"Agua Mala"

C'mon, even the drunk ex-FBI agent got it!

You know the love and respect (and uniqueness) is blatantly apparent in a relationship of any sort when other people start noticing it.  Even if two people are not yet considered "a couple" (whatever that means) but hold that UST and that chemistry, they will without exception constantly be mistaken for just that.  It happens all the time around us in our lives.

Hell-o!  Mulder and Scully can count a list as long as both of their arms people from the first and second seasons (Red Museum, memorably, shortly following the infamous BBQ scene), to everyone's favourite Small Potatoes, to more recent episodes and especially Rain King who have mistaken them or insinuated and so forth.  You know, this wouldn't be written into the script if it weren't how it would happen in real life, and I can't help but think that this is undeniably leading somewhere.  I know, I know, we've known this forever, but bear with me.  Speculation and suggestion are good and very very often correct (especially with all of us because we're about as perfect as they come <g>) but this is more than that.  This is finally reaching what could solidly be called foreshadowing.  

Chris Carter is hardly ever subtle in his insinuations (we all remember going into a frenzy over whether CSM was Mulder's father) and some of them turn out to be true and some don't.  We were hit square in the face with the fact that Diana and Mulder had had relations before even before the icy kiss and all that "I know her" crap.  My prediction is that Mulder and Scully's relationship is finally going to step up, at least a little.  I'm not promising anything and I'm no psychic, but that's just the feeling I get, especially after this episode.

Along with our finally-back-into-the-so-called-normal-routine monster episode, Mulder and Scully reverted back into their regular, less uptight, monster-busting, baby-delivering, life-saving, gun-weilding, mystery-solving selves.  More importantly, Mulder held doors and joked, and Scully joked back!  They snuck those sideways they-don't-know-I'm-admiring-them glances that we all know and love.  Finally!  Everything's gettig back to normal.  (And yes, I know, I know, that was the attack of the hyphen-ridden paragraph.)

Memorable scenes included Scully and Mulder's exchange in the car on their way to the apartment building they accidentally came across.  With zero visibility and no phone (horrors), they need to find somewhere to take shelter.  

Mulder: You know, Scully, someday...we're going to look back on this and we're gonna laugh.  We'll just think of it as, uh...you know, man pitted against the forces of nature.  Think of it as a test of our mettle.

Scully: I don't need my mettle tested.

Someday we're going to look back on this and laugh?  He's not talking next year here people.  People laugh about these things on their 25th wedding anniversaries and at baby showers and such.  This is a very un-partnerlike thing to say (not that that's shocking), but I thought, like always, that I would point out the obvious.

And best of all, the last scene (after everything was resolved, the woman's baby was named something extremely long and Mexican and Mulder and Scully had returned to Arthur Dales' house).  Mulder (in a white turtleneck to hide the sucker-marks from the entity that attacked him) and Mr. Dales are waiting as Scully arrives with news about the baby.  

Mr. Dales begins by praising them with their good work, including "bringing a new life into the world" at which point Mulder looks at Scully with respect as Scully looks down shyly at this double-praise.  It turns out that he thinks that Mulder was saved by Scully and that Scully did all the work (which was partly right but not completely).  Mulder tries awkwardly to correct him, but Mr. Dales persists:

Quote of the Week:

Arthur Dales: If Agent Scully had not been there with you, I-I...I'd shudder to think what would have happened to you.  I'd say you owe her your life.  It takes a big man to admit this, but if I had had someone as savvy as her by my side all those years ago in the X-Files, I might not have retired.  I suggest that we have a toast to your good fortune.

Just a side note here: did anyone else think that Scully's hair was just the cutest in that last scene with the ends just slightly curled?  I thought that was adorable.  They both keep getting more and more attractive, even when I don't think it's possible.

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