S10.E04: Home Again

[Snookums]

I loved the scene when she and Mulder are at her mom's bedside and she asks if there was ever a case where someone got willed back to life, and Mulder was basically like, "I invented that."  Killed me.

 

 

I'M NOT CRYING IT'S RAINING ON MY FACE.

 

I loved this one. The gore was upped (my husband and I both yelled 'Holy Shit!' at the same time when he tore the first guy's arms off!) but not in a torture porn way, TPTB cast an exceptional actor to play the crazy artist--he did a fabulous job with his rambling monologue about art and responsibility. Kung Fu Scully taking down and disarming that kid like it ain't no thang. Mulder saying "Scully, back in the day is now," and the crossed flashlight beams. Scully's constant misreading of whoever's calling her as "William." Every time the phone rings, she thinks it's him.

 

And all of Mulder's heartbreaks as Scully is once again served up a big ol' helping of shit, with a shit appetizer and shit sorbet for a palate cleanser. God, this woman cannot get a fucking break! Her mom asks for her estranged brother, Bill decides he's the one to make decisions about his mother's care even though her daughter the doctor is right there AND NOT IN GERMANY, her mother changing her living will without saying why, the mystery quarter. 

 

I loved how Mulder knows now that he can't fix anything. He just knows to be there. And I loved the last scene. Scully can barely talk about William and her extreme guilt at giving him up, so I can see why it would be so hard for her to get the words out. And as an adoptee it's heartbreaking to think of your birth parents constantly wondering if you blame them. 

 

Okay, now onto those pesky real life questions: how illegal is it, on a scale from "littering" to "blatant wholesale violations of every civil right out there", to fire hose a defenseless population or force them to live somewhere??? None of those people were under arrest, none of them were in custody, all of those deservedly ripped apart assholes had any jurisdiction whatsoever to do anything they were doing! Hell, I live in Seattle, where homelessness has officially been declared a crisis, where two murders and three woundings recently took place in a camp called The Jungle, and the perpetrators were three teenage brothers collecting on a drug debt for their mother. I get that it's a horrible hydra of a problem, but I'm pretty damn sure civilians aren't allowed to forcibly attack or bus grown adults ANYPLACE they don't want to go, no matter how many gentrification projects they've got going.

[Desiree]

What's the deal with Scully's scratchy voice? 

I read somewhere that Gillian was having a hard time doing Scully's voice. Probably for a multitude of factors, she's older, she lives in London and acts a lot with an English accent now, and it's been years since she's taken on the character. I just assumed that in trying to recreate Scully's voice, a bit of scratchiness has evolved. It's not terrible, it brings a sort of sadness that I think Scully would be feeling in this stage of her life anyway, with the William situation and the breakup of her romantic relationship with Mulder. 

[festivus]

I'M NOT CRYING IT'S RAINING ON MY FACE.

 

 

I'm tellin' ya. 

[Snookums]

I mean, I know nobody practices their emergency home evacuation plan, but, c'mon, Suburban Lady, you can do better than this!

 

 

At least she punched him! And Gaeta shot him (or tried to.) I especially hated the third death/developer guy because he had no fight/flight instinct at ALL. Going down into the forbidden, pitch black portion of the old mental hospital? Dude, you deserve to be offed just for that.

 

For what it's worth, I didn't take the smiley face at the end as an attempt by the show at making it fun -- it seemed as good a way as any for the the artist to render the thought-form inert or benign. Ironic, yes. Cutesy? I didn't see it that way.

 

 

Yeah, I saw it as "putting a happy face" on a problem or dangerous situation because the actual problem/situation is so gnarled and knotted and intransigent that it cannot be solved--like how the homeless crisis is regarded. Just smile and sort your recycling and pet animals on the head and poof! you're a good person.

[eleanorofaquitaine]

I just assumed that they couldn't get the original actor who played Bill Scully Jr. either to agree to return, or he didn't have time in his schedule, so they just wrote around it. The one thing missing I think was a priest by Mrs Scully's bedside - which we've seen in other episodes (for various Scully family members).

 

 

That's what I read too, and thought it was a touching tribute to his (Glen and Darin Morgan's) mother.

 

I agree that scheduling was probably why they didn't have Bill actually there, but I appreciated the continuity that he can still be a jerk.  I agree with you on the priest thing, as well.  Given how foregrounded Scully's faith is to her, I was a little surprised that we didn't see some of that with her mother's passing.

 

how illegal is it, on a scale from "littering" to "blatant wholesale violations of every civil right out there", to fire hose a defenseless population or force them to live somewhere???

 

I mean, the issues surrounding the chronically homeless are complex but this was kind of a wildly irresponsible portrayal of how most big cities are addressing them. More and more cities are, however, criminalizing homeless but that is generally happening on the municipal level.  A HUD official would not really be involved in local efforts to move homeless individuals in order to perpetuate gentrification.  And the reality is that the people who are chronically homeless often are struggling with mental and physical disorders, so getting them off the street and into safe housing is a priority for their own sake.  I liked this episode but as someone who has a number of homeless organizations as clients, a lot of that felt very off to me.

