All good things must come to an end, and not long ago, that seemed exactly where The X-Files was headed. Storylines were being wrapped up as contracts simultaneously expired. Cast members were publicly stating their desire to leave the show. Not even the most devoted fans could fight for a future so uncertain. I felt I had no choice but to resign myself to the inevitable. Yet the end I was prepared for never materialized. Just when all my hopes had been abducted, the series was given a miraculous new life. Leading the way into this unexpected season "Requiem" emerged as a paradox. It is a beginning in the end, an alpha where once there was an omega.

"It has to end sometime. That time is now."

At the beginning of the season, I was convinced this would and should be the end. Episodes like "Closure" reinforced this view while blatant rip-offs such as "Fight Club" (remember "Syzygy"?) made it clear the writers were running out of ideas. Then came "Requiem" and turned that opinion on its head. Leaving us with an absentee Mulder and a pregnant Scully, it undoubtably means the end of The X-Files as we know it. Thankfully, that could be just what the series needs. I admit, carrying it out will be difficult (a pillar of The X-Files has always been the dynamic between Mulder and Scully) but I'm curious to see how they will attack the problem. They can be quite creative when they need to be - just look at what the "Duane Barry" trilogy did for the show. Though the sheer length of Mulder's disappearing act is sure to cause a few obstacles. Gillian's maternity leave only prevented her from appearing in one episode, while David is not scheduled to return until February. *sigh* I think I'll miss the little things the most. Now there's no reason for Scully to start her cell phone conversations with cryptic openings like "Mulder, it's me." No one will be around to perform crazy auditor assaulting antics either. It's unclear whether or not these minutiae can be replaced, but after the events of this most intriguing finale, I'm at least willing to tune in and find out.

"They're coming here, aren't they?"
"They're only coming back."

In keeping with its theme of final beginnings, "Requiem" brought us back to the very origins of the mythology - The Pilot. Being a second season X-Phile, I was only able to see The Pilot several years after its original air date. So like "Requiem," it was more with anticipation than curiosity that I first viewed the episode. Looking back at all the complex conspiracies of seasons past - the bees, the alien rebels, the jiffy pop domes in the corn fields - it seems oddly appropriate that Mulder and Scully should complete their journey at its genesis. To honour of what could have been a series finale, moments of nostalgia littered the episode. Trivial mementoes only a die-hard fan would appreciate - the return of Lariat rental cars, the use of the number 1013 ("All units, we have a 1013."), and the spray-painted X - were scattered among homages to entire scenes. Recalling the teaser of "Fallen Angel," the opening saw a local police officer endure a horrible fate after finding a downed UFO. The discovery of Detective Manners in the trunk of his car with the Bounty Hunter standing above him echoed a similar scene in "Colony," while the cliffhanger brought back memories of the conclusion to "Christmas Carol." Separately, these reminders are mere blips in the time line of a seven-year-old series. Taken together, however, they prove that only by coming full circle can you find the truth.

"Deja-vu all over again."

Not that "Requiem" was one big happy reunion. Never one to be idle, the Alien Bounty Hunter made ample use of his unexpected "down time" by continuing his quest of purity control. This meant re-abducting all his former abductees (not exactly the most cost efficient system, but perhaps aliens don't have auditors). As convenient as this inadvertent shore leave was for the plot, many unanswered questions remain. Cancerman claimed that the Project was off. So why does the Bounty Hunter still feel compelled to "eliminate proof of all the tests"? I suppose the rebels could be hanging around attempting to expose their evil cousins. Or colonization might be about to start, with impure samples such as the abductees posing a threat to their goal of total human enslavement. Unfortunately, this argument breaks down when you consider Scully. The aliens abducted her, and never gave her any cool brain anomalies. All she got was terminal cancer and a lovely computer chip for her troubles. Super Mulder is an equal mystery. How could that one artifact completely alter an otherwise normal brain? Perhaps his genetic make-up is indeed "different." (And that could open up a whole other barrel of worms for the aliens.) Whatever the answers to these questions, I just hope Mulder will let us in the secret when he gets back.

"This just can't be."

