"Sixth Extinction"

The general misery of a part 2 of 3 episode...

...okay, maybe misery is too strong a word, but the combination of Diana confessing her love for Mulder, Mulder's catatonic state that meant that he wasn't giving us any indication that he understood the magnitude of what's going on and Scully's general frustration with not being able to help Mulder made me a little antsy.  Apparently Diana has not heard the expression "actions speak louder than words", because Scully's got her ass kicked in the "love for Mulder" category.  I almost (I repeat, ALMOST) felt a little sorry for her when she started preaching to him as he pretended to be in a waking coma because you could see right though her flowery words.  And that kiss, ack!  I kept backing up as she leeeaaannnned in closer and close to Mulder to peck him on the forehead.  That woman makes me shudder. 

While Extinction provided little to soothe our shipper souls, our insight into Scully's thoughts provides more than a little perspective on her internal struggle.  Her thoughts are spoken aloud ala her Memento Mori diary, but alas, Mulder will never read her musings this time.  She's not writing them down.  Damn!  It was nice to hear what she was thinking about Mulder as she lay in her burlap bug-infested bed:

Scully: I came in search of something I did not believe existed. I've stayed on now, in spite of myself, in spite of everything I've ever held to be true.  I will continue here as long as I can, as long as you're besat by the haunting illness which I saw consume your beautiful mind.  What is this discovery I've made?  How can I reconcile what I see with what I know?  I feel this was meant not for me to find, but for you, to make sense of, make the connections which can't be ignored.  Connections which for me, deny all logic and reason.  What is this source of power I hold in my hand, this rubbing, this simple impression taken from the surface of the craft?  I watched this rubbing take its undeniable hold on you, saw you succumb to its spiraling effect.

Scully: I feel you slipping away from me with every minute I fail here.  What are the elusive meanings I cannot see that are hidden here?  If I could understand it, know how it affected you, learn how to use its power to save you...

We see how lost she feels without her partner.  Even when Scully does believe, she struggles to play Mulder as well as herself in his absence.  She must fight to believe and disbelieve and make peace with herself.  When she finally decides that its more important to her to be with Mulder than to fight the elements in Africa, we see her determination as Scully busts in to see Skinner (as usual) unannounced.  Skinner reveals his involvement and that he is stepping away.  Mulder had recognized that Krycek was blackmailing him so it's pretty clear that Skinner is most likely a goodie for now.

Scully's voice begins to drift over Mulder's thoughts with little drifts of, 'Please, I'm begging you...' before he sees Scully enter the room.  She slows her pace, taken aback by the empty state of her partner, and stands gently beside him before speaking: