"Drive"

Definately more than Motrin pain!

Mulder and Scully find themselves punished with lobotomy-worthy work, but in true Mulder fashion, the g-man comes across a news story worthy of an X-File and wants to investigate.  When he tries to convince Scully that they should ditch their assignment her concern is that they need to keep their noses clean if they want to get back to where they were.  Could she be referring to where they were when Mulder made a move on her?  I'm thinking it's likely :o).  He tells Scully it will only take a day, flicks his eyebrows and makes his best Bambi-eyes , so she gives in.  C'mon, would you be able to resist that face?

They split up (for time's sake) when they arrive, Scully taking charge as she examines the contaminated body (didn't you love it when she yelled at that guy for coming into the morgue?) but she soon finds out that Mulder has been taken hostage after following an ambulance carrying Crump (the infected guy).  Suddenly everything is beyond no-nonsense and you can just see the fear in her eyes when the police officer tells her that Crump will shoot Mulder if they don't back off.

Speaking of fear, did you see the look in Mulder's eyes when Crump threw his cel phone out the window?  I thought he was going to jump out after it.  It was his last connection to Scully.  (BTW - they've got new phones this year...very cool).  Scully must rely on Mulder to find a way out of his situation as she must work fast to find the source.

In the car, the obviously red-neck (Mister) Crump sort of (kind of, almost) gets out of Mulder that he's Jewish, or that his name is Jewish.  We never really got a "Yeah, I'm Jewish," out of him, but close enough.  After awhile Mulder begins to empathize with the guy.  This is a nice change from the self-pity we've seen from Mulder lately.  He really starts to want to save him.  When they have to change cars due to unforeseen circumstances and a lack of gas, what does Mulder do?  He leaves a note for Scully, knowing that he can turn to her for help.  Once again, proof he needs her and her science.

Scully goes off on her own investigating the source of the disease these people are suffering from and puts two-and-two together.  (When she took her helmet off in the house, I don't know about you but I was going "You're making me nervous, put that back on now.")  It's the government (again) that caused this due to a sort of power surge from an experiment but the results, said the military guy, are classified as well.

Meanwhile, Mulder crosses into California and two police officers catch up to him.  What do they bring him to help?  Not emergency aid or his gun or a first aid kit, even.  They bring him...a cel phone.  He contacts Scully and they exchange the following comments...

Quote of the Week:

Scully: Are you okay? Mulder: Yeah, aside from terminal cel phone withdrawl.  That and I gotta pee.  Where are you?

They collaborate (they work so well together lately...that has been one of the most enjoyable parts of the show since the end of season five: they're finally working on roughly the same wavelength, although they continue to come at it from different angles) and come up with a solution, but Crump doesn't make it to where Scully is anxiously waiting.

Mulder exits the car dejectedly, as Scully watches her partner with respect.  Sadly he stares out at the ocean as Crump's dead body lies in the back of the car.  

Now, I don't mean to spoil the moment here (which I thought was a great one) but if I had been driving for however many hours straight and had to pee, the last place I'd be gazing at would be the ocean crashing against the shore.  Maybe that's just me :o).

They return to Washington DC where they get reamed out by their new superior, Kersh (who I have deemed a baddie) and Mulder offers to pay for the damages their detour cost the FBI.  Kersh responds by saying that Mulder too obviously relishes the role of martyr and bills Scully instead.  Mulder snidely comments about going back to the bozo work investigating piles of manure when Kersh calmly adds, "Well you could always quit."  Mulder leaves, and Scully tries to defend Mulder, saying he's been through a lot.  Kersh tells her that they need to understand that they are no longer investigating X-Files. As Scully leaves she mutters under her breath "Big piles of manure."  Go girl.

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