Unfortunately, the sixth season of The X-Files was the weakest to that point, and the show had become a mixed bag. However, that’s not to say Chris Carter and company couldn’t knock us out from time to time. Indeed, there were some spectacular instalments scattered throughout the season. 'Field Trip' was a fascinating and unpredictable yarn that kept the twists and turns coming right until the fade out scene, and 'Tithonus' was an impressively subtle and intelligent character piece. Carter himself helmed the odd yet technically dazzling 'Triangle' and 'Arcadia' was a great balance of suspense and humor.

The biggest development of the sixth year was the resolution (at least in some ways) to the ongoing conspiracy/colony saga, which had been building since season two. The character of Jeffrey Spender (Chris Owens) had some terrific moments in the sun, and all the surrounding characters shone through as well. Ironically, the series did the mythology better than the X-Files motion picture which proceeded it. In fact, 'Two Fathers/One Son' may have been the best conspiracy story EVER turned out. Either that or the fifth season’s 'Patient X/The Red And The Black'.

On the downside was the amount of average-or-worse episodes that went to air. Out of four shows towards the end of the season, three of them were total duds. Luckily, the other was a winner directed and written by Duchonvy himself. Still, the battering record wasn’t good. One of the shows, 'Milagro', was the most boring the series had ever produced. Too much comedy throughout the season damaged that creepy atmosphere the show used to ooze regularly. Alas, the comedy would become even more in the foreground in season seven. 

Overall, season six was messy and disjointed (and was not nominated for the Emmy for best drama for the first time since the debut year), but managed to keep it’s head above water thanks to a handful of excellent episodes.

THE BEGINNING

Directed by Kim Manners. Written by Chris Carter.

EPISODE RATING (1 to 4 stars): ***

Mulder is in front of an FBI review board to explain the events in the Antarctic, but finds little support in Scully. Because of the lack of evidence to Mulder’s claims, the board declares both agents off the X-Files. However, Skinner tips Mulder off to a mysterious murder in Arizona, in which a man was ripped apart. Apparently, he was the victim of a crazy native American, but the agents quickly learn that’s just a cheap cover story. Mulder believes the deceased’s body was the temporary home of a rapidly evolving creature that eventually cut it’s way to freedom. The agents follow the clues to the local nuclear power plant, where they’re met by agents Jeffrey Spender (Chris Owens) and Diana Fowley (Mimi Rogers), who tell them this is out of their hands. Fowley, however, agrees to aid Mulder in his investigation of the power plant. Also, our heroes again come across young telepath Gibson Praise (Jeff Gulka), who was being used by Cigarette Smoking Man to track down the creature.

The kickoff episode for the sixth season (and semi-resolution for the theatrical film) is somewhat disappointing, but is still a fairly effective show. What it does indeed get right is setting up the (few) conspiracy episodes to follow, introducing a new character in Assistant Director Kersh (James Pickering, Jr.) and delving deeper in the motives of Fowley (used better here than in the 5th season finale 'The End') and Spender. The latter’s relationship with CSM is especially intriguing, and ultimately would prove one of the best angles of the season. The return of Praise (also from 'The End') is also a good move, but, alas, doesn’t get followed up on until the 8th season. Sitcom talent Wendie Malick makes a welcome appearance as review board head AD Maslin. Nice cameo there. The show has a very fresh look…thanks in no small part to the shift from Vancouver to California. The very first scene alone wouldn’t have been possible a year earlier. The camera work, cinematography and briefly glimpsed gore is very well done. Throw in a funny Simpsons joke, and a creepy, logical alien transformation in the closing moments, and you’ve got an episode with plenty of good stuff.

On the downside, there’s a few elements that stop this from being the excellent piece of work it could have. In the early stages, Scully’s attitude towards Mulder and what he saw in the Antarctic is frustrating. After five previous seasons, Scully’s stubbornness to keep a close mind is wearing very thin. Luckily, her point of view would change within two years. The show is also without a real pay off (despite that cool fade out scene)…Scully, Mulder and Fowley (not to mention CSM) are hunting this deadly creature throughout, yet everyone abandons the chase far too easily. What’s more, why the hell do Mulder and Fowley leave Gibson where he is? It’s crazy, and makes no sense. Plus it seems lazy, on the producers part.

Flaws aside, this is still an interesting, reasonably compelling season debut.

DRIVE

Directed by Rob Bowman. Written by Vince Gilligan.

