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Revisiting The X Files Episode 15 · Death by Multimedia

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Music. Hi everyone and welcome back for
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episode 15 of Revisiting The X-Files And they said we'd never
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make it. Each episode of this wonderful
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podcast series I will be working my way through the 11 series, 2
1:01
movies, and several books that make up The X-Files.
1:05
For those of you who have returned, thanks once again for
1:08
your company. And if you're new to this, then
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thanks for dropping by to check out what's on offer.
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Hopefully you'll find something that you like.
1:17
Before we start today's episode, I always like to recap on any
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feedback I've received via the interweb, by messages or on
1:25
social media platforms. And at this particular time,
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there hasn't been any from the last episode.
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But then again, I am recording this well in advance of when I
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would normally do so. Most of the episodes I record
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just a couple of days before I put them out, but I'm a little
1:42
bit ahead of myself. So I'm actually three weeks
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ahead of when this episode will actually be released.
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So in the coming episodes, hopefully we'll get some episode
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feedback and then I'll be able to offer that to you in future
1:55
episodes. So I do want to thank everyone
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who has been listening and of course, if you would like to add
2:02
your own thoughts to this particular part of the podcast
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for any feedback you may have. I'll give you all the contacts
2:09
at the end of the episode and that will also be in the show
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notes for this episode. OK, so enough dilly dallying.
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There is a cliffhanger to solve and it's not just for the fact
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that these episodes haven't been coming out as often as I would
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like. It's because we are finally
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getting stuck in to Season 3. So let's get into today's
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episode of Revisiting The X-Files.
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So let's crash back into Season 3 and Episode 1 titled The
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Blessing Way, which is here to answer all of our unsolved
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questions from last season's cliffhanger, which I did
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describe to you all the torment and torture that it offered me
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when it was first shown on TV back in 1995.
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This episode was written by Chris Carter and was directed by
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RW Goodwin. And when we last saw our
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intrepid agents, Mulder had been fried to death in an abandoned
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boxcar down in New Mexico with a lot of what appears to be alien
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corpses. And Scully was back in DC facing
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up to her naughtiness by missing a disciplinary hearing to save
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Mulder's life and the Smoking Man.
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He's got a little Cray Cray. He wanted Mulder and he wanted
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the files and he's beating the crap out of the locals in New
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Mexico to find both. But instead he is told Mulder is
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dead and that he had the files. Well, no matter I guess.
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They track down Scully and find the printed translations, but
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not the DAT tape itself. So this episode now follows 2
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story paths, The one with Scully and the one with Molder, because
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no surprisingly he is not dead. Scully is placed on mandatory
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leave and meanwhile at this point gives Assistant Director
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Skinner a what for as she is being suspended.
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Yeah, that won't come to buy her in the ass at all.
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The Syndicate of course believe all is well, falling for The
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Smoking Man's constant misdirection.
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John Neville, the actor who plays Baron Munchausen himself
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from The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
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And surely you've all seen that film.
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He's finally here as the well manicured man, a character who
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will play an important role. As we head forward, Fro Hickey
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and Scully commiserate with each other when they gather over
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Mulder's obvious death, as well as Fro Hickey revealing a
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newspaper article about the thinker's death slash murder,
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which Scully believes may help clear Mulder's name in regard to
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killing his father. She takes this to Skinner even
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though she's been laid off, but Skinner is less than forthcoming
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and refuses to help, using Scully's own words that she used
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on him in that earlier confrontation back at her.
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She obviously leaves in disappointment, but it is
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revealed that behind the closed door is the Smoking Man listing
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in for Everything and he then asks Skinner if he believes that
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Scully still has the tape, to which he infers no.
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Having checked Mulder's secret hidey hole in the hope that the
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DAT tape is still there and found it empty, Scully goes back
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to through the metal detectors which had beaked on her way into
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the officers. And having confirmed that there
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is a piece of metal in her neck, she has it removed to find that
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it is a computer chip recently inserted at the base of her
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neck, something that she has no memory of.
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On the insistence of her sister, Melissa Scully goes to hypnosis
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and regressive memory recall, but within that process she
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suddenly stops and she does get very scared to go any further
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and reveal any memories that she doesn't want to recall.
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Meanwhile, back in the land of the living, Mulder is found by
6:15
the Navajo close to death in an escape route used by the former
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inhabitants of the boxcar. His journey is narrated by the
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character of Albert Hofstein, discussing the last rites of
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Mulder and the need to save him through the Blessing Way chant.
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He talks about how Mulder's spirit did not want to heal,
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that he wanted to join the spirit of his own father and
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that to return who would have to do so of his own accord, that
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his body had become tired and weak and in need of rest.
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In the void, Mulder is visited by Deep Throat, who enters.
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I can feel the fire and intensity that still burns in
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you. Go back then his father, Bill
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Mulder confesses to him. The lies I told you are a poison
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to my soul, and you are here now because of them.
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If you were to die now, the truth would die.
