The C-Files
August 10, 1996
The C-Files (or what the cat dragged out...)
There are those who are inspired to pick up pen and put it to
paper, succumb to the creative urge, then post a message to the
newsgroup asking that well worn question, "Where can I send my
script?" Well, this is what happens to all those story ideas and
scripts that people are compelled to send to Ten Thirteen. They end
up in Chris Carter's "C-file". His circular file. It may seem cruel
and heartless but I guarantee, when you've finished perusing some of
these you'll be happy they don't regularly accept outside work. I
was lucky enough to get my hands on these cast-offs and a more motley
crew has not been assembled since the unfortunates boarded the SS
Minnow. The only truly incredible revelation is that among these
scripts and ideas, there isn't a dog-eared copy of Teso Dos Bichos.
I guess CC's free-throw percentage must have dipped below 100%.
What follows are the summaries from a sampling of these potential
episodes. Believe me...you don't want any more than a synopsis.
Some are patently absurd, some are divinely inspired madness, some
are bordering on an interesting concept, but most are so damn pitiful
they'll make you want to eat your liver. So break out a frying pan
and start dicing the onions...it'll give you a convenient excuse when
you find yourself crying for mercy.
* Mulder and Scully go to Anaheim, California to track down a
serial killer and find themselves at Disneyland where they are soon
trapped in "It's a Small World". Now I admit that this is one of the
nightmares most of the citizens of the world share in their
collective unconscious, but it hardly can measure up to an entire 45
minutes of action. Especially, since anyone who's been in there, or
even just stuck in the long line beforehand, knows it takes a hell of
a lot less than 45 minutes to reach a level of total insanity. CSM's
pals from Wet Wired should be taking notes.
* Mulder is convinced that Scully has been kidnapped once again
but this time replaced by a clone. His proof involves her sudden
change in speech patterns, in particular the use of words such as
hokey, freaky and wiggy. He believes that she was replaced with this
clone during the time he separated from her in the mountain vault and
his proof is persuasive. The peculiarities he's noted, aside from
her expanded vocabulary, include the incident where she concurred
with him on the Pusher case, the fact that she often looks
non-nonplused, and that awful sweater she wore to the greenhouse in
Paperclip.
* This next submission must have been well before Quagmire since
it involves Scully's adopted dog. The story idea revolves around the
pom's abduction from a roadside gas station. First thought to be
orchestrated by aliens, the perpetrator turns out to be a large
raptor. I guess all of you who couldn't wait for the yappy little
dog to become a heavenly creature can appreciate this offering.
* Panic and pandemonium erupt at an agricultural symposium when
an experimental bean sprouts in a mirror image of its nearest bean
neighbor. These leguminous terrors are the most pitiful excuse for a
story idea I've read even if they do finally attempt an explanation
for the opening credit image.
* A rash of abduction reports are centered in a small town
outside of Chicago. Upon interviewing the experiencers regarding the
tests that were performed, Mulder and Scully fill in some of the
gaps. To their horror, the abductees were not probed or tested in
the previously thought manner but instead were locked in a room and
forced to listen to hour after hour of mindless chatter from sports
color commentators.
* A case comes across Mulder's desk involving the strange
disappearance of summer concert goers. The concerts all seem to be
retro or dinosaur bands who have resurfaced to cash in on their past
popularity. Scully, Mulder and the Lone Gunmen go undercover at a
Monkees concert to discover the truth behind the apparent abductions.
I think this was just an excuse to allow Frohike to feel at home
wearing his furry vest.
* A very special episode where Pendrell's voice finally changes.
Enough said.
* The question of paramour vs. paranormal is finally brought to
the forefront. Mulder gets a date. Unfortunately, he finds out he's
allergic to them and experiences a close call when he nearly succumbs
to anaphylactic shock. Luckily, Scully is there to save him and he
realizes two important things: 1) the nearly fatal date makes him
aware of Scully's importance in his life, and 2) dates can be
hazardous so next time he'll just have a fig.
* Satellite photos reveal another large, seagoing vessel cruising
in the region where the UFO was salvaged in Nisei. Mulder and Scully
embark before double-checking the registry and find out too late that
they've boarded for a week long cruise on the Love Boat's Princess
Maru. Hilarity and zany antics ensue.
* A very special episode where Mulder wins a knock-down, drag-out
fight against someone other than Ratboy or an elderly lady with a
walker. Episode includes Mulder's tearful triumph spliced together
with footage from his extensive encounters with fists and other
various objects.
