Well, with one big exception - Chuckie was at least a little 
scary. I expected to be scared by "Chinga". I'll admit it up 
front, I've always been scared of doll horror tales ever since 
I saw Karen Black and that evil little monster thing in "Trilogy 
of Terror" at too young an age. Since then, the evil doll theme 
has had the power to consistently frighten me. Until tonight. 
As much as I enjoyed "Chinga" - and I did enjoy it - I felt in 
a way it was for all the wrong reasons. Oh well, I can live 
with that. I'm here to be entertained, and like "Detour", the 
character diversions saved this episode from obscurity. Writers 
Stephen King and Chris Carter finally managed to cure me of my 
dollyphobia. Oooo look, you can see the shadow of a lace sleeve. 
Now that is scary. Not. I don't care how scary Mark Snow tried 
to make the music every time that doll's eyes snapped open - I 
was more frightened by that sour faced day care woman.

Sure there were some frightening visuals, like *the first* time 
Melissa sees a premonition of someone about to die. However, I 
just kept wishing that somebody would take some action. How 
incompetent was the local law enforcement? Do they need to call 
in vacationing FBI agents for all their cases? Why doesn't the 
mother take the damn doll and destroy it when she knows what is 
happening instead of nervously pounding nails, rushing out of 
stores and making Jiffy Pop? Why does Scully ask the girl to give
her the doll instead of ripping it out of her arms earlier? Why 
is Scully the only person who figures this out? Really. The mother 
has lived like this for a year? How much "Hokey Pokey" (emphasis 
on the pokey) can one woman take? I know if I had to hear "You 
put your right foot in, you gouge your right eye out" one more
time I was likely to snap.

Thankfully, all was not lost because this was one of the 
funniest episodes of the X-Files I've seen in a long long time 
thanks to the delightful comic conversations played up by 
Duchovny and Anderson. I was laughing every time the phone rang. 
While director Kim Manners is unable to generate much tension 
during the investigation, he does prove, once again, his flair 
for handling the comic moments. Like "War of the Coprophages" 
we see just how pitiful these two are on off hours. They have 
to actually make an agreement to take the weekend off and then 
Scully calls it a vacation. Gee, I always call the weekend a, 
um, weekend. Like the doll, Scully just wants to play. She rents 
a mustang convertible (paying winter in Maine no mind) and plots 
a getaway involving bubble baths, classical music and room 
service. While Scully is looking to get "out of her head" all 
the terminally bored Mulder wants to do is get into it.

The running joke quickly becomes her inability to escape either 
Mulder's "incessant meddling or questioning" or her own drive 
despite reminding everyone she talks to that she is on vacation. 
After five years of partnership we see now that Mulder is adrift 
without Scully. It makes one wonder what their normal weekends 
are like. Mulder gets dressed for the office but spends his time 
munching seeds, watching "Alien Probe" pornos, sharpening pencils,
and batting a basketball when he should be grocery shopping. So 
desperate is he for Scully's attention that he continually tracks 
her down via cell phone, motel, and police force and baits her 
with everything he can. When talk of a "classic X-Files, classic" 
doesn't make her bite he tries to win her over by floating 
scientific or medical explanations. (I think this may be the 
first episode where Mulder provides all the SRE's). He even tries 
cajoling her ("Morning Sunshine"), but still is unable to resist 
petulant pokes at her not wanting to be disturbed, talk of 
decapitations or pull strings on dolls. It gets him hung up on. 
Repeatedly. Not now, Mulder.

So what is it that makes Scully start talking about "extreme 
possibilities"? Does she think she's allowed because she's on 
vacation and Mulder is not around to hear it? Does she secretly 
agree with him more than she lets on or have her past experiences 
with the occult led her to be a little more lenient on this 
particular type of case? We never find out. I guess we are 
supposed to chalk that up to her enigmatic nature.

The last scene between Mulder and Scully was the best of 
the episode with them trying desperately to assert their 
independence from each other when all we've seen is how 
futile that is. Scully pretends she had a restful vacation 
with some guy named Jack and Mulder talks about how much he 
got done without her. Both our heroes are laughably transparent. 
The episode should have ended when that last pencil fell. The 
trademark X-Files tag on ending I could have done without.
It ceases to be interesting or surprising when it becomes 
expected. And this was expected. 

