Vanish
July 6, 1996
Written by Amelia Hoffa, Directed by James Earhart
Well, it's officially summer now...summer solstice is past and
Independence Day fireworks are just a memory. We appear to be mired
in endless reruns which makes this latest summer replacement episode
even more welcome. With the episode we were served up this week I
was more than happy to screen this lost episode although I was a bit
surprised that TPTB let this one out of the can due to its seemingly
topical nature. Anyone with a penchant for a certain tv show and
access to the web or the internet will recognize the material. This
familiarity didn't make it feel shop-worn though. Instead, it felt
like a fun, spooky little road-trip with the two most interesting FBI
agents I've never met.
An overview via the basement followed by a trip starting on page
one of our itinerary will ensue so grab your sunglasses, Dramamine
(tm), and some crossword puzzle books because we're hitting the
information superhighway. The teaser opens with a tired looking
student, glued to the monitor of his computer. Wrapping up the final
lines of what appears to be a term paper, he prepares to shut down
for the night only to be interrupted by a blood-curdling scream.
Opening his door onto the dorm hallway he sees his friends in their
doorways as confused as he is until the next scream when he realizes
the origin. Racing to the end of the hallway he is confronted by the
sight of another student cowering in the doorway of her room. She is
mumbling incoherently as she points at her monitor. Moving into the
room, the only thing we can see is the computer monitor with what
appears to be the student's web page visible. As we pan back to the
huddled figure in the door she is mumbling saying that it is not
right, it is not the same, it has changed. Her panic and fear seem
all out of proportion as we pan back to the glowing green monitor.
Following the credits, we join Scully in the basement immersed in
some task on her computer. Mulder arrives with a fair-sized file
which he drops onto her desk scaring Scully and earning himself a
patented look. Removing her glasses she flips through the file as
Mulder begins summarizing the case for her. The look on her face as
his enthusiasm shows is priceless since it's obvious to her there's a
set of plane tickets in her near future. As Mulder fills Scully in we
learn that there have been a recent rash of reports of paranormal
occurrences and the working theory is that they may be somehow
connected to the current spate of strange computer anomalies in the
same regions. Scully notes the information on the latest report in
Seattle seems sketchy at best. Mulder says with a smirk that this is
why he wants to do the questioning himself as he produces two airline
tickets from his pocket. Scully swallows a sigh. I think she feels
the need to sigh and roll her eyes sometimes to keep up appearances.
So we're on the first leg of the journey as we touch down with
our daring duo in the overcast state of Washington. Driving straight
from the airport to the university dorms, Mulder and Scully decide to
do some interviews first thing. Jean is a molecular biology student
who spends her spare time taking advantage of her internet and web
access through the university. She had constructed a web page
dedicated to her favorite TV show and spent lots of her time and
energy improving it in order to encourage others to tune in and
experience what she feels is a great show. The night in question,
Jean had been busy scanning images when suddenly the screen had
wavered before her eyes and when it righted itself she realized that
the page she was looking at had changed. Jean was not claiming to
have been abducted but she felt her homepage had been "disappeared",
tampered with and then returned. As Scully attempts to question her
further, Jean seems to get more upset then withdrawn and won't help
them out by showing them her web site. She seems afraid to even
approach her computer much less switch it on. Mulder and Scully
decide to check out the computer lab on campus where several other
weird happenings have been reported. The lab workers have similar
stories of their homepages being offline then reappearing although
upon return, items are generally missing or corrupted. When they show
our agents an example, Mulder notices that those pages involved all
seem to have one thing in common. The TV show to which they are
dedicated. Scully pulls Mulder aside and tells him that this case is
not what it appeared to be and that they should not waste their time
with further investigation but Mulder is not easily dissuaded. He
still needs to know about the paranormal occurrences reported and one
of the lab workers had reported a sighting. He explains how he had
been working early in the lab one morning when suddenly he had felt
what he explained as a shift in temperature followed by a bright
light. The light wasn't simply a flash but remained, bathing the
room in an eery glow. Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, it
disappeared leaving him with a cold feeling and a tingling behind his
eyes. Mulder is listening raptly to his encounter as Scully gazes
out the window across the campus. Suddenly, the clouds outside part
momentarily and the sun breaks through bathing the room in a bright,
friendly light. The lab workers cry out and huddle behind the bank
of computers as the bright light fills the room and just as suddenly
disappears. As Scully heads for the doorway shaking her head, Mulder
explains to the cringing Seattlites that it was merely a sun break
and that it may be rare but it is not paranormal.
