As much as you want to find Mulder, you're also afraid to find him.

Well, my goodness. It appears they may have finally let the cat out of the bag. An episode brimming with twists and turns and emotional ups and downs, This Is Not Happening sets itself up as the potentinal tip of the iceberg for revelation. It offers the key to unlocking countless mysteries, and builds, with frustrating suspense, toward the greatest and most heart-wrenching mystery of all: Mulder.

Well gang, I always do with mytharcs, I will refrain from making any broad speculations about the plot until I have viewed the subsequent parts and have a little more information to work with. For now, I'll simply stick to what we know, and keep the theorizing to a minimum.

One thing before I get into it, though, as I know this is the main concern at this point: is Mulder dead? I'm not even sure I really want to attempt the question given the lack of information, but I'll offer what I can. For those who may be clinging to a flickering hope, keep in mind that in terms of our G-man's condition, nothing was stated in the negative or affirmative. Morever, the fact that Scully sees Mulder's premonition might offer an important clue. In the realm of folklore, it is often the case that a person sees a premonition of one close to them not when that person is dead, but when that person's life in is peril; when that person is in severe trouble. The apparition Scully sees may thus be interepreted as Mulder's last cry for help, and not so much as a symbol of his passing into another world. This said, he may be alive at this point, but time is undoubtedly running out.

Getting back to TINH, though. One thing I really like about this episode the portrayal of Scully. From the beginning of the season, we have witnessed a gradual decline in Scully's composure, from small slips in eps such as Badlaa and Patience, to waivering emotions in Per Manum; all of this finally culminating in her breakdown in TINH. Indeed, the closer Scully gets to Mulder, the harder it becomes for her to hold herself together. In a moment of distress, she turns to Skinner. If I may interject, I'm sure many shippers balked at this scene, but I think it is quite significant. Until now, Scully has kept all her emotions inside, revealing her fear to no one but herself. What she has lacked is a friend through all of this--Doggett has presented himself as an ally, but Scully is still too wary to confide in him. Moreover, the perpetual intravert, Scully finds it difficult to open up to anyone, especially to someone she does not know well. Thus, the fact that she does open up to Skinner shows the extent of her distress, but also reveals her trust and faith in this man as an ally. It is a big step for her to turn to anyone, and so her actions speak a great deal about her emotions, and about Skinner's integrity.

More on Scully, I also enjoyed the implied psychic connection between her and Mulder. As in Without, there seems to be an important connection between the two. Scully's nightmare, and the premonition she later experiences, proves she may be connected to Mulder in more ways than she can imagine.

Skipping ahead to Doggett now. In this ep, we see Doggett as desperately wanting to help Scully, but at the same time, trying to stick to conventionality, to keep his feet on the ground, so to speak. Despite the fact that Doggett has been exposed to a great deal in his short time on the Files, he naturally wants to stick to more conventional explanations for the cases he investigates. The X-Files are essentially uncharted territory for Doggett, thus plunging head-long into alien theories is still a bold move for him. Also, however, sticking to convention might be his own way of keeping Scully grounded. He possesses a deep concern for her--a concern she is likely unaware of--and by trying to keep himself grounded, he is arguably trying to do the same for her.

Interestingly, however, in this ep we are finally allowed a major clue from Doggett's past, and for the reason he feels this strong empathy for Scully. Though Doggett's past was hinted at in Invocation, it isn't until tonight that we learn he indeed had a son who died. The mirroring of experiences, then, is represented in his deep sympathy for Scully; in his concern for her baby, and his concern for her loss of Mulder. Thus, his line to Scully, when he suggests she may be afraid to find Mulder, likely mirrors his own experience exactly. Doggett understands her fear; if Scully knew this, she may feel differently about him. All I can say is, I can't wait to learn more :-)

Speaking of Doggett's past, this brings us to the new agent, Monica Reyes: though I'm aware I might be guilty of premature judgement, and that my opinion of her may very well change with time, I'm not exactly crazy about her at this point. As far as first impressions go, I find her somewhat overbearing and condescending. Her religious chatter seems nothing more than dribble, because she doesn't even appear entirely conviced of it herself. Moreover, despite the fact that she preaches open-mindedness, she holds fast to her own opinions, and seems to look down upon those forwarded by others. In addition, there is really very little about her character that captures my interest. There is nothing spectacular about her, nothing that immediately stamps her out as a formidable or outstanding person. At this point, her connection to Doggett's past is the only remarkable thing about her.

