"The End" was the first episode in a long
time that, for me, recaptured at least most of the excitement of great myth-arcs
of yore such as "Anasazi" or "Paper Clip." Only the
slighly slow pacing made the difference. Not only did it function rather
well as a lead-in to the movie (which I am now, thanks to this ep, rather
looking forward to), it was rather well written and original for the most
part. Despite the soap-opera technique of introducing a woman from Mulder's
past out of absolutely nowhere, I found this episode to be original and
I loved that Mulder and Scully have the answers they have sought together
for so long within their grasp at last. This made it all the more tragic
when everything went up in flames. And I felt like the characters and the
story are actually moving forward a bit, even if they did not really gain
anything (I assume we have to wait for the movie for that) and even though
there were, as always, unanswered questions. Why is Krychek working for
the Consortium? Is CSM really Spender's father (and do they expect me to
believe it anyway-- sigh?) And is Spender in on the plot, as Mulder suspects?
I could almost believe so: "It's *your* days that are numbered."
And the biggest question for me: does Mulder Beleive again? He certainly
seemed to. Continuity, boys. Think continuity.
An epsiode is usually *all* about the writing for me, which is why I am
such a fan of Vince. But Carter did not do a bad job. He manages to work
in the chess metaphor, introduced every so subtly in "The Red and the
Black", at every turn. Diana tells Mulder he's at the "top of
[his]
game." And Skinner tells the Well Manicured Man "it's all a game.
You just take yor pieces one by one until the board is clear." Not
exactly subtle or original, but nor was it as flowery and heavy as I usually
find his writing. And we literally get a chess game with the discovery of
a young boy who uses mental telepathy to become a child progidy grand master;
I thought the use of this child to symbolize and capture the past five years
was effective, giving the episode some real urgency. In a well-shot teaser,
he narrowly missed being killed, further proof of his mental abilities,
and our good friend Jeffery Spender is assigned to the case (anyone else
LOVE that Skinner slipped and called him a kid?) Meanwhile, Krychek is sent
to bring the Cigarette Smoking Man out of hiding to he can fix the assassin's
botched job (delivering those Morley
boxes was a wonderfully chilling touch.) I throughly enjoyed his scenes
with Kryckek (who looked as hot as I've ever seen him) and the Consortium.
I usually find them cheesy and these worked for me, most likely because
they did not use phrases like "the rebellion" which make
me want to tell Luke to get to his X-wing. CSM was clearly the villian I
was cheering for, especially when he was being chased by Krychek. His little
victory over the consortium in the realization that they did need him was
satisfying: "I'm a necessity. To compliment your cowardice." And
I throughly enjoyed that Kryckek's trigger finger was itching throughout
the hour. His little drive-by as CSM stood still and calm was too much fun.
Too bad that next to the wonderful Davis and Lea, I don't think anyone else
in the Consortuim can ACT! The Elder has
precisel one note to his voice; I've counted.
Perhaps I felt satisfied and felt as if the story was being advanced, not
rehashed, because of the surprising emphasis this episode had on character,
which I am *always* a sucker for. It seems as though the question of Scully's
feelings for Mulder has been answered. We knew she loved him as a person;
it think its safe to say we now know she loves him as woman. Her jelousy
of Diana Fowley was clear to me and I appreicated the confimation that she
cares. However, what I loved was how this jelousy was handle by both the
script and by the peerless Gillian Anderson. Yes, she was jealous, but that
was not the point. She was more saddened and thoughtful and shocked, wrestling
with her own reaction to this intruder into her world with Fox Mulder. The
scene where she sees Mulder nearly holding hands with Diana and then rushes
to her car to pull herself together was, as expected, heartbreaking as only
Anderson can be. You could feel her thinking. I also appreicated that any
cattiness was kept to a mimimum. Not once did I feel the temptation to meow.
Rogers and Anderson were both a little cold, a little wary of each other
and, I thought, rather professional about it. Nice work, ladies. There was
a case to solved and Scully espcially put that first (even if she couldn't
resist demanding of those adorable Lone Gunmen who this woman was.) I thought
that the way in which she dealt with her
jealousy said so much for her.
I also appreicated that if the writers and 1013 insisted on making her jealous,
at least they did it in a way which I did not feel degraded her. Scully's
scenes with the young chess genius were the highlight of the episode for
me (okay, one of them). How wonderful that as this kid who is going on about
30 years old surveys the adults about him with such weary cynicism, he centers
on Scully as someone he can trust. She does not "think one thing but
say something else." And his faith in her promise to protect him had
me shouting "You. Go. Girl!" Diana who?
