You know what? You fit in really well here."
"And you don't."

Every show has its highs and its lows, and "Arcadia's" biggest pitfall was probably its monster. You can get as philosophical as you want about its purpose and meaning, but you can't cover up the fact that it was, well, garbage. It might have been more effective had they simply not shown the slimy beast. Sure, it was definitely up there in terms of its gross-out factor, but it couldn't have looked more fake (not that a garbage monster has any basis in reality anyway), and implied monsters are always much scarier. They tried to cover it up with shadows and interesting lighting effects, so it didn't look like the "Mr. Hanky" crew members initially referred to it as, but it still wasn't all that special, or even scary. Just gross. Actually, I found the perfectly manicured homes, looking like a row of clones and the rule-obsessed, overly friendly neighbors scarier than any garbage monster, ubermenscher, tulpa, whatever. That its special effects were disappointing doesn't surprise me. "Arcadia" was initially supposed to air after "One Son," but because of problems - I've heard it was everything from the script, to the editing, to the directing, to the special effects - it got pushed back. That's why Mulder and Scully's "first X-File" is actually their third, and may explain for some of its shortcomings...like the monster, Mr. Arkin's lame attempt at irony ("Let him dig his own grave."), the cheap promotion for Tropicana (I thought they moved to California, not Florida :P), and the ever popular let's-leave-Scully-in-the-closet-so-she-is-unable-to-witness-any-paranormal-activity plot device. I thought the parallel between the documentary on tribal practices and the Arcadian community was cute, though still a little obvious, and not as effective as a similar trick used in "Home." And the monologue at the end, while nostalgic (when was the last time we had one of those?), was a bit abrupt. Ah well. A good first try nonetheless.

"You ready?"
"Let's get it on, honey."

Without Mulder and Scully, though, this episode might have been rubbish. Their presence and interaction with each other and the other characters is what made "Arcadia" as entertaining as it was. The way they acted in front of their neighbors and in front of each other were two entirely separate things. The obvious differences between the two behaviors being the most interesting part of the show. For two people who aren't actors (especially Scully, the worst liar on earth), they played their parts admirably well. Mulder may have been a little too exuberant, and Scully's smiles could at times seem forced, but other than that, and a few knowing glances, no one would have guessed they were anything but an old married couple. The fact that they essentially are an old married couple probably helped too. ;) Out of the scrutiny of their neighbors, Mulder and Scully fell into their old routines, whipping out the gloves and scientific equipment and getting right to work. But being the workaholics they are, some of these traits couldn't help leaking into their alter egos too. Scully had her perky, not so subtle way of getting information ("Gosh, with all this hospitality, I can't believe the Klines ever left. That, uh... that was their name, wasn't it? The, uh, the Klines?"), and always had a flashlight on hand. Not only is it useful for scouting out dark, deserted warehouses, it also comes in awfully handy when your 16 pound dog gets stuck in the sewer.

"Admit it, you just want to play house."

As much as they may deny it, it was obvious not all of the fondness between Rob and Laura was merely put on. Often it seemed they'd forget they were "acting," and put a little more affection than was necessary into their hugs and hand pats. For example, when Mulder was digging in the pit in their front yard, Scully unconsciously began playing the part of the anxious wife, hovering about, attempting to get him to come inside. Her constant worrying about Mulder apparently does not stop with dangerous trips to the Bermuda Triangle. Their little digs at each other - Scully's "poopyhead" nickname for Mulder in response to his, "Woman, get back here and make me a sandwich!" and Mulder's assertion that Scully is "...quite the New- Ager" for which he got a sharp kick under the table - though not overtly loving, still were cute, and expressed their coquettish relationship better than anything else. This teasing extended to their names, using their Dick van Dyke pseudonyms to poke fun at each other, and their actual names when serious. This was most obvious in the bedroom scene - "Laura" quickly disappeared as soon as Mulder started teasing her. The comfortable nature of this scene - Mulder lounging on the bed and Scully decked out in a cucumber face mask - shows the depth of their relationship. But as fun as this was to watch, scenes like this could get a bit "cutesy," serving to emphasize how such a domestic relationship would wreck the series. You can't chase monster when you're squabbling over toothpaste and toilet seats.

"Come on, Laura, you know... we're married now."
"Scully, Mulder. Good night."
"The thrill is gone."

In a season full of episodes trying to be funny, and only some succeeding, an episode like "Arcadia" may seem like a gamble. Will another humourous episode about Mulder and Scully's relationship seem gratuitous, or will it work? I think it worked. It wasn't the best episode of the season, and its plot left much to be desired, but it still worked. It worked because it wasn't trying to be funny. Instead, it took its humour from the irony inherent in having the that old married couple Mulder and Scully actually play an old married couple, and let the actors do the rest. It remains to be seen what will happen to "Arcadia"'s creator, new writer Daniel Arkin, but meanwhile, The X-Files remains one of the top dramas on television for the sixth year running.

"It would seem the code of silence that hid the sins of this community has not only survived but-- in its creator-- claimed a final victim. Meanwhile, The Falls at Arcadia has been named one of the top planned communities in California for the sixth year running."