X-files 5.6 "Christmas Carol"

I knew I was going to love this episode, and i was not disappointed.
Everything i wanted and more. Much of my discussion here is going to
run toward the geeky, so i apologize in advance. This was a profoundly sad
episode. I had hoped for some insight into how the scully family
"worked" and everyone's inability to connect was heartbreaking. The family is
so scarred and broken from death and disease and Dana is reluctant to come
back into the family she has been taken from, and they don't get it.
I loved when she called Mulder (what the hell was that thing on his head,
and with Mulder's paraniod nature wouldn't he "star 69" her?) but didn't
wind up talking to him--she knew she was supposed to be with her family so
she went back into the dining room. I wasn't sure that Dana knew of her
sterility, I'd assumed Mulder didn't tell her, and it was nice how
Momma clued in to Dana's surliness when Bill's wife got all mushy. I know
Bill is going to get some criticism, but he really thinks his sister is
going bonkers. Didn't you love that "can't you kids get along on Christmas
Eve" look Momma gave them in the kitchen? Bill and Dana have clearly always
butted heads, but their next exchange is reallly sweet--they clearly love
each other, and are used to fighting and letting it go. Bill was
perhaps good preparation for Mulder in this respect. It is interesting that
Dana, while appearing to dodge her family with work, was actually pursing a
part of the family that has been missing. You have to wonder what poor Mrs.
Scully must have thought when Dana said "Sit down," I mean, what now,
right? I love how adamant she was that Melissa would have told her she
was pregnant. I mean, Dana seems to have told everyone as much as she
knows about her abduction, they all know the nature of the x-files, etc. Mom
does have a habit of telling Bill everything, although she may have
been offering up information in an effort to excuse Dana's anti-social
behavior.

The christmas morning scene was so great. They are so happy. See,
they are normal people, and Dana isn't. That's the thing. She's seen
things that don't exist, been places no one goes and it's changed who is. And
no one understands her, but they don't hold it against her. They think
she's moody and delusional, but they keep trying to draw her back into that
blanket of family. And she sticks around because she doesn't blame
them for not truly "getting" what she's been through, or going through. She is
drawing on the past for wisdom and strength (those wonderful dreams!)
and hopefully comfort will come as well. The flashbacks were all
wonderful. We saw Bullying Bill, and wise Melissa. Dana refers to a period in
time when Melissa "took off" and no one knew where she was. Her return from
this time of roaming co-incides with Dana's return from her abduction @
november 1994 (the big clue to Emily's maternity for those who were playing
at home) , and you'll recall that Mom was surprised to see Melissa at
dana's bedside, and seemed to look at melissa's new-age healing shtik
with disapproval. If Dana's joining the FBI was looked on as "rebellion",
one can only guess how Melissa was viewed by Bill and her parents. Yet
Dana tells her about the tracking device, and when she suggests Dana go to a
hypno-therapist, she actually goes. Because she wants to face what
happened to her? given her record for denial and ducking, no. Because she
believes in regressive hypno-therapy? She's told Mulder her doubts on
the subject numerous times. She goes because she trusts melissa's
judgement. When she's told of the threat on her life by the creepy guy at
Mulder's dad's funeral, she tells Melissa and wants to see her right away.
Melissa is rushing to help her work things out when she is murdered. I
actually found Melissa's encouraging words to pre-acadamy Dana to be encouraging
to me as well. Thanks, Missy. And Dana's scene with the social worker
was amazing. So reveletory, so emotional. And of course, she pours all
this out to a stranger. Scully'd make a great Mom, but i fear next week is
gonna be a gut-wrencher.

Okay, I've babbled long enough, but the Scully family is an obsession
of mine, and those of you who know this knew this was coming. And, I'm
not quite done. I must say, I loved the 70's Scully flashback. I love
that she wore braces, I love that Melissa was wearing a t-shirt
commemorating the recent bicentennial, and I especially love that Dana was stoked
because she was getting the Eagles' "Hotel California" album (this
means that was most likely Christmas '77). I loved the part where they get
the crosses (just me or did Melisssa seem underwhelmed) enough to get past
(and I'm anal and detail-obsessed and I need everything to be just ARRRRGHH)
sigh, the fact that this lovely scene violates continuity, since Mom
told Mulder she had given Dana the cross for her 15th birthday (feb '79).
Another bad with the good is THEY MENTIONED CHARLIE!!! At the last
possible moment, brother charlie has a present under the tree for Dana.
What his deal is and where he is a mystery but he exists, and I'm
grateful. You know they saved it for the end just to torment me. But if you go
back to "Beyond the Sea," one of the sons has two fairly old kids , you know
8 or 10 and I thought it was bill but apparantly it was Charlie. I wanted
him to be an aimless drifter surfer guy, not a father of two. Jen saved
this in part by suggesting he had married, or even just shacked up with, an
older woman, and those were her kids from a previous union. Thanks Jen,
charlie can still be the dark and dangerous sexy man of mystery I need him to
be.

Dialogue alert:
(this is the jist) SCULLY: Suicide victims seldom make the
fatal incision on the first try"
DETECTIVE DUMB GUY: Seldom, but not always.

HUH?? Don't you mean, "seldom, but not never?"
And, although she does prove her worth later on, she gets detective
dumb guy to let her look at the case file; He says to himself: " Well,
you're a fed whose stepping on my jurisdictional toes, you're kind of whacked
and certainly off-base, but let be drop everything to help you out,
beautiful stranger. They are powerless to resist her. thanks for your time and
patience, love to hear your thoughts :)

Christine :)