Despite the abundance of bright lights, flying saucers, and force fields, the biggest cliffhanger in "Requiem" had nothing to do with aliens. Like many of the best scenes in the series, it was a moment that drew its power from the simple intensity of human emotion. The shock of its impossibility only added to the drama. In retrospect, I feel a little blind to the evidence. (Sort of like when I found out Gillian was pregnant after the second season. :P) If only the idea not been so remote from my mind, I might have recognized the clues for what they were. But with my limited foresight, I merely thought the writers were rather rudely rubbing in the fact that Scully's biological clock had been stolen from her. Why else would they have her spill her life story to an auditor, or pose for a Kodak moment with Teresa's baby? Now I see all that "rubbing in" was just foreshadowing. So they fooled me. And I love that.

"I'm not going to risk losing you."
"I won't let you go alone."

If the ending caught me off guard intellectually, at least I was prepared emotionally. The final hospital scene was only one moment in an extraordinarily dramatic episode. Influenced by the familiar setting and years of memories, conversations like the one in Mulder's hotel room rekindled the many anxieties shared by the pair. Looking back on the past seven years of their lives, they recognized the personal sacrifices Scully made - her sister, her "chance at motherhood," and several times, nearly her life - and Mulder's guilt due to that. At this junction, the question of whether or not the end was worth the journey once more became significant. For Scully, the answer was clear. The events of "all things" clearly confirmed the path she had chosen in life - if they hadn't, she wouldn't have been in Oregon. Unfortunately, Mulder did not appear to have reached the same level of peace. It is possible that his alien experience could change that, however. The serenity he displayed as he was abducted recalled his expression in the final scenes of "Closure," while the cross he wore embodied both the religiousness of the experience and the bond that ties him to earth. Still, I hope Mulder didn't think he was protecting Scully by leaving her. I only wish he knew the whole story. Scully hadn't sacrificed her destiny to work with him on the X-Files. She had found it there.

"Once upon a time there was a little baby..."

Though "Requiem" raised many questions, it was kind enough to solve one conundrum for me. The mystery of the unnaturally happy FBI agents had weighed on my mind throughout the latter part of this season. But now I know what caused the tension to disappear. Now I know why Mulder and Scully have been hanging around together so much lately. They've been quietly forming a romance. (Aren't they the secret squirrels?) I don't say this because I am a shipper, or because I have based my assumptions on any unfounded hope. I just cannot interpret Scully's reaction to the news of her "immaculate" conception any other way. For if her child is not Mulder's, Scully sure thinks it is. What else could "We will find him. I have to" mean? If she believed anyone else could have fathered the baby, she would not have displayed such a pained happiness. She would have been demanding answers. Instead, her expression said three things - she was joyfully surprised to learn of this miraculous pregnancy, she knew who the father was, and she knew where the father was. And since Scully thinks Mulder is a daddy, that means they've been...um, intimate.

This, of course, presents new problems. What would a relationship between the dynamic duo mean for The X-Files? Chris Carter promised he would not compromise the series for a romance, and I've always agreed with his logic. Watching Mulder and Scully pick out china patterns would certainly detract from the cases they are trying to solve. Yet seeing the way they've handled what is now so obviously a romantic relationship, I may change my position. There has been nothing overt about their courtship. A few conspicuous scenes and conversations to let us know something was happening, but no more (i.e., Mulder and Scully's "post-case talks" moved from their office to Mulder's apartment). The show has not been ruined, nor has it been reduced to a melodrama. Why? Because a so-called "soap" is not determined by its subject matter, but rather, how it's addressed. If they can deal with a relationship this delicately (I mean, I wasn't even aware there was a relationship until Scully's little announcement), I'm sure the pregnancy can also be managed with respect and dignity. Or so I hope. With an unplanned season looming on the horizon, all rules could be out the window. Chris Carter has changed his mind before, and he could easily do it again. By November, the baby's father may end up being an alien, the Holy Spirit...or even David Crosby. (Who knew that flippant line from "all things" would be so prophetic?) No matter what happens, though, one good thing is sure to come from this sneaky little trick. It will keep Mulder very much alive in the stories next year. He may be gone, but his presence will be felt.

"I'm having a hard time explaining it, or even believing it, but um...I'm pregnant."

