"Triangle"

Titanic Shmitanic, let me introduce you to a real love story!

The episode begins in wide-screen format, our view immersed underwater.  Gradually we see pieces of wreckage, just flotsam and jetsam and then a body floating limp and lifeless in the water.  The camera pans in and I think to myself, "Wait a minute...that looks a lot like - AAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!" <Resuscitates self for first time>.

Well after that lovely little intro that had me reminding myself that it's only television, Mulder (thankfully or not) gets taken aboard a ship and accused of being a spy (did they know CPR in 1939?).  Confused why they would be so paranoid, he jokes that his country is fine, deadpanning "The whitehouse is having some troubles but that will blow over soon, so to speak."  They tell him that they can't go to Germany if the Nazi's take over.  Still joking, Mulder says "Why not?  They make nice cars there!" and is locked in the office of the captain.  He turns on a broadcast and hears that the year is 1939 and the second world war is going on.  Realizing what has happened, his reaction is an "Ohhh...shi-" worthy of Bad Blood.  

Beating up an ususpecting Nazi officer that enters the office, things get even weirder for Mulder when he realizes the man bears a remarkable resemblance to Spender.  Chased down, even while disguized in Nazi apparel, he comes across Scully 1939 dancing in the ballroom.  Mulder doesn't completely understand what's going on yet and tries to talk to Scully 1939 who is not impressed.  Mulder is roughed up and nearly assassinated at the word of the CSM Nazi before being saved by another Nazi that looks a lot like Skinner.  I couldn't help but think subtitles would be nice!!!  I didn't understand half the dialogue because they were fighting in German!

Things cut back to Scully who is working in a crowded office space when the Lone Gunmen approach her and tell her that Mulder's in trouble.  They are relucant to give her information, saying:

The Lone Gunmen: The walls have ears.

Scully: I have ears.  Will you tell me what's going on?

They need satellite coordinates to find Mulder from a satellite monitered by the pentagon.  Scully first goes to Skinner, begging him to help her get the information she needs and slamming the door on that snippy blonde little secretary of his who said "Sir, she just walked right past me."  Have you noticed this new kick-ass attitude of hers?  I love it.  

Desperate when Skinner says he can't help her, Scully takes the elevator to Kersh's office where she encounters another pushy secretary and then CSM lounging in Kersh's office <insert ominous music here>.  She tries phoning Mulder on his cel but doesn't get a response.  Her time is running out so she goes down to the basement to see Spender.  "Spender," she says, "I need a favour.  Either you do it or I kill you." (Go girl!)  

Spender says that they're clear and leaves to presumably go help her out, and soon after the phone rings.  CSM, thinking its Agent Fowley, asks if she's heard about where Mulder is before realizing that it's Scully's voice.  Scully is sure that there's something going on now and goes into the hallway where she runs into Kersh's bimbo secretary who tells her that Spender is now with Kersh.  "That rat bastard!" she seeths, running into the elevator, beside herself in fury.  She was so angry and frustrated and confused and worried that she looked like she might cry before her cel phone rings.  The reception is bad and she thinks its Mulder until (two quick elevator stops later) she runs into Skinner trying to reach her.  

He got her the information after all!  The elevator doors shut and she is so relieved to get the information she plants a kiss on him.  <Resuscitates self for second time>.  Actually, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be (it was only a second, and in understandable circumstances).  It was a kiss of relief and thankfullness, not one of love.  

When the elevator doors open again, Skinner gets out and reams Scully out to cover up what he's done for her.  She gets back on the elevator, pumped that she's finally gotten the coordinates to the amusement of the man riding with her.  Scully runs out to the underground parking lot where she is picked up in a VW Van (!) by the Lone Gunmen and jubilantly displays the information she's recieved.