RATING: ***

While doing a shit assignment for the FBI, Mulder and Scully get wind of a televised high speed police chase in which the woman passenger's head appears to simply explode. While Scully examines the body, Mulder keeps tabs on the driver, the dead woman's husband Crump (Bryan Cranston) who's become ill. Suddenly, the patient escapes from the ambulance, hops in Mulder's car and demands he drive west without stopping otherwise he'll end up like his wife. While Scully investigates the medical and scientific possibilities for the illness, Mulder must do his impression of Knight Rider to keep Crump alive.

Strong episode is like a Twilight Zone take on Speed ("I think I saw this movie" comments Mulder), and is certainly action packed, and not in the typical X vein. Gilligan's story set up is somewhat flawed and, I think, unconvincing, but he does give us some great dialogue exchanges and characterization. Crump is something of a bigot, yet he does manage to show a few more sympathetic shades. Like Mulder, we feel sorry for him. Cranston, who's so hilarious on Malcolm In The Middle, does a tremendous job throughout. Bowman is in fine form here, keeping things moving at high speed and making the interplay between Duchovny and Crump realistic, harsh and even sometimes funny. The opening sequence in which Crump's wife dies on national television is absolutely jarring, and very graphic. The scene in which Scully and a crew investigate the Crump residence for signs of a virus is quiet chilling, thanks in no small part to the eerie lighting.

'Drive' is not quite a classic ride, but it's certainly no pinto.

Rob Bowman on 'Drive': "It was something new to try to make the show interesting, with people sitting in the same seats the whole time. In directing you don't have a lot of time. Also there's only a few places to put a camera on. My concern was that they were not going to be stable on a drive because the angles not be changed enough. However, I was never concerned about the acting. David Duchovny and Bryan Cranston in that car were just doing great. I'm proud of the high quality of acting and writing. Inside the car during the day, we chose not to use the light to keep the atmosphere of the X-Files we'd established in Vancouver. This is my favorite one of Season 6, personally and directorially."

TRIANGLE

Directed and Written by Chris Carter.

RATING: ***

'Triangle' opens with Mulder being fished out of the Sargasso sea by the crew of a luxury liner named the Queen Anne. However, the Queen Anne vanished, along with it's crew and passengers during World War II, and Mulder seems to have stumbled on them after they traveled through time! The ship is being over run by Nazi's looking for a scientist who has developed the atomic bomb. The most bizarre thing is that a number of the people on board the ship are identical to people from his own life. Cigarette Smoking Man, Spender and even Skinner appear as Nazis, and Scully is a reluctantly helpful passenger. Meanwhile, the real Scully and the Lone Gunmen, aided by Skinner, set out to rescue Mulder.

X-Files creator Chris Carter again takes a shot at directing an odd, off centre episode. But, unlike last seasons 'Post-Modern Prometheus', this time he gets it right. Sort of. Carter's script is too broad...Scully acts unlike herself, and the story has far too many unanswered questions and plot holes. The balance of humor and suspense is sometimes uneven. There's one scene in which the Nazi's are attacked by the ship's crew and passengers, and it's done almost as a slapstick barroom brawl type of thing. A few moments earlier we had seen the Nazi's execute a couple of innocent people, and then suddenly they're played for laughs. Odd. In fact, the script in general makes virtually no sense. There is not even a hint of explanation as to why various characters on the ship resemble Mulder's friends and foes. They certainly don't anything to further the story along. And the resolution suggests the old cliche "it was all a dream", which is a total cop out...assuming it's true. We're just not sure. 

The upside? Carter's handling of the whole affair is terrific on the whole. He makes brilliant use of the episode's widescreen camerawork, and the whole thing looks better than many big budget motion pictures. The Queen Anne is a stunning piece of art direction and cinematography. My favorite scene of 'Triangle' doesn't even take place on the ship: it's the sequence where we follow Scully around the FBI HQ as she comes across the Gunmen, Skinner, AD Kersh and Spender. The camera work is spectacular, following Scully through three different floors and numerous rooms without a single cut! She has a clever run ins with Spender, Skinner, Kersh and the Gunmen that is fun to watch, as she threatens Spender and kisses Skinner on the lips! Duchovny seems to be having a lot of fun throughout, even finding time to make jokes about the Spice Girls and the Clinton sex scandal. Plus he lays a kiss on the Scully counterpart, which has a funny after effect. Geez...Gillian Anderson scores twice in the same episode!

Technically, 'Triangle' is a stunner.  It's also funny. It's just a shame it didn't make more sense, because it could have been a real classic. 

Nominated for an Emmy for Sound Editing in a Series.

DREAMLAND

Directed by Kim Manners. Written by John Shiban, Vince Gilligan and Frank Spotznitz.

