"Trevor"

I wouldn't mind taking a look at that diary...

While plot wasn't exactly this episode's strong point (except for those special effects -- wow!), Mulder and Scully's banter said it all in that one simple scene.  

When they arrive to look at the body of the dead officer, Scully moves from her scientific stand point to one firmly planted in Mulder territory:

Quote of the Week:

Scully: Spontaneous human combustion. Mulder: <amazed> Scully... Scully: Well, isn't that where you were going with this? Mulder: "Dear Diary,  Today my heart leapt when Agent Scully suggested spontaneous human combustion." Scully: Mulder, there are one or two somewhat well documented cases. Mulder: <gives her the classic Scully I'm-not-buying-it look> Scully: Mulder, shut up.

Never mind the heart leaping part (that made this episode for me right there) but the fact that she would adopt the views of her partner so easily is clearly progress into mutual ground.  Scully is becoming a believer.  And this works in two ways.  Not only does she begin to think like him, Scully has clearly made the effort to accept him and understand him and nurture his beliefs and that is one of the greatest non-physical expressions of love there is.  

This expression is, in fact, so strong that Scully can't even muster up the courage to maintain eye contact in Mulder's shocked delight and the close-following (yet subtle) hard time he gives her.  I rewound the tape and just listened in bliss to the way he said, "Scully," in that tender voice over and over and over...

Even their banter (the arresting David Copperfield comment, etc) has become so finely tuned and in sync that Scully no longer finds it necessary to give her first-season hand-on-hip-smirking-but-not-amused look that became so common then (and annoyed the heck out of me -- I wanted to shake her and yell "Flirt back!").  

Scully: Should we arrest David Copperfield?

Mulder: Yes we should...but not for this.

One of them lobs them out and the other bats them right back.  And I think that's progress, too.  Becoming so farmiliarized with the other's strengths and flaws and the little details makes being around the other person much more interesting, especially with all that sexual tension flying around!

Stay tuned next week for the eagerly and impatiently anticipated love and devotion and discovery and truth-fest (we hope) of Milagro!!!

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