Edited February 10, 2016 by eleanorofaquitaine

[baileythedog]

 

 

One more thing on DD's acting - to some extent, I've always thought he was derided because it was a lot easier to see, in his interviews, the similarities between Mulder and Duchovney than it was Scully and Gillian Anderson.  I mean, even going back to the 1990s, you'd see an interview with Gillian Anderson and you'd be hard pressed to understand how this giggly, flighty-seeming woman could play the serious Scully so well.  But Duchovney always came off as much as a smart-aleck as Mulder himself. So there was less of a contrast between actor and character.  But I don't think that was always fair to what he was able to do with Mulder.

 

(That being said, overall, I think that Gillian Anderson's range is probably a bit more extensive than Duchovney's. I hesitate to say that she's a better actor because I think that they actually bring the best out of each other, but I do think that she's able to do more with a variety of characters then he does).

 

I recall that being a particular complaint of DD's in an interview years ago. (I think it was a joint interview with GA, in fact.) The gist of his answer was "the take away is that Gillian is a wonderful actress and apparently I'm just like my fucking character."  It's really not a fair assessment of his abilities at all--particular when you consider how inside out he plays Mulder in "Small Potatoes" or any of the Darin Morgan scripts, "Bad Blood," etc.  Clearly there is a total character of Mulder that is just not DD at all.   Next compare to that his take on Hank Moody in "Californication."  I have no idea how much of DD is in Hank, or vice versa, but can definitely say there is zero of Mulder in Hank and zero of Hank in Mulder.  So really, maybe, at the end of the day, the guy really is a decent actor that can create some very distinct characters--even if both of those characters are intelligent with a quick sense of humor.  That is a trait of DD, no doubt.

 

I agree that GA likely has more range than DD. At least from what I have seen. She may push herself a bit harder than DD does when it comes to selecting wide ranging roles. 

Edited February 10, 2016 by baileythedog

[Snow8585]

I understand the criticism folks have of this one but I still was happy to see Mulder and Scully tracking down a creepy monster.

[Tardislass]

I agree that scheduling was probably why they didn't have Bill actually there, but I appreciated the continuity that he can still be a jerk.  I agree with you on the priest thing, as well.  Given how foregrounded Scully's faith is to her, I was a little surprised that we didn't see some of that with her mother's passing.

 

 

I mean, the issues surrounding the chronically homeless are complex but this was kind of a wildly irresponsible portrayal of how most big cities are addressing them. More and more cities are, however, criminalizing homeless but that is generally happening on the municipal level.  A HUD official would not really be involved in local efforts to move homeless individuals in order to perpetuate gentrification.  And the reality is that the people who are chronically homeless often are struggling with mental and physical disorders, so getting them off the street and into safe housing is a priority for their own sake.  I liked this episode but as someone who has a number of homeless organizations as clients, a lot of that felt very off to me.

In it's defense, the show has never been very accurate in terms of occupations or organizations. ADA supervising agents in the basement? I asked a family friend who's in the Bureau how much if any is accurate. His reply was only the outside building.:) Luckily my mother who is a nurse doesn't watch the show or she'd be all over the way the people were just wheeled out immediately after death.-like a sack of meat. I LOL'ed on that aspect. 

 

To me, Ma Scully's death really hit home because when my grandma died there was stuff she left behind in her drawers and jewelry boxes that must have had sentimental value but she never told her children. 

 

Finally the man and woman who got killed by the Trashman were two of the worst actors I've seen on the show.

[SparklesBitch]

On the topic of DD's acting, I feel like it's only fair to point out that in the hands of another actor, Mulder could have easily turned out to be a totally one note, unsympathetic, insane crackpot. I think DD humanized him. Mulder can definitely be a single minded jackass when he wants to be, but he is also incredibly smart and gifted, and an excellent investigator. He's earnest and genuine and a mostly thoughtful human being, someone you can find yourself easily rooting for. There's a playfulness and a kindness buried underneath all that singular passion, and I think that would have been easy to lose in less capable hands.

I feel like with another actor playing our favorite guy, he wouldn't have turned out to be quite so beloved a character for so many years.

[supposebly]

Oh, I didn't think he didn't act or just stood there being himself. I wouldn't have known since I don't know the man and I wasn't following any interviews and such since I only started watching when the show was already over (around 2002 or so).

It was just, often, it was really hard to tell what the hell was going on with him. While with Gillian, there was never any doubt. Never. I can't ever recall a misstep in her acting. An adjustment with her getting more comfortable with the role but nothing that ever felt wrong or out of place.

While with DD, all I'm saying, hand-biting!

And it's not that he was such a restrained character that we shouldn't see a lot of overacting. Of course not. But there is a subtle, see GA, and there is....nuthin.

[baileythedog]

And it's not that he was such a restrained character that we shouldn't see a lot of overacting. Of course not. But there is a subtle, see GA, and there is....nuthin.

 

Oh, I don't know. While GA is certainly a wonderful actress, she has her moments of missing the mark.  I cringe everything I hear her read of "There's no time!!!" in The X-Files Movie.  It's pretty hilariously off. 

[Jac]

I just can't forgive Bill after throwing Scully's infertility in her face in the most callous way possible.

I agree that was a total dick move on his part, shut up Bill. I wasn't even trying to defend him really, his behaviour is largely indefensible but I do understand why at least some of his anger exists.