* Colonization is underway in this episode with an insidious
attempt by the aliens to infiltrate the population with their first
wave of scouts. In order to wreak the most havoc, they have
established themselves in positions where the ability to drive the
populace to insanity will be extremely easy. Such jobs include door
to door salespeople, morning radio DJs, and mimes.
* A memo is intercepted by the Lone Gunmen sending Mulder and
Scully in search of what is thought to be a compound where alien
genetic research is going on. They stumble upon a dump site and find
several containers that Mulder believes hold the biohazardous waste
products from unsanctioned experiments. Scully, the skeptic, thinks
they have simply found a site where radioactive or hazardous waste is
being dumped to avoid the high cost of proper disposal. They are
both wrong since inspection reveals one container to be a barrel of
monkey pee.
* Chaos erupts at a grocery store when a nightwatchman encounters
what he thinks is an alien entity. The FBI and a SWAT team are
called in and the store sealed with a few late-night patrons and
staff inside. A tense, closed-room episode ensues with Scully and
Mulder aiding in the search for the entity which in the end turns out
to be an overlooked package of head cheese that was spoiling in the
back warehouse. A question and an observation: Is there a
noticeable difference between fresh and spoiled head cheese? I think
they really did have an alien entity since there is no other
explanation for that particular food product.
* A mythology episode where Ratboy turns up and Skinner joins
Mulder and Scully in a clandestine attempt to bring him in. The
details of his escape from the silo are not laid out but he is
tracked down to a nudist colony and it seems only prudent for the
agents to go undercover to secure him and the information he holds
before the Smoke Ring can locate him. I think they missed the boat
on this one since I feel there is a chance it might have proved
popular among some groups of fans. But I could be wrong...
* Mulder and Scully head to Kansas to investigate multiple crop
circles that have appeared in several fields over the span of a
month. Scully's skeptical theories pan out when the cause of the
alien artwork turns out to be due to a faulty "U-Rent-Em" harvester
with an alignment problem.
* Several recent Bigfoot sightings have been reported in the
Olympic National Forest in Washington state. While watching the
amateur video to compare to the Patterson film, Mulder seems to
become feverish and Scully decides that she should go on the case
alone. Mulder gets ahold of himself and joins her but the tapes turn
out to be a hoax. Mulder insists on keeping them for further study.
* In a follow-up episode to Revelations, Scully decides she's
missed her calling and quits the bureau to don the habit and become a
nun. When she finds out she will no longer be sporting high heels
she chooses instead to start a non-profit recycling company. Mulder
abandons the X-Files to join her and they live happily ever after
with Scully collecting and sorting while Mulder picks through the
brown and green glass bottles looking for the face of Elvis.
So there you have it. If it seemed hard to comprehend the idea
of Chris Carter turning down the offer of so many great unsolicited
ideas, maybe this brief compilation will clarify things for you. I
for one can't imagine what sort of twisted mind could conjure such
lame and pathetic excuses for story ideas. I mean really, such a
mind must be necrotic and so badly damaged that a lobotomy is in
order. It would be a blessing and a service to mankind in general
and this newsgroup in particular if such a person were weeded out.
The gene pool is just not big enough for all of us and even the
shallow end would be more than a challenge for this person.
Hmmm...maybe I should have thought out this last paragraph a bit more
carefully.
Aerial
August 24, 1996
Written by Robert Chart, Directed by Max Overton
This lost episode was obviously from the third season but was
refreshing in the fact that the partners seemed relaxed with each
other and appeared to enjoy the investigation and each other's
company. Not to say that they haven't done much of that in the third
season...but I did imply it. Whether you are rift-conscious or not,
it seems that due to scheduling of breaks for the actors our daring
duo has been less and less a duo. Aerial gave them a chance to go
out and solve a case together and they seemed to have a good time
putting the pieces of the puzzle together. The episode focused on
the implant that Scully had removed from her neck in the ABC trilogy.
Apparently, it contained more cryptic information than was first
elucidated by Agent Pendrell and Scully is understandably eager to
pursue the clues in search of its origin and purpose.
I always thought that Scully took one heck of a chance turning
over that implant to the Sci-Crime lab at the bureau. It might have
disappeared altogether leaving her with no information. She got
lucky though, and the chip ended up in the hands of Pendrell who had
the motivation and the know-how to get her some data. But even if he
did go above and beyond the call of duty to get her the address to
the Hansen's Disease Research Facility, the fact remains that he did
destroy the chip. I know it wasn't exactly his fault but I wonder if
the Lone Gunmen would have faired any better. Either way, the chip
is no longer in working order so its true purpose might be beyond
discovery. But when I first got a glimpse of that chip under
Pendrell's microscope I thought it looked a bit like a grid from an
aerial map of a city. And it looks like Scully has had this
revelation during this episode. The premise is unlikely but I can
believe that Scully's need for answers could lead her to follow-up on
this potential clue. And Mulder owes her to at least tag along.
