X-Files 8.2 "Without"

Okay,

Sorry for my silly prediction that we'd know who our next president is by
now. I think we should have a news blackout on the subject until all the
absentee ballots have been counted. I (reluctantly) voted for Gore, and
think he should and could have won if people in Florida weren't TOTALLY
STUPID. But since they are, Gore should concede if the absentees put Bush
over the top as they are likely too. And those who know what an absolute
zero I think Dubya is know how hard it is for me to say that, but look,
half the country is going to be ticked off no matter what happens, so let's
just move forward already.

Enough with real life editorializing, onto the supposed purpose of my
little review. The X-Files.

Sigh. Chris Carter's pretentious poetry really weighed on me. That's two
short openings in a row--short little nonsensical ramblings. I mean, I've
really liked Scully's musings in the past, but I defy you to explain what
she said beyond: Why are these aliens doing this? And why can't we do it
back to them? It begs the question...why are they doing this? what is
left for them to know about us? Do they collect human sperm as well as
ova? Gross, I realize, but isn't that the reason they took Scully and all
those women?

My sister jen is visiting this weekend. When I ranted about Carter's
"poetry" she said, "Chris carter is like Jamie from the Real World [New
Orleans]. He THINKS he's deep." if you don't get the reference...good for
you, Real world sucked this season.

Gibson is apparently going through a bizarre growth phase. 'Nuff said.
But his acting was kinda weak. That's what happens with kid actors
sometimes. They have good memories or whatever, so as little kids you're
like, WOW! Then they become teens and you're like, EH. He just didn't
seem wise and all knowing. He just seemed bored. Maybe if you're wise and
all-knowing, you ARE bored a lot, but still. And what was with all the
deaf kids anyway, was that supposed to be freaky or something? A way to
not pay the kids to talk? I saw no real point to it. Deaf people have
thoughts, so gibson would stiff be hearing voices.

"Mulder" going over the cliff. Whatever. So obviously the shape shifter.


I like Doggett, but that NYPD Blue stuff wasn't flying, all the tough guy
talk, and the accent he does when he feels like it. Again, Scully being
alien girl seems to quick, only because of Carter's ineptitude. Her
arrival at the truth should have been gradual, but instead, we've had her
deny deny deny the obvious for seven years, and now Mulder's gone and she's
like "you all are so whacked, HELLOOOOOO! It's aliens!" She has such
contempt for Doggett not believing what he sees, and it makes me want to
shake her, since she was like he was through, like, a hundred odd X-Files,
right? Hopefully, when they start doing real X-Files, she'll be more of
the reluctant believer (more on that later). Scully's line about Mulder
"he better well be smiling." HUH? What did that mean, he should be glad
cuz she's finally admitting he was right now that he's being tortured? And
what's with the naked stuff, Scully got to wear a robe--but maybe SHE was
indeed taken by the government, where as Mulder is with the aliens.
Anyway, the way mulder's smiling now is if alien torture elements placed in
his mouth are incidentally lifting his lips up.

When Doggett encounters the shapeshifter and is all "you were supposed to
be cleared out", why didn't he make him leave?

Scully's pants are too nice for a trip to the desert, and was she wearing
heels? C'mon.

As she follows a strange kid out into the Arizona desert (without water,
that's good for the baby), I was reminded of Bobby and Cindy Brady chasing
that Indian boy into the grand canyon til they got lost. Yelling, "Bobby!?
Cindy!?" when you're hiking in the Grand Canyon never gets old, try it.
So, she finds gibson and he's all vague. She says she'll protect him and
he says she said that before--Ouch! Was it cancerman that kidnapped him or
Krycek? Cant' remember. But...just how did he get away from the alien in
that nuclear reactor??? Oh...nevermind I guess.

"You've painted me a picture, now put it in a frame" : why chris carter
doesn't write for nypd blue. Liked Skinner's trying to help Dog, and liked
that dog seems to have good people instincts and trusts skinner and
Scully--at least their motives. But WHY would Kersh want to set Dog up for
the fall? Why pick a good agent to take the rap? I don't follow.

Just me, or were there A LOT of witnesses to the two Scully's incident?
And, if WE were allowed to see blood on that guy's hands, why didn't anyone
think to check everyone's hands for blood? Scully says "It's someone in
this room!" And then, we come back from commercial and everyone's outside!
Whatever! So, wouldn't scully keep in contact with Skinner? we have that
lame scene where they pull their guns on each other, trying to recreate the
kick ass Mexican Standoff scene back in season three's two part opener,
when the "dead in the boxcar" Mulder comes back. Maybe Scully was hoping
he'd appear to back her up like that time. I appreciated the continuity of
having Scully distrust Skinner. Of course, the purpose of this dumb scene
would be reveled later in the show...