This encounter with their witnesses will prove to be the rule and
not the exception throughout this case. This is more of a mystery
where they need to separate truth from misconception. These people
are not hoaxers but most of them don't have a report that would
normally be classified as an X-File. Scully at first seems
unsympathetic to the "victims" and to Mulder as she suggests that
they head back to DC, but Mulder points out to her that one instance
proven to be a false sighting does not imply that all the others will
also be fabrications or misconceptions. She concedes his point and
they rent a car to begin their journey back across the country making
pit-stops at the sighting hot spots. As he drives, Mulder points out
that they still have a mystery since it can't be explained how the
web pages disappeared and the paranormal phenomenon were not limited
to Washington. In fact, the phenomenon include bright lights in the
sky, time loss, memory tampering, and the presence of clones and even
suspected aliens.
The pattern is enforced again in Boulder, Colorado. The place
they visit is a trendy cafe that offers its patrons net access. They
also have several web pages that they administer, one that advertises
their restaurant and a few others that deal with the hobbies of their
employees. Our dynamic duo find that the one homepage "disappeared"
and returned deals with the same TV show as Jean's and the lab
worker's. This connection is solid but the time loss of the patrons
that has been reported is a mystery. Mulder and Scully decide to eat
dinner at the cafe since they've been driving all day. Their booth
has two workstations so Mulder accesses the Fortean Times homepage
while Scully looks up a page dedicated to lovers of Pomeranians.
Eating as they surf, the pair seem oblivious to the passage of time
until Scully comes up for air and exclaims to Mulder that they have
lost time. As funny as it is to see Scully so incredulous over her
perceived time loss it is apparent that they have suffered from what
most of us recognize as "losing track of time as it disappears into
the blackhole in our house masquerading as a computer". Another
misconception revealed. Back to the interstate where our duo is
making a pit-stop at Dairy Queen for a blizzard and a bathroom break.
Amazingly enough there are no unfortunate mishaps or mutant beings
lurking in the restroom. Next stop Kansas, though I don't see how
any paranormal phenomenon can compare to the sidetrip they made to
see the five-legged steer and the biggest prairie dog. The report of
a doppelganger and a stolen identity turns out to be a simple case of
IRC chaos. Instead of a real-life occurrence or mystery, the report
had been dealing with a woman whose IRC handle had been stolen.
Someone, the apparent IRC doppelganger, had been popping up on
channels pretending to be this poor woman using her nickname as their
own. As sympathetic as Scully was Mulder felt they should move on to
the next state since the unsubstantiated sightings were wearing him
down. The final two reports to be checked out were likewise related
in one sense and false sightings as the others had been. The strange
presence thought to be a sign of alien beings had simply been a
report of new, unwanted traffic in a newsgroup that just "seemed"
like an alien but was more likely a troll. The reported memory
tampering in Boston, turned out to be a simple case of workers at a
software company getting too caught up online and forgetting to do
assigned tasks. All explainable with the exception of the connecting
thread throughout. All parties involved had a homepage dedicated to
the same TV show and all of these had been changed in some fashion.
Even as they arrive back in DC, frustrated and with the investigation
at an end this mystery persists.
