Perfect for a series that revels in obscurities and paradoxes, the title reminds us of the many different origins of a rush. Definitions linked by this shared synonym range from the act of moving quickly, a type of adrenalin charged excitement, and even a grasslike plant. Some come from harmful sources, such as mind-altering drugs, and some from passive ones, like the thrill of watching a well-made television show. But in a deserted cave, the main characters in "Rush" found a different source...a decidedly paranormal one. Moving faster than the speed of light, they discovered the ultimate rush is rushing itself.

"It was such a rush."

I only wish the same could be said about this episode. Rush, unfortunately, was not one. I'm not saying that it was bad...just forgettable, inconsistent, and a little confused. However, compared to David Amann's other episodes, it marked a major improvement. In "Rush," he effectively combined plot with theme, while still managing to build characters and include Mulder and Scully in an interesting way. A story about a group of teenager's addiction to speed, "Rush" reminded us of the ever decreasing attention span society is cultivating for young people. With a hundred television channels to choose from and high speed Internet connections to play with, we are being trained to expect instant gratification. When we don't receive it, our impatient annoyance can be reminiscent of withdrawal symptoms from a drug. For example, one gets used to the speed and efficiency of a powerful modem connection, turning what once was a harmless convenience into an indispensable prerequisite. Like an addiction, once this level of necessity is reached, the need will remain with one always, making it almost impossible to "go back to things standing still."

"I'm sorry Tony. I can't go back."

No matter how wonderful an idea for an X-File is, no matter how scary or how original it may be, if it doesn't include Mulder and Scully in some way, the viewers are not going to be interested. With "Rush," David Amann showed us that he finally understands this, the elusive MS factor precisely the reason this episode worked, while his earlier "Terms of Endearment" did not. Mulder and Scully were not simply passive observers in this case, showing each other their theories and not doing much else as in his previous efforts. Instead, they were a part of its greater meaner. The concept of age and "going back" are important issues for our two intrepid agents, and the different paradigms of the two generations concerning this issue made for an interesting paradox. The realization that "maybe [they're] too old" to be affected by whatever power was in that cave shocked Scully, the pained look on her face a window to her insecurities. Logically, she must recognize her age and how very long she has been working on the X-Files. Yet at that moment, reality made itself uncomfortably evident for her. Mulder is not exempt from the life's slings and arrows either, nearing the crease of the hill on his way to age forty. The awareness of mortality is a sobering thought, but I applaud the writer for including it. The integration of a familiar fear into the characters we tune in every week to watch was a delightful surprise. Max isn't the only one eating his Wheaties...

"But bear with us ‘cause we're old and stupid."

Mulder and Scully may be nearing middle age, but that doesn't mean they don't still have fun. Even the normally dour Scully seemed to be enjoying herself, a portrayal masterly brought to the screen by Gillian Anderson. Her ability to bring personality to otherwise dull scenes has saved many episodes, including this one. Playful and flirtatious with Mulder, her affectionate folder taps and secret "Please, just for me" smiles were a welcome change from the more serious characterizations of the season's earlier episodes. Not that she wasn't taking her work seriously. Alternating between compassion and sternness as the situation required, she could be both considerate of the scared Tony ("You're not likely to get a fairer hearing than this."), and unyielding towards the arrogant Max. The dealer's look in her eye as she and Mulder questioned him in his hospital room seemed to say, "You tell us what you've done, and we'll help you get better. No more, no less." Meanwhile, Mulder's already got the case solved. Leave him with a tape to play with and he'll crack the mystery that has baffled an entire police force in less a minute. Yet despite his amazing powers of logic, he still can't figure out what to do with his hormones. At least he felt the need to explain his wandering eyes to Scully, an embarrassed "What...?" the apology for his transgression. Then again, Scully was a Betty "back in the day" according to Max, so maybe Mulder isn't the only one who still has the moves. ;)

"I'll show you my theory if you show me yours."

In many ways "Rush" was like a trip down memory lane. Similar to episodes of yore in look, tone, and characters, it reminded me of the aspects that originally drew me to the series so long ago. Like earlier episodes, a large majority of its scenes were set in foggy, poorly lit forests, a look I've missed since the series moved to Los Angeles. And unlike last season, it didn't shy away from disturbingly gory visuals. Completely excavated skulls and cafeteria impalings were present in "Rush." However, both were strategically placed to obstruct the most gruesome of details, the idea being that the implication of bloodshed is much scarier than its observation. The X-Files are truly masters of this technique, the carefully morbid setting of props in "Rush" (i.e. the placement of a chair in front of the teacher's face with a blood splatter in the background) evocative of past crime scenes such as in "Roland,"where the liquid nitrogen shattered brain bits were outlined in tape along with the rest of the body. In the character department, "Rush" saw the return of everyone's perennial favourite, Chuck. With most of Mulder and Scully's other informants and scientific consultants either dead or locked in mental institutions, it's comforting to see a familiar face once in a while. And apparently, he's made quite a name for himself in the interim, doing beta testing on the side for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Very impressive. Now if only he could help them find the lost Mars Polar Lander...

"Buckle up Scully, I think Chuck is going to take us on a ride to the paranormal."

"Rush" may not have been the best X-File ever written, its basis in science and the supernatural not well-explained or ever satisfactorily wrapped up. However, if all you were looking for was a ride to the paranormal, it delivered. Combining interesting themes, effective use of characters, and neat visual effects, this episode was entertaining and enjoyable to watch. As far as television goes, there's no great rush than that.

Notes:

--Kudos to Mark Snow for the excellent music he's been composing this season. One of my favourite passages had the background music mimic the tempo of a heart beat. Beautiful.

--The description of how the deputy's glasses were coming out the back of his skull was just a tad gruesome for me. They do say it's important for police officers to have eyes in the back of their heads, but I think this was a little extreme. :P

--As a major in the field, I was excited to see physics mentioned in this episode. However, there were a few problems with Mulder's simple "Force equals mass times acceleration, isn't that right?" explanation. If his theory was that the teenagers were chugging along at the speed of light, then some relativistic complications should have cropped up. As you approach the speed of light, you also approach an infinite mass and length. Time begins to slow too...oh well, I guess one out of three ain't bad.

--"Smells like murder to me." Rather than Teen Spirit, I suppose. :P

--I had to chuckle at the episode's concluding hope that Tony could "go back to being a normal kid." Normal is not exactly a word I would use to describe this case.