"Mulder, please explain to me the scientific nature of the whammy." ~Dana Scully

Every fan of "The X-files" has The Episode that made them a fan, the one that made this show seem better written, acted, directed, and produced and just generally more amazing than any other show. "Pusher" quickly became that for me. Vince Gilligan's instant classic combines the best of every aspect of "The X-files", giving us flawless characterization, interaction between Mulder and Scully that made me wonder if my TV would short circuit, one of the most chilling villains on the show and tension that was almost unbearable even after many viewings.

As always, Gilligan's imagination delivers a premise that at once sheds light on Mulder, Scully and their relationship, while also keeping us on the edge of our seats. This show is at its best when *both* Mulder and Scully are in character and both play an important role. Gilligan not
only has them in character but has them at their most brave, intelligent, compassionate and heroic. They also work well in their roles as a doctor and a profiler; some of the writers tend to forget Scully is a forensic scientist. He never does. Modell, a dying sociopathic contract killer who kills by talking his victims into suicide singles out Spooky Mulder, FBI Golden Boy of Profiling, as his "worthy adversary." As Pusher puts it, "You think you see right through ole Bob Modell." And Mulder does, nailing the profile of this contract killer and amazing Scully in quite an adorable scene at the gun range.

And count on Mulder to recognize that "Ro Nin" reference off the top of his head. I loved watching Mulder's mind work in this one as he interacted with Modell. Duchovny let the viewer feel the wheels in Mulder's head turning as he tested and hunted, trying with increasing desperation to discover what was making Modell kill and how to stop him. The way he paced in Modell's apartment, rifling through books and other belongings trying to glean anything he could from them, was effective. His frustration in the courtroom was tangible as Modell "puts the
whammy" on the judge and at the shooting range with a skeptical Scully ("He's laughing at us, Scully"). I also loved that moment right after the court hearing with Mulder and Modell as Mulder pretends to pay the five dollars he "bet" Modell. The line "Made you look...how do *you* do it?" sent chills down my spine, still does, even as I laughed out loud. A well-played moment by both Duchovny and Robert Wisden. And the look of shock on Mulder's face, too, when Scully tells Skinner she thinks Mulder is right, was very Mulder. Those little Mulder quirks were all there, too, including the omnipresent sunflower seeds. I laughed out loud when Mulder put the arrest warrant on the TV (which was playing Svengali, another brilliant little touch). And "Mango kiwi tropical swirl...now we know we're dealing with a madman", I thought, was the
best Mulderism of the night.

But I mentioned this show is only at its best when both halves of the Dynamic Duo are well done. Gilligan gives us a Scully whose courage, honor, compassion, loyalty and intelligence simply demand worship . I will forever be grateful that no matter how utterly brilliant a profiler Spooky might be, Gilligan allows Scully to do so profiling of her own and ye gods, she is right! She nails him as a "little man who wishes he were big" and at the end, Mulder tells her she was right. Amen, alleluia! Gilligan has a way off allowing Mulder and Scully to disagree while still clearly showing their respect and deep affection and, importantly, giving both characters valid arguments for their point of view. Neither one suffers in the audience's eyes. Modell's right--
they DO work well together and that's how I like them. It's been said Scullyists would not call Mulder a Punk if he were written as well as Gilligan writes him. I agree, and I also think Scully would not be considered a pain in His Mulderness's arse is she were always written this well. "Pusher" gives us one of my All Time Favorite Scullyisms when she responds to Mulder's theory with, "Please explain to me the scientific nature of the whammy." Anderson and Duchovny tend to make the most of it when they have a brilliant character moment, and she does here. That "bulls**t" expression was to die for. I've been practicing it ever since . Gilligan gives us another definitive Scully moment (one of the most definitive in any MOTW not directly centered on her, actually) when she runs to grab a fire extinguisher just before poor Agent Collins sets himself on fire at Modell's bidding. Anderson was great in this scene as well, right down to shaking her hands from the heat of the charred body. That was a truly chilling moment.