As an episode goes this wasn't a bad one. Maybe it wasn't ready
for prime time but the pacing was decent and the acting was on
target. Let's just say I've seen much worse but no names mentioned
(TDB)...who said that? I enjoyed the roadtrip with Mulder and Scully
and the lack of a paranormal case was not without trying. In fact,
we might have had more suspected activity than in any other episode.
It was a fun ride even if it was a wild goose chase. The unanswered
questions of the case regarding the altered web sites seems to be
destined to remain a mystery...must have been a conspiracy. Which is
an interesting coincidence because upon ariving back at her
apartment, Scully enters to find that her place has been ransacked.
As she reaches for her phone it rings and Mulder's on the other end.
His apartment is in the same state of disarray although it took him a
bit longer to realize the difference. Obviously someone has been
busy while our daring duo were on their roadtrip and they speculate
on the reason they were assigned the case in the first place.
Possibly they were given the case just so they would be out of town
for awhile. In fact, it does seem that the various reports were
thrown together because someone knew they would catch Mulder's
attention. When the cases are taken separately, they are obviously
not hoaxes but before the file ever got to the X-Files division, it
would have been discovered that there was no real case to pursue. As
Mulder states in the final scene, "It looks like there are more
conspiracies at work than ours alone." The mystery on the web would
appear to be some sort of conspiracy but since there is no easy way
to track down those involved and since there does not seem to be
anything paranormal involved, the case is to be reclassified. A more
likely analysis would be to say that there is no longer a reason to
leave it in their hands since it has accomplished its intent.
Whatever may have occurred while Mulder and Scully were on the road
and whatever CSM or the Smoke Ring thought they would find in the
possession of the agents is unknown. But it is clear they are still
in danger and that there is certainly more to discover...and they
could be closer than ever.
Possession
July 20, 1996
Written by Shirley Hill, Directed by Stephen Overlook
Now this is more like it. What better material for an X-File
than a haunted house? Simplicity yet tons of potential atmosphere.
And this lost episode came through with a tightly scripted story that
delivered in cinematography with loads of scary rooms to explore and
my other favorite addition to the show, great dialogue between Mulder
and Scully. And what they had to discuss could fill a train car with
a convenient escape tunnel and still have volumes left over. They
may have been partners for the last three years but they still have
some catching up to do in order to bring each other up to speed with
all they have witnessed and experienced separately. And what better
place and time than while haunted house-sitting?
Possession starts with our partners having a slideshow in the
basement. Cool pictures as Mulder describes to Scully the case that
he has dug up for them. It is a haunted house in Massachusetts he's
followed for a few years and recently the activity has increased,
driving the latest residents out. Mulder shows her pictures that
have been taken by teams of paranormal researchers while studying the
house and though some may be rationalized by film defects and other
artifacts of the photography process there are a sizable number that
fall into the realm of the unexplained. And that is the realm Mulder
rules which is how Scully knows there are two tickets in his jacket
pocket that will jet them on their way to a little haunted house
experience. A brief itinerary would include a stopover to check in
with the local law followed by an interview of the last owners of the
house. As Scully looks through old newspaper articles on microfilm,
Mulder (having forgotten his Dramamine) checks out books archived in
the library regarding local legend dating back hundreds of years.
Having completed their research and received permission from the
sheriff, they set up for the night in the house itself to do some
investigating and see if they can scare up an encounter of their own.
And this is the heart of the episode; the time the agents spend on
their own in the house learning some of its secrets and sharing some
of their own with one another.
