X-Files 7.7 "Orison"

Hey everybody! It's 2000 and nothing happened! And, in my case, I do
mean nothing. I watched so much New Year's coverage all day from Paris and
Sydney and Washington DC that by the time it was 10:30 Pacific time I was
sick and tired of the whole dang thing and had to force myself not to go
to sleep before 12.

Adam has voted for "Dod Kalm" as his favorite, the one where Mulder and
Scully go up to the arctic and get all dehyrated and old looking form
someweird chemical reaction, but Scully's awesome science skills save them
both. An interesting second season choice. Hey Dad, tell me yours again? I
forgot.

What did you think? I don't have a clue as to the "theology" of this
episode, and, if you ask me, neither did the writers. I mean, I liked
it, and it was cool and creepy, but I'm not sure I agree with what they were
getting at. This was actually the "Green Mile" episode of X-Files, the
end scene was very Green Mile, and I had similar objections over the idea of
God possessing people to commit vengeance. But, let me start at the
beginning (a very good place to start...)

For newbies, or those who just need a refresher, this is a sequel to an
episode from the second season called "Irresistible." It aired almost
exactly five years ago. Mulder and Scully fly to Minneapolis to
investigate some grave robbings. Mulder actually uses the case, which he
doesn't view as an X-File, to fly to Minnesota on the taxpayers dime so
he can take Scully to a Vikings Redskins game. This is so we can see Cris
Carter (get it?) catching a pass on TV. The case is very creepy and the
usually stoic Scully has a hard time with it, but refuses to open up to
Mulder and let him see how freaked out she is--this is actually one of
the first "I'm fine, Mulder" episodes. Scully goes to counseling, and
reveals her fear of being a burden to Mulder. After Scully escapes her attacker,
she tries to be brave for Mulder but ultimately breaks down in his arms
and allows him to comfort her. It was also the first episode where we really
saw her dealing with her "alien" abduction, or "government" abduction.

This was an ok sequel, and there were no real continuity problems. the
Vikings were even on TV today, stomping the evil Cowboys (yes, my team
was 4-12 and eating cheetos in front of the widescreen tv's in their
mansions, I know, but Dallas losing always warms my heart regardless). Pfaster is
serving his sentence in Illinois, which didn't make sense to me until
Scully said that thing at the end "You're only alive because I asked the
judge for life." Pfaster's attack on Scully, a federal agent, was thus a
federal offense, so Pfaster wouldn't necessarily be imprisoned in
Minnesota. It's intriguing that Scully isn't hard-core death penalty, or
wasn't five years ago, at any rate.

Whenever I see preachers on TV I say "uh-oh." This guy was a trip, the
hypnotizing false minister who uses psychic power to liberate killers and
then reform/kill them???? Right? Is that how it goes? Hey, no one
becomes an X-Files fan by getting questions answered. This was also the
first "Scully in jeopardy" we've had in a long time. For a while, she
was getting kidnapped and held at gun point and what not all the danged time.

I don't have a big problem with it because Scully has had to rescue
Mulder's butt plenty of times too. I don't get how Scully has her window
open in the first scene. She has a ground floor apartment in Washington
D.C., what is she crazy? I liked the 666 on the clock, as they've used
the clock (10:13 and 11:21crop up all the time) before, and liked how she
reacted as though she'd imagined it. I like the whole "Scully is
special" thing, the visions she has etc.

When Scully describes Pfaster as not being supernatural, "just plain
evil," I thought, isn't "evil" supernatural? I suppose it's open to
interpretation. Loved Scully's determination to stay with the case "I
don't have a choice." Scully is stronger then most people and her sense
of duty is absolute. Quitting is never an option for Dana. The song was an
odd choice, I thought. I thought it could have a clearer lyrical
significance. Scully says she heard it when she was 13 (1977) and hasn't
heard it since high school ( she would have graduated in 82). Now, the
version I know of that song came out in 84, but it wasn't the one played
so I'll just assume it's a seventies song and they didn't mess up. I really
like the slow motion stuff in this episode, it was shot very cool.