Interestingly, on this note, the fact that she does hold an important key to Doggett's past suggests that she may be a tool for the series; a plot device rather than an actual character. Indeed, her ability to sense auras and emotions allows her to openly comment on the psyche of other characters, and consequently disclose information that might not emerge any other way. Monica thus builds bridges into Doggett's past, and possesses the means to discuss where they lead. In a sense, then, she is a tool for breaking Doggett's emotional shell; a device for revealing Doggett's history. But this said, in general (with a few exceptions) plot device characters do not typically turn out to be anything particularly interesting; rather, they're flat and usually exit superficially when their purpose in the plot is fufilled (ie Diana Fowley); meaning, on pure speculation alone, Monica Reyes may never amount to much.

Oh, and one more thing? The pack of Morleys? Again, it is too early to speculate, but from a very preliminary stance, I'm willing to say that the cigarettes--coupled with the interesting comment she dropped about smoking being a bad image for her as an FBI agent--might just be enough to raise a few eyebrows. Again, however, I'm not drawing any broad conclusions.
[just an aside, to back this up: smoking on the X-Files is nearly always a sign of a conspiracy, of "bad news." Use that bit of information in whatever manner you like. Anyway, that's all I'm going to say at this point.]

As for Jeremiah Smith? It seems that this character has finally returned to fufill his legacy; to dishevel the Syndicate's plans--or whatever remains of them. As we discovered way back in Talitha Cumi, he meant to thwart the Syndicate's part in colonization, and thus prevent it from happening. It appears he has held fast to this purpose. The Syndicate may have taken a blow, but Jeremiah Smith is intent on picking up the pieces of the disaster they left behind. This said, however, his air of secrecy around Scully is somewhat puzzling. He goes far enough to reveal his identity to her, but he obviously has information that is vital to Mulder's survival; information he is curiously holding back. We will have to wait and see.

Well gang, we have a long wait ahead of us. This is a rather cruel cliff-hanger, being inflicted upon us mid-season like this. The rest of this mytharc is likely to be an emotional doozy, but it will be a long time coming. In the meantime, I expect I'll be keeping myself occupied by watching Survivor.

All in all, TINH is a good ep. Emotional angst, and potential for revelation. In the meantime, gang, please do not panic :-)

Squall's Rating: 7

Never give up on a miracle...

Well gang, you'll have to give me a minute to compose myself. If I seem to be rambling tonight, it's because I was literally blown away by this episode. You probably don't need me to tell you, but Per Manum is absolutely fantastic, scoring high on emotion and infusing the main plot with a wonderful burst of suspense. I hope I'm not being overzealous when I state this, but this is perhaps one of the best episodes of the series; definitely, at least, one of the best episodes that has aired in quite a while.

Well, as usual, a problem I always seem to have with these fantastic episodes is figuring out exactly where to begin. Indeed, there is so much in Per Manum that is worthy of attention, so many questions that are both raised and answered. In that sense, for a place to start, it might serve to look at what we know, and what we do not, respectively.

I will begin, then, by shedding some light on a question that has been lingering since the beginning of the season; exactly how much time has passed between "the present" (meaning what is weekly shown to us on the X-Files) and Mulder's abduction. For an answer, this timeline is more or less confirmed for us tonight; Scully's pregancy is fixed at 14 weeks, placing the current timeline at a little over 3 months after Mulder's abduction. This fact actually holds some importance in terms of Scully's relationship with Doggett, but I will get to that a little later.