I don't have any issues with Bill not being able to get there in time. I do have issues with him being as high-handed as usual in his dealings with Scully. He's her brother and she loves him, and that's why she constantly forgives him for his behavior but the reality is that he doesn't seem to ever acknowledge that she is in pain. Plus, of course, he (somewhat understandably) hates Mulder.

One more thing on DD's acting - to some extent, I've always thought he was derided because it was a lot easier to see, in his interviews, the similarities between Mulder and Duchovney than it was Scully and Gillian Anderson. I mean, even going back to the 1990s, you'd see an interview with Gillian Anderson and you'd be hard pressed to understand how this giggly, flighty-seeming woman could play the serious Scully so well. But Duchovney always came off as much as a smart-aleck as Mulder himself. So there was less of a contrast between actor and character. But I don't think that was always fair to what he was able to do with Mulder.

(That being said, overall, I think that Gillian Anderson's range is probably a bit more extensive than Duchovney's. I hesitate to say that she's a better actor because I think that they actually bring the best out of each other, but I do think that she's able to do more with a variety of characters then he does).

Re. Bill, I actually really like this portrayal because as much as we all wish it wasn't so, some people are just like this and unfortunately I know some of them well. Is he a good person? No. Is he a realistic character? Yes.

Re. The DD v GA thing, I completely agree with your assessment.

I think this was a misguided attempt at fun that just fell flat. The frothy, phoned-in MOTW scenario, which had no basis in science OR folklore, was a poor complement to the serious-as-cancer storyline of Mrs. Scully dying.

When family members have died in the past, the gravity of the event is echoed in whatever case Mulder and Scully are working on that week. The storylines dovetailed naturally.

Not this time. They tried to mix goofy (a smiley face? really?) and deep, and it didn't work. My own suspicion is that the writer jotted down Scully's last line first -- "We have to let William know we didn't treat him like trash" and then backed in to the episode to try to pay it off.

This revival blows so far. A pity Mrs. Scully didn't get a DNR order for the show at the same time she got one for herself.

I don't even know if it was aiming for fun, it felt more like it was aiming for gory, either way, it fell flat.

I view all cell phone displays as a "for the viewer". I rarely have a person's full name in my cell phone; last name, first name & company or how I know them, etc. I'd think it hilarious if she had Bill Jr as BJ.

In this case I think the main function of the cellphone was to remind us all, yet again, that William is capital I important to this story.

The two story lines went together so poorly, I find myself wondering if Glen sat down to write this nice little MOTW and CC told him he had to include this damn ongoing William thread, too, and that's how we wound up offing Mrs. Scully in the midst of investigating the trash tulpa.

When I first heard that he show was doing a mix of MOTW and mythology episodes, I was excited but now I think it was a huge mistake, as wonderful as Mulder and Scully meet the Were-Monster was. What this season would have been far better off being is a six episode myth arc that focused on the question of William and advance the overarching mythology of the show. If that had happened there would have been a much more cohesive story arc and the story would have had space to breath.

Going forward, if more episodes were to be produced and that seems likely if Fix can get all their ducks in s row, the best solution would be to shoot 8-12 episodes per year and half of them be a cohesive mythology story arc, screened together in saw, November sweeps and the other half be pure MOTW episodes, screened say in May sweeps.

My main hope for this run is that Scully finds peace with her felling some towards giving William up and we can all move on.

This ep wasn't meant to be like Arcadia. It was a more serious ep with some lighter moments in it. It's like comparing apples and oranges in my opinion.

I agree that this episode wasn't supposed to be like Arcadia, tonally it was mch closer to Kaddish, the other other episode that has taken on the tulpa/golem myth, my original comment was referring to the comparative quality of the episodes.

Yes this wasn't cute to me &to think that was the point.All the Files dark stories have Mulder quipping and/or goofy guest stars. And it was written to have a moral-not well realized...

I think the writers were hampered by two issues, one is that filming was done very quickly. I read the first day back, most of the team had no time to catch up. Secondly, the amount of commercials have changed since 2000. I remember only having 2 or 3 ads each break. Now it seems longer.

And finally, yes I think the William memo tied writers' hands. Hopefully next season will be different.

For me, the X-Files isn't the same as previously but I'm enjoying the more character focused storylines for the moment. They grown & adjusted and so have I.

I think the characterisation of both Scully and Mulder has been extremely well done, this has grown beautifully. The writing however, had taken a large step backward. It may just be a case of the writers not having enough time to edit and hone their ideas before filming began, I suspect it would have been a far more cohesive season if Fox had held it over to the 2016/17 season and allowed more time for writing and shooting to occur. Edited February 11, 2016 by Jac

[Neurochick]

I don't know but I just didn't like this episode and I'm sick of the baby storyline because that birth happened when I'd almost given up on X Files.  I'm going o keep watching because it's only three or two more episodes to go?  I was underwhelmed.  

[supposebly]

 

What this season would have been far better off being is a six episode myth arc that focused on the question of William and advance the overarching mythology of the show. If that had happened there would have been a much more cohesive story arc and the story would have had space to breath.

I agree. With 6 episodes and from today's POV where serialised storytelling is more common, this whole stand-alone-mytharc concept is jarring and in the matter of this episode, somewhat badly done. They only did it this way because serialized TV was very uncommon and the prevailing view was that's how you lose viewers. Alias was one of the victims of this thinking when it was forced into a more stand-alone episodic format in its fourth season. I don't think it ever fully recovered.