Scully's faith is so personal. She wears a cross, but is always
surprised and miffed when anyone mentions it. The preacher calls her Scout, which
she identifies as a childhood nickname. Between Scout, Scully and
Starbuck did ANYONE ever call her Dana? Sheesh. though I can see Scully being
very much like "To Kill a Mockingbird"'s Scout, when she was kid. Mulder's
contempt for God and Christianity show's up again, but Scully's "I'm
trying not to take offense" is a BIG improvement, as she seems to be finally
owning up to her (gulp) BELIEFS. I've said this before, but I like the
idea of Mulder's not being able to accept a God that would allow his
sister to be taken from him. He's not interested in knowing a God that would
make Mulder's tragedy part of His plan. Also, again, Scully can't REALLY take
offense at Mulder's scorn re: her beliefs since she has certainly leveled
enough mockery and rolled eyes and disdain at Mulder's beliefs over the
last seven years. Scully's recollections of being in San Diego in 1977
fit the time frame of the Christmas flashbacks to Scully's childhood we
had two years back.

God talks to me through the radio all the time, although it usually
involves my throwing some kind of hissy fit and God letting me know how
ridiculous I'm being.

Okay, Scully's apartment. First of all, the view from her window, seems
too rural for me, based on what we've seen in other episodes--we've seen
that she lives on a tree-lined, but very urban Georgetown street. The
sunlight just seemed to bright. but the big thing about her place is,
however cool it might be, and maybe it's rent-controlled or whatever
but...she's been assaulted several times, abducted from the place, her
answering machine was also stolen from the place by the rare intruder who
DIDN'T try to kill her. Oh yeah, and her sister was fatally shot there.

I'd move. Maybe it's a reaction to all the moving she did as a military
brat, she now stubbornly refuses to pull up stakes ever again.

I'd still move. The dead sister thing would be the breaking point, I
think.

Now, the fight kicked some serious ass. I complained earlier this season
about an episode that used darkness and bad camera work to obscure the
action, but this was a straight up fight, and Scully was awesome. She
also got her head banged around a LOT, and I have long maintained that Scully
will be punch-drunk by her her forties if she doesn't start wearing a
helmet or something. She has suffered more concussions than my beloved
Steve Young (sniff). I loved how strong she was, even when he seemed to
have the upper hand, defiant, angry, not to be beaten, determined to
fight for her life. Cancer, scumbags, demons--Scully beats em all down. I
liked Mulder's hearing the song and answering God's call. I kinda wished he
had a psychic "bad feeling" and just knew his beloved was in danger, but oh
well. I forgot to mention that his response to Scully's beliefs about
God communicating to her was also a BIG improvement over earlier episodes
(third season's "Revelations" and the episode in the fifth season that
was basically a rehash of "Revelations). This time, he is respectful and
open to the idea, maybe because Scully's finally owning up to actual weird
beliefs and not being a hypocrite.

Then we have the end. I liked Scully blowing the guy away, but the whole
idea of her feeling as though she was controlled by an outside force, one
and two, that she wasn't sure whether it was good or evil, was just...it
doesn't sit well with me. Scully controlled by Satan? Never. But I
don't believe that God "possesses" people to act out His vengeance. (Mulder's
understandably weak grasp on the Bible: "The Bible allows for vengeance,"

Uh yeah, Mulder...If you're GOD. No wonder Mulder doesn't like the
Bible, to him it's full of revenge killings and zombies.) But, it's a really
muddy issue: I mean, is the government executing a person after a trial
the only way to make a killing "moral"? I mean, I don't like the death
penalty myself, but...Maybe Scully IS morally justified in killing this
man, I think she was . Can a man so evil ever really be "unarmed?"
"Innocent"? I like those questions, and in keeping with The powers that
be at the X-Files, won't answer any of them :)

I believe in free will, and think that Scully just plain killed the guy,
and that she needs to come to terms with that. For those of you who've
seen "the Green mile", that was my major objection to the film: It seems
to preach redemption but presents revenge instead, really, and in a
context of God's using people without their active participation.

Religious imagery can be cool and creepy, and ultimately, I doubt anyone
at 10 13 knows or cares what they were trying to "say" here, or where
they're going (and if they're going to make Scully go evil like Twin Peaks did
to my beloved Dale Cooper I'll quite simply die). Maybe Scully's just going
to go Calvinist on us. Predestination and all that. I mean, she's not
going to die, right? Several episodes have eluded to Scully's status as
a messenger or agent of God, entrusted with protecting the weak. I hope
that won't be demonic now, I always envisioned her going out like Elijah.

Anyway, I still liked this episode...Mulder wants to help Scully pack a
bag and "get her out of this place" are they headed to his place? ;) Mulder
on the couch, of course. Hope you all have good weeks, and fellow
football fans: It WAS a lateral pass. Christine :D