With regard to the cinematography...this episode really took me
back to the visuals I loved from the first season. Because of the
limited scope of the episode the camerawork could take a front seat
and really drive the scenes with loads of spooky angles, pans and
close-ups. Mulder and Scully's search of the house starts out with
them sticking together instead of splitting up. What a relief. But
it doesn't do them much good in this case. As Mulder stands in the
doorway of one room with his high-powered flashlight illuminating the
interior, Scully enters and as she nears the back corner suddenly
disappears from view. The stunned look on Mulder's face is priceless
as he charges in to locate his missing partner. She has simply
vanished without a trace. As he whirls about impotently he hears her
calling him from the hallway. The funny thing is that in true Scully
form, she is certain that nothing untoward has occurred. She is
convinced that she exited the same room she entered and that Mulder
must have wandered out or become confused. As Mulder sputters
ineffectually Scully heads off to examine the next room. As they
make their way through the house they begin to hear odd noises. Your
typical haunted house sounds...whispering winds, spooky
unidentifiable emanations and odd creakings. Every now and again one
of them will ask what the other just said only to find that neither
of them uttered a word. To top it off, Mulder says he "feels" a
presence in the house but when asked to elaborate he is unable to
give any additional impressions. Scully seems to fight to keep from
rolling her eyes and instead suggests that they head back to the
living room downstairs and try to correlate the information that they
gathered during the day's investigation. Mulder agrees since he left
his seeds downstairs anyway. Through all the shots in the walk
through the house the lighting and mood are superb. There is nothing
you can lay your finger on but the way in which the house is shot
gives it a mysterious air and the rooms seem to absorb all the light
that our duo try to shed on them, reflecting nothing back and
offering no easy answers to their questions.
They settle in to build a theory on the possible explanations for
the "haunting", Scully playing the tape recording of the last
residents' interview while Mulder pours over an ancient looking tome
he borrowed from the library. Mulder postulates ghosts or
poltergeists but Scully is not convinced that they are dealing with
any entity, corporeal or not. The previous owners had many stories
to tell but none of them involved any embodiment or presence that
represented a past owner or spirit still tied to this plane of
existence. Mulder seems to be surprised by Scully's following
hypothesis but doesn't interrupt her either due to shock at his
skeptical partner's idea or the fact that he has no better
explanation to offer. The idea is that the house is in a region or
focal point of evil, leading to an embodiment of this evil. Since it
does not arise from a particular entity, it might not be possible to
banish it from the house. If Mulder professes a belief in ghosts and
evil spirits, does that translate over into a belief in pure evil and
its ability to saturate an environment or house in this case? Scully
suggests that like holy ground there might be places on this earth
that have witnessed and absorbed such death, destruction and horror
in the past that they are incapable of nurturing good and simply
reflect evil back on anything that falls within their encompassing
boundaries. Sounds plausible enough but Mulder dives back into his
book for proof. Interesting switch in roles.
As Mulder reads passages relating to events at the site of this
house, the conversation switches rapidly from the case at hand to the
idea of good and evil then degenerates to ghost stories from their
pasts. Mulder asks Scully if she can now invest some belief in those
stories from her past after all she has seen. This is where the
conversation gets personal and possibly a bit painful. The tenuous,
lighthearted mood is broken with this shifting of gears and an
interesting outpouring of closely withheld information is exchanged
in a conversation I have always wanted to witness. There have been
so many times at the completion of a case that I would have loved to
be on the plane or car ride home with them to see if they shared all
they had seen and experienced. I have always assumed that they share
this information when they write up their reports or sit in a car
during a stakeout. But I've never been privy to these exchanges and
so I've never had proof that they really do tell each other these
things. Mulder begins by confessing to Scully just what he thinks he
experienced during his healing ritual in New Mexico. She knew he had
been tended to by Albert Hosteen but he had never shared with her the
particulars of his conversations with the dead. Scully returns the
favor by admitting to waking up during his absence after hearing him
speaking to her from the beyond. She had never shared this entire
occurrence with him since she was disturbed by the implications
involving her regression hypnosis. And since she's on the subject
she decides to take Mulder into her confidence about the incident
with Nurse Owens during her time in the coma. At this admission,
Mulder prompts her about seeing her father during the Boggs case
following her father's death. He wants to know how she came to terms
with this within the confines of her belief system including all she
has seen since then. Although Scully still remains skeptical in her
view of new cases, she is willing to push out the boundaries of her
perceived world to encompass the things she has seen since working
with Mulder. The conversation can't possibly hit on everything I
want them to discuss but it does give me some hope that they have
actually shared additional experiences from their cases with each
other and discussed their implications. I want to feel confident
that they each have all available information and have considered it
together otherwise what is the point of having the two polar views of
the evidence? So I'm sure Scully told him about the alien fetus she
traded for him and the flashlight swatting greys in the mountain
vault. And Mulder must have shared with her his little alien
experience at Arecibo, his visit to Cancerman's house for smokes and
a movie, and the latest UFO he saw cruise over the mining site in
Paperclip. And one can only hope they actually discuss the importance
and implications behind finds such as the recent tissue sample in
Samantha's file. I honestly hope they are having a better time than
I am at forming a cohesive picture out of all this combined
information.