As in turns out, another important question is answered for us tonight, a question which has long plagued devoute philes since Memento Mori first aired four years ago: what became of Scully's ova? In contrast to the somewhat farfetched theory that Mulder dutifully stored the ova in his freezer for 4 years, it is now revealed that he actually had the ova tested at a fertility clinic. But upon finding the ova non-viable, he decided to conceal the truth from Scully, for fear of causing her any more pain. The ova, as it turns out, are still kicking around (presumably at the clinic and not in Mulder's freezer, though for those of you who insist on clinging to that theory, I suppose it hasn't entirely been quashed), giving Scully a one-shot chance at realizing her dream of becoming pregnant.

Which, interestingly, brings us straight to another question, perhaps the most glaring question of them all: who, or what, is the father of Scully's child? Per Manum might seem to suggest that despite Scully's wishes, Mulder is not the father of the child, given that the invetro attempt--using his sperm, which he is very willing to provide--was apparently unsuccessful. This is not to say, however, that the possibility of Mulder's paternity is completely ruled out in favour of an alien impregantion. OK. Call me the desperate shipper, but I still believe that the child will turn out to be Mulder's, by whatever means imaginable. Per Manum, in fact, provides a clue to this: indeed, Scully very well could have been abducted and impregnated, but could she have been impregnated with Mulder's sperm? Mulder, too, is a multiple abductee; it is possible that his own sperm, or maybe a hybridized version of it, was used, since whoever or whatever is responsible for the abductions could have taken a sample and stored it for later use. And then, of course, there is always the more conventional way; the implied sexual encounter in all things has never been revisited or resolved. And then, of course, there is the question of exactly what CSM did to Scully in En Ami; she could have been rendered fertile by CSM's interference *G* OK, OK. I will move on :-)

Backtracking a bit, now. The flashback scenes between Mulder and Scully in this episode are particularly touching.
[just an aside, I have to say that I loved the transitions in this episode. The jumps from past to present and back again were flawless and effective, and perhaps some of the best editing to appear on the show. Fantastic].
Mulder understands the magnitude of his gift to Scully, and is afraid it might come between them. At the same time, however, there is little hesitation on his part. He wants only to help her, because he knows how much it means to her. It is an extremely selfless act for Mulder. He's giving Scully a little bit of himself, in more ways than one. Scully, in turn, is thankful beyond words for Mulder's gesture, and promises that it will change nothing in their relationship. If I might jump in though, I believe it has changed them somewhat, perhaps by bringing them closer, connecting them in a way neither of them thought possible. Interestingly, if you watch the last scene carefully, there is proof of this. It is apparent that Mulder is equally devestated upon hearing that the procedure was unsuccessful. Scully's pain is now a pain Mulder shares, just one more way in which they are pushed closer together.

I'm sorry if I'm jumping around a bit, but I'm trying to keep this from becoming too much of an epic. I will skip ahead, then, to a subject I'm just itching to talk about; Mr. Dogget. The last scene between Doggett and Scully is undoubtedly the best exchange yet between these two characters, and a great scene for the Files in general. Ah. Can I tell you, I think I'm in love with this man *giggle* In fact, this scene is probably my favourite in the episode; I'm just quite taken with Doggett. As you know, I've been impressed with this character since he first graced the scene in Within (my attachment to T-1000 notwithstanding). Tonight, however, I'm happy to say, he managed to achieve a new level of brilliance. Doggett stamps himself out as nothing but noble in this episode. Though he is initially irritated, and understandably so, at being kept in the the dark about Scully's behaviour, his committment to his position on the X-Files and his concern for Scully prompts him to investigate. Though the extent to which Doggett believes is still a bit of a question mark, his intervention ultimately saves Scully's life, and makes the case to her that is is to be considered an ally, someone to be trusted, even if Scully can't bring herself to accept this. Indeed, as he tells her, he promised to help. Knowing Doggett's undying determination, it is a promise he will not break. Needless to say, Doggett will dutifully search for Mulder until the end, exhausting any and every means necessary. Damn this guy is good :-)

