Story 107: "The Thirty-Sixth" by Jess Mabe

[wendelah1]

As a follow-up to "Kevin," I thought it would be interesting to post a story that deals with Mulder's spirituality. "The Thirty-Sixth" is an excellent story, which Jess said is "about faith, religion and sainthood." It's also about love. And knitting.

If you like, you can read a short excerpt:

Comments

[estella_c]

I've always loved Jess's work in a personal way; I think it was the earthy sense of humor that I first fell for. But although there are a lot of good things about this story, as always, it's not a favorite of mine

Part 1

[wendelah1]

The fabric of existence weaves itself whole.
~Charles Ives

I think this is what Jess's story is about. Everything in this X-Files universe is about fate, about destiny. Leah believes Esther may be a lamed vovnik, and that she was born to protect her sister. Leah thinks that Scully was born to protect Mulder. The Mulder and the Levich families are also inter-connected, and as he tells Scully to reassure her of Mulder's survival, Rabbi Levich believes that Mulder is a kind of lamed-volnik.

"He will. It is part of his destiny, part of his role. That's why he lives
today, after all the things they have tried to do to him."

"Who?" she said, wiping her nose on her sleeve. She had regressed that far.

"When a man is designed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders,
there are plenty who would add to the load."The knitting is a metaphor for Scully's attempt to get her life back together, following the horrible events of the the end of season six through beginning of season seven. Knitting is a poor substitute for companionship,

Part 2

[wendelah1]

EC, I so love it when you don't like the stories as much as I do. Regardless, your posts always give me something to bounce my feeble brain against.

"Are you serious?" he said. "Look around you, Scully, look at the world. How

Re: Part 2

[estella_c]

Speaking of fairytales, just call me the prose princess. The princess so pathetically sensitive that she could feel a pea under ten mattresses. (There must be x-rated versions of that. Must investigate.)

I could hardly regret that someone got a lift from a Jessfic. And the passages you quote are wonderful. I especially liked Scully's "Why the hell not?" Works better than a mournful, patient response.

But where do you get that Leah is a stand-in for Diana? They're both tall? And this isn't tv, it's fiction. In fact it's fanfic, which is meant to *improve on* tv.

Wasn't there a conversation about fate at the end of one of the mytharc-heavy episodes? Someone will remember.

I wasn't comparing "The Thirty-Sixth" with "The Other Man." Unless it's comparing to say that one is really good and one is great. They are what they are, in Hollywoodspeak, and there's no reason not to appreciate both.

Destiny, Fate and How to Throw a Curve Ball

[wendelah1]

"The Red and the Black"

[The door is opened by Scully, who is startled to see Mulder just sitting on his couch in the dark.]

SCULLY: Mulder? What are you doing sitting here in the dark?

MULDER: Thinking.

SCULLY: Thinking about what?

MULDER: Oh, the usual. Destiny, fate, how to throw a curve ball. The inextricable relationships in our lives that are neither accidental nor somehow in our control, either.

SCULLY: Well, I've just taken a long walk and I've reconsidered that I may have been wrong about what I believed happened to me.

MULDER: I've been doing some reconsidering of my own.

[He hands her the note which reads THINGS ARE LOOKING UP. she turns it over and on the flip side is written:

WIEKAMP AIR FORCE BASE

A leap.]

SCULLY: What is this?

MULDER: Maybe an answer ... to a question you and I seem to have been destined to ask.

He walks past her, and she turns to follow.

I love that episode.

But where do you get that Leah is a stand-in for Diana? They're both tall? And this isn't tv, it's fiction. In fact it's fanfic,