"Every minute of every day we choose, who we are, who we forgive, who we defend and protect. To choose a side, to walk the line, to play the middle, to straddle the fence between what is and what should be. This was the course I chose. Trying to find the delicate balance of interests that can never exist, choosing but not choosing, defending a centre which cannot hold. So death chose for me."

It might not have been "Memento Mori," but "S.R. 819" was no "Teso Dos Bichos" either. After four years of subjecting us to some of the worst X-Files ever made, John Shiban finally seems to be getting it...sort of. His plots may be a little weak, his humour as lame as ever, but thankfully, all this is made up for by his character portrayals. Or maybe that's just the actors compensating for him. No matter. "S.R. 819" was the first episode in this entire season that made me want to cringe, shudder, and cover my face with my notepad simply for its sheer horror and gross out factor. And for that, I liked it.

"What the hell are they?"

That's what I'd like to know! John Shiban has this annoying habit of bringing up an interesting topic and then never actually developing it. In "S.R. 819," that topic was nanotechnology. I happen to find this topic quite intriguing (it's been proposed that using nanotechnology we can build strong tethers for space stations, or elevators to the stars), and when the issue was raised in this episode, my scientific antenna immediately perked up. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to hear. And what I did manage to make out will probably never be raised in any subsequent shows either. While I firmly believe in leaving something for the viewer to figure out for themselves, and I understand this show was primarily about Skinner, there just wasn't enough for me. The tried and true plot lines about medical blackmail and government conspiracies were much more interesting than all the mumbles about some pseudo-nanobiological cloning weapon (how exactly did they get into Skinner in the first place? Ahhhhhh! [Katie falls into a plot hole]). And you've got to love the science on this show - not only does Scully not bother to use cover slips when preparing her blood samples for the microscope, it appears she can also come charging into an operating room with no authorization, no sterilization, and it can all be explained away by, "She's a doctor." Gosh, it's amazing what two little letters in front of your name can do for you!

"I heard that one."

Most of the elements in "S.R. 819" were in many ways repeats from other episodes. It had it all - a Chris Carter-like opening monologue, a life after death experience for Skinner, Mulder running through a parking garage, Scully using a high-powered microscope to find her clues in science, evil goings on at an empty industrial building, and another deal between Skinner and the devil. Kind of a mesh between "Avatar," "Memento Mori," and "Zero Sum." But even though this was more of a composite rerun than an original episode, it was admittedly nice to see some familiar things. Put together the tried and true episode format of Mulder and Scully working separately but together to achieve an aim, some Skinner-angst, Krycek ratiness, and those long-missed really nasty gross-out scenes, and you're going to get a pretty decent show. Even John Shiban couldn't go wrong.

"Walter Skinner. Have you heard the news? It's in you. You have 24 hours to live. You are already dead."

No matter what other grievances I had with this show, "S.R. 819" was essentially about Skinner, and on that level, it worked. Not only were we treated to a round of Skinner-angst (even if we did know he wasn't going to die, killing any suspense that might have generated), in the third episode dedicated to our favourite Assistant Director, we got another glimpse of the man behind the glasses. Besides exposing an affinity for boxing and an apparently broken up marriage (when asked about his day, Skinner confirmed Mulder's query that he woke up alone. So unless he's a really heavy snorer, that probably means he's not married anymore), Shiban delved into Skinner's choice to walk the middle road regarding Mulder and Scully's quest (and Johnny, bless his soul, found just about every word in the dictionary to describe it with during his opening monologue). This choice has been one of Skinner's central character traits, and the question of where his loyalties lay one of greatest contention for as long as he's been on the show. However, "S.R. 819" was the first episode to address this subject directly. And it seems we've been right all along. Skinner, struggling to sit on the fence for as long as he possibly could, has finally fallen off into the Mulder and Scully camp. He even went as far as to apologize to them for not believing in their quests sooner. So I can understand Scully's incredulity at his change of heart at the end of the show. I felt the same surprise. People don't exactly go back on promises they made on their death beds. I realize she couldn't have known about Krycek's little deal, but Mulder and Scully must be suspicious. And with those two, if there's a mystery to be solved, you know they're going to be there.