Just before I wrap things up, some final words on Doggett's relationship with Scully. Until now, Scully has maitained a safe distance, something which might be explained by the fact that the two agents have only been partnered for 3 months. Per Manum, however, could mark the beginning of a real friendship between these two agents--again, just to cover my ass, not a romance in any sense of the word, but a simple friendship--and indeed, this is something that Scully undoubtedly needs, for with Mulder's absense and the fears surrounding her pregnancy, she needs someone she can confide in. Doggett might fill that role perfectly.

Anyway, gang, there's a great deal more I could say about this episode, about Mulder and Scully, about pregnancy theories, about Doggett (yes, definitely about Doggett *G*), but as it is already a bit of an epic, I will end it here. No complaints, gang. This was a fantastic episode. Needless to say, it's going on my favourites list.

Squall's rating: 9

She's the boss...

Well, I'm not holding anything back. I very much enjoyed this ep. Medusa is not without its problems, but it is definitely one of the better episodes of the season in terms of context, and one of the more unique hours in the X-Files collection.

Oh, and Doggett in SWAT gear? I just got very turned on :-)

Before I begin, though, it might do me some good to declare an obvious bias (besides John Boy's sexy SWAT gear). I'm assuming that the plot concept for this episode was taken from a book called Reliquary, the excellent but generally unknown sequel to Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's novel, The Relic. (Just to make myself perfectly clear; I'm not talking about the film version of The Relic, which is an utter travesty. If you're at all interested in the story, read the novel. It's simply fantastic). The general story is similar--a clan of genetically mutated individuals residing deep inside an unused tunnel of the New York subway and occasionally coming out to wreck havoc on rush-hour commuters. Of course, the location and the premise are altered for Medusa, but there are obvious areas where the stories overlap--the murder of commuters, the unused tunnel, etc. In fact, it was the similarities with Reliquary in the plot which instantly grabbed my attention and drew me into this episode. Anyway, if you're at all familiar with the novel, you'll know what I mean.

But to break from this tangent, I must point out one more similarity; an intra-X-Files similarity *G* There are obvious overtones of Pusher in this episode, with Doggett being sent off into the tunnel while Scully monitors his progress--much like Mulder was sent into Fairfax Mercy hospital in Pusher. And did I mention there was SWAT gear? *G*

Anyway, moving on, because I could go on about that SWAT stuff all night :-) Apart from the concept, which I already mentioned was great, what jumps out most for me in this episode is the focus on Doggett and Scully's relationship. Doggett, though declaring for some time that Scully is the expert, finally in this episode elevates her status to that of "the boss." He admits that he relies on her direction, and consequently allows her to supervise his actions. Interestingly, too, he also places enough trust in Scully to allow her to lead him, even though he knows that she herself is not completely certain of the situation, or of the outcome. This said, I have to say I very much enjoyed the take-charge attitude Scully maintained throughout this episode. The authority she adopts in Medusa is matched in only a handful of other episodes, Drive being one of them. Like I've said a thousand times, I think it looks good on her. Definitely looking to see Scully in more of an authoritative role from now on!! *G*