Scully's crying thing worked as usual, she wants to see Mulder again, but
this coy "did they or didn't they" thing is terrible. WHY IS SHE PREGNANT?
what purpose does this serve? Mulder and scully's bond was this beautiful
strong spiritual thing. We don't need her carrying his child to justify
her desperately searching for him. I can't see why they would bother
making her pregnant with anyone else child, either, so I'm just going to
assume (I know, I know) that it's Mulder's. I mean, her being pregnant is
just a DRAG. It doesn't work for me at all, especially since now we get to
wince everytime she runs, falls, jumps, gets thrown across a room, hit,
whatever. Reminds me of a very funny Saturday Night Live skit from years
back: "Lisa Pongrasic, very pregnant undercover cop" Mary Stuart
Masterson. This is bad news, kids. Now I have to think badly of Scully
for putting her baby in jeopardy everytime she does something
exciting--this season's gonna be a blast!

Skinner and Scully. He's too much of a flunky, and...doesn't he seem kinda
whipped? Like, he's the pathetic guy that's in love with this girl who
clearly doesn't love him but he does everything she says anyway? Like "The
Carpet Man" the 5th Dimension sang about? "She walks all over you cuz she
knows she can..." Not that Scully's THAT bad, I'm just saying, he needs to
get back to his office so he can boss her around a little, so I can respect
him more. Would Skinner REALLY leave Scully out in the dark desert
alone??? If she SAYS SO, apparently. Gibson's "you're so close now"
reminded me of Lecter saying to Clarice "you're so close to how you're
going to catch him" Not that I think Gibson's a serial killer. Didn't
Gibson have parents? Did they die or something? If so, I missed it.

When Scully looked up into the night sky at the light coming towards her,
Jen and I started singing the theme to "The greatest American Hero."

Liked the bit where we thought she saw the helicopter, but then we saw that
there was a space ship too. That was neat.

Didn't like gillian's yelling in the desert. Maybe it was the
direction--she was yelling, perhaps because of the helicopter rotors? But
he was kinda whispering. He only started yelling when he got mad. SO,
maybe it was him, Patrick, or the direction, but the upshot was Scully came
off kind of shrill, I thought. Liked that Mulder could maybe sense Scully,
or maybe he just yells her name all the time during his ordeal.

Thought the episode was at it's best when Skinner and Gibson were missing,
but it didn't last long. Skinner was SO OBVIOUSLY not Skinner, and aha,
the reason for that dumb scene before--Scully feels sooo bad for doubting
Skiiner earlier, she lets her guard down and the bounty hunter (duh!) gets
the jump on her. It was cool that she killed the bounty hunter--Crack Shot
Dana! But, the whole baby thing me ill as she's thrown around and exposed
to deadly alien gas. Liked her crying in dog's arms, liked how protective
of her he seemed.

Sneery Kersh is all well and good, but he lacks cancerman's menace. We
need scarier govt. bad guys--Strom Thurmond perhaps? Is Dog on the X-files
as punishment? or did he want them? Scully in the hospital--too bad you
don't get "frequent dire miles" for being hospitalized, Scully'd have free
catscans for life. Look forward to seeing how the pair manages as a team,
with Scully as, hopefully, a reluctant believer. Frankly, there's no
reason she can't be. Maybe she can finally use her science to come up with
weird but plausible theories. I mean, for all the stuff I can see her just
not believing (i.e. ghosts), there are things like mutants that we saw her
believe several times. The end was supposed to be all scary--THERE ARE
MORE ALIEN BOUNTY HUNTERS! THEY ALL LOOK THE SAME! BRIAN THOMPSON ISN'T
OUT OF WORK! But, all i thought was a) bummer, scully didn't kill the
alien bounty hunter, she killed one alien bounty hunter. And, b) If ther
are hundreds or billions or even just dozens of the guys, why don't they
send more than one at a time? It's like those dumb ninjas in those movies
that only attack the hero one guy at a time.

Maybe they can just stop doing that "Scully doesn't believe in ANYTHING!!!"
bs they were doing the last few years when they were in the rut of keeping
things the same even when it no longer made sense. I mean, they acted like
Scientists don't believe in ANYTHING. But Scully said she needed proof,
and it demeaned the character when she ignored proof to remain in
ignorance.

And, I can see her pursuing X-Files to keep mulder's work alive, and to
remain close to the investigation/cover-up, so she has a renewed reason to
stay in the FBI, so that's a plus.

I hope not to be so negative in the future. The conspiracy episodes will
be tough this season, since Carter so decimated it when he thought the'd be
done by now. Marita and krycek are out there, and so's cancerman. They
keep saying they killed him (by pushing him done the stairs? the guy
that'sbeen shot all to hell and lived? that guy? Please. Oh, and William
Davis isn't on contract anymore! Oh, that settles, it Cancerman's dead!
Chris Carter, you are so lame, and you're little mind tricks only work on
the weak-minded. I hope we'll see more Scully's and hope that We can
explore the character of Scully some more--it's why I'm still here, Carter.
have her talk about growing up on military bases when he starts talking
about being a marine, something!

Next week bats: hopefully, it ain't Scully's turn to shag a vampire while
mourning her missing partner...unless it's David Boreanez.

Have a good week! The Niners Won! 3-8, baby! Two more wins, and we
finish better than last season. Sure, it's a dream. But it's my dream.
Christine :D