X-files 7.19 "Hollywood AD"

Okay. Sorry for the delay. Too much sweeps TV, plus I'm tired, plus I
just found out I'm losing my parking space in Sept. and will most likely
have to move in the next few months. Egad.

Sooo, I may not be in the best mood for this one, but here goes. I liked
parts of this episode, but as a whole, I didn't really connect with it.
I had a lot of ticky problems with it. I know it was a fun episode but I
can't accept that it actually happened.

I liked the opening movie bit, it was very funny--the fake movie. it was
fun that David's "Return to Me" (good movie, btw) co-stars David Alan
Grier and Minnie Driver in the audience. Weird moment in Skinners office, when
the Hollywood guy Federman mentions "Harrison ford's Witness"). David
blew a question about that very film on celebrity Millionaire, but I think it
had to be a coincidence based on my perception of when both shows were
shot. If you recall, David blew a final jeopardy question about
"Breakfast at Tiffany's" and the show had Scully reading the book in a
subsequent episode as a little in joke.

Scully's comment about being "too young to remember" Mulder's radical
icon Micah Hoffman seemed a bit off to me: David is eight years older than
Gillian, but Mulder is only three years older than Scully. Yes, yes, and
I'm a geek, I know!

Liked that Scully seemed to have a sort of disdain for Hoffman and
"yippies" in general, befitting a girl who grew up in the cradle of the
military during Viet Nam and idolized her very very establishment father.
Missy probably liked Micah Hoffman's poetry too.

I found the implication that Skinner has bragged to his sleazy college
pal that he and Scully are having an affair pretty creepy. I mean, it's
funny on one level, but to give Skinner any respectability at all, you have to
say this never happened.

Can Scully read Greek? Do you even have to ask? She rules! Scully is a
great straight man, too.

This story: Catholic priest buying phony damaging texts in order to
suppress them is based on a series of bombings that happened in Utah in
the mid-eighties. A guy was forging fake damaging Mormon tapes to Mormon
higher ups and then started killing people with car bombs, I don't
remember the exact connection there, why he killed people, but he did. The
catholic setting in this episode was nice in that David actually approaches Scully
as a religious person--as a believer. Liked the dancing bone stuff.

I don't mind seeing mulder's pal Chuck the artifact expert, but it
bothers me we've seen him more than Mrs. Scully or even Krycek!

Liked that Scully was eating in the morgue, and liked that she
(typically)
didn't tell Mulder about her visions. there were nice little moments of
warmth and camaraderie between Mulder and Scully, like when they were
being bawled out by Skinner, that made me very happy. As in last years
Duchovny directed episode, David is interested in the goofy best friends soul mate
sibling aspect to their relationship.

This is the second episode to reference lyrics to the Beatles "I am the
Walrus," the first being season One's very cool and creepy "Eve," the one
with the freaky genius clone little girls that murder their dads?

Loved Sci-Fi geek Mulder watching Ed Wood movies over and over, and
Scully's line "Doesn't that make you sad? It makes me sad" was classic.
I've seen "The SOund of Music" probably a hundred times, but that makes
me very very happy. Scully scoffs at Mulders sci-fi movie, then makes a
reference to Road Runner and Wile E Coyote--in previous season's we've
learned Scully likes: the Exorcist, Rocky and Bullwinkle, & Laurel and
Hardy.

The scene of Scully teaching Tea Leoni to run in heels was pretty darn
hilarious, as was the whole bubble bath split screen scene. I loved
loved loved Mulder's zombie theory, and the "no ifs ands or bees" line in the
fake movie. No way they'd be named Mulder and Scully though, but I guess then
it wouldn't be as awkward for heroes during the love scene as they heard
their names. In the cemetery scene, I loved how Scully was just enjoying
Mulder. Enjoying his rant, his presence, him. The show could use more
of that...in the next three episodes. Liked that they shared a joke at
Skinners expense--I like when they play up the bad kids--school principal
vibe between them, but again, scully would so have a grounds for a sexual
harassment suit if Skinner actually behaved this way which I choose to
deny. Dancing zombies...don' t know what I think about that yet.

So, there was plenty to like, even though it had flaws--I mean, I have
problems with the whole show biz angle, it always comes off a little too
"in" and winky, seems to me, when Hollywood makes fun of its self, but
that's OK.

Hollywood reporter says the finale of X-Files is "open to interpretation"
and will suit whatever purpose. I'll believe it when I see it. I hope
they don't go out with a whimper, but we'll see. Even if the finale
kicks ass, the show clearly has been in decline since season four. In regards
to worst episode EVER, only two of you have written in, though I will count
Shelly's vote for the one that Gillian wrote and directed last week,
which inspired me to ask. SO, keep your responses coming, people! Since space
allows here's the two responses I got, from Diana and Jim:

DIANA SAYS:
when you ask what is the worst ep of X-Files that takes a lot of thought!
I would say "Field Where I Died" except that that episode never
happened.
For the record I think that's the worst one for me--but mostly because ofthe
character implications [Christine note:past life regression epsode]
As far as the ones that really did happen....there's First Person
Shooter. [Christine Note--this years salute to "Tron"] I
was pretty embarrassed by that one...maybe we should be able to pick the
worst from each season...Teso Dos Bichos [c-killer fake kittys] comes to my
mind also, but maybe because it
was the first bad one I saw.... How about that one that I can't
remember--you know the time travel one? I think it started with an "S"....
[Yes, Diana, it did, it's called Sychrony] and Travellers is
an excellent choice.

JIM SAYS: my least fav episode?
"CHINGA"
a.) it sucked
b.) the show lost its soul by having the ultimate guest writer. (I
like King but not for this show.) What next? Easily identifiable guest
stars (Lily Taylor, Michael Mc Kean, Lily Tomlin...)
c.) I have written a horror script about a child and his doll. Chinga
gives the whole concept a bad name. [Christine note--I've read it and can
confirm that it is scarier than Chinga, but i liked Chinga and was
creeped out by it]
d.) It was the episode many people asked me about and I finally stopped
trying to defend. Chris Carter let the show down.
e.) Scully in a tight t-shirt couldn't even save it.
f.) cheesy find the floating doll ending.
g.) having the agents split up is one thing but solo adventures are
obvious attempts to schedule the least amount of actor work days per episode.
If they can only do ten episodes but the agents are working together then
only give me ten episodes!
h.) felt like something King dug out of his "notes drawer" rather than
an X-File.

Keep those cards and letters coming kids! Talk to you later, and if you
hear of any cheap apartments where I can afford to live alone and park my
truck in relative safety, let me know! No Diana, not in Orange County!
Christine :D