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Mulder does return after three days, and he's often offered
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even a gift with the words you asked for them during your worst
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fevers. And in this offering is a bag of
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sunflower seeds, which is such a great call back to his earliest
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days of the character. Meanwhile, at Bill's funeral,
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Scully is struck up in a conversation with the well
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manicured man with truths being revealed to her.
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Hello, I see you're a friend of the family.
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So am I. Do you think we might find a
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moment to speak? About a.
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Very serious matter. Please can we find some place
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away from the others? I couldn't help overhearing your
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conversation. You think the sun is still
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alive? Who are you?
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I'm a member of a kind of consortium.
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We represent certain global interests.
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What kind of interests? Interests that would be
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extremely threatened by the digital tape that you are no
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longer in possession of. Threatened enough to murder.
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Oh my, yes. What do you know about Mulder?
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That he is dead creep Bono. You're lying.
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I'm not here to tell you lies. What are you here for?
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To tell you your life is in danger too.
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Leave me alone. They'll kill you one of two
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ways. They'll send someone, possibly
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two men, kill you in your home or in the garage with an
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unregistered weapon, which will be left at the scene using false
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documents supplied by associates of mine.
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They'll be out of the country in less than two hours.
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He said there were two ways. Yes, he or she will be someone
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close to you, someone you trust. They'll arrange a meeting or
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come to your house unexpectedly. You'll have some place else you
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might stay. Why?
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Why kill me? You want something they don't
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justice and because they are now quite certain you don't have a
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computer copy of the files they're looking for.
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Why are you protecting me? I feel my colleagues are acting
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impulsively. Your death will draw unnecessary
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attention to our group. You're not protecting me, you're
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protecting yourself. Why should that surprise you?
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Motives are rarely unselfish. What kind of business are you
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in? We predict the future.
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The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
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Good day, young lady. So Melissa is coming over to see
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a Scully, which she realizes too late is a bad idea given the
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information she has just been given.
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Instead, she's met by Skinner, who insists that he has to speak
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to her, and the question arises on her lips.
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And ours is Skinner, the one close to her who will bump her
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off. More to the point, when Melissa
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arrives at Scully's apartment, she's promptly executed.
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Well, they may as well bump her off because the failed use of
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her as Mulder's love interest just hasn't paid off.
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And what's another family member getting knocked off rather than
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the actual stars? But the best part of all of
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this? Yes, the great Alex Krychek is
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back, you son of a bitch. Old Mr. Bumbling double agent
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has done it again. He's been involved in killing
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the wrong person and now he and his mate are back on the run.
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Welcome back Alex, it's great to have you around.
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And we close off with Skinner and Scully both drawing their
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guns on each other in a classic standoff in Mulder's apartment
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as someone arrives at the door. Who could it be?
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And the episode ends. Beautiful.
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So is this episode a let down after the cliffhanger at the end
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of season 2? You know what, probably It is
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important however, in setting up some details that we need going
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forward. We knew Mulder would be alive
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but the way he was found and then the recovery was probably
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overstated. But it did give us the call back
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to Deep Throat and Bill Mulder offering otherworldly advice
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from the grave. That at least brings some
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purpose to Mulder beyond this story arc.
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And the introduction of the well manicured man gives us another
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connection to the Syndicate, one who is not totally on board with
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how they are going about their dirty business.
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And the three interactive scenes between Scully and Skinner give
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us further depth to their professional relationship and
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indicate once again that Skinner is more concerned about their
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safety than he actually. Let's on and come on.
12:28
The great Alex Krycheck makes an appearance again that always
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makes for great entertainment. So I give this episode 4 out of
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five as the middle piece of a three episode arc.
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It is stuck in the middle of the story such that the reveal is
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still yet to come, which makes it hard to stand on its own.
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I mean, it was also answering a cliffhanger, but then it offers
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its own cliffhanger. So there's tough times there,
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but there are enough good moments and information here to
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make the episode a good watch. As we move on to episode 2 of
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season 3 and the concluding chapter of this three episode
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story arc called Paper Clip, written by showrunner Chris
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Carter and directed by current go to director for the show Rob
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Bowman. So Chris Carter has packed a
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fair bit into this episode again, all of it worth
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discussing and sorting out. The Navajo and Albert in
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particular once again make their presence felt from the birth of
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The White Buffalo at the beginning of the episode,
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signifying a great event to the mother Buffalo dying a few days
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later, signifying a tragic event to their association with the
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files on the DAT tape that is used at the end of the episode.
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It was good that they were important throughout the
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storyline and Albert in particular also being asked by
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Scully to look over her sister in the hospital.
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It gave the Navajo an important role to play through the story
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which would come to pass again in the future.
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Using their old ways and recognizing their value became
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an intricate part of this three episode arc.
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So our cliffhanger is sold as Mulder bursts in the door of his
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own apartment to add his gun to the gun pointing duo with
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demands to lower guns and hand over the DAC tape generally not
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approved by any of their participants.
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The discovery that Mulder is in fact still alive, as well as
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Skinner actually possessing the DAT tape leaves everyone in a
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less than satisfactory position, but at least has all three of
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the series heroes on the same page as they part.