 

I'm not a mytharc fan, especially not after I have seen that CC hasn't come up with anything really interesting, but any coherent story spanning the whole run would have been nice. And if I have to see Scully one more time berating her choices regarding William without them doing anything about it, I might blow a gasket.

 

Now I'm thinking, a story that starts with something indicating William might be in danger that would start a search for him might have been fun. Maybe.

[eleanorofaquitaine]

In it's defense, the show has never been very accurate in terms of occupations or organizations. ADA supervising agents in the basement? I asked a family friend who's in the Bureau how much if any is accurate. His reply was only the outside building.:) Luckily my mother who is a nurse doesn't watch the show or she'd be all over the way the people were just wheeled out immediately after death.-like a sack of meat. I LOL'ed on that aspect. 

 

To me, Ma Scully's death really hit home because when my grandma died there was stuff she left behind in her drawers and jewelry boxes that must have had sentimental value but she never told her children. 

 

Finally the man and woman who got killed by the Trashman were two of the worst actors I've seen on the show.

 

It's both a defense and a criticism, though, that they never got the federal government right. I was working for a US Senator in the mid-90s, and I had to deal with FEMA a lot.  I remember when the first movie was coming out, my FEMA contacts were both excited about it but totally dreading the fact that some people really believed that there were work camps that FEMA had set up, rather than understanding that all FEMA generally did is help communities dealing with natural disasters (remember, this was in the 1990s when FEMA was actually well-run, and not the Bush-led disaster that led to Katrina in New Orleans).  So I accepted a long time ago how badly the show portrayed federal employees but it still rankles a bit.

 

I have no idea how much of DD is in Hank, or vice versa, but can definitely say there is zero of Mulder in Hank and zero of Hank in Mulder.  So really, maybe, at the end of the day, the guy really is a decent actor that can create some very distinct characters--even if both of those characters are intelligent with a quick sense of humor.  That is a trait of DD, no doubt.

 

 

I haven't watched Californication but I don't have any trouble believing that DD can imbue two characters with some similar traits without those characters being the same.  I mean, to be honest, I'm really kind of astonished at what he's doing with Mulder now.  As wonderful as Scully is as a character, I feel like we're seeing so much more growth in Mulder.  He's really kind of blown me away in the past two episodes.  (Don't get me wrong, Anderson has been great, too).  I just wasn't expecting to see a sadder but wiser Mulder, and I've been really happy to see it.

[lumberjackdexter]

That was NOT a good episode IMO. We only get 6 episodes, I would like it a lot better if I didn't have to watch Scully spending half of them thinking about William. 

Aw, but she thought about him before these six and will continue after :( 

[millennium]

That was NOT a good episode IMO. We only get 6 episodes, I would like it a lot better if I didn't have to watch Scully spending half of them thinking about William. 

 

You know what further annoys me about the William story line?   It reminds me of the original series episode, "William," which I personally consider to be one of the worst.    It was the episode that tried to fuck with the audience's head, to make us believe that the horribly burned and scarred figure trying to get access to William might be Mulder (when in fact it was his wholly unlikable and annoying half-brother, Jeffrey Spender).   IMHO, the only thing that "William" accomplished was to sorely remind viewers that Duchovny bailed on the series in the eighth season, totally screwing up the rhythm and pace of the show, from which it never quite recovered, IMHO.  

 

That's what I think of when the topic of giving William away comes up.   William is a story line I'd rather forget and pretend didn't happen, right along with the godawful super-soldiers.   I don't buy the drama of it now because I didn't buy it back then.   William was more plot device than child.  But CC seems intent on rubbing our noses in it.  

Edited February 11, 2016 by millennium

[Finis Terre]

That is a really nice interpretation, and definitely fits with the family beliefs. But I read some article about Glen Morgan and he said when his mother passed, they found a coin as well with her belongings and they never knew what it meant

 

Sure, but Morgan's comment does not invalidate the above quoted interpretation. 

[Jac]

There are two things that are really getting on my nerves with the whole William thing.

This first is that the writers attitude towards adoption seems to be that it is a poor choice to make for a child. As a person who due to a genetic condition would only ever choose to have a family through adoption, I find the writers attitudes offensive. My feeling on this point really came to a head in this episode when Scully talked about William's adoption in terms of her treating him as figurative trash, growing him away. That is not what happened, writers. Scully gave her child to people who could protect him at a time she had very legitimate concerns that she would not be able to protect him at that point in his life and maybe ever. There is no doubt that William would have been loved either way, Scully adopted him out out of love and his adoptive parents are capable of loving him too.

This point segues right into my second major complaint which is that the writers seem to have completely forgotten the circumstances in which Scully chose to give William up. As problematic as William is as an episode, Scully did not give him up on a whim. She did it to protect him when she felt she did not have the ability to keep him safe.

[Sandman]

Oh, I don't know. While GA is certainly a wonderful actress, she has her moments of missing the mark.  I cringe every time I hear her read of "There's no time!!!" in The X-Files Movie.  It's pretty hilariously off. 

 

On the other hand, "Pick up that phone and make it happen" turned out to be one of my favourite line readings of all time.

[Finis Terre]

It may just be a case of the writers not having enough time to edit and hone their ideas before filming began, I suspect it would have been a far more cohesive season if Fox had held it over to the 2016/17 season and allowed more time for writing and shooting to occur.