Now Mulder must help to sort out the Nazi situation on the SS Queen Anne while Scully races to find him.  The problem seemed rather remeniscent of Back To The Future: either the ship has to disappear back into the Bermuda Triangle and not affect history or else circumstances will change and Mulder may not exist.  The Nazi's start assassinating passengers when Mulder won't name a scientist on board (Scully 1939 stands up to the Nazi's but to no avail - when he tells her thanks for nothing she says "Well I didn't see you doing any better.")  

At the same time, Scully and the Lone Gunmen board the SS Queen Anne and start looking for Mulder.  That swing music begins and the crew members attack the Nazi's in the ballroom.  Mulder and 1939 Scully escape the confusion, and at one point real Scully nearly runs into 1939 Scully but they are in different times, so they just stop, look puzzled and continue on.  Cool effect!  I loved the split-screen.  Scully finds the Lone Gunmen and they arrived in the ballroom to find it deserted.  Concluding it was only a ghost ship, they leave.

Meanwhile, Mulder brings 1939 Scully outside and tries to explain to her how important it is that she turn the ship around and head back into the Bermuda Triangle (obviously a past life of Scully, 1939 Scully was unconvinced).  He tells her that if she doesn't turn the ship around it may be the end of the world, as predicted by Einstein, and that he and Scully very possibly won't exist.  

This idea frightens Mulder.  If he returns to the present and Scully doesn't exist, he will never be able to see her again.  He'll never be able to do what he's been longing to do: put his arms around her and give her a romantic, passionate kiss.  Mulder loves her, not only in a caring way but in a romantic way as well.  He thinks she's beautiful.  Because Mulder and Scully respect one another and their friendship a great deal, they haven't just hopped into the sack or kissed and "gotten it over with".  That would have trivialized, if not ruined, what they had going for them.  But it is obviously important to Mulder to be able to satisfy what he's wanted to do deep inside him just in case it doesn't turn out.

Mulder says quietly, "So in case we never meet again..." and pulls 1939 Scully into a kiss (lasting ten loooong seconds!) <Resuscitates self for third time>.  It may not have been the real Scully, but now we know what Mulder would like to do with Scully when the time is right!  She replies with the only response appropriate for a person who is the past life of Scully: a right hook to the head.  Mulder counters with, "I was expecting a left."

Jumping overboard to return to the present, Mulder is rescued (presumably by Scully's boat) and brought back to land where he wakes up to Scully speaking softly to him.  He asks her where he is and what happened and she tells him as the Lone Gunmen and Skinner enter.  The following (hilarious, I thought) conversation ensues:

Mulder: You were there.

Scully: Mmm?

Mulder: You were there, Scully.

Langly: He's delerious.

Mulder: (referring to Skinner) And he was there, too.

Skinner: Right, me and my little dog, Toto.

Mulder: No, you were with the Nazis.

Scully: Mulder, will you settle down?  It's an order.

Skinner: Not that he takes orders.

Mulder: You saved the world, Scully.

Scully: Yeah, you're right.  I did.

Frohike: What kinda drugs is he on?

Langly: I want some.

The Lone Gunmen and Skinner leave to let Mulder get some rest as Mulder insists, "You and I were on that ship, Scully.  In 1939!"  They're quiet for a minute and then Mulder strokes Scully's side (just above her waist near her ribcage, which is one of those places like the small of your back that are very intimate) to get her to look at him.  He looks intently into her eyes and says, "I would've never seen you again.  But you believed me."  "In your dreams," Scully says gently, her voice soothing him.  "I want you to close your eyes and think to yourself...there's no place like home."  As she turns slowly to leave, he opens his eyes.  He has something else he needs to say.

Quote of the Week:

Mulder: Hey Scully. Scully: (leans her face near his) Yes. Mulder: (quietly looks into her face for a moment)  I love you. Scully: Oh, brother.

I think secretly Scully believed him.  The moment was so beautiful.  How does that saying go? Only children and crazy people tell the truth.  Hopefully Scully's heard that one.

As Mulder goes to lie down he winces, feeling that right hook to the eye and smiles, knowing the truth no matter who believes him (and remembering that kiss from the woman that became the woman he loves).

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