Now comes the trickiest question of them all, the question destined to linger throughout next season - how? Assuming what we learned is correct, Scully has been infertile since the aliens abducted her five years ago. You would think this would make it very difficult for her to get pregnant, especially without her knowing about it. But this is The X-Files, and as always, there are possibilities. Perhaps the chip, which cured her cancer, was also able to regenerate her lost ova. (I don't think this is medically possible, but you must remember, we are dealing with alien technology.) Then Mulder and Scully consummated their relationship without thinking that any birth control was required, and surprise! Or maybe Cancerman played some role in this creation while she was passed out under his care in "En Ami." Heck, with all the religious symbolism that surrounds St. Scully, it could very well be an immaculate conception. I doubt if we'll ever be told the definitive truth in this matter, but I don't mind. Some things are best left a mystery. Besides, everyone already has their own theory regarding the blessed event, even Scully. It may not be right, but it appears to give her strength.

"I was worried about you Alex."

Like most mythologies, the finale filled its roster with old friends and foes. A crowded mix of some very conflicting personalties, the cast of "Requiem" introduced us to the faces of the new X-Files. (Sadly, it also reminded us of all those we've lost - excluding the Scully family, all the series' characters were incorporated into this episode). The long-forgotten dynamics of the duo's support staff strengthens my confidence in the Mulderless world to come. The sparkling intensity between Marita and Krycek, the newly-found conviction of Skinner, and the inscrutable evilness of the Cigarette Smoking Man will all be assets in the year to come. So it's a shame that the most intriguing of the bunch might not even live through the summer. From his first clandestine appearance in "The Pilot," Cancerman has grown from a one-dimensional antagonist to an oddly tragic figure. With his colleagues dead, and the Project buried with them, he has emerged as a man living in the past. Inhabiting Diana's old apartment, dreaming of rebuilding the Project and "...possess[ing] the answer to all things" he seemed almost pathetic. I suppose you're allowed to be a little melodramatic when fate knocks at your door, but really, how important can one spaceship be? Ah well. Everything else has had its turn as "the key to the X-Files." And who knows? Maybe these weren't just words. Maybe his glory days will somehow return. He's come back from the dead before, and as the cliche says, you can't kill the devil.

"We will find him. I have to."

In the past, saying "Agent Mulder is dead" did not mean he was dead. Nor was he trapped in a burning box car, or about to be killed by the Alien Bounty Hunter. But now Mulder has been abducted...and they're not lying. Other mythology episodes were less than surprising in their choice of plot. Somebody died, and bad things happened to almost everyone. "Requiem" separated itself by throwing a little good into the usual bag of atrocities. Scully has not been left to mourn Mulder's loss alone, and though he may be far from his touchstone, this abduction has given Mulder a chance at valediction. In other words, "Requiem" was not your average finale. It was intriguing, it was well-made, it was shocking...it was everything the series needs at this point. It laid the groundwork for what could be a fascinating new season. Now bring on November!

Notes:

--If Mulder thinks "the personal costs are too high," then his estimate of travel must be quite low. After all their years of trotting around the country with nary a thought to the expense, I had to laugh at the audit of Mulder and Scully's excessive budgets. I wonder if Chris Carter and the gang have been subject to the same kind of scrutiny at Fox... "Let's go waste some money."

--"We could start sharing rooms..." Lines like these let me know how much I'm going to miss Mulder. Of course, with what we now know, that probably isn't such a bad idea. ;)

--Whatever part of California they filmed in almost looked like Vancouver (the key word here being almost.) Do you think they could film there every week? I miss those forests.

--If the aliens are smart enough to build spacecraft that can bridge the vast interstellar expanse, then why do they keep colliding with our primitive human aircraft? I think the Alien Bounty Hunter needs to renew his spaceship license.

--Marita looked remarkably well for her stint as a lab rat - I wonder who saved her from that facility. Cancerman? If so, pushing him down the stairs was probably not the thank you he was expecting.

--I know this may detract from the moment, but I couldn't help but notice the similarities between the bedroom scene and sleeping bag scene from "Detour." Through in some off-key singing, and I'd be back in the forest with the tree-men.

--If and when Scully gets a new partner next season, I just hope they're a skeptic. Those old arguments have been sorely lacking as of late, and Scully's objections to Mulder's theories, if any, have been weak and unconvincing.

--Is it just me, or does it seem like Scully either is in a hospital bed or performing an autopsy? Give her something more to work with people!

--Do you think the writers enjoy tricking us, or is it just a by-product of their scripts? First they let us guess for ourselves Mulder and Scully's new sleeping arrangements. Then they fooled us into thinking Scully's vertigo was due to some alien interaction when it was nothing more human than morning sickness. Deceive, inveigle, and obfuscate.