Back to Scully and Doggett's relationship, though. What we see in this episode is an effort, at least on Doggett's part, to personalize their relationship a little more. As Bianco implies, Doggett really doesn't know Scully as well as he would perhaps like to. Consequently, we see an attempt on his part to warm up to her. Scully, too, approaches Doggett slightly differently in this ep. She seems to have finally embraced him as a partner, showing genuine concern for his well-being, and anger at the fact that he has been placed in a dangerous situation. However, though she has warmed up to him in this manner, her approach to him becomes once again aloof in the final scenes (one thing before I continue--I thought it was rather cute that John Boy was embarrassed Scully might see his little touschie... damn, if I were Scully, I'd have tried a little harder to sneak a peak *G*). Ah-hem. Anyway, Doggett tries to warm up to Scully, but she backs off. Despite the fact that she beginning to become fond of her new partner, for all intents and purposes, his very presence reminds her that Mulder is not there, that Mulder is gone. For Scully, opening up to Doggett also means pushing Mulder further away. Though Doggett is making a genuine attempt, Scully is not ready to see him as a friend just yet.

Despite the interesting Scully-Doggett developments, and the great story concept, there are some problems in Medusa. Firstly, as with a few other eps this season (ie Surekill, though not as extreme), there is not sufficient explanation of the case. We know that Doggett apparently eliminated the creatures, but the reasons, and the implications, remain obscured. Also, pursing the cover-up on the part of the police department definitely would have been interesting, and would have added some substance to the plot. And finally, who the hell was the kid?

One more thing about this one, and this is somewhat of an annoyance. The constant repetition of "Agent Doggett" became rather tiresome by the midpoint. What about just Doggett? Or John? Is there some written rule that agents cannot address each other by their proper names?

All in all, Medusa is a good ep. A few small probs, but a good concept, some interesting character development, and lots and lots of yummy shots of Doggy in SWAT gear. Ooooh baby. Ah-hem.

Squall's Rating: 7

You got inside his head...

First of all, I apologize for rushing things a bit. I didn't get home from work until after 10, so I'm a little behind. My apologies in advance for any incoherencies that might spring up! *G*

Well, I have to say I very much enjoyed this episode, despite the fact that the flesh devouring scenes were just a little much for my usually-strong stomach to digest (yes, bad pun, I know, but I'm tired and therefore functioning at a lowered mental capacity. You gotta let me have it *G*). Though perhaps high on the gross-out metre, The Gift reveals a great deal about Doggett's character, and at the same time, presents some very interesting, even unexpected, information about Mulder and Skinner.

What jumps out immediately for the well-versed phile is the reference, yet again, to the undiagnosed brain disease from which Mulder was apparently dying. Though the authenticity of the brain disease claim was questionable in Without, this second mention of the illness makes these claims more substantial--and therefore a little more troubling--troubling, though there is still room for debate, since much of this episode is filtered thru Doggett's consciousness. As we know, Doggett is somewhat biased here... he believes that Mulder had been afflicted with the disease, and may have thus interpreted the case from this bias. From Doggett's point of view, then, Mulder may have pursued the man to save his own life. This said, however, I'm not going to spend too much time speculating on the nature of the disease at this point. As far as I'm concerned, not enough information has been revealed for me to begin churning out any broad theories; whether or not Mulder was actually dying, if Doggett only thinks he was dying, etc, etc. I will leave you with one question, though: it was never fully implied that Mulder actually went through with his own cure before deciding, out of mercy, to end the creature's life. If Mulder was indeed suffering from the illness, did he actually allow himself to be healed, or did he chose not to go through with the ritual? Hmm...

That said, I'd like to spend the rest of the time focusing on Doggett. I can't say it enough; I love this character. As we learn in The Gift, Doggett seems to have his own sort of built-in intuition. He again shows that he has a very good sense of understanding people--an ability that was first revealed in Patience, when he was quickly able to pick up on Scully's feelings and see through her eyes. This intuition, coupled with the fact that Doggett is an objective observer--someone who is not familiar with Mulder on a personal level--gives Doggett an added advantage for piecing together Mulder's actions. His intuition, his abililty to understand people, is in this case not clouded by personal knowledge of Mulder's character. Doggett, then, is able to get inside Mulder's head. He is in fact the perfect candidate for the job.