The supporting performances were pretty uninspired. The little 
girl was just annoying - there was no wrestling with demons 
there that I could see. Larry Musser's Jack Bonsaint left me 
wondering how in the heck this guy ever got to be a police chief.
Susannah Hoffman wasn't given any help from the script to escape 
beyond a character that was pretty much one note. Only Carolyn 
Tweedle seemed to be having any fun with her part as she ranted 
on about witches.

Lastly, I guess I am just thankful to Carter & King for not 
using a Scullycentric episode as an excuse to emotionally torture 
Scully yet again. Instead she competently works on a case. Now 
that wasn't all that hard, was it? Next time make the case a good 
one too. It would be nice to see the show fire on all cylinders 
again.

Random Musings
------------------------
-Retreads a plenty: The old fisherman was the detective in 
"Squeeze" and "Tooms". Jack was also seen bleeping in "Jose 
Chung" as well as  "Unrequited" and "Die Hand". Officer "Buddy" 
has been in "Unruhe", "Fallen Angel" and "The Host". We've also 
seen the store's assistant manager a few times but he was most 
memorable in the "Young at Heart" wheelchair and the "Humbug" 
Tabernacle of Terror. Even Dave the butcher (who I wish had 
remained a fishmonger like the press release said) was the 
mudman of "Kaddish" and the fish-hooked hubby drove the tow 
truck in "Oubliette".

-The bonehead obvious dialogue award goes to this groaner: 
"Maybe she wasn't afraid of something getting in. Maybe she 
was afraid of something getting out". Please, spare us.

-What was that with the "World's Deadliest Swarms" actually 
being seen on the TV? A copout to the censors? I would have 
rather they cut that out. We heard what we heard.

-Say what you want about Scully not being a believer, but 
don't dare suggest she doesn't do her paranormal homework. 
That list of witchcraft signs she rattled off did more to 
excite Mulder than the video he was watching.

-What a great shot of Scully's idea of vacation reading 
"Affirmations For Women Who Do Too Much" right next to the 
phone blinking away with yet another Mulder message.

-I was a bit disappointed in the makeup this episode - 
especially as it is usually so good. The store scene was 
the worst. Despite the fact these people had blood streaks 
on their faces there were no accompanying cuts making it
look pretty phony.

-This week's bad acting cameo - the Tastee Queen girl. 
I was glad to see the hair blizzard.

-They blame the girl for putting "Wee Lassies and Laddies 
Day Care" out of business? I'd say it is more likely the 
old woman scared the kids off. New England hospitality indeed.

-Frank's Fashion Spot: Well, I have an obvious weakness for 
Casual!Scully. She looked quite fetching in her weekend wear 
and thankfully left that damn green sweater at home. They had 
a very hip look going for her with the 501's, T-shirt and shades 
but ruined it with the dorky tourist print on the T-Shirt.
What? She got to Maine and stopped at a Stuckey's right away to 
buy a shirt to mark the moment? Well, I guess we should be glad 
she didn't have "vacationland" tattooed on her thigh.

-It's winter. It's Maine. It's obviously been raining. Who 
wouldn't drive around with the top down in just a T-shirt 
when you can see your breath. The things a gal needs to do 
to look cool.

-Looks like that Ammas Beach gas station has Canadian owners 
because it was charging by the litre, not gallon.

-So, you dig a doll out of a lobster trap and give the piece 
of trash to your daughter as a birthday present? Next time 
try a beanie baby and you won't get a hook in the head.

-This was quite the episode for gratuitous Scully watching. 
Between the too tight T and the contended bath tub sigh and 
leg action there was a lot more Scully on screen than usual. 
Though my favorite moment was that annoyed look complete with 
the eyebrow action she gives to Mulder's interrupting call.

-"Dolly"? Please tell me Scully did not say dolly.

-"Fast Flame" matches? Could have fooled me. Then again that 
whole "I know I'll burn us all alive" ending was a bit much. 
I felt pretty sorry for the actress playing the mother as she 
was forced to be a nincompoop throughout.

-Did Scully not realize she was standing in a pool of propane 
while she was thoughtfully watching the doll burn in the 
microwave?

Autumn
"Marry me." "I was hoping for something a little more helpful."