Redux

"That would mean that for four years we've been nothing 
more than pawns in a game - that it was a lie from the 
beginning."

Yeah, right. Somehow I don't think Mulder and Scully are 
the pawns here - I think the audience is. In "Redux" we 
learn just how much exposition it takes for writer Chris 
Carter to crawl out of his "Gethsemane" hole - and it is 
lots and lots of exposition given to us in lots and lots of 
voice overs (a monumental six for Mulder and three for 
Scully). At least we didn't find out all of  "Gethsemane" 
was a fraud - and for that I am thankful. "Redux" was 
information overload - and while the information was all 
very interesting it just didn't make sense when you really 
think about it. I actually watched "Gethsemane" tonight 
before "Redux" - turns out I didn't need to as pretty much 
all the pertinent parts of that episode were repeated for 
us with bits of the "Pilot" and "Paper Clip" thrown in for 
good measure. Unfortunately, seeing "Paper Clip" just 
made me feel a bit wistful for the excitement that episode 
was able to generate.

Still, I tried to enjoy "Redux". I sat in rapt attention, 
listening as hard as I could trying to fit the pieces 
together. I dutifully watched Mulder wander through 
hallways swiping his card key over and over and 
Scully do her multi-colored eyedropper experiments. 
What I couldn't get past, however, was Mulder's 
sudden change of heart. So, despite the fact that 
everyone knows Scully's abduction and its ramifications 
weren't random - that *of course* it had to do with 
Mulder - this appears to be new information to him 
and he is overcome with guilt. "Did they do this to 
her because of me?" - of course they did - I thought 
that had been obvious to him since the abduction arc.

So, Mulder asks the question in all our minds - "But 
I've seen aliens. I've witnessed these things." and 
is willing to buy the answer that he's seen what they 
wanted him to see? The X-Files has given us and 
Mulder WAY too much evidence to the contrary 
for Mulder to swallow that everything he has seen 
has been manufactured to make him believe. It 
should not be a surprise that the government is 
"in on it" - that has pretty much been established 
from the start, but to dismiss everything from the 
Bounty Hunter to the Oiliens based on Kritschgau's 
little stock footage biological warfare story is too 
much to bite off. The funny thing was that Kritschgau's 
riddle talk reminded me most of Jeremiah Smith. Oh 
that's right, he isn't real. Statements from Mulder 
about finding Scully's cure in the building somehow 
negating all his experiences just don't jive - why 
does it have to be all or nothing? I'm certain that 
we will find the truth in the middle. It is ironic that 
while Mulder appears to be convinced his life is a 
fraud Goggles!Scully is hard at work perhaps proving 
the existence of extraterrestrial life. 

It appears that Mulder and Scully are rubbing off 
on each other. While Scully makes a weird intuitive 
leap worthy of Spooky in her decision that somehow 
those ice cells will share some sort of DNA link to her 
cancer, Mulder suddenly gains psychic skills and 
chooses the jackpot door. The door which leads to 
the room where they store all the hoax alien bodies 
for those hoaxing emergencies. Which, it just so 
happens, is right next door to the room where they 
keep all the women for the super ovulation 
experiments (which are strangely unattended) - it 
seems those train cars were just too small. And, 
coincidence of coincidences, there is a secret 
tunnel leading to the Pentagon storage room 
where all the secret stuff and meticulously labeled 
and cross referenced deionized water is kept 
unguarded. What luck!

Also left up in the air are the machinations of the 
evil guy consortium. Chunky Italian tells us "Mulder 
was an asset" and feigns ignorance as to what
is going on. Either CancerMan is totally on the outs 
with the old guys or we have yet another evil power 
to worry about.

It is the personal side to "Redux" that saves this 
episode for me. While Mulder assures us (in voice 
over, of course) of Scully's absolute integrity - like 
this we didn't know - he asks her to lie. Lucky for 
her, those acting lessons Mulder got her in addition 
to that key chain have paid off - well except when 
she meets Skinner in the hallway outside Mulder's 
apartment and reverts to her habit of eye aversion 
and guilty looks (that and the "I saw Mulder earlier 
this morning" when it is before 7AM was sure a 
good cover as well...).