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It was great to see The Lone Gunman once again showcasing
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their growing importance to our agents and the series as a
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whole. They are always entertaining and
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informative as it turns out. Identifying Victor Klemper in
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the photo Fox has of his father and pointing them in the right
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direction and talking about Operation Paper Clip and his
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involvement in it. As well as Frohickey again
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coming up with the goods by scanning the police radio and
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discovering Melissa's shooting and dire situation in hospital.
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Well done lads, another job well done by all of you.
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Mulder and Scully pay a visit to Klemper, who recognizes Mulder's
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name but will only OfferUp a destination where the answers to
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their questions can be found. This leads our agents to an
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abandoned mining facility where they gain access to a vault with
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hundreds of thousands of files, all with medical forms and
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tissue samples, within which Scully finds her file and Mulder
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discovers his sister Samantha's file with A twist because it was
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initially supposed to be his file and Samantha's name has
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been pasted over the top. Now why would that be?
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With the onset of a fleet of CIA officers flooding the facility,
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Scully and Mulder escape, but only after witnessing 2 separate
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events. Mulder sees a UFO hovering over
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and leaving the facility above him, and Scully sees a flood of
16:30
tiny aliens scurrying out the door, no doubt to board the
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departing ship. Once again, they have seen the
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evidence they crave. At this point, Scully actually
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does see something, but they do not have any physical evidence
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to form any proof. And still not a camera to take
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photo of things. Honestly, will they ever learn?
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Meanwhile the Smoking Man is seeing a lot of stuff going ka
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ka. The Syndicate want to see the
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DAT tape that he claims to have in which he then says he will
17:06
OfferUp the following day even though he doesn't have it.
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Trouble Part 1. Then the Syndicate, through
17:14
Klemper phoning the well manicured man after his
17:16
discussion with their agents, learns that Mulder is not dead
17:20
at all as the Smoking Man had proclaimed.
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Trouble Part 2 And then Skinner calls him to say he may have the
17:29
tape, at which point he loses his cool for the first time in
17:33
this series, menacingly and threateningly screaming in
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Skinner's face, who stands like a boss and doesn't even flinch.
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Trouble Part 3 for The Smoking Man Skinner visits Melissa on
17:49
Scully's behalf, but in chasing down a suspicious character, he
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gets clocked by the great Alex Krycheck, who actually comes up
17:57
with the goods in retrieving the DAT tape.
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Sadly for Crycheck, he's right back in the shit as the Smoking
18:04
Man attempts to bump him off with a car bomb, but he escapes
18:08
by the skin of his teeth, once again having been double crossed
18:12
by him. Crycheck threatens to release
18:15
all the files if he is ever haunted down, leaving the
18:18
Smoking Man again without the goods and in a fix, but somehow
18:25
again he gets away with the lie that the tape is destroyed.
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I mean for a shadowy syndicate they seem to be far too trusting
18:34
of a guy who consistently lies to them.
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Anyway, another great effort from Cry Check.
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Welcome back friend, can't wait to see you again.
18:45
Scully and Moulder have returned to question Clipper again, but
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instead find the well manicured man waiting for them and
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surprisingly willing to talk. Hello again, young lady.
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Where's Victor Clinton from? Oh, Paul Clinton.
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They found him yesterday here among his flowers.
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Apparently, his heart had given out.
19:09
You killed him, didn't you? You were one of the men in this
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photo. You knew my father.
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Yes, since we were young men, you.
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Were involved in this project. You know why the medical data
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was being collected? Yes, I do indeed.
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In 1947, a spacecraft was reportedly recovered in New
19:30
Mexico. No doubt you know of this and
19:34
the reported recovery of a body at the site.
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These incidents coincided with not only the end of World War 2,
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but an ignominious project which brought Nazi scientists and war
19:45
criminals to this country to exploit their knowledge.
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Operation. Paper clip.
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Yes, you know of it already. And you must also know the work
19:53
of Doctor Joseph Mengele, the Nazi Angel of Death.
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Mengele thought that he could produce a super race through
19:59
genetic engineering. As did many of his colleagues at
20:02
the Institute of Hereditary Biology and Racial Hygiene.
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Like Victor Klemper. Well, Victor, he loved his
20:10
orchids. Did you know that he was able to
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create some of the most beautiful hybrids?
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The Emperor was trying to create an alien human hybrid.
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That's what I saw in the boxcar. He was using human test
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subjects. Molder wait.
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My father was involved in this the.
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Technology wasn't there. Molder DNA wasn't even
20:28
identified until 1944. This is all a.
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Lie When your father realized what the medical data was being
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used for, he objected to tenuously.
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Collected those files. With the threat of nuclear
20:40
Holocaust in the 1950's, the government instructed men like
20:44
your father to gather genetic data on the general populace for
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the purposes of post apocalyptic identification.
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The vaccination. Records They took tissue from
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everyone who received a smallpox inoculation.
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Hundreds of millions of Americans.