 

I'm glad the actors are busy this year: this might mean more time for the writers to come up with something coherent in season 11. 

[AntiBeeSpray]

I'm glad the actors are busy this year: this might mean more time for the writers to come up with something coherent in season 11. 

 

Problem is: CC had the chance to do that since 2013.

 

So I don't have a lot of faith in him there. Glen, Darrin and James Wong on the other hand... not so much. At least they had an idea of what M & S were like writing wise. 

[MrsR]

Chekhov's William folks.

 

Just sayin'.

 

Chekhov's William.

[AntiBeeSpray]

Chekhov's William folks.

 

Just sayin'.

 

Chekhov's William.

 

What? Do you mean he's Chekhov's Gun?

[baileythedog]

What? Do you mean he's Chekhov's Gun?

 

Chekhov's gun states that if you're shown the gun in the first act of the play, it has to go off by the final act.

 

Same for William. And I agree. 

[millennium]

I don't know what to make of Duchovny's performance.   Mulder always made a quip or two at scenes of the crime, but now instead of Spooky Mulder he's coming on like Shecky Mulder.   Everything's a joke.  Sam and Dean Winchester as fake FBI agents exhibit more professionalism at a crime scene than Mulder does now.

 

 

I think Alan Sepinwall put his finger on the problem I'm having with Mulder:

 

You may like your Mulder more serious, angst-ridden, and conspiracy-obsessed, but the early episodes of the miniseries suggest that Carter doesn't know how to write that version of the character anymore, and/or that Duchovny's not especially interested in playing him.

 

http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-watching/the-truth-is-right-here-the-x-files-revival-has-a-lot-of-problems-review

 

[AntiBeeSpray]

I think Alan Sepinwall put his finger on the problem I'm having with Mulder:

 

Well Mulder has grown and changed. The things that had him in his youth don't have him anymore. That's how I view it.

[Bastet]

Same for William. And I agree.

 

Me too, unfortunately.  We've had only one blessed episode without him being mentioned. They're not just killing time by shoving him in there.

[millennium]

Well Mulder has grown and changed. The things that had him in his youth don't have him anymore. That's how I view it.

 

I guess I didn't come to the series looking for a different Mulder.  

[supposebly]

 

I cringe everything I hear her read of "There's no time!!!" in The X-Files Movie.  It's pretty hilariously off.

 

Funny. :-) I remember yelling at Mulder myself the first time I watched it.

[baileythedog]

Me too, unfortunately.  We've had only one blessed episode without him being mentioned. They're not just killing time by shoving him in there.

 

I assume for some reason or another he'll be "the key to everything" but I really hope that phrase isn't used. Like, at all. 

[baileythedog]

Well Mulder has grown and changed. The things that had him in his youth don't have him anymore. That's how I view it.

 

Consider that in this revival, this is the first time we've seen Mulder completely and utterly alone in the world. He doesn't have a job, he obviously doesn't have his sister, but doesn't have either of his parents, doesn't have the Lone Gunmen, doesn't have William and now doesn't even have Scully.

 

Of course he's going to be a sad, dejected mess.  I hate seeing reviewers interpret this as "boredom" on the part of Duchovny and not recognize it for what it is--a character whose passion has run aground and has no further resources buttressing him.  

Edited February 11, 2016 by baileythedog

[Ghost of TWOP Past]

Oh yeah. The homeless-good/government-bad thing was strange and forced, and seemed a contrived invention inserted solely for the sake of providing a conflict. And as someone's whose neighborhood has been embroiled in a 5-year struggle to keep the local park from being taken over by squatters who litter and pee all over everything, I have to say that I was not sympathizing with the downtrodden in this story. 

[wayne67]

Of course he's going to be a sad, dejected mess.  I hate seeing reviewers interpret this as "boredom" on the part of Duchovny and not recognize it for what it is--a character whose passion has run aground and has no further resources buttressing him.  

 

Personally I just find the whole depressed questioning the meaning of his life often dull to watch. I watch shows to be entertained. Trying to do a serious arc with only 6 episodes really only sometimes work with British shows like In the Flesh. With this it feels like those people you knew ten years ago have shown up on the door and won't shut up about their missing child that you never liked and it's just awkward and tedious. 

 

Then again maybe it's just me but I really hate when characters go on and on about their offspring without doing anything productive about it eg Harpers Island, Lost. Either pay attention to your offspring or shut up about them. I have no interest in William. I barely remember him. 

 

I also wasn't fond of the resolution of the trash monster. That trash monster killed the woman that filed the injunction trying to stop the homeless from being transferred to that old hospital. Sure she had her own selfish motivations but I got the impression she had a child who is now motherless. 

Edited February 11, 2016 by wayne67

[madam magpie]

I like the sadness and guilt Mulder and Scully are dealing with as related to William. No matter the wacky sci-fi circumstances, at the core, they're two people who've spent 20+ years together, who love each other very much, and who (for wacky sci-fi reasons beyond their control) lost their kid. That's huge and always provides depth to a story because you can't help but wonder...how do these people manage to get up in the morning?? I'm always interested in the nuances of human behavior, so how they cope day-to-day with this enormous decision and loss is fascinating to me. You can't just crawl into a hole and chew your hair, which is probably what you'd want to do. So if it didn't inform every move, choice, etc. that came after, I'd call bullshit. I think both David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are doing a great job of keeping an undercurrent of sadness going whether they're overtly facing the William situation or not. It's ever present for the characters, so it's ever present for us.