Our dynamic duo start their search by hitching a ride in a
helicopter to try to pin down the sections of DC that they think are
being reproduced on the chip. Scully's theory is that the chip's
creators have included an unused section on the grid placed there
specifically to provide information to someone who knows what to look
for. There being no way to track down the chip's origin, a person
who knew where and what to look for on the surface of the implant
would know where to go to track down the lab and therefore the chip's
creators. With a printout of the implant's surface as a guide,
Mulder and Scully scan the aerial view from the helicopter until they
locate the section of the city that matches the implant grid. Once
back on the ground the duo grab a Taurus from the rental pool and hit
the road. What follows is a bit of a scavenger hunt, X-Files style.
The partners can easily identify landmarks from the printout on the
city streets so begin to investigate each of these in turn leading to
some strange encounters and a string of locations we never suspected
we would see M&S frequenting.
Now this is where the episode gets interesting. The duo get to
break out their powerful flashlights and slip into some comfortable
shoes as they head off to unexplored territory. How many times have
we seen them head into an old, abandoned warehouse or a shadowy
forest? Well, I'm not obsessive enough to go back and count but it's
lots of times. Lots and lots of times. Aerial sets our stars down
in diverse locales and odd situations that are engaging ,
exhilarating, spine tingling, invigorating, rousing,
bewitching...okay, I'll quit playing with my thesaurus feature now.
Suffice it to say the unusual nature of their investigation is the
defining feature of the show since in typical fashion, the truth
eludes them in the end.
According to the map, the first landmark is an old, rundown
building with the lower floor dedicated to a mystic, palm reader. In
order to gain access, Mulder ends up having a reading and learns some
potentialities that raise Scully's eyebrows. The palm reader tells
him that she sees a loss in his life. Could she be legitimate...is
she seeing his sister's disappearance? Probably not since Mulder's
fish have just passed into the cold, ceramic beyond and he is still
sporting a black armband in their memory. But the next revelation
just might be something. She sees Mulder getting close to someone he
works with...in a situation he never imagined...closer than their
normal work relationship...maybe even an intimate situation. Her
final analysis...she sees him in the sack with somebody close to him.
Mulder's veiled glance at Scully earns him another raised eyebrow
and they decide it's time to go. They didn't find anything
suspicious and the palm reader's business did not appear to be a
front for any other covert operation.
Next stop, the community center. Weekend activities are underway
and Mulder and Scully check rooms for suspicious dealings but only
see a lot of youngsters doing arts and crafts projects. Slightly
sinister since a few are making ashtrays but nothing obviously
related to the implant. I thought maybe we'd get to see DD shoot
some hoops if Mulder wanted to bond with some school kids but instead
the scene evolved into the most unexpected development. Mulder and
Scully end up in the sack! Now I know there is a faction here that
has been hoping and praying on their favorite celestial body that
this would happen but unfortunately, the circumstances being what
they are, the sack does not resemble a mattress with silk sheets and
feather pillows. The sack is in the guise of a potato sack as the
agents are cajoled into participating in a three-legged, gunny sack
race. Very weird and not too satisfying, especially since they only
placed third, but it did fulfill the prophecy of the palm reader.
Having found no clues on the premises they move on to the next site.
Does evil lurk at the local miniature golf course? No way to
determine this without a thorough investigation so it's onto the golf
course. Green number five does have a gingerbread house with a
*smoking chimney* but this seems to be the only suspicious sign
Scully notes. Mulder is too busy being competitive seeming to suffer
from some testosterone surge. Scully eventually has to lure him off
the green with the promise of one ride in the bumper boats. After
wasting a few tokens in the batting cages and playing a rousing game
of Whack-a-Mole, the agents tear themselves away to continue the
search of the grid.
Killing two birds with one stone, Mulder suggests they stop for
some water at the grocery store which happens to fall in the
boundaries of the city grid they are searching. Cruising the aisles
and peeking into the back warehouse turns up no odd activity so the
agents prepare to purchase their items but suddenly Scully can't
locate Mulder. He was just a step behind her and now he's
disappeared. As she goes for her gun she suddenly locates him at the
tabloid newspaper racks. Dragging him from the rags, she tries to
rationally explain to him the absurdity of that particular actor
being addicted to sex. On to the next site.