The real twist, it seems, is the attempt to once 
again throw doubt on Skinner's involvement. He 
appears to implicate himself with his actions toward 
Scully and that little matter of having a photo that 
was obviously taken from the camera in Mulder's 
ceiling. The scenes between Gillian Anderson and 
Mitch Pileggi are the highlights of the episode. After 
Anderson shows us Scully's absolute deflation upon 
learning of the possibility of Skinner's betrayal her 
paranoia fueled confrontation with him is a much 
needed charge in the episode. Once again we find 
Scully and Skinner yelling at each other - this time 
each demanding "I want an answer from you!" The 
most amusing part was listening to Scully detail the 
multitude of sins against her to explain her motivations 
only to have Skinner counter with "Is that your 
justification?" - Geez Wally that wasn't dramatic 
enough?

Perhaps because death is drawing near Gillian Anderson 
really lets us see the depth of pain in Scully throughout 
"Redux". Her teary eyed accusation at the end, sadly cut 
short by a nasal gusher intense enough to make her swoon, 
is the high point of this episode. All I can say is that I'm glad 
we got "Gethsemane" explained and can now move on to 
bigger and better things.

Random Musings
------------------------
- I know both Mulder and Scully are very smart people, but 
ye gods do they really think like that? These people seem to 
be constantly emoting in their thoughts in prose filled with 
words that would make the average person live in fear of 
their thesaurus. Sometimes I find it enlightening - such as 
Mulder's opening voice over about understanding and 
recovery, but at other times it can just seem clumsy and 
stilted - "Let the truth be known though the heavens fall"? 
Mulder is such a poet. 

-Let's do the time warp again: I guess when you have to 
live the same 24 hours over again you are miraculously 
transported into the future. The phone records seem to 
indicate that "Redux" is taking place in October despite 
the fact that "Gethsemane" was in the spring.

-Even the previews for this episode were manipulative - at 
no time did we see the Mulder with a gun to his head - shots 
that they've been playing for eons as we've waited for the 
premiere.

-So Mulder is under surveillance - no doubt his phone is 
also bugged - which really makes me wonder why 
Kritschgau is calling him up to tell him "we can't speak". 
Why wouldn't they also be monitoring Scully's apartment 
if they really wanted to keep tabs on these two?

-Speaking of surveillance, given Mulder's favorite form of 
home entertainment I bet there are some pretty interesting 
videos floating around the offices of the Very Evil Guys 
who have been keeping an eye on him.

-Frank's Fashion Spot: Poor Scully, she's taken to 
wearing tight shirts and pushup bras under those suits 
and still comes home to no messages (and what a sad 
little face she had on when her machine informed her 
of that). Though Mulder did appear to enjoy what he 
saw of the floor show offering "Keep going FBI woman" 
as encouragement even if she seemed less than thrilled 
to find him sitting in her bedroom in the dark.

-Maybe we should start keeping tabs on how many 
times  Mulder busts doors down - he's really quite good 
at it. At least this time Scully won't be buying a new 
lock again.

-So this is a top secret facility and they don't even 
look at your badge photo? OK...

-A new family photo in Mulder's pad shows us that 
he was REAL big for a twelve year old and, as if 
we haven't had enough hints about this yet, gives 
CancerMan the chance to choke up a little while 
looking at the kids. 

-Once again Scully proves that there is no reason 
for her to carry a purse when she can cram a big 
old evidence bag down the front of her form fitting 
suit.

-Holly is now working phones (promotion/demotion - 
you make the call) - makes me wonder if they are 
planning on giving her a bigger role now that they 
offed Pendrell and need a new little helper for 
Mulder and Scully. If I were her I'd burn all the red 
suits in my closet.

-I found Mulder's claim to Kritschgau that "Scully 
would have known" that the alien body was a 
hoax if she had examined it rather endearing. It's 
nice to see his faith in his partner's abilities.

-Curious that while going on about the DNA samples 
supposedly taken from everyone that they didn't 
make the link to the small pox vaccination scars.

-As to not let a good prop go to waste we saw a 
flash of the Amy Cassandra edition of "Abductee" 
magazine from "Demons".

-If there is one thing we can say about the project it 
is those evil guys know how to file. Every time Mulder 
or Scully find evidence it is neatly cataloged in clearly 
marked drawers.

Autumn
"You're going to use me as I've been used all along - to preserve the lies."