January 9 2001: Cast List:

Gillian Anderson as Agent Dana Scully
Robert Patrick as Agent Doggett

January 12 2001: Credits:

Written By:

???

Directed By:

???

Air Date: April 22, 2001

January 30 2001: From Wjenkins SkippyRat:

"WARNING: These are from an early draft of the script, and may change. Please make sure you really want to know about the second half of season eight and the return of Mulder before proceeding. I'll have too much guilt if you read it here and then wish you hadn't. Thanks."

There's no indication of Mulder's health still being an issue in what we've seen. Mulder in fact says it's 'Just like old times' in the hallway scene with S and Doggett.

Kersh is still a jerk. I like that about him. It allows Mulder to be Mulder off of him-and that's a good thing. Mulder seems to be having fun, in fact one of the directions is that M's 'straightforward enough' almost amiable. It pisses Kersh off.

There's a new oil table under the Gulf of Mexico. Mulder, Skinner and Scully all question Mr. Ortega and seem to be on the same side--with what I've seen. I can't figure out where Doggett's loyalties and priorities are in this one.

We're looking for missing men on the rig--and we 'seem' to be dealing with men infected with the black oil from what we can piece together. There's at least one man on the rig with oil swirling in his eyes.

Mulder's moving pretty good for a dead man, he talks to Scully on the radio and tells Doggett that Scully said 'it's lucky I came out here'. Doggett grabs Mulder by the shoulder. Mulder turns and spins on Doggett, but Doggett's madder than M. In response to the above statement by Mulder, Doggett retorts that Mulder is lucky Doggett isn't complaining to Kersh and getting Mulder canned for coming out to the rig without authorization.

I love that Mulder tells Doggett to take charge when Doggett reminds him that he's in charge on the rig. He totally turns the table on Doggett --while this is early and may play different, Mulder appears to be the 'jedi master.'

It's an interesting bit, from what little is known. Mulder tells Doggett to be in charge if he wants, but that means he's going to have to take the responsibility that comes with that. I don't know exactly what Mulder then tells Doggett, but the result is that Doggett uses his authority to close down and quarantine the rig completely because of the threat of "contagion", despite the fact that Kersh had sent him there to keep everything running smoothly. So whatever Mulder said must have been pretty convincing.

Doggett gets to use the word 'contagion' I just wanna know if David says 'I'll show you a contagion' in the bloopers again this season.

Mulder beats Doggett to the rig, even though Kersh sent Doggett --like I said, movin' pretty well for a dead man. Mulder tells a peeved Doggett he may want to 'pull up a chair' so the witness he's questioning doesn't have to repeat himself. Mulder's SO Mulder in this to date it's awesome.

Scully and Skinner discuss that the black oil that is usually very contagious isn't in the one host it found. It 'SEEMS' the virus may be able to be killed, or at least be rendered inert. This is what Scully says confirms Mulder's report and his greatest fear.

Skinner and Scully seem to be playing off each other well and seem in character. From the little I've seen of this, it's very 'on target' in characterizations --for everyone."

January 24 2001: From Autumn:

"From an early draft copy of the script that may or may not be completely accurate- and which may or may not have any info that makes it to air:"

"Scully is 'well into her third trimester'. According to the direction of one scene 'Scully and Mulder lock eyes and from his look he seems to be enjoying his role as agent provocateur. But Scully isn't necessarily humored sensing Agent Doggett's state of mind as he follows Mulder.' Mulder is on an 'oil case' seemingly investigating the black oil. Scully, Doggett and Kersh meet with Mr. Ortega, the oil executive, and Kersh is angered by Mulder's rush to action against Ortega. Mulder protests that the case is an X-File and Kersh replies that he's sending someone from the X-Files to investigate. Mulder is concerned that Scully shouldn't be sent out to an oil rig 250 miles at sea in her (pregnant) condition. Kersh, of course, wasn't sending Scully, but rather Doggett. Doggett can't help but 'smirk' at this. Apparently Mulder goes to the rig w/ Doggett anyway. M/S talk via radio. Doggett informs Mulder that he [Doggett] is in charge on the rig. Mulder encourages him to take charge then."

"Skinner is in the episode and in a conversation between Skinner and Scully, Scully mentions that something related to the black oil confirms Mulder's worst fears.

"[In 8x16] the black oil is back. And those who were guessing Spanish are right. There's a death on a U.S. oil rig in the gulf of a Mexican national. Kersh is in this episode. Scully is described as 'well into her third trimester' so Kersh sends Doggett to investigate. Mulder catches his own ride and beats him there. Doggett is less than pleased. Scully is back at FBI central with Skinner covering for her with Kersh while she works the black oil angle."

Question: Does this mean that Mulder is back in full, glowing health if he is capable of sneakily escaping solo to save the world?

Answer: Yes, no sign of mold.

Question: It doesn't sound like there will be much, if any Mulder-Scully interaction in this ep.

Answer: Would this be correct? That would be an assumption based on limited information. They have been known to talkon the phone before."




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