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So that Victor Klemper had access to adna database of
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nearly everyone was born since 1950, although.
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This man is telling you everything that you want to
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hear, but it's a fabrication. It is pure science fiction.
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There were no experiments with. Aliens, why would I lie to you?
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Like you said before, to protect yourself and the continuation of
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the Nazi agenda. Human tests.
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Why was your file there, Scully? I don't.
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Know there were current records on file, yes.
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But records of what mode of abductions?
21:31
Of abductees. They took my sister.
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Why They took her as insurance? Because your father threatened
21:50
to expose the project. Why her?
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Why not me? It's.
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Not for me to say, but your life is in danger now too.
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You also threatened to expose the project.
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You've become your father. Five times it's.
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What you want to know, isn't it? Is there more?
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More than you ever know. When Mulder goes to his mother
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with this information, she admits that Bill had chosen to
22:33
keep Fox over his sister in that exchange and that she hated him
22:38
for it. So now the guilt now grows even
22:41
deeper for Fox Molder. In a final exchange, Skinner
22:46
tells the Smoking Man he wants the deal, but he tells him he
22:50
knows he doesn't have the tape. At which point Skinner reveals
22:53
his final card that Albert and 20 other Navajo have memorized
22:58
the contents and will reveal it if either Molder or Scully are
23:02
bumped off. Great play Skinner, 4 aces and
23:07
another five star scene from the office of AD Walter Skinner.
23:13
As Melissa passes from her injuries, Scully is met by
23:16
Mulder at the hospital. At which point she looks him
23:19
right in the eye and says I've heard the truth and what I want
23:24
now are the answers. So this is another truly
23:28
terrific episode in the Alien mythology arc, and it comes to
23:32
an end here and the three episode Arg as well, which has
23:36
crossed over the two seasons. The story as a whole works
23:40
wonderfully well. Are we in a different situation
23:43
at the end of it? Not really.
23:45
We began it back in Anasazi thinking we'd find out all of
23:49
this information from the DAT tape, but at the end we don't
23:52
have it. We see the evidence of alien
23:55
life in the boxcar with the dead alien hybrids in the mountain
23:58
mine that they run past Scully, and the UFO that Molder sees
24:02
flying off, but nothing physical is in anyone's hands.
24:08
What we do see is that the Syndicate is not quite as
24:11
powerful as it believes. The Smoking Man is playing with
24:15
fire on both sides of the street and getting away with it by the
24:18
skin of his teeth. And one member has now contacted
24:22
and spoken to our agents and offered up information that is
24:26
seen to be a part of the great truth with a capital T that is
24:31
out there. Cry Check has been and gone
24:34
again, bumbling his way from one crisis to the next and never
24:38
truly being able to execute anything in a perfect way.
24:43
And we are now aware of Bill Mulder's involvement of the
24:45
conspiracy and what it cost him and his wife and son in the
24:50
process. And also no romantic liaisons
24:54
between Mulder and Scully's sister.
24:57
Too bad, Mulder. Overall, 5 out of five.
25:01
For me, this ties up nicely. We have learned a lot over the
25:05
past few episodes and it is still left open for so much more
25:09
to come. So here we go with episode 3 of
25:18
the third season of The X-Files, titled DPO, written by Howard
25:23
Gordon and directed by Kim Manners.
25:27
So let's just get this out there from the outset.
25:29
The story is interesting and moves along well, but it is the
25:34
stars in this episode which makes this episode worth the
25:37
watch. Jack Black makes his presence
25:40
felt as the protagonist Best Mate 0, the owner or at least
25:44
operator of the local arcade where he hangs out.
25:47
This is my first memory of seeing Jack in an acting role,
25:50
though of course I may well have seen him before this without
25:54
knowing who he was, but he is immediately likeable and easy
25:58
going in the role, something he would become renowned for.
26:03
But the star is Giovanni Rabisi, who was just beginning to make a
26:07
name for himself in quirky roles, and that is certainly the
26:11
case in this episode where he showcases his ability to create
26:15
a weird, intense yet intelligent character that mixes obsession
26:20
with the power that a new ability has created.
26:24
Mulder and Scully are alerted to and arrive in the small town of
26:27
Connerville, where five people have been struck by lightning in
26:30
a short space of time. Four of those people have died,
26:34
while the first one, Darren Oswald, survived.
26:38
The latest victim was struck in his car in the car park of a
26:41
mall, as shown in the opening sequence outside the video
26:45
arcade, which Zero runs and Oswald plays the Virtual Fighter
26:50
2 video game. The victim had decided to create
26:54
a fight with Oswald over his favorite machine, at which .0
26:58
says to him, man, you shouldn't have done that.
27:01
That's not a good Jack Black voice.
27:04
Not such great news for the bully once again.
27:06
And never bully a weird guy. It is always going to cost you
27:10
in the end in The X-Files and usually with your life.
27:14
As the agent's investigations continue, a copsome shade from
27:18
Sheriff Teller who adamantly insists all of the cases are
27:22
from being struck by lightning, no matter how many have
27:25
occurred. That should have been seen as
27:28
unusual, as he acts like a dickhead.
