This episode has infinite amounts of meaning for me on a very personal level. I watched it ahead of time and wrote about it already, and I'd like to post an edited version of what I wrote in my journal:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. -Romans 8:28
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The end and the beginning are hugely important. Mulder and Scully slept together! Hooray! It wasn’t Gillian’s idea, so we cant go thanking her. But I love the end where Scully falls asleep and Mulder brushes her hair aside. DD always makes Mulder look at her with such affection, its lovely. Yep. I tried, I really tried (many times) to like the rest of the episode, but I just don't. The bookends are all that do it for me. I think by the third or fourth time the "extreme! slow! mo!" effect showed up, I was nearly ready to hit something. We GET it.
Oh and also? I am pretty sure I saw pencils in Mulder’s bedroom ceiling. I love that. Hee! Yes!
I just have one final thing to say about this episode (which I would skip entirely 90% of the time, were it not for the beginning and end): something very simple could have saved it. Subtract about 70% of the OOC Scully melodrama, and add one thing: an ACTUAL X-FILE. That is all.
Yep. I tried, I really tried (many times) to like the rest of the episode, but I just don't. The bookends are all that do it for me. When I first saw this ep, I would've said I liked it, and I realize now its because of the beginning and end. And thats kind of funny since they werent even GA's idea.
something very simple could have saved it. Subtract about 70% of the OOC Scully melodrama, and add one thing: an ACTUAL X-FILE. That is all. LOL. I know you dont like Scully. So I agree and disagree. I like Scully eps, but this? Yeah. I would've been much better had it been more along the lines of All Souls, or Memento Mori etc. A Scully journey with MORE of an XF story.
PS: I think we're on our own with our dislike of this one. Lets pull up a chair in the corner and shield ourselves. LOL.
Who says I don't like Scully? I even once made a big meta post in my journal about how much I love both of them. Just because I much prefer Mulder doesn't mean I automatically dislike Scully.
But yeah, that doesn't take away the fact that an episode of The X-Files... needs an X-file somewhere in there. This episode just... doesn't have one.
But yeah, that doesn't take away the fact that an episode of The X-Files... needs an X-file somewhere in there. This episode just... doesn't have one.
There IS a bunch of explained things that happen in this ep (the woman Scully keeps noticing, random occurrences that aren't random at all, etc.). One could argue that the whole spiritual journey (and especially the whole "talk to God" thing) is the X-File. That's how Mulder seems to sum it all up in the couch conversation at the end.
This episode is good in theory. I think the exploration of fate vs. free will is always interesting (e.g. "Clyde Bruckman"), but the execution here is just...off. Scully is just too OOC for this to ring true for me. We all know she has a thing for powerful men, and apparently teachers especially, but she wouldn't have slept with a married man--EVER (I don't blame Gillian for this; I know the whole story about it being cut). I also don't see Scully having some big spiritual revelation outside her own faith. It's clear she's not particularly bound by the trappings of Catholicism, but she's very strident in her belief in God, and I don't see her seeking answers from Him in a Buddist temple or through mysterious female strangers.
I also have trouble with Scully questioning her decisions NOW, though my reasons for it are based purely on personal opinion. I think Mulder and Scully were sleeping together before this point because 1)I can't fathom a circumstance where Scully would sneak out in the middle of the night after the
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I love and agree with pretty much everything you've said. :oD
I can't fathom a circumstance where Scully would sneak out in the middle of the night after the conversation she had with Mulder about basically belonging to together
I asked this kind of question on my LJ months ago because I was attempting an all things fic, its long dead now, but anyway, I think a lot of people came up with a reason for her "sneaking off" was that she simply had to go home and shower/get changed for work. The other thing is, I think someone told me (and I cant remember who it was!) that Scully was supposed to SMILE at sleeping Mulder, that would've added a lot to that scene.
I am torn on when they slept together, I think this episode sets up that it could've been the first time because of her questioning where she was going in life and obviously the only path she needs to make is to Mulders bed. lol.
I asked this kind of question on my LJ months ago because I was attempting an all things fic... I remember this conversation! I think my answer was that they didn't sleep together in *this* episode; Scully simply woke up on the couch and had to use the little girl's room before going home. I still stand by that, btw. Because, really, how long does it take to get dressed? 90 seconds? Why does Mulder have ALL the covers already?
I think this episode sets up that it could've been the first time because of her questioning where she was going in life and obviously the only path she needs to make is to Mulders bed. lol.LOL! And I could totally see this point of view, but I don't know, they're just too different after "Millennium" for me to think they're *not* doin' it. And really, what was up with Mulder in this episode? Scully's all "hey, while you were in England for 3 days, this guy was I crazy about in med school appeared in my life and told me that he's been stalking me for a decade and totally wants to get back together. I *really
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Hee! You do make it sound really casual. It's interesting that Mulder is very rarely ever portrayed as jealous of Scully. He's territorial in Squeeze and he's always protective of her career and social standing... but he never really seems to bristle at the idea of Scully with another guy. Sometimes I think this is because Mulder believes, at some deep level, that Scully would be better off without him, outside his world, being an excellent doctor and going home to smiling husband and 2.5 uber-Scullys. One thing that is wonderful about Mulder is how much he ultimately loves Scully enough to want what's best for her... even if it's not a life with him. Of course, he does WANT her to stay with him. He's not totally Mr. Selfless. ;)
I think they've slept together before and this episode is about Scully realizing what that really means to her. In Millennium she realizes the world didn't end when she got physical with Mulder. In all things, she realizes that one world did end... but she
( ... )
Not really. I think the backstory we have on her fits comfortably with what we learned here. Why couldn't she have been wild and recklessly in love at one point, so much so that it did damage? The Scully we knew before this had an admitted history of being attracted to powerful men. Waterston fits that mold.