The morning comes with no ghostly visitations, no teenage hoaxers
and no real answers to the haunting except their theorizing. After a
final tour of the grounds with the local sheriff, Mulder and Scully
decide to wrap it up. Mulder suggests to the sheriff that the house
just might not be worth putting up for sale again and that the land
should be sold to the city or county and the house destroyed or
abandoned. Since no good has ever been associated with the property
the sheriff seems inclined to agree. He goes on to take them into
his confidence relating to them a story that is not one to be found
in any accounts or histories of the town or its properties.
Apparently, during a period of witch hunts in the 1690's, the land
that this house was built on was the site of an execution pyre.
Since then all the structures that were erected on the site had met
with catastrophic or unnatural destruction until the building of the
current house which has stood for over 150 years. But although the
house has not met its own demise, it has been witness to death and
suffering that continues into recent record. But when pressed for
detail, the sheriff clams up and resurrects the code of silence that
seems to be the fashion for the entire community. Mulder and Scully
know there is nothing more they can pry from the sheriff so head back
to Washington. The final shot reveals the house looming menacingly
over the town from its vantage point on a shadowy hill.
And thus ends another X-File lost episode. One that I enjoyed
completely based on the unsolicited opinions stated above. I guess I
can understand why they might have shelved it since it's not strictly
a MOTW and didn't offer up much in the way of a threat to our two
agents. But what it did have was excellent visuals that define the
series for me as well as great interaction between Mulder and Scully
which is always a welcome addition. The acting was top notch with DD
and GA giving depth to the feelings elicited during their characters'
late night confessions. Plus, it is always a wonder to see Scully
making a leap in her analysis of a case and even better when she ends
up being essentially right. She and Mulder should switch roles more
often then they might be more sympathetic to one another when the
next weird case crosses their path.
Renascence
July 27, 1996
Written by Mort Vitali, Directed by Paul Chasten
Well, this episode may have been deemed unworthy of prime-time
status but I'm glad it reached summer replacement status since it was
well worth the viewing. It is a very well structured episode with a
theme running through it like a huge interstate. The idea of rebirth
and resurrection are woven into many aspects of the story lending the
episode a depth that reaches for the level of some of the best
X-Files episodes. And everything came together solidly in this
effort with the acting, cinematography and pacing doing justice to
the script.
Starting with an overview of the story, I'll follow with some
observations on the most outstanding aspects. The story revolves
around a 9 year old girl, Katherine Lazar, who has been hospitalized
following a traumatic experience. Her family had been staying at
their summer cabin in a remote forest minus the father who was away
on business. It appears that the mother and three children were
abducted and are still missing except for the youngest, Katherine.
The problem with the investigation is the lack of detail and evidence
since the only victim and witness to the event is uncommunicative,
shedding no light on what really happened that night. The crime
scene had no footprints, tire tracks or bloody gloves and Katherine
had been found walking down a rural highway in a daze. The case was
classified an X-file due to the lack of evidence and mystery
surrounding the child's disappearance and reappearance. While lucid,
the girl's rambling statement included seeing a blinding light and
being taken by "the men". When pressed further she became so upset
that she was sedated.