27:32
They track down Oswald to a local mechanic's, and during
27:35
their discussion with him, Mulder's phone overheats in his
27:38
pocket and then melts just as the conversations seem to be
27:42
getting to an interesting point. How strange.
27:46
It soon becomes obvious that Oswald has a major crush on his
27:49
boss's wife, Sharon Cavie, and that the obsession is beginning
27:53
to go into OverDrive. Along with his unnatural ability
27:57
to summon lightning from thin air, he's also able to do other
28:01
things with his mind like change channels on a TV or change
28:05
traffic lights, which does cause some accidents.
28:09
As he and 0 watch on. This brings out his boss with
28:13
his tow truck, who then he causes to go into cardiac
28:17
arrest. And then when the defibrillator
28:20
mysteriously isn't working, Oswald goes over and jump starts
28:25
his heart just by placing his hands on his chest.
28:29
Now that's a good party trick. While this is happening, Mulder
28:33
and Scully are checking out Oswald's room for clues, which
28:36
leads to Scully catching Mulder looking at a girly magazine on
28:40
Oswald's bed. And without any surprise or
28:43
irony, she says, I'm surprised you haven't already read that
28:46
issue. To which Mulder snappily
28:49
replies, Oh, I have. April is the coolest month.
28:53
It is here they discover the photo of Sharon in his magazine
28:57
that he has cut out of his high school yearbook, and they
28:59
realize the end game. At the hospital, Mulder and
29:03
Scully begin to pull things together.
29:06
I. Just talked to one of the EMS
29:11
workers. He was pretty rattled.
29:12
Why Frank of it's electrocardiogram.
29:15
Take a look at this. See that spike there?
29:17
That indicates that some kind of electrical intervention started
29:20
his heart. Except, according to the EMS
29:22
worker, the defibrillator wouldn't charge.
29:24
The paddles were dead. How did he explain this?
29:27
He didn't. All he saw was Darren Oswald
29:29
touching Kavitz's chest. I've been going over Oswald's
29:33
charter. It's something I want you to
29:35
take a look at. He was admitted to the ER 5
29:41
months ago on cardiac reaction, respiratory failure.
29:44
Plus he burns on his back and his skull which substituted
29:46
after training. Hang on, this is odd.
29:51
His blood test showed acute hypokalemia.
29:53
What is that? This is severe chemical
29:55
imbalance characterized by high sodium and low potassium levels.
29:59
Electrolytes, right? Yeah.
30:01
What do electrolytes do? Well, among other things, they
30:04
generate the electrical impulses in our bodies like every time
30:07
our heart beats are in your on. Fire.
30:08
It's a leap, Scully, But what if?
30:09
What if Oswald's electrolyte imbalance is somehow enabling
30:12
him to generate electricity at levels much higher than normal?
30:15
Our body doesn't work like. That unless his body is
30:17
abnormally conducted, because if that heel print is Oswald's,
30:20
that means he conducted millions of volts of electricity into the
30:23
ground and then just walked away.
30:25
So you're saying that he's some kind of a lightning rod?
30:27
I'm. Saying that he is lightning and
30:29
we've got to get to him before he strikes again.
30:36
Darren has taken into custody and Sharon agrees to testify as
30:39
to what he has told her but then Sheriff Fuck Knuckle returns and
30:44
he releases Darren because of the ridiculous accusations
30:47
listed. This guy is an A grade Dick head
30:51
even for The X-Files local lawmakers.
30:54
Darren then of course first takes out his mate 0 because
30:57
unfortunately for zero he believes he ratted him out to
31:00
the FBI. This is not the greatest song in
31:04
the world 0 This is just a tribute.
31:08
My word, I'm funny. So good work.
31:11
Sheriff Dick knows. Add another body to your tally.
31:14
Darren arrives at the hospital and Sharon goes with him to stop
31:18
him hurting her husband anymore. But then Sheriff Dick knows,
31:22
decides he wants some answers, and turns up to spoil the party.
31:26
Well, he certainly gets some answers in the form of a
31:30
lightning bolt to the body to end his concerns for all time.
31:34
Got what you deserved, idiot. In the instant of calling on the
31:38
lightning though, Darren doses himself up again and knocks
31:41
himself out. And he ends up in a psych ward
31:44
where it appears the authorities find they are unable to charge
31:48
him with anything but that he needs to be observed, and thus
31:53
the very good chance that he will soon walk out and be on the
31:56
streets again. The end.
31:59
As I've already mentioned, Giovanni Ribisi and Jack Black
32:03
are just awesome in this episode, and Ernie Lively does a
32:06
great job as Sheriff Dick knows I mean Sheriff Teller.
32:11
The music used throughout the episode is also fabulous and
32:14
really hones in and enhances the episode and all of the important
32:18
points of the plot. Ring the Bells by James and live
32:21
fast Diarrhea by the Vandals. They're just great additions.
32:26
I very much enjoy this episode for several reasons.
