8x13 Medusa
Synopsis
Scully and Doggett race to investigate a string of bizarre deaths in the tunnels of the Boston subway system linked to a mysterious killer. But the agents are put under pressure when they have to investigate the case on a short deadline because the subway is going to be reopened.
Writer: Frank Spotnitz
Director: Richard Compton
Originally aired: February 11, 2001
Quotes
Dr. Bowe: Is this a bad time?
Scully: Excuse me?
Dr. Bowe: I don't know, I'm looking for an FBI Agent Dana Scully. Do you know where I can find him?
Scully: No... Yes... I mean, I'm-I'm she. Can I help you?
Bianco: What did she say?
Doggett: She said a lot of people might be taking cabs home tonight.
Links
Episodes online and here and here
Episode transcript
Screencaps
Episodic Fanfic
Jessica's TWoP Review
Mods thoughts and discussion attempts
So uh, I don't remember this one much either. What kind of XF fan am I, I ask you? Let's just say there are episodes I've seen 238544 times and others....2 times. This is one of the latter ones.
Also I'm sorry in advance because my dvd for this episode is screwed and skippy so I tried to fill in missing pieces of my memory with the online episodes.
My first ever intro to a subway/underground system was when I moved to London and all I have to say is, wow the Boston subway looks so...clean. No wayward newspapers. Or stray burger wrappers. Or random people picking their noses for all to see. Or graffiti etched into the windows either. IT LOOKS WONDERFUL.
Doggett in that gear plus the underground system reminds me of my favourite movie ever when I was 13 - Speed. However given the choice between Keanu and Doggett...well, I'd pick the first dude. I don't mean to rag on Doggett especially when he's not particularly pissing me off, but I have to be honest.
Overall the parts of the episode that I could piece together were fairly boring. There's boring dark tunnelly crap and CDC stuff (and only serves to remind me of the much better episode in that arena: F. Emasculata). It all comes down in the end that...business goes on as usual at any cost. Or something like that. Who knows. I got bored and started looking up The Office spoilers while this played in the background.
The whole time limit/reopening of the subway plot point bothered me. In my experience personally, when accidents happen and things shut down in regards to public transit...sorry, you're f&%ked until things get fixed. Sure there may be an arbitrary time limit and I'm sure there are things that go on behind the scenes that I would never know about but...I guess I find it slightly unrealistic. I tend to think that in these kinds of situations you do what you have to do to get things fixed even if it's not done for 4pm or whatever. But what do I know?
Random: I couldn't figure out where I knew the doctor from (Dr. Kai Bowe). She was in CSI for a few episodes, the original recipe version that is. Also as Esme Pasquale last year in the most awesome drama on current tv - Dexter!
The ScreenGrab Archive
Things We Learned 101
Extra
In this episode while Doggett was in the tunnel Dr. Lyle mentioned "Survivor 2". That season was called Survivor Australian Outback. (Now we are on Survivior: Season 843. *eyeroll*)
In the teaser, the undercover cop refers to "a possible ten-thirteen" in his radio call.
Medusa is a character from Greek Mythology, one of the three "Gorgons". The most well-known of the Medusa myths describes her with hair of snakes and a gaze that turns a creature to stone. Medusa was slain by the Greek hero Perseus, who used a polished shield as a mirror (thus avoiding Medusa's direct gaze) to guide his swordstroke, with which he beheaded her. The name "Medusa" means "sovereign female wisdom". "Medusa" is also the name of a kind of jellyfish body type (along with the less-popular "Polyp").