Referring back to the printout of the implant's surface, Scully
notes that they have hit just about every identifiable landmark on
the grid. There is only so much detail that could be worked into the
chip so they assumed that any section on the implant that seemingly
represented a building in the grid was suspect. But they are down to
only two more locations. One is another old dilapidated building
which looks like an unused warehouse. Too obvious. The other option
to explore is a freshly, repainted storefront sporting signs
indicating a combination music store/head-shop/health food store.
Ducking past an "Ask Me About Herbalife" banner, the agents enter the
store only to find it in a state of disarray. Questioning the clerk
they find that they have hit the jackpot but that once again the
badguys are a step ahead. The clerk, speaking up to be heard over
the strains of John Tesh, informs Mulder and Scully that they are in
the process of expanding into the back rooms of the bottom floor
which is why everything is a mess. The previous renters have suddenly
picked up and moved leaving the extra space for expansion. Mulder
asks the clerk to hold off on the transfer of boxes and stock while
he and Scully take some time to search the premises.
It is apparent from the set-up of the rented space that the group
taking up residence had been conducting some high-tech experiments.
The rooms were ringed in high capacity outlets for their electronic
equipment and walls of computer banks. But the clean-up operation
was efficient despite the obvious haste with which it was undertaken.
As Mulder and Scully prepare to leave, the clerk shows Scully
something he found in the store's dumpster. Somebody must have
quickly emptied a wastebasket from the back room and inadvertently
left a clue for our agents to find. The clerk had noticed the box
since they don't sell cigarettes in their store, being health
conscious. The cardboard box, previously used for shipping Morley's,
is full of computer printouts with numbers and some computer language
that is indecipherable at a first glance. Since it is the only thing
they have recovered, Scully is determined to get cryptography and the
Lone Gunmen on the case to see if any sense can be made out of the
documents.
So not altogether a wasted effort, but once again CSM and his
cronies stay one step ahead and avoid a direct confrontation with
Mulder and Scully. Could the consortium have been hiding a receiving
station for the outgoing implant signals behind a store full of Yanni
CD's, water pipes and placental milkshakes? I think it is highly
probable and it's a shame that Scully couldn't have received more
resolution from the investigation. Considering that this is a lost
episode, this might explain why it was never aired. It did not
further the mythology and in fact was a bit of a risk since the duo
had to spend so much time together in pursuit of the answers without
sniping at each other...even enduring an afternoon and evening
listening to the strains of Kenny G. Maybe this is the answer to the
origin of the rift... a day of flaccid rock could lead to that and
worse. Anyway, the episode overall was well paced and it was
satisfying as usual to see them pursuing a case in sync with each
other. Besides, I've enjoyed the cases which lead them off the
beaten path and into situations that are not the normal X-Files fare.
And with six weeks to go before the start of season four, I'll take
any unseen episode over a rerun.
Keep
September 8, 1996
Written by Jen Carcino, Directed by Sal Cooper
Loose ends are a major component of X-Files episodes but some
just cry out for closure. The idea of Ratboy locked away in the silo
at the end of Apocrypha seemed like a form of justice but better
still made for a great ending with Dana musing on burying the dead
alive. But after stewing in the aftermath of this episode, I began
to wonder why Mulder and Scully didn't go back as soon as possible to
see if the rat had managed to escape. In fact, they had no way to
know that he was trapped inside but there was obviously some covert
activity at the silo so it only seems logical for them to break back
in and give it another look-see. This was the direction that the
writers were heading when they penned this episode though it never
made it to our prime-time screens. But as the summer hiatus for us
viewers drags to a close, they decided to allow us this opportunity
to see what might have transpired if Mulder and Scully actually
followed up on a loose end for once.
Poor Krycek. I feel bad...really I do. He must have been so
disoriented. But I still laugh myself sick every time I watch the
final scene of Apocrypha. It is justice. Besides, you know he'll be
back. Here are the facts as I see them. He can't survive in there
forever...not even up until Talitha Cumi in the X-Files timeline. It
has been suggested that he could survive if the alien reinhabited his
body or that he could escape by hitching a ride on the alien craft as
it smashed its way out of the silo. This last one is unlikely since
a craft, traveling eight stories up with enough force to break out of
the silo wouldn't be a safe ride from the exterior. Krycek would
hardly make it out in one piece...or if he did it would be one, big,
flat piece. (Okay, I stole that line from Red Dwarf but it's one of
my favorites.) I still have only theories on how Ratboy will affect
an escape but in the meantime it's interesting to see how some of the
writers pictured one means to this end. This episode is satisfying
to anyone who's ever wondered why characters on TV shows never
remember from one episode to the next the important discoveries they
make. Granted, the X-Files has more continuity than most shows, but
there are still occasions when I wonder why they give up so easily.
Just because they find a scientific reason for one instance of a
phenomena doesn't mean a paranormal explanation is invalid for
another.
In Apocrypha, Mulder and Scully have more reason than ever to go
back and recheck the silo. They have what they believe is evidence
that Krycek was there and they met up with CSM and his nico-team
outside. Unless their memories were wiped, they have cause to return
to the silo for some follow-up investigating. The agents have been
shipped back to DC by CSM so in order to get to North Dakota without
a tail they need a cover story. Mulder digs through some files and
finds a case to present to Skinner. Possessed cats in a museum
basement sounds so absurd that not even Skinner will sign-off on it
but some meaningful looks from our daring duo convince him that they
have some follow-up work and he allows the subterfuge. Instead of
making flight arrangements over an unsecured line and renting a car
with their FBI identification, Mulder and Scully practice a more
clandestine approach this time around. They end up on a red-eye to
North Dakota and to save cash make the drive from the airport to the
silo in a Yugo. Maybe not the lap of luxury but they feel certain
they have not been followed.
Keep stands out as an interesting story due to the perseverance
of the agents in staying with their case but it succeeds as an
episode by sticking with what works well on the X-Files. By this I
mean great camera work and lots of atmosphere and suspense. We don't
simply follow the storyline through from M&S's point of view but
are taken into the silo and spend time waiting for their arrival with
Krycek. The cinematography was great especially in the scenes in and
around the silo. Krycek probably feels that he has been abandoned for
good but is hoping for the best as he nurses his sore throat. His
only chance of release seems to be contingent on CSM's return. Sort
of like going from the frying pan to the fire. As we join him in
isolation we see a ratty looking Krycek sitting as far from the alien
craft as possible. Beside him is a meager pile of items which seem
to represent his sole possessions. A comb (even a villainous thrall
has to look good), his passport, a package of Mentos candies, and of
course his leather jacket. With only one edible item amongst them he
makes a start by gnawing on the belt of his jacket.
Meanwhile, as dusk settles, Mulder and Scully are on their way to
the silo. They park the Yugo a fair distance away and with their
hiking boots, heavy coats, and their giant flashlights in tow, they
head to the silo. They're making a better effort than last time.
Without the trail of breadcrumbs and the giant flashing neon arrow
pointing the way, they may have a chance of catching any watchers
off-guard instead of tromping in with their size tens...or size fives
for Scully. CSM, being overconfident, left only a skeleton crew to
guard Krycek. Ratboy poses no challenge to the guards but they were
obviously unprepared for the return of our dynamic duo. So it is
fairly easy for Scully to disarm the first guard they encounter.
After questioning him on the number of nico-team members on the
premises, Mulder ties and gags the guard. As they slink through the
hallways, Mulder and Scully dispatch with the patrolling guards
arriving at the final corridor that leads to room 1013. Mulder
distracts the guards by starting a round of charades while Scully
sneaks up from behind disarming and knocking out the larger of the
two. Mulder cuffs the final man allowing him to remain conscious in
case they need further information. This whole sequence was
satisfying to watch since quite often our agents are at the losing
end of a fist. In this scenario, they used their skill and brains
and ended up corralling the entire on duty nico-team leaving only the
dilemma of breaking Krycek out of his cage. And this does pose a
dilemma. A cursory search of the guards yields no key and the guard
adamantly explains that they have no such key. There wasn't a need
to open the door since CSM ordered no food or water...just a constant
guard.
While M&S are successfully making their way to Krycek, he is
pitifully trying to keep his spirits up by whistling show tunes and
TV theme songs. I made out Gilligan's Island and Tomorrow from Annie
but even that was too much to endure. What a pathetic git. I did
enjoy the shots inside the silo with Ratboy. The alien craft is
pretty cool looking with the swirling symbols on it and the dank,
dark interior lends a lot of atmosphere to these scenes. But there
is a disturbance in the room. Ratboy becomes aware of it as he
suddenly jerks his head up fixing directly on the apex of the craft.
He tries to get even farther away, but unless he can melt into the
wall he's as far as he can get. Panning around the room, we zoom in
for an overhead of the vessel and it's clear that the alien is
beginning to ooze its way out. Krycek is beyond plain fear, making a
sort of keening sound as he tries to become one with the shadows.
But the alien doesn't move in his direction, heading instead for the
main door. Jump cut to the hallway outside as our agents arrive with
the guard in tow. Mulder peeks through the convenient window and
confirms that indeed, Ratboy is in residence. Scully asks Mulder if
she's going nuts or if he can also hear a halted rendition of the
Partridge Family theme song but at this moment all hell breaks loose
so the question is left unanswered.