32:30
The sheriff character Sorry is so obnoxious and single minded
32:34
that it adds attention to the plot and then cheers, for me at
32:39
least when he gets bumped off at the end.
32:42
Giovanni Ribisi is so good at the misfit young man who is
32:45
awkward and weird but now imbued with strength, and Jack Black is
32:50
effortlessly charming as a young in a young, sorry and early
32:54
role. And in particular, the back and
32:58
forth between Mulder and Scully in this episode, and as Scully
33:01
said so soon after the events of the last three episodes is back
33:05
to their best and refreshingly candid and interesting.
33:10
For me this remains a 4.5 out of five episode.
33:14
A really good return to a Monster of the Week episode.
33:23
So let's move on to episode 4 of Season 3 titled Clyde Bruckman's
33:28
Final Repose, which was written by Darren Morgan and directed by
33:33
David Nutter. So right from the start, we have
33:36
the guy who has been one of the best directors of episodes to
33:40
this point of The X-Files in charge of this episode.
33:43
And it was written by the guy who has already shown a penchant
33:47
for the quirky and humorous from the opening scene into the
33:52
titles. This episode is on its game from
33:55
the outset. Clyde Bruckman, who is played
33:57
brilliantly here by Peter Boyle, reading from the tabloid about
34:01
how Buddy Holly is still alive and he's going to rejoin the
34:05
Crickets and headline Lollapalooza and yet him
34:09
questioning it. But then buying the paper along
34:12
with his Scotch and his lottery ticket and that whole bit is
34:15
terrific. And then bumping into the
34:18
stranger on the street who is on his way to a fortune teller whom
34:22
he asks why he sees himself doing all these terrible things
34:26
before bumping her off and suggesting you're a fortune
34:29
teller. You should have seen this
34:31
coming. That is hilarious and very
34:35
lovely. Following the title sequence, we
34:38
see the three cops on the scene talking about an expert on these
34:42
things who is coming in as a consultant, one whose reputation
34:46
is of being outside of the norm. That he is strange, that they've
34:49
seen him on TV, that he is a publicity hound, and that he is
34:53
even a little spooky. But when Mulder then appears at
34:57
the door, they ask who are you? Because although Darren Morgan
35:02
leads us to believe that we are talking about Agent Mulder, they
35:06
are in fact talking about the stupendous Yappie.
35:10
Very wonderfully well done and just a terrific scene.
35:14
And the way Yappie then offers up ambiguous advice which could
35:17
be interpreted as being helpful in almost any eventuality is
35:21
terrific as well. Great writing and great acting.
35:26
The agents in Bruckman finally meet up after Bruckman finds the
35:29
fortune teller's body in his outside bin, and it is at this
35:33
point that Mulder believes he has actually found someone who
35:36
does possess the powers of second sight.
35:39
Bruckman does not deny it, but also insists that his gift seems
35:43
to be related only to foreseeing the deaths of people.
35:48
The scene in Bruckman's apartment where he tells where
35:51
he says to Mulder, Do you really want to know how you die?
35:54
And Mulder then answers yes. And Bruckman counters no you
35:59
don't is just excellent. And it is then followed up by
36:03
the scene in the car as they follow up where he thinks the
36:06
next body is. And Mulder is questioning
36:08
Bruckman with a barrage about his powers and how he gets his
36:12
information. And he is constantly rebutted
36:14
with I don't know, I don't know. And then out of nowhere,
36:19
Bruckman offers, You know, there are worse ways to go, but I
36:23
can't think of a more undignified one than autoerotic
36:27
asphyxiation. To which a confused Molder
36:30
replies, Why are you telling me that?
36:33
And Bruckman says, look, forget I mentioned it, it's none of my
36:37
business. And Molder's look in that
36:39
instant is just fantastic. This is the spot, I guess you
36:47
run into a lot of dead bodies into a line of work.
36:51
You get used to it. I never had.
36:55
I'm not sure you're supposed to. You remember the first time you
36:59
foresaw someone's death. 1959. What happened in 1959?
37:05
Buddy Holly's plane crashed you. Prognosticated Buddy Holly's
37:08
death. Oh God, no.
37:10
Why would I want to do that? But I did have a ticket to see
37:13
him perform the next night. Actually, I was a bigger fan of
37:17
the Big Bobber than Buddy Holly. Chantilly Lace.
37:20
That was the song. I'm not following this.
37:27
The Big Bopper was not supposed to be on the plane with Buddy
37:30
Holly. He won the seat from somebody
37:32
else by flipping a coin for it. I'm still not following.
37:37
Imagine all the things that had to occur, not only in his life
37:42
but in everybody else's who arranged it so that on that
37:45
particular night, the Big Bopper would be in a position to live
37:51
or die, depending on a flipping coin?
37:55
I became so obsessed with that idea, and I gradually became
37:59
capable of seeing the specifics of everybody's death now.
38:05
Mr. Bruckman, I'm not one who readily believes in that kind of
38:07
thing, and if I was, I still wouldn't believe that story.
38:10
I know it sounds crazy, but I swear it's true.