In reading over the case file, Scully is not at all convinced
this investigation warrants an X-File designation. There is
definitely a lack of solid evidence but Katherine was suffering
post-traumatic stress and her account of events may not be credible.
Mulder is willing to believe that an alien abduction is a possibility
and even if they are off on a tangent, the fact remains that three
family members are as yet unaccounted for. Scully points out the
most obvious suspect...the father. Paging through the file, she
locates the father's statement which states he was out of town for
the week on government business. The word "government" sets off
bells and whistles and the agents are ready to join the
investigation.
I spoke of the theme present in this episode being one of rebirth
and resurrection so to touch on that I will focus on the three main
characters that this theme involved. The first would be Katherine's
father, who vacillates between appearing as the most likely suspect
and seeming to demand our sympathy as the victim who has lost his
family and is clinging to Katherine as his reason to endure. This
role was brilliantly acted making it hard to decide which side of the
coin was the truth. When Mulder and Scully arrive at the hospital
they question Lazar regarding his business trip and who exactly signs
his paychecks. He is less than forthcoming leading to some slanted
looks from Scully. According to his story he was half a continent
away on business and his alibi seems to hold up well. However, when
Mulder presses him on his work all he will say is that he works for a
branch of the government with no further details. I would be
surprised if this didn't raise suspicion in Mulder's eyes especially
since Lazar is behaving in a nervous, evasive manner. It is clear
that Lazar was much more dedicated to his work than to his family.
He explains his job in vague terms saying that he wanted to get out,
wanted to spend more time with his family but they wouldn't let him
saying he was important and knew too much information. Not a week
before the abduction he had made a pact with his wife that he would
improve his work hours or quit, vowing to take it up with his
superiors immediately. He then jokes that he wanted to change a lot
of things...even gave up smoking. Scully glances at Mulder and I
knew just what that look was for. If they needed any more evidence
that this guy was working with the darker forces they got it with
that admission. On the X-Files, all the bad guys smoke. Lazar's
rebirth involved his committment to his family...or his one remaining
child, Katherine. He's gone from a rarely seen parent to a dedicated
father sitting by her bedside, holding her hand and praying for a
second chance. Combined with his stand against his superiors and his
"smoke-free" environment he is demonstrating his attempt to resurrect
a life for which he won't be ashamed.
Katherine is the second character who represents a type of
rebirth. Her resurrection is more physical than that of her father.
Whatever happened on the night of her family's disappearance left
Katherine a mere shadow of her former self. The picture in her file
shows a vivacious, young girl but the child in the hospital bed
appears to be wasting away. Since her admission she's had various
sleep disorders and when not sedated spends most of her time crying,
shaking and succumbing to outburst motivated by fear. Lazar wants
his daughter released so that he can take her home to slowly get her
off the drugs so she can recuperate in a familiar place. The doctors
are hesitant to release her since mentally she is far from improved
but with some arm twisting, Scully convinces them to release her to
their custody since she's a doctor and can monitor the child. The
plot device works so they all head to the Lazar summer cabin.
Katherine is no longer the child she once was and her deterioration
has lead to the "death" of her former self. She is pale and
unresponsive, a mere ghost of the 9 year old child. Her rebirth
takes place as the evening at the cabin unfolds. Scully begins to
reduce the girl's medication in an attempt to wean her from the heavy
drugs. If she comes around she might remember something helpful in
the search for her mother and siblings. The decreased dosage is
apparent during the night as the entire cabin is wakened by a scream.
Her terror is palatable and it takes quite awhile to settle her back
down into a deep sleep. Scully falls asleep at her bedside and is
startled awake in the early morning to find Katherine sleepwalking.
Scully wakes Mulder who is sleeping on the couch (big surprise) and
deciding not to wake her they both grab flashlights and follow.