RATING: **1/2

Mulder is given a tip that takes him, along with the naturally skeptical Scully, out to the infamous Area 51 region, where they're intercepted by military and men in black types, who tell them to turn around and head back. However, a bizarre flash of light from above has an unusual result: Mulder and Area 51 operative Morris Fletcher (Michael McKean) find themselves switching bodies, unknown to the rest of those present. As Mulder struggles to cope with what has happened, Fletcher, in his body and Scully take off back to D.C. The new body Mulder finds himself in does allow him to gain access to the top secret Area 51, where he's able to discover some fascinating truths about how what the government really know. There's something big going on too...a bizarre series of events has starting causing separate objects to fuse together, ranging from two coins to a human being and a floor. Mulder assumes this is related to what has happened with he and Fletcher, but his unknowing new comrades seem more concerned with covering it up than finding a solution. However, Mulder also has to deal with Fletcher's less-than-stable family life, including his unhappy wife (Nora Dunn). Meanwhile, Fletcher, in Mulder's body seems to be enjoying his new found existence, but his highly un-Mulder-ish behavior makes Scully thinks he's a bit messed up, though she's not ready to accept the truth.

This is a half-way typical X-Files 2-parter...it deals with alien cover ups and conspiracies. But it's the way it's done...frequently farcical and overblown...that' so surprising. Duchovny gets to display his wonderful gift for comedy, and veteran comical performer McKean (Dream On, Laverne And Shirley, Spinal Tap) adds his considerable talent to the role of Fletcher. The humorous highlight of this episode is the incredibly broad comical image of Mulder dancing in front of a closet door mirror with the reflection of McKean matching him perfectly. Anderson is also fun to watch as she reacts to the new, odd personality "Mulder" is displaying...including sucking up to hard-nosed Kersh. The dramatic side of the scenario is actually very interesting. The effect of the strange disturbances are actually quite chilling, and the theories and ideas around it are compelling. There's also a small dialogue exchange between the leads in the pre-credits sequence that works well, as Scully tries to understand per partners desire to keep chasing the truths he seeks.

But this one, and the follow up, is really quite puzzling. There's no reason why this story would even need two episodes to tell the story, and the final result would have been more successful if the pace had been sped up and some of the deadwood cut away. Then there's the point of the basic premise being a bit too over-the-top for me to accept (I feel the same way about the seventh season installment 'Je Souhaite'), and thus preventing me from really getting into it. Flaws and odd planning aside, 'Dreamland' is an interesting, and for the most part, entertaining, break from the norm.

David Duchovny on 'Dreamland': "I know in the fourth episode, I'm dancing with Michael McKean, actually doing the moon walk" Duchovny says. "I'm not very good if I have to repeat the same thing over and over. I had to do this because it was choreographed for me to [mimic] a reflection in the mirror. That's harder to do that shaking my ass."

Directed by Kim Manners. Written by Vince Gilligan, Frank Spotznitz and John Shiban.

RATING: **1/2

The Face/Off-ish story continues as Mulder (in the body of Morris Fletcher) is arrested for being the Area 51 spy, thanks to a tip by Fletcher himself using Mulder's identity. Mulder however, is quickly able to scam his way out this, while Scully comes to realize that her partner truly is Fletcher. She forces him to help retrieve the flight data recorder from the downed military jet, and in the process, the real Mulder learns who the leak in the Area 51 team is. Scully and the Gunmen do what they can to find a way to place Mulder and Fletcher back into their right bodies, but it seems hopeless. However, there may be a chance as the warp effects seem to be undoing themselves.

This is a pretty decent follow up to 'Dreamland'. In fact, it's superior to the first part because the characters actually show dimensions that they weren't able to in the first. Duchovny and Anderson both get to display frustration and exhaustion, whereas they just played part one for laughs. Even Dunn, who spent the first chapter just being over-the-top, hits the right notes here, and gains sympathy from the audience. McKean mostly plays it the same...although it does have a brief yet effective bit where he relates the early days of his marriage to Dunn. He also does a great job and narrating (and berating) the life of Mulder as we see a home movie of our hero and young Samantha. The more serious highlights include another creepy example of the warp effect involving a pair of young lovers. And unlike the first episode, this one doesn't feel padded. There's a lot going on. The comic standout moment when Fletcher reveals that Saddam Hussein is in fact a government agent, and used to do dinner theater!

The only real problem with this episode comes in the last few minutes. The story is resolved WAY too quickly, as if Manners and the writers realized they were out of time, and tied up all loose ends in a mad dash to beat the deadline. The ending is hollow and unbelievable...like a number of other episodes of this season.