Here is the solution to the conundrum we have been waiting for
since Ratboy was locked up. I always figured it would be CSM coming
to release Krycek. Makes the most sense, but since Mulder and Scully
got to him first in this scenario it played out differently. As
Mulder and Scully look on in horror, the oil slick alien oozes under
the door and into the hand-cuffed guard who is at its mercy. Once
inside the guard, the alien controls his body and has decided to free
Krycek from his prison. This seems plausible since Krycek was a pawn
and if the alien was vengeful toward anyone, it would be CSM who
everybody seems to have a vendetta against. The previous bodies that
the alien inhabited were merely vessels and were not harmed; those
who disturbed it or stood in the way of its goal met a different
fate. Some may have been unwitting accomplices but no distinction
was made. Krycek, Mulder and Scully seem to have immunity to its
death sentence since it aids M&S in releasing Krycek from his
imprisonment. But how will this be accomplished since the guard
swore he had no key in his possession? Simple...the guard reaches
above the door frame and pops the hide-a-key loose. Even diabolical
evildoers can misplace a key and common sense calls for a back-up.
As the door swings open, the guard drops to the floor unconscious as
the alien oozes back out and into its ship. Mulder and Scully are
worried their good fortune might be running out so they grab Krycek
and, as they struggle to keep ahold of his slimy personage, make
their way out of the silo to the safety of their waiting Yugo.
And so the recovery of Krycek has been accomplished and CSM is
none the wiser. But it won't be long before he's hot on their trail
so they need a place to stash Ratboy until they can wring some
information out of him. They hole up at a motel in DC and Mulder
grills Krycek for information on the location of CSM and the contents
of the tape. Unfortunately, Ratboy doesn't remember anything during
the time of his possession so has no idea where CSM lives or the
status of the tape. And no matter how hard Mulder presses him he
swears he has no idea how to unencrypt the files on the tape. His
role as Geraldine's partner was to provide the tape and some
protection while she did the information dealing. Since all three of
them are tired, Scully heads back to her place leaving Mulder to
guard Krycek. She is awakened by an early morning phone call and is
shocked to hear X's voice on the line saying that her partner
requires her assistance. Demanding more information she is
interrupted by a dial tone in her ear. The final sequence shows
Scully back at the motel as she eases the door open with gun drawn.
But of course, the danger is long past and she only finds her
unconscious partner and an otherwise empty room.
So their attempts to gain more information and bring Krycek to
justice are thwarted but I give them credit for following a logical
progression in their investigation. As for Ratboy, he's just too
slippery to hold onto for any length of time. I would issue a
warning to CSM...if he thinks he can keep a hold on Krycek, he better
think again. As episodes go, Keep had some good ideas, a fair amount
of action, and Mulder and Scully working together in a satisfying
attempt to relocate Krycek. TPTB may have decided this wouldn't be
the method of Krycek's return or simply thought this would carry the
story to an unwanted three-parter. But, no matter how the escape or
release of Krycek is accomplished, we are sure to see him again in
season four. I mean, would you spend your entire summer appearing at
conventions to promote a show that you had been written out of? Not
likely. Besides, Ratboy is just too much fun for them to dispense
with him so easily. He's easy to hate in his ingratiating weasely
persona, fun to watch as a badguy with his leather jacket and great
hair, good to have around as a punching bag and ego-booster for
Mulder, and I am personally hoping for some Ratboy redemption in the
future. Overall, I would call Keep a keeper and I'm glad I got a
chance to see it as the run of lost episodes nears its end.
Impotence
September 26, 1996
Written by Alfred Stewart, Directed by Martin Bowman
This is the final lost episode of the summer hiatus and it really
delivers up a show that goes out with a bang. It's ironic that the
title describes how we feel as fans waiting for the season premier
and the resolution we seek. In two weeks we'll find out if there is
satisfaction in the awaited answers, knowing we'll be saddled with
more questions. That's what makes the X-Files work...slow
revelations mixed with additional mysteries. What Impotence would
have offered our heroes and the storyline, would have been another
path for their quest. They can follow the smoke signals to search for
the truth behind the conspiracy, but with the possible clues revealed
in Impotence, there would have been a chance to unlock the secrets,
and with it the information, that Mulder and Scully have buried
within themselves.