I also loved Scully getting cranky with Spender when she corrected his misrepresentation
of her report to Skinner. She insists, "This would be quantifiable
scientific proof of everything Agent Mulder and I have investigated for
the past five years." Nice to know he can even try the
patience of a saint, because he certainly tries mine (and how good that
must have felt to say in front of Diana.) So I think her troubles in this
episode were well done, though still a soap opera stunt which annoyes me
because I watch this show to escape stuff like that. It resulted in some
wonderful charaterization for the victim of the jealousy, so I am mostly
happy.
Here's what I am not happy about, however: why is there this pattern of
Scully being jealous when Mulder is not? Because she's the woman? Because
it's okay for her to look bad
and a little weakenend and the lover not the beloved-- but that's not okay
for Mulder? If this were the only time this had happened, I would not mention
it. Like I said, I appreciated that confirmation that she desires him. It's
his turn now, boys. Scully being jealous does not
offend me; Scully being jealous when Mulder is not says to me there is a
bias for him here. *Repeated* jealousy on her part when he is not bothered
is a pattern; say it with me, class. Repitition implies pattern; pattern
implies theme. This "theme" is a sexist sterotype and
it is offensive. Now, on with the review.
Duchovny elicited my usual reaction of drooling, admiration and annoyance
for Mulder. Hearing young Gibson tell Mulder he has a dirty mind was too
funny; have I mentioned I really liked that kid? Spooky was indeed, as Fowely
said, at the top of his game, especially proving Spender wrong during is
briefing. He seemed to be throughly enjoying himself at it, too, utterly
cool and confident. Were this arrogance directed at anyone but Spender,
it probably would have irritated me more
the whining or the bad ass stuff like taking the prisoners food after demanding
righteously that Spender get him some.
I also might have been more upset with him for flying off the handle, as
he is wont to do,
except that I believe him when suspected that Spender might be involved.
Would you believe I actually liked most of his scenes with Diana? Rogers
made her affection and admiration clear. It seems obvious he was what she
"wanted to get back to." Catching one another's eyes in the rear
view mirror sent me running for my pepto bismol; like I said, I watch this
show to escape stuff like that. I am a shipper because Mulder and Scully
are loving without those cliches. But how
could I not love his clear defense of her and their partnership when Diana
challenged it? It said a lot for him, I thought, that he realizes and can
express not only that Scully is good for him but *why.* "She's a scientist.
She just makes me work for everything." Now that's my sweet punk! I
also was touched and grateful that his answer was "I'm on my way"
when Scully, struggling with her pain and confusion in the car yet wanting
to do her job well, asks if they can meet in the office. What a testement
to both their relationship and his growing maturity in his knowledge of
her (did I just write that??) He knows she would not ask this if she did
not *need* it.
I mentioned that Diana's appearance smacked of a cliched soap-opera stunt
(not to mention that Mulder did not seemed surprise by seeing this woman
who I presume he has not seen since meeting Scully-- Duchovny did not react
at all!) I believe this, but I also have to give the Carter
and 1013 company for allowing it to shed more light on the relationship
between Mulder and Scully. At least we had a purposeful soap. It said a
lot to me that Mulder ends up at Scully's apartment (I assume it was hers)
on her couch after beating up Spender. I thought Diana was a
rather likeable woman, all thing considered, but she cannot compare to the
bond, however the individual viewer chooses to see that bond, that Mulder
and Scully have forged over the years. How wondeful to see them, as always,
against the world together, in a scene that was intimate and warm. How unselfish
of Scully to defend and protect him through the pain he has inadvertently
cause. The plot device of Diana was used to strengthen their partnership.
And I don't think I will ever forget that final scene when Mulder and Scully
discover that their worst nightmare has just happened. Their office goes
up in cigarette smoke. In a scene that was well-shot and well-lit (I loved
the flashing red light across Mulder's chest), our heroes stumble listlessly
through the ruins of the past five years. Mulder slowly freezes to stone,
a statue, paralyzed by rage. Scully embraces him and leans on his chest,
weary, grieving, both
needing and giving comfort as Anderson radiated desperate sorrow (god, I
love this woman!). The expressions on both of their faces were wonderful.
Perhaps I can best compliment this scene by saying that I knew it was going
to happen and I had tears in my eyes anyway. Even the
music was perfect, raising the tragedy to seeming epic proportions. This
scene would not have been so powerful, I don't think, without that. bravo!
This was a very solid episode in many ways that has me excited to see the
movie, not worried about. It handled Scully's jealousy and Diana's sudden
appearence such that we learn some new things about Scully's strength and
the strength of her bond with Mulder. The story was rather
original and exciting, even if the script was clumsy in parts. I award it
9 tic tacs out of ten, with Carter's choice of flavor for that final tragic
ending.
SWILS note: there is just nothing like close-ups of Casual!Scully
MudlerDrooling: God, I loved that tight t-shirt...can
we say, "the statue of David?"
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