Like a commenter above, this episode strikes a personal chord for me - Scully, like millions of women before her, has a history that doesn't necessarily jive with who she has become. It makes a lot of sense for me.
I've read speculation that there was so little Mulder in this episode because Anderson was uncomfortable directing Duchovny. Can anyone confirm this, or is it rubbish?
I think GA says in her commentary that she just wanted to write an episode all about Scully and her "journey" so she had to find a reason to get rid of Mulder. But I am interested if thats the *real* reason she got rid of him.
The season 7 episode guide says that DD was basically unavailable because he was prepping for HAD, which totally makes sense, but who knows if it's true or not.
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And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. -Romans 8:28 ( ... )
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Thanks for sharing!
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Yep. I tried, I really tried (many times) to like the rest of the episode, but I just don't. The bookends are all that do it for me. I think by the third or fourth time the "extreme! slow! mo!" effect showed up, I was nearly ready to hit something. We GET it.
Oh and also? I am pretty sure I saw pencils in Mulder’s bedroom ceiling. I love that.
Hee! Yes!
I just have one final thing to say about this episode (which I would skip entirely 90% of the time, were it not for the beginning and end): something very simple could have saved it. Subtract about 70% of the OOC Scully melodrama, and add one thing: an ACTUAL X-FILE. That is all.
Reply
When I first saw this ep, I would've said I liked it, and I realize now its because of the beginning and end. And thats kind of funny since they werent even GA's idea.
something very simple could have saved it. Subtract about 70% of the OOC Scully melodrama, and add one thing: an ACTUAL X-FILE. That is all.
LOL. I know you dont like Scully. So I agree and disagree. I like Scully eps, but this? Yeah. I would've been much better had it been more along the lines of All Souls, or Memento Mori etc. A Scully journey with MORE of an XF story.
PS: I think we're on our own with our dislike of this one. Lets pull up a chair in the corner and shield ourselves. LOL.
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But yeah, that doesn't take away the fact that an episode of The X-Files... needs an X-file somewhere in there. This episode just... doesn't have one.
*pulls up chair with you*
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There IS a bunch of explained things that happen in this ep (the woman Scully keeps noticing, random occurrences that aren't random at all, etc.). One could argue that the whole spiritual journey (and especially the whole "talk to God" thing) is the X-File. That's how Mulder seems to sum it all up in the couch conversation at the end.
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I also have trouble with Scully questioning her decisions NOW, though my reasons for it are based purely on personal opinion. I think Mulder and Scully were sleeping together before this point because 1)I can't fathom a circumstance where Scully would sneak out in the middle of the night after the ( ... )
Reply
I can't fathom a circumstance where Scully would sneak out in the middle of the night after the conversation she had with Mulder about basically belonging to together
I asked this kind of question on my LJ months ago because I was attempting an all things fic, its long dead now, but anyway, I think a lot of people came up with a reason for her "sneaking off" was that she simply had to go home and shower/get changed for work. The other thing is, I think someone told me (and I cant remember who it was!) that Scully was supposed to SMILE at sleeping Mulder, that would've added a lot to that scene.
I am torn on when they slept together, I think this episode sets up that it could've been the first time because of her questioning where she was going in life and obviously the only path she needs to make is to Mulders bed. lol.
Reply
I remember this conversation! I think my answer was that they didn't sleep together in *this* episode; Scully simply woke up on the couch and had to use the little girl's room before going home. I still stand by that, btw. Because, really, how long does it take to get dressed? 90 seconds? Why does Mulder have ALL the covers already?
I think this episode sets up that it could've been the first time because of her questioning where she was going in life and obviously the only path she needs to make is to Mulders bed. lol.LOL! And I could totally see this point of view, but I don't know, they're just too different after "Millennium" for me to think they're *not* doin' it. And really, what was up with Mulder in this episode? Scully's all "hey, while you were in England for 3 days, this guy was I crazy about in med school appeared in my life and told me that he's been stalking me for a decade and totally wants to get back together. I *really ( ... )
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Hee! You do make it sound really casual. It's interesting that Mulder is very rarely ever portrayed as jealous of Scully. He's territorial in Squeeze and he's always protective of her career and social standing... but he never really seems to bristle at the idea of Scully with another guy. Sometimes I think this is because Mulder believes, at some deep level, that Scully would be better off without him, outside his world, being an excellent doctor and going home to smiling husband and 2.5 uber-Scullys. One thing that is wonderful about Mulder is how much he ultimately loves Scully enough to want what's best for her... even if it's not a life with him. Of course, he does WANT her to stay with him. He's not totally Mr. Selfless. ;)
I think they've slept together before and this episode is about Scully realizing what that really means to her. In Millennium she realizes the world didn't end when she got physical with Mulder. In all things, she realizes that one world did end... but she ( ... )
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I love that Scully has a history, and that she's growing.
I especially love that this episode sets it up that Mulder and Scully likely have, ahem, moved on in their relationship.
And, I love that particular Moby song.
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Like a commenter above, this episode strikes a personal chord for me - Scully, like millions of women before her, has a history that doesn't necessarily jive with who she has become. It makes a lot of sense for me.
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I think GA says in her commentary that she just wanted to write an episode all about Scully and her "journey" so she had to find a reason to get rid of Mulder. But I am interested if thats the *real* reason she got rid of him.
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