The highlights of this episode were the dialogue, the wonderful
mood setting cinematography, and of course the reappearance of Deep
Throat. The entire premise of accessing their lost memories makes
some sense to me. What would Mulder remember if he continued with
his regression hypnosis? Is he blocking successful memory recovery
due to the painful nature of the truth? Would he see aliens, MIBs,
or maybe his parents' involvement in Sam's disappearance? Surely
something he can't cope with easily. And Scully is in a similar
situation with her abduction. A session with a regression
hypnotherapist may force her to face a truth that does not fit into
her belief system. If they were offered a key to these suppressed
memories, it could open a Pandora's box. The question is whether
they have the strength to allow themselves to remember and the
courage to deal with the consequences.
The episode revolves around a recurring dream that Mulder is
having which is causing him some sleepless nights. Mulder and his
couch have seen their share of sleepless nights but this is bothering
him enough for Scully to be worried. He finally confides in her the
fragments of the dream he remembers. The dream itself isn't
disturbing in content or imagery but Mulder has had it repeatedly and
never to completion and it is beginning to wear on him. We learn
that the dream involves an appearance by Deep Throat who has some
important information for Mulder. What disturbs Mulder is that he is
unsure if this is the ghost of Deep Throat trying to communicate with
him or whether he is simply dreaming about his mentor. Mulder
explains what he has pieced together upon waking as we see his dream
in flashback. He is running on a track which changes to a dark
street, then to what appears to be an airfield. His pace falters as
he realizes he is not alone. Deep Throat is with him and they are
walking down the airfield in mid-conversation. Mulder's confusion is
due to his dream persona joining the conversation mid-stream and also
the fact that he usually wakes before the discussion is concluded.
Deep Throat is trying to explain something that seems important for
Mulder's safety and could help in his quest but when the critical
piece of the puzzle is to be revealed, Mulder wakes from his dream.
Mulder feels that it's more than a dream...that it might actually be
Deep Throat attempting to reach him from another plane of existence.
He waits for Scully to knock down his theory with a raised eyebrow
but instead is surprised as she advances a new one. What if this is
a repressed memory that is trying to resurface? Mulder has had his
memories wiped on one known occasion so it might have occurred before
or since, and this might be a memory of an actual conversation that
is fighting for re-emergence.
Since they are home and not away on a case, Scully decides to
stay at Mulder's apartment and be on hand to record his waking
memories. After sharing a pizza and watching Rear Window, Scully
forces Mulder to turn in and attempt to sleep. Mulder eventually
sleeps, entering REM as Scully keeps a vigil. As she watches, Mulder
becomes agitated in his dream then awakens with a start. Immediately
Scully records the dream while it is still fresh in his mind. The
dream was still incomplete but Mulder has learned what Deep Throat
was trying to tell him...there is a "key" that Mulder and Scully need
to locate. The core of this episode involves this clue that Deep
Throat has revealed and through it emerges the theme. The impotence
the partners experience resulting from their involvement in the
X-Files. As Mulder's dream progressed, he found himself in a library
and a hidden safe was revealed. Inside was a gold key that Deep
Throat told him would help him unlock the secrets to the past and
help reveal the truths the X-Files held.
Mulder is convinced he can locate the office building so they
decide there's no time like the present and head out in the early
morning darkness to the business district of DC. One of them will
remain outside as a look-out and since Mulder knows the location of
the safe he decides that he should go in. Scully feels it might be a
set-up but can't come up with a Scully Rational Explanation for how a
bad tip could have come to Mulder in a dream so she grudgingly lets
him go. The scene that follows embodies the theme in action.
Anybody who's seen Hitchcock's classic Rear Window, will have seen
this played out before to great effect. The scene this mirrors is
the epitome of impotence. Stewart is not only physically
incapacitated but he is separated from the danger by distance and
can't come to the aid of Kelly as he watches from across the
courtyard. This scenario is played out as Mulder enters the building
while Scully can only watch and cover his back. As she scans the
street, she sees his flashlight beam in the building and the coast
remains clear. Then suddenly she sees a dark car pull up to the
building and none other than our cigarette smoking friend emerges.
Mulder is in danger and his time is limited but she can only watch.
The tension is not as high as in Rear Window but the feeling of loss
of control and impotence is still present. Luckily, Scully and
Mulder have what Jimmy and Grace did not...cell phones. She calls to
signal Mulder who quickly extinguishes his flashlight and informs her
that he has the "key" but needs to exercise caution in exiting the
building. I cannot describe in words the power of a scene like this
when you combine acting, lighting, camera work, and music but suffice
it to say it was one of the more tense X-Files moments I've
experienced.