But I don't think any scene in this episode showed us quite the Scully (or the Mulder) that the final few did and Mulder and Scully close in on Modell at the hospital and are drawn into a shattering showdown with this man who wants to, as Mulder put it, "take a few innocent people
with him" before he goes. The Russian Roulette scene, as its come to be called, it famous to Philes and rightfully so. I consider it perhaps one of the most brilliant scenes not just filmed by this series but on television in general. I literally could not breath-- and that was the fifth time I rewound! Duchovny was wrenching as a Mulder storming with rage at being forced to hold a gun on the person who means more to him that anyone else but who was helpless to do anything about it. I loved his tight voice control, the sweat, the bobbing of his throat and clenching of his hands as he fought for control. And Anderson was simply searing, the best she can possibly be...and anyone who has seen this revelation of an actress in action knows how much that is
saying. Her reactions to Modell and to Mulder's helplessness are forever imprinted on my brain. Who could forget her screaming "Damn you! You bastard!" at Modell as Mulder turns his gun on himself, determined not to harm Scully even it if means killing himself. Her icy composure with Modell and the leader of the SWAT team (who, incidentally, is a nice looking man) I loved as well. A favorite little nuance of mine that Anderson gave us was when she uttered (in a great
ClintEastwood!Scully voice) "Just wait for my signal" when he asked why they kept giving Modell "exactly what he wanted." Valkyrie!Scully indeed! Gilligan and Gillian gave us a nearly perfect human being. I was forever hooked on Scully after the passionate, shimmering clarity of
Anderson's performance in this episode.

The scene in the SWAT van just before the stand-off impressed me just as much. For one thing, if that does not make it clear that this man and this woman have some incredibly strong feelings for one another, I don't know what will. Scully looked like she was going to be sick at the
thought of Mulder going in to face Modell alone. And Anderson's reactions watching Mulder stalk Modell were amazing. It's been said that half of acting is acting like you're not acting. She raised that to an art form as Scully jumps up not once but twice to got to Mulder's rescue before he's actually in danger. Those huge, scared eyes and that soft pleading voice ("Mulder, just get out of there") combined with the sheer focus she had on Mulder were a thing of beauty. Duchovny, for his part, offered us a Mulder who was calm in the face of danger, determined
not to let anyone else be harmed. I loved his expression when he kneeled before Scully, joking and trying to get her to smile (of course, she couldn't) just before he went in after Modell. His eyes were bright and brave-- very effective.

But I should sing Anderson's praises and applaud Duchovny without adding that Robert Wisden as Modell turned by bones to ice. From the teaser until Mulder shoots him, Wisden as Modell was taunting and cold, and enjoying that fact immensely. He was cast perfectly, too, as a man who could hypnotize victims with his voice. His was very soothing; he was a very charming man, which was of course a lot of what made him so dangerous. (Just ask Holly.) Those baby blue eyes were effective too, especially when talking Collins into setting himself on fire. He
sounded for all the world like he was asking for some food to save his starving daughter or something. But I think my favorite moment was his mocking "Mulder, yes" to Scully's "Mulder, no..." when she realizes the deadly game they are about to play.

I want to mention a couple of things about Gilligan's script itself that impressed me specifically, since his always seem to stand out for me. I love it when a writer reinforces his theme in little ways and he did here. For example, Modell's insistence to the judge, "I'm not guilty, your honor" is echoed by a conversation he and Mulder have later on the phone. When Mulder asks if Modell wants to take a few innocent people with him when he goes, Modell's response is that no one is innocent. Mulder's reply? I loved it! "Some are more innocent than others." I loved also that Modell's lawyer says one of his victims *jumped* off a bridge, adding that "nobody pushed her." And he remains the God of Continuity-- Modell tells Mulder to shoot Scully because she shot him earlier. He also remains the Patron Saint of Shippers, giving us a Scully who sleeps on Mulder's shoulder and loads of soft-voiced, heads-togetherness (though Anderson and Duchovny get a lot of credit for the hushed intimacy of those scenes, too.) And of course, the Handhold of Pusher was lovely; it spoke volumes to me because it was so shy and tentative, yet our reserved, private Scully reached out to Mulder anyway. If done right, the Relationship will only enhance an episode, not detract from it.

I consider Pusher to be *the* standard of quality in this show. Ten tic tacs out of ten, at least.

*Pusher's right. Agent Frank burst really is a great name.
*Loved Flukeman on the tabloid Pusher's looking at in the store
*another cute Mulderism: "Let's go, G-woman." (Scully certainly seemed to think so.)
*Personal Random Note: I live off of Chain Bridge Rd, where Modell called from. Too cool.
* BITE ME! = What Mulder was thinking when Modell said "You and your pretty partner seem so close. Do you...work...well together?"

SWILS Note: LOVED that red suit. Ah, 40's glamour Gillian, you are a sight to behold. But what was even cooler about how beautiful she looked was that that *was* *not* the point. Her beauty was unconscious, making her a even more flawless role model than ever.

MulderDrooling: There's this one lovely shot of well, erm, the muscles
in his arm when he's holding Modell's charts....yum!

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