Mulder thinks she might lead them to the site where she became
separated from her family and though Scully is skeptical, she figures
it can't hurt to check it out. Katherine talks to herself and
frequently looks skyward as she hurries through the forest. She
finally comes to a standstill in a clearing, wanders aimlessly then
settles down and falls asleep under a tree. The clearing doesn't
offer up any obvious evidence and just as Mulder suggests they head
back Katherine wakes with a blood curdling scream. She seems
inconsolable, mumbling and crying as Scully holds her but suddenly
stops and adopts a preternatural calm. She rises and leads them to a
small, hidden trail at the edge of the clearing. She says the men
brought her family here then lead them off one by one down the trail.
When her turn came she bolted through the dense brush and managed to
hide until she saw a bright, blinding light. Then she ran and the
next thing she recalls is waking up in the hospital. She remains
calm during her story but as Mulder presses her on who "the men" were
she begins to cry silently and he lets the question go unanswered.
The girl's reunion with her father is a symbol of both their
resurrections. She is alive again having been brought back from
self-protective isolation and she rushes to her father's arms seeking
comfort which he offers willingly.
When the site of the bodies is located they find all three family
members shot in the back of the head and buried in shallow graves.
It appears to be a random act of violence possibly by a person just
passing through the area. Nothing paranormal...or is that the whole
story? One of the things I found satisfying about this episode was
the follow-up it contained. It didn't simply end with a hug between
father and daughter while our agents looked on, or a voiceover used
to fill in the gaps. We got to see the aftermath including findings
that Mulder turned up impacting the case and him personally. He was
not satisfied with Lazar's lack of cooperation regarding his job so
did some research himself. What he turns up is a decided lack of
substance which is a bit unsettling. A file exists but there is no
real information making him a possible ghost in some covert branch of
the government. Mulder's theory that Lazar's family was killed to
warn or punish him for attempting to leave his position is one Scully
might believe. His superiors could try to reign him in by this
method but she does not buy Mulder's idea of alien involvement. He
thinks Katherine may have seen a UFO when she spoke of lights and
"the men" she saw may have been especially frightening due to their
alien nature. Mulder, needing closure drives back to the Lazar's
cabin to confront him and find some answers. He tells him he only
wants the truth, not as FBI but just someone who needs to find the
answers. This plea is reminiscent of the one he made to Skinner in
Avatar. It's not about crossing all the t's and dotting the i's on
his report. He needs these answers for his own peace of mind. Lazar
is not willing to divulge anything telling Mulder that he's finished
that career and is dedicating himself to raising his daughter. He is
not willing to risk the life of his only child. He's suffered their
retribution and Mulder of all people can understand the burden placed
upon a family in this situation. If in Lazar's shoes, he would also
protect the child rather than let history repeat itself.
The final shot encapsulates the third instance of rebirth but in
this case unfulfilled, representing merely the potential for
resurrection in Mulder. As he walks to his car he turns back to see
the father playing on the porch with his daughter, bathed in sunlight
that seems to imply peace and happiness. Seeing this young girl with
her father symbolizes all that Mulder has lost but their happy ending
represents a potential conclusion to his lifelong search and
struggle. So the theme has linked many characters throughout this
episode...the child reborn following her trauma, the father's rebirth
after being held prisoner by the ties of his job, and the hope we see
for Mulder to find his renaissance if he succeeds in his quest.
Altogether a great episode begging the question of why it was
shelved. The acting in this one was especially noteworthy,
particularly the character of Lazar. And DD came through with a
believable performance that ranks up with One Breath and Colony/End
Game in its range and depth. Maybe TPTB feel that they've emphasized
Mulder's quest for Samantha enough and that this episode's focus
would be overkill but it seems to me that if you have something that
succeeds on so many levels you should put it out there and let the
audience decide. Renascence hit all its marks and could have
replaced a few duds in either season two or three so it's a shame it
never made it to prime time.
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