The "key" turns out to be other than the symbolic gold key that
Mulder saw in his dream. The only item in the safe was a lengthy
list of words aligned with rows of numbers. They take it to the Lone
Gunmen for some expert cryptographic help. The document is a list of
words corresponding to a set of dates going back decades. Scully
puts it together with the enigmatic message from Deep Throat and
believes the "key" to unlock the past and the truths of the X-Files
in the present is a code word used to unlock repressed or erased
memories. Not only their memories, but anybody whose memory has been
tampered with over the decades. The code words may help to reveal
what really happened on the night that Samantha disappeared, what
Mulder saw in that hangar at Ellens Air Force Base, and what actually
occurred the night Scully disappeared from Skyland Mountain. The
agents return to the familiarity of the basement office to digest the
impact of this finding. These code words correspond to some
life-altering events in each of their lives and if they have
experienced memory tampering to shield them from the truth, then this
list could provide them with answers that have been at the heart of
their quest.
Mulder and Scully may often feel a lack of control in their
inability to protect themselves and each other from physical harm
during their cases. But the loss of control associated with their
memories and mental state is a burden they also deal with in their
quest. As Mulder and Scully sit in the basement they have an
interesting conversation. They don't often have deep talks that we
witness and probably don't expose their true feelings and fears very
easily. The discussion focuses on them feeling powerless in the wake
of their lost time and memories. Mulder can't remember a clear
progression of events on the night that Samantha disappeared. He
thought he simply blocked the memory but now harbors a suspicion that
his memories have been tampered with. If he unlocked the memory of
that night and the entire sequence of events, could he cope with the
consequences? What if it *was* aliens who took Sam? Or worse yet,
what if he had the full picture of his parents' involvement in her
disappearance. Could he deal with that? Scully similarly has
missing memories from her abduction and three months of lost time.
If she used the key to unlock these would she be able to deal with
the truth behind her disappearance? Even if it meant accepting that
there was alien involvement? The key might force both of them to
accept things that would alter their outlook and challenge their
belief systems.
Then there are the X-Files themselves. If Mulder uses the code
word to unlock his memories from his missing time at Ellens Air Force
Base, he will be privy to the information they took great pains to
keep from him. Mulder has the past to contend with, but other than
Sam's disappearance, the potential information recovered would all
relate to their current quest in the X-Files cases. Scully's
abduction and the incident at the AFB would both offer enlightenment
regarding what truths are being hidden from them and who is involved.
These answers would be invaluable. One of the biggest hurdles for
the agents has been keeping a step ahead of the darker forces in the
government. With the help of Skinner, they have been able to
investigate more cases than they would have under tighter
supervision, but they still have to deal with the ever present threat
of the X-Files division being shut down once again. Here is where
the truest feeling of impotence lies. They could lose the X-Files
and each other as partners at any moment and they would have no
control over the situation.
This lost episode had such potential for the future of the
X-Files. Instead of going in a slow progression of new cases and
bits of information defining the mythology of the show, Mulder and
Scully could have reached into their own memories to search for
clues. TPTB may have felt this would open too many avenues or that
it would move the story at a heightened pace that would burn out
quickly. Whatever it was, the decision was made not to air this
episode and it's a bit disappointing since it had a lot to offer for
future character-driven episodes. In typical form, this episode left
some issues unanswered. We'll never know if Deep Throat's message
came to Mulder from another plane of existence or whether Scully's
theory was closer to the truth. Regardless, the "key" he spoke of
was where he said it would be. There was a character insight that
was revealed in Mulder and Scully's discussion that is of note.
Mulder's words and disposition lead me to believe that he was
disappointed that his father wasn't the messenger in his dream. Deep
Throat was his mentor and like a father figure, but I think Mulder
would have been happier if his father had come to him to offer this
resolution and release. This episode must have been slated for early
in the third season and though it wasn't used, we at least had the
scenes from The Blessing Way where both men came back to offer words
of encouragement to Mulder in his time of need.
The episode ended with Mulder beginning a session of regression
hypnotherapy and Scully sitting at her kitchen table holding the card
for Dr. Pomerantz that Melissa gave to her. The impression is that
both will attempt to unlock the secrets they hold within their minds
but it will not be easy or painless. It also may not be successful,
but a partial resolution is better than nothing. I really enjoyed
this final lost episode. It had action and intrigue but in the end
was a character-driven piece that was satisfying since it didn't
ignore either character. The X-Files, and the truths they hold, have
become the quest of both partners and they have suffered at the hands
of that truth. What this episode offered was an additional path of
discovery that in the end might have offered resolution to both
Mulder and Scully. The revelations might have been sketchy and
almost certainly would have been painful, but both would have been
compelled to pursue them. It would have been an interesting road to
travel and I for one would have signed on for the journey.
This page hosted by 
Get your own Free Home
Page