At some point, William will obviously have to contribute more to the story than just being a happy or miserable kid living with loving or awful adoptive parents. But in the meantime, not knowing what happened to him would be crushing, especially for Scully. If it weren't, she'd have no soul, and we know that's not the case...because she is the very best.

[millennium]

Of course he's going to be a sad, dejected mess.  I hate seeing reviewers interpret this as "boredom" on the part of Duchovny and not recognize it for what it is--a character whose passion has run aground and has no further resources buttressing him.  

 

If that's what Duchovny's ho-hum performance is intended as, then the writing has done a lousy job of transmitting it.   I lean towards the bored explanation.  This is, after all, the guy who jumped ship the first time around.

 

Also from the review I linked to above:

 

 

 

Duchovny's energy level perks up significantly when there are jokes to be delivered.

 

I'm not insisting the character should be exactly the same after all this time, but his original spirit and conviction should remain intact.  I'm not getting that.   In some ways, Duchovny's character in Aquarius has more in common with the Fox Mulder I remember than the character who goes by that name now.

 

Maybe it's just not possible to recreate iconic characters after a span of years, even for the actors who originally portrayed them.   I never bought Shatner as Captain Kirk in any of the Star Trek movies -- he was Captain Shatner.   Or Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry in any film following The Enforcer.   Gillian Anderson's doing a slightly better job with Scully, but she seems more like Scully from I Want To Believe than the from the series. 

Edited February 11, 2016 by millennium

[baileythedog]

If that's what Duchovny's ho-hum performance is intended as, then the writing has done a lousy job of transmitting it.   I lean towards the bored explanation.  This is, after all, the guy who jumped ship the first time around.

 

Also from the review I linked to above:

 

 

 

 

I'm not insisting the character should be exactly the same after all this time, but his original spirit and conviction should remain intact.  I'm not getting that.   In some ways, Duchovny's character in Aquarius has more in common with the Fox Mulder I remember than the character who goes by that name now.

 

Maybe it's just not possible to recreate iconic characters after a span of years, even for the actors who originally portrayed them.   I never bought Shatner as Captain Kirk in any of the Star Trek movies -- he was Captain Shatner.   Or Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry in any film following The Enforcer.   Gillian Anderson's doing a slightly better job with Scully, but she seems more like Scully from I Want To Believe than the from the series. 

 

Yes, but GA should be the Scully from I Want to Believe. And DD's Mulder should be a progression from that as well--that's where we last left them. And they are.  If the material is meant to be comedic in tone, both actors have adjusted to that as well. 

 

I don't really see how DD wanting to leave after 7 years working on one show somehow negates his effort now. Clearly he doesn't have to be here. He's here because he wants to be.  So when I see the "lazy" comment, I usually just assume it's the reviewer being lazy and recycling commentary from the late 90s.  

 

Alas, what I've been seeing both DD and GA do as their characters and where they'd be as 50-somethings, both in relation to themselves and each other makes perfect sense. If nothing else, the actors are absolutely nailing it. 

Edited February 11, 2016 by baileythedog

[Taryn74]

Well I'm glad to see after reading all of the comments, I'm not the only one that really loved this one.  I was beginning to wonder after the first page!  Heh.  (And I still don't really care for last week's.)

 

I thought DD and GA were spot on.  Finally.  This was the M/S I've been missing.  Yes, Scully was more openly emotional with Mulder after her mother's death than her father's, but she's known/been with Mulder for a matter of decades now rather than a few months.  That makes a huge difference.

 

Mrs. Scully nooooo!  I'm so sad.  Shiela Larken has always been a big part of the show for me.

 

I'm a bit surprised to see so many people thought the "did William feel like trash" bit at the end was clunky and heavy-handed.  It kicked me right in the feels.  No matter how much she rationalizes her decision, deep down Scully is always going to wonder if she just gave up on her child.  It's human nature.  Mulder's lack of reaction there was exactly the way he (non-) reacted in The Truth when Scully was crying that she thought he would never forgive her for giving up their son.  I thought it was the perfect touch, because really, what can you say to something like that?

 

I'll probably have more to say after I watch it again, but it's 1 am here and I need sleep.

[eleanorofaquitaine]

I find this assertion that DD is delivering a bored, ho-hum performance as if it is a statement of fact a little confusing, since I am not seeing that at all.  I'm seeing an extremely nuanced performance where he is conveying Mulder's pain and wisdom, which comes with the passage of time.  And I am also seeing glimpses of the old Mulder, with the quips and the passion for the work.  I thought this episode, in particular, was a good showcase for DD - it was a quieter performance than Gillian Anderson's, but still full of meaning.

[Sandman]

I assume for some reason or another he'll be "the key to everything" but I really hope that phrase isn't used. Like, at all. 

 

Ever. By anyone on television. I don't have the trouble that so many do with the William storyline, but, geez Louise.

[festivus]

I usually find it tedious to watch depression on tv (Meredith Grey for one). Maybe because it's too much of a real life problem and I'm watching tv to escape but I'm having zero problems with DD's performance. He's exactly where I expected him to be and I admit I don't pay as much attention to DD as I do GA but I think he's been doing a great job. Rewatching these episodes I'm going to make an effort to pay more attention to him.