38:14
I was a bigger fan of The Big Bopper than Buddy Holly.
38:19
Where's the body? Yeah, Mr. Bruckman, I don't
38:22
understand how you can know that this is the exact area, but you
38:25
can't pinpoint the exact spot. I guess I can't see the forest
38:33
for the trees. Eventually it's revealed that
38:40
the murderer is coming from Bruckman and that he needs to be
38:43
hidden. Bruckman explains another vision
38:46
he has had of Mulder in a kitchen chasing someone who is
38:49
hidden, stepping in a pie, turning to see someone before
38:54
the vision goes blank suggesting Mulder meets his fate.
38:58
It is here as well where Bruckman and Scully are alone
39:00
and he tells her that they will end up in bed together and that
39:04
she will hold his hand tenderly. Scully, ever the disbeliever,
39:09
smiles with her non belief at his words.
39:13
Wonderfully, the cop who was supposed to be protecting him
39:16
asks him how he will die. Is it cancer?
39:20
To which Bruckman shakes his head sadly.
39:22
At which point the cop dutifully lights up a cigarette, goes and
39:26
takes a leak, and is then summarily killed by the murderer
39:29
who has entered the room. His entry had brought the
39:33
response. They brought you right to me, to
39:35
where I work. And the perfect interaction
39:38
between the two comes forth with the murderer asking.
39:42
There's been something I've wanted to ask you for a long
39:45
time. Why do I do the things I do?
39:49
And Bruckman's response is succinct and hilarious in the
39:52
same instant. Don't you understand yet, son?
39:56
Don't you get it? You do the things you do because
39:59
you're a homicidal maniac. And with that, as he goes to
40:05
finish off Bruckman, Bruckman says no, you don't kill me now.
40:09
At which point the cop had re entered the room.
40:12
And met his own fate. The conclusion then comes
40:15
quickly, with Mulder chasing the murderer into the basement
40:18
kitchen and following along with the scene exactly as Bruckman
40:22
had seen it. Except Mulder is able to hold
40:26
off his killer before Scully shoots him dead, with his final
40:30
words being hey, it wasn't supposed to happen like that,
40:35
but it's revealed it was because Bruckman saw this scene through
40:39
the killer's eyes and the blackout at the end was him
40:43
dying and not Mulder. The episode ends with Mulder and
40:47
Scully returning to Bruckman's apartment to find that Bruckman
40:50
has died by suicide, and Scully sits on Bruckman's bed holding
40:55
his hand, deeply moved, just as he had predicted.
41:01
Now, nothing that I've revealed here can truly encapsulate the
41:06
brilliance of this episode. The humor, the performances, the
41:10
story, It is unique and effective all the way through.
41:15
Everyone needs to watch this episode to truly understand how
41:19
good it is. With all of the stuff I've left
41:22
out here, Mulder and Scully's interaction with both back on
41:26
their own sides of the fence in regards to their belief of the
41:28
plot is top shelf. Stuart Chano as the killer is
41:34
perfectly creepy and insane as the role requires.
41:38
And Peter Boyle, he is unbelievably good in this role.
41:43
For this performance he won the 1996 Prime Time EBBY Award for
41:48
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series and so he bloody
41:52
should have. Darren Morgan's writing is also
41:57
outstanding, again just in case you weren't sure.
42:02
This is a 5 out of five episode for me.
42:05
One of the greats in a season that so far has been
42:09
outstanding. And on to episode 5 of season 3
42:18
entitled The List. This was written by and directed
42:23
by Chris Carter, and the fact that Carter has taken on both
42:27
roles again here suggested to me that he was very interested in
42:31
making sure that the story he was trying to tell was filmed
42:35
the way he wanted it. This episode has lots of The
42:39
Green Mile and Silence of the Lambs vibes about it.
42:43
Scully creeping down the Isle of jail cells on the block brings
42:46
back memories of Jodie Foster in her iconic movie role.
42:50
And of course, the jail block, where jail block, even where the
42:53
prisoners on death row are located, will always make you
42:56
think of Stephen King's wonderful story.
43:00
In fact, the creepy vibe of the episode and the storyline that
43:03
unravels has some Stephen King tones about it.
43:08
After we see the character of Nietzsche given the electric
43:10
chair at the top of the episode, and we hear him saying that he's
43:14
going to return and he is going to righteously take care of
43:18
those who wronged him, we discover early on that Nietzsche
43:21
had a list, which had five names on it, of people within the
43:25
system who were going to have his vengeance wreaked upon them.
43:30
Our intrepid agents arrive on the scene when a guard is found
43:32
murdered in Nietzsche's old cell, and it is at this point
43:36
that they learn from several sources about the list.
43:40
Though it is a conspiracy of someone carrying out the murder
43:44
that takes center stage early on.
43:47
The death of a second guard, this one initially with only the
43:50
head discovered in a paint tin before the remainder of the body
43:53
turns up in the warden's office, which provokes the comment from
43:57
Mulder. You'll be able to finish up your
43:59
autopsy now. Scully ends with the cellblock
44:05
in a state of panic. Inmates and guards all float
44:09
their opinions as to who might be the perpetrator, and all seem
44:12
concerned about how to escape it.