And get inside his head he does. Interestingly, as Skinner points out, Doggett in a way becomes Mulder, shadows Mulder. He follows in his footsteps, becomes immersed in his world. In doing so, Doggett establishes a sort of connection with Mulder, one which spans time and space, as the final scene in the episode implies. This connection is important, because it may well lead Doggett right to Mulder. Yes. We all must keep a very close eye on this boy :-)

Another startling implication of The Gift is the uncanny parallel that is established between Doggett and Scully, referring to the instant where Doggett gets shot (yeah, I knew he was gonna be ok, but it was still hard to watch. Like I can't stop saying, I love this character *G*). Though certainly not as direct as Doggett's connection to Mulder, his connection to Scully is nonetheless important to note. Indeed, both Doggett and Scully have had death stolen from them; Scully in Tithonus, and now Doggett in The Gift. This mirroring of character experiences is not a new phenomenon for the X-Files, but I still find it rather interesting *G*

One final connection to note in this ep is the new connection between Doggett and Skinner. Skinner obviously sees promise in this agent if he is willing to lie for him, especially if that lie encompasses Scully and Mulder. A lot, in fact, is said about Skinner in this ep, mainly, his loyalty to Scully and Mulder, his unwavering belief in what he saw, and now his new faith in Doggett. It strengthens the integrity of Skinner's character, enough for me to scream, give this man a more active role, dammnit! *Giggle*

All in all, The Gift is a very good ep. The ep is certainly not all-telling in terms of Mulder's disappearance, but the mirroring of characters and the new connections that are established makes it a very intriguing hour, and an ep worthy--in fact wanting--of a second viewing.

Squall's rating: 10

I haven't lost all my faith in humanity yet...

Well, unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time tonight, so I'll have to be brief. My apologies in advance, gang! This ep deserves a little more time than I'm able to afford it.

Anyway, straight to the point. I had a mixed reaction Badlaa. Though I enjoyed some aspects of the episode, I really wasn't crazy about the rest of it. I think what irked me the most about this one was how forced everyone seemed to be in the early part of the ep; Scully, Doggett, the guest cast... It was as if everyone's lines were being delivered in the most meticulous way possbile--either that or I momentarily got stuck in a slight temporal shift *LOL* The characters did pick up considerably in the second half, however, especially with the enterance of the 2 boys, who both fit their respective roles perfectly.

As for the plot in this one, it wasn't bad, but I didn't really warm up to it until well after the midpoint. Sure, wheely man was cool, but he just wasn't creepy enough boost the adrennalin level. That said, however, I very much enjoyed the gore. The hand coming out of the cadaver's stomach, though not exactly an original concept, was still a great effect for this ep.

But now skipping way ahead to the part that everyone is waiting for; the mention of Mulder. Needless to say, Scully seems to be struggling without him in this ep, and arguably for the first time all season. She's trying desperately to see things from Mulder's angle, only she fails--or rather believes she fails--to see things as he would from his own eyes. But most significantly, with this fact comes the realization of just how unique Mulder's intuition was. With the understanding that she can't see things exactly how Mulder would see them, Scully begins to feel that Mulder is truly gone. She's trying to become him so that she can hold on to him, but being unable to do so, she is faced with the sickening realization that she is separate from him. She must finally begin to let him go.

One more interesting point in this ep is the way in which Mulder's intuition is likened to that of a child. It has been said that children have the most pristine minds, that they are the ones who truly believe, because they believe without question. Mulder, then, has a mind as open as that of a child. He has retained the ability to believe his own eyes; perhaps because he does not doubt, he is able to succeed.

That said, however, I must add that I don't think Scully gives herself enough credit in this one. She tried to see, and I think she saw more than she was willing to grant herself. If she failed at all, it is only because she doubted herself.

Anyway, sorry if that was a little rushed. Badlaa is a bit of a tough one to call. A muddled ep in terms of story and pace, but possessing some important character symbolism.

Squall's Rating: 6

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