"Mulder, you're so paranoid."

Yup, that's him. Obsessive, yes, a little egocentric, sure, in need of some retraining on his break-in skills, uh huh, but paranoid? Definitely. Skinner seemed to be emulating Jan Brady in his constant, "Oh, this is all about you. It's always Mulder, Mulder, Mulder." But in fact it's not far from wrong. For on this show, it is always about Mulder...or at least the X-Files, his quest. It's not annoyance on Skinner's part, or egomania on Mulder's, but simply the truth. That was another great part about "S.R. 819." They included Mulder and Scully! Together! (And you know how I love that.) The little reference to Mulder throwing pencils at the ceiling had me smiling (is Scully out of town again? He he.). The fact that they didn't stick was just another reminder that he's not in his old office now, not on the X-Files any more. The twins of Mulder and Scully were at it once more with the two of them acting exactly like each other...again. When told, "I'm not supposed to let you have these," Mulder took them anyway, just as Scully, when told, "I'm not so sure you should be doing that," did it anyway. Both were at their obsessive best, whether that meant paying house calls at 4:01am or analyzing blood samples in the wee hours of the morning. And they wonder why they have no lives... But their differences were apparent at some point in the show. They have always reacted differently in painful situations, and Skinner's sickness was no exception. When Scully realized Skinner was dying, she got the familiar tortured look on her face, and became even more determined to find her answers under a microscope. When Mulder realized the same thing, instead of turning inside for answers, he looked outward, hoping that if he searched enough industrial buildings or chased enough bad guys, the ever elusive truth would finally reveal itself. Too bad he doesn't know he still has a year and half to wait for that day to come. He could save himself a lot of gas money.

"S.R. 819" may have been more aptly named "Redux," for it was in many ways a show of re-emergences. Both Krycek and Senator Matheson were brought back to life in this episode, the latter not having been seen on the series since "Nisei," not mentioned since "731." That by this episode he had gone so far over into the dark side shows just how much one can change in three years. As always, though, it was Krycek's presence that I really enjoyed. You know, I've really got to stop reading all the spoilers before watching a show. It might have been a lot more interesting had I not known the "bearded man" was Krycek right off the bat. Ah well. The ends justified the means, I suppose, for his appearance certainly made what could have been a dull show a lot more intriguing. For example, how is he involved in this whole conspiracy? Was he just doing the government's dirty work again, or was he working for a new organization? Perhaps the company that will profit from those nifty little carbon bad boys? Who knows - whatever he's up to though, you can be sure it will benefit him. Krycek only seems to care about Krycek. Nevertheless, I often found myself cheering for our little ratty friend. Even when he's bad (which he always is), he somehow has a way of getting your sympathy. The fact that he saved Skinner's life (even if it was for blackmailing purposes) probably helped twig that emotion. That, and his nifty new hairdo. ;) Though I'm quite surprised Mulder and Scully couldn't recognize him from the surveillance photo. I mean, they've known him for more than four years, and have recognized people in far worse lighting/tape conditions. A little bit of hair can't cover up his true persona, or the intense eyes only he possesses. Still, I'm so glad he got rid of that disguise. As much as I loved his attempt at a mountain man look, I have to say I liked close- cropped Krycek a lot better. :)

When I saw "Teso Dos Bichos," I figured John Shiban would be fired within the month. When "El Mundo Gira" came along, I was sure of it. "Travelers" only deepened that belief. It seemed apparent that our friend John couldn't write an X-File to save his life. But now I'm almost glad they kept him. He's no Darin Morgan, but has proven he can write good, conspiracy based episodes showcasing the actors and characters that we love while injecting some long missed suspense and dark eeriness into the series. If he continues on the trend he's on, with time, his scripts should only get better. Just one word of advice, though - keep away from the killer kitties and the goat suckers of the world. We definitely do not need any more of those.

"Whatever you were infected with appears to be dormant. Your recovery is being hailed as a miracle."