 

And back to GA fangirling....I feel a little dirty saying this, but I'm loving these partially unbuttoned dress shirts Scully's been wearing.

 

Forgot to respond to this before but yeah. Hello! from the shallow end of the pool. 

[janestclair]

Well I'm glad to see after reading all of the comments, I'm not the only one that really loved this one.  I was beginning to wonder after the first page!  Heh.  (And I still don't really care for last week's.)

 

I thought DD and GA were spot on.  Finally.  This was the M/S I've been missing.  Yes, Scully was more openly emotional with Mulder after her mother's death than her father's, but she's known/been with Mulder for a matter of decades now rather than a few months.  That makes a huge difference.

 

Mrs. Scully nooooo!  I'm so sad.  Shiela Larken has always been a big part of the show for me.

 

I'm a bit surprised to see so many people thought the "did William feel like trash" bit at the end was clunky and heavy-handed.  It kicked me right in the feels.  No matter how much she rationalizes her decision, deep down Scully is always going to wonder if she just gave up on her child.  It's human nature.  Mulder's lack of reaction there was exactly the way he (non-) reacted in The Truth when Scully was crying that she thought he would never forgive her for giving up their son.  I thought it was the perfect touch, because really, what can you say to something like that?

 

I'll probably have more to say after I watch it again, but it's 1 am here and I need sleep.

 

I didn't think that bit about trash at the end was heavy handed either.  Obviously Scully has William weighing heavily on her mind, and now she's a raw nerve on top of that with her mother's passing. When you're in that sort of state, everything  and anything relates and connects back to what's weighing on you, even if there's really no connection. Like how she kept seeing William's name on her phone.  They just finished a case about trash, so it worked for me.  

[SparklesBitch]

Consider that in this revival, this is the first time we've seen Mulder completely and utterly alone in the world. He doesn't have a job, he obviously doesn't have his sister, but doesn't have either of his parents, doesn't have the Lone Gunmen, doesn't have William and now doesn't even have Scully.

 

Of course he's going to be a sad, dejected mess.  I hate seeing reviewers interpret this as "boredom" on the part of Duchovny and not recognize it for what it is--a character whose passion has run aground and has no further resources buttressing him.  

 

Agreed. I think the emotional state that Mulder is in is very real considering everything he's been through, and I also think that DD is knocking it out of the park. I'm amused by the accusations of "boredom" given that according to interviews, he was excited to get this revival off the ground. Heck, he even talked GA into doing it. That doesn't sound like a man bored to tears by the project to me.

 

I like the sadness and guilt Mulder and Scully are dealing with as related to William. No matter the wacky sci-fi circumstances, at the core, they're two people who've spent 20+ years together, who love each other very much, and who (for wacky sci-fi reasons beyond their control) lost their kid. That's huge and always provides depth to a story because you can't help but wonder...how do these people manage to get up in the morning?? I'm always interested in the nuances of human behavior, so how they cope day-to-day with this enormous decision and loss is fascinating to me. You can't just crawl into a hole and chew your hair, which is probably what you'd want to do. So if it didn't inform every move, choice, etc. that came after, I'd call bullshit. I think both David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are doing a great job of keeping an undercurrent of sadness going whether they're overtly facing the William situation or not. It's ever present for the characters, so it's ever present for us.

At some point, William will obviously have to contribute more to the story than just being a happy or miserable kid living with loving or awful adoptive parents. But in the meantime, not knowing what happened to him would be crushing, especially for Scully. If it weren't, she'd have no soul, and we know that's not the case...because she is the very best.

 

I don't have much to add other than a giant WORD to this whole post. I've never been very fond of the whole William storyline.....I have a hard time making myself care about him, to be honest, but like it or not, he's a giant part of what drives both Mulder and Scully now, and it HAS to be that way. It wouldn't be realistic if they weren't thinking about him and worrying about him on a regular basis. The current of melancholy that's just under the surface of everything makes a lot of sense, in my opinion. I just really hope, for the sake of both Mulder and Scully, that William has been a regular, much loved, happy-go-lucky kid this whole time. That's probably not very realistic on this show, but a girl can dream.

 

Like you said, I'm also fascinated by how they both manage to get up and go on with life every day after suffering such personal trauma and loss on a regular basis. That's why I think Mulder being depressed makes so much sense. If he can't pursue his quest for The Truth, he has nothing to keep him moving. I've been watching season 1 recently and was reminded of Deep Throat and Mulder standing by a shark tank during one of their clandestine meetings and Deep Throat talks about how if the shark stops swimming, it'll die and then tells Mulder to not stop swimming. I feel like that's what happened. He and Scully went on the run, he stayed hidden because he was a wanted man, and he just.....stopped swimming. I feel like now he's fighting his way back to the surface and Scully seems to be enjoying that a lot. He's happier and more like the Mulder of yore, just older and more jaded and worn down by life. It makes sense to me. Just my opinion of course, but I'm digging all of it, especially the way DD and GA are playing it.

 

Yes, but GA should be the Scully from I Want to Believe. And DD's Mulder should be a progression from that as well--that's where we last left them. And they are.  If the material is meant to be comedic in tone, both actors have adjusted to that as well. 