44:16
Guard Parmeli bales up Scully in the prison's showers to tell her
44:20
that one of the prisoners, Roke, has the list, something of
44:24
course that sees him get beaten to death by the warden when he
44:27
asks and has confirmed if his name is on that list.
44:31
While another inmate, Speranza, tells Mulder that Roke was not
44:36
on the list, something that eventually sees him suffer the
44:40
same fate as Roke. So definitely 2 dead from this
44:45
supposed list, but who might the other 3 be?
44:49
Scully, who of course is on the side of It's a Conspiracy of
44:53
murders, suggests perhaps Nietzsche's lawyer is a part of
44:56
it. So Mulder and Scully meet him
44:59
and discover that good mate Parmeli is secretly seeing
45:03
Nietzsche's wife Danielle, who is scared blue that Nietzsche is
45:06
coming back and gunning for her as well.
45:10
Nietzsche's lawyer soon meets his fate and then comes the
45:13
confrontation between Parmelly and Danielle, who has seen a
45:17
vision of Nietzsche looking over her and believes that Parmelly
45:20
is his resurrected form and then shoots him dead.
45:25
Well, if you're going to mess around with the wife of a prison
45:28
inmate where you work, you are going to have to pay the price
45:31
some time, even if it's from someone who's already dead.
45:36
With the five dead bodies, the warden believes the list is
45:39
complete, which he tells Speranza before beating him to
45:42
death too, but not before Speranza tells him there is one
45:46
person left on the list. Mulder and Scully head for home,
45:51
though Mulder is adamant that this case has not been sold,
45:55
that Parmeli could not have been the culprit for all of the
45:57
murders. Scully tells him it's over and
46:01
to leave it just as the warden drives past, smirking at how
46:05
well he has played out this whole scenario.
46:09
His only problem is that in his back seat is the resurrected
46:12
Nietzsche, who immediately claims his final victim by
46:15
forcing the speeding car into a nearby tree.
46:19
Haji's warden. So near, but yet so far this
46:25
episode, while not competing with those that came before it
46:28
so far in Season 3, is still a good watch.
46:31
Yes, the story's fairly simple in the long run.
46:34
That no matter what Scully might think, Nietzsche is back and is
46:38
taking 5 people with him. It's just a matter about what
46:42
the collateral damage might be as well.
46:44
Which ends up being Roque, Speranza and Danielle, who he
46:49
coaxed into bumping off her boyfriend guard, thus leaving
46:53
her going to prison herself, we assume, and in this way paying
46:58
for her infidelity. And we get the payoff at the end
47:01
of the episode when Nietzsche makes a full appearance and
47:04
wipes out the warden in the final play.
47:08
The episode doesn't see a lot of he said, she said with Mulder
47:11
and Scully. Though Mulder is convinced that
47:14
it isn't as easy or difficult as a conspiracy that involved
47:18
Nietzsche having people from the outside bump off these people
47:21
after his own death. He doesn't go full Paranormal
47:24
Mulder either. JT Walsh is excellently cast
47:28
here as the Warden and the acting throughout helped to make
47:31
the episode a great watch. For me.
47:34
It falls into a four out of five bracket while it acts more of a
47:38
murder mystery with A twist here than a monster of the week
47:42
episode. So that's all from me for this
47:50
episode and season 3 is underway and we already are knee deep in
47:56
what is to come. To everyone who has stuck out
47:59
with me, thanks so much for your patience in getting to this
48:02
point. These episodes should now be out
48:05
every fortnight, which gives you plenty of time to go out and
48:08
rewatch the next 5 episodes so you're ready for the next
48:12
podcast. These first five episodes of
48:15
Season 3 have been some belters, mostly excellently written and
48:19
performed and for me they are all well positioned with two
48:24
fives, a 4.5 and two fours. So it really is some top shelf
48:29
episodes. So thanks for listening and
48:32
being a part of this. If you would like to get
48:34
involved and give your thoughts on this episode, there are a
48:37
number of ways you can do it. You can find me on X as metal
48:41
bill with the handle at real metal Kevin.
48:44
I'm on blue sky as metal Bill under at metal Kevin dot B sky
48:48
dot social. You can leave a comment on the
48:51
episode page on Spotify. If you're listening to this
48:54
podcast on that streaming service or if you'd like to
48:57
check out my Patreon page, you can find that at the creation of
49:01
me a lifetime retrospective or look up at real metal Kevin at
49:06
Patreon. You then go to the podcast
49:09
revisiting The X-Files and you can leave a comment on the page
49:12
for this episode. And if you know anyone who may
49:15
be interested in going on this journey with us, please pass on
49:18
the episode to them and let's get them on board.
49:22
All right, enough from me. Thank you for listening.
49:25
And we will return soon with the next episode of Revisiting The
49:29
X-Files, where the truth is out there.
49:34
Cheers.