 

I don't really see how DD wanting to leave after 7 years working on one show somehow negates his effort now. Clearly he doesn't have to be here. He's here because he wants to be.  So when I see the "lazy" comment, I usually just assume it's the reviewer being lazy and recycling commentary from the late 90s.  

 

Alas, what I've been seeing both DD and GA do as their characters and where they'd be as 50-somethings, both in relation to themselves and each other makes perfect sense. If nothing else, the actors are absolutely nailing it. 

 

Exactly. =)

 

Ever. By anyone on television.

 

Hee! Yep. I've definitely had my fill of something being "the key to everything!!!" as well.

 

 

Forgot to respond to this before but yeah. Hello! from the shallow end of the pool.

 

Hello fellow shallow friend! It's certainly nice to have company down here in the gutter! =)

Edited February 12, 2016 by SparklesBitch

[madam magpie]

SparklesBitch: Totally agree about Mulder. And you know, I don't really feel much for William himself either. I mean, kids in peril are always heart-tugging on some level, and I certainly don't hope he's suffering. And I'm curious about where he's been and what he can do. But I don't know him so he doesn't mean much to me personally. On the other hand, I do care very much about Mulder and Scully, especially Scully. I know them, so their sadness makes me feel for them. I don't judge them negatively for being sad because one of the reasons I love them is that they're be the types of characters who would be sad in a situation like this...if that makes sense. So for me, it totally works.

As for the growing group at the shallow end of the pool, count me in. I was watching The Fall the other day, and my friend and I decided that the only appropriate response to "I'd shag Gillian Anderson" is "Who wouldn't?!"

Edited February 12, 2016 by madam magpie

[festivus]

As for the growing group at the shallow end of the pool, count me in. I was watching The Fall the other day, and my friend and I decided that the only appropriate response to "I'd shag Gillian Anderson" is "Who wouldn't?!"

 

 

Yeah you know those lists you have with your SO, the freebie list of five famous people you can shag(I think it was from Friends). I only have one person on mine ;)

[SparklesBitch]

As for the growing group at the shallow end of the pool, count me in. I was watching The Fall the other day, and my friend and I decided that the only appropriate response to "I'd shag Gillian Anderson" is "Who wouldn't?!"

 

Ha! I've had this same exact conversation with a friend of mine while we were watching it. The opening scene to the very first episode in particular, she's just stunningly gorgeous even in her pajamas with minimal makeup (by TV standards, anyway) on.

[luna1122]

I love Gillian, and more especially Scully, and my boyfriend would definitely agree about the shagging her thing, but I'm the exception to the rule,I guess. I have no interest in shagging her. But David duchovny remains on my permanent laminated list. (And none of it is sour grapes that GA has gotten to work intimately with him AND number one on my list: Mads mikkelsen) I'm just hopelessly, boringly straight.

I do believe GA has more range, probably, than DD, and she can sure make me cry, but I think DD is really underrated, and has evolved into a pretty fine, subtle, intuitive actor. And I have always loved mulder, and he has always had the potential to break my heart,,but this mulder---the older, wearier, sadder, adrift but still sardonic mulder---I find him utterly heartbreaking. I do not see boredom, not in his performance or his characterization.

[Jac]

I agree luna1122. This reboot has a lot of problems but the only thing that is consistent is the excellent characterisation and acting from both DD and GA. GA has significantly more range as an actress, but DD's portrayal of Mulder in this reboot is dead on. One thing that is consistently true across the course of the whole run of the show is that DD and GA both really understand the characters they are playing and what drives them.

 

Do all the people who are complaining that DD seems bored remember his performance in the original series at all?

[millennium]

 

Do all the people who are complaining that DD seems bored remember his performance in the original series at all?

 

Rather well, thanks.   At the very least, Mulder Classic seemed genuinely interested in the cases and often had empathy for the victims.    The New Mulder seems only interested in punch lines.   Chris Carter should add rimshots.

[Ottis]

This episode has me thinking about what all 6 episodes are supposed to represent as a whole. And they seem to be about transitions. In that way, I liked it.

 

- Mulder grows up and doubts his younger self and all he once believed ... only to discover that there is in fact weirdness in the world.

- Scully loses her mom, and works through various feelings about her brothers.

- The baby William stuff, which for me is eh. I am rarely interested in baby angst. But it is, of course, a key transition for the character.

- And now in the preview for next week, we seem to see a Mulder & Scully: The Next Generation.

 

if the point of these 6 episodes is to bring some kind of closure to original M&S and all the issues they have (as all humans carry around, in their own ways), and perhaps introduce us to the next X-Files, I'm good.

 

Shades of Home, anyone?

 

 

Given the episode title, I expected a literally reintroduction to the Peacock family, so on that count I was disappointed. 

 

Do all the people who are complaining that DD seems bored remember his performance in the original series at all?

 

 

Yes, and not only that, we rewatched the 1998 X-Files movie immediately prior to watching this new series on DVR. Mulder was far more of a believer, a zealot, in the original series. More energy, more enthusiasm, more of a need to connect dots that don't appear to be connected. This new TV Mulder is supposed to be weary and disillusioned, I get it. But I think the real issue is that DD is simply older, and less interested. He doesn't appear to believe anything he is saying.

Edited February 12, 2016 by Ottis