S11.E07: Rm9sbG93ZXJz

[Sharna Pax]

9 minutes ago, Bastet said:

That's pretty funny, because she initially lived in Annapolis (MD), but then in the first movie her apartment - the same as we'd seen on the show - was said to be in Georgetown.  And, of course, we all wanted Scully to have the cool address rather than the shitty commute, but where does she really live? 

So if they put this totally uncharacteristic sleek, modern home - as, apparently, part of a sleek, modern development, given the fact her neighbor's home (when they tried to call 911 after their phones didn't work) looked the same - in Annapolis, are they really putting her back there after her having returned to the FBI rather than centrally locating her as they, possibly, hadn't before?  The hell?

Annapolis is just where she was born, I think - presumably because that's where the navy base is. Her sleek, shiny new house is in Bethesda, Maryland, which is the only thing in this episode that actually makes total sense. If there was ever a sleek, impersonal, creepy-as-hell suburban town ripe for a robot takeover, it's Bethesda.

[Bastet]

Just now, Sharna Pax said:

Annapolis is just where she was born, I think - presumably because that's where the navy base is.

As a Navy brat, she lived all over the place; we can narrow down living in San Diego among other places as a kid, getting her B.S. (in physics) at Maryland (U of M) and her M.D. at Stanford, and, as the series gets going, her home being in Maryland, but it's later retconned to Georgetown.

[Sharna Pax]

8 minutes ago, Bastet said:

As a Navy brat, she lived all over the place; we can narrow down living in San Diego among other places as a kid, getting her B.S. (in physics) at Maryland (U of M) and her M.D. at Stanford, and, as the series gets going, her home being in Maryland, but it's later retconned to Georgetown.

I just meant in the context of the episode - Annapolis gets mentioned because it's one of her security questions, but the label on the Roomba box says Bethesda. But I agree with you, Scully should live in DC. I grew up in the DC suburbs, and Bethesda is no place for a human being to live, especially since the Barnes & Noble closed down.

[teddysmom]

16 hours ago, spritz said:

"You can say things like make a payment, re-order items... Returns! ... Returns! ... Returns!"  

Me every time I call f***ing AT&T about my Uverse bill. NO NO NO  TELEVISION

"Did you know you can set up auto payments?"

I can't even trust you assholes to bill me correctly every month, you think I'm giving you access to my bank account?

[Rushmoras]

Too much absurd science-fiction to be believable for me. Also, it may serve as some alternate reality for Terminator, how Skynet came to be lol However, better than that Darin Morgan episode this season.

Edited March 2, 2018 by Rushmoras

[Tardislass]

This episode would have been a great half hour story. As it was, halfway through, I started looking at my watch, 25 min later I was hoping it would just end. I understand the show wanted to copy the whole “Black Mirror” feel but having no other people in the restaurant or even Scullys neighbors(did they forget their phone?) seemed a bit too OOT.

Things I did like:

Scully’s laugh and a wig that makes her look young.

Mulder looking smoking hot.

Bigly Credit & Rocket like a Redhead

Scully has a reminder of Skinner’s birthday.

The drone swarm at Mulders.

The ending scene.

Two women writers-Finally!!!

Anyone know what the tag line meant?

Edited March 2, 2018 by Tardislass

[janestclair]

That was the weirdest episode of the X-Files, possibly ever.  I fell asleep in the last 5 minutes.  What did I miss, if anything?  I can't decide how I feel about it. I probably need to at least see the ending before I decide.  

Both the title and the tagline are base 64, apparently.  Title means following, and tagline is the usual. 

[Biggie B]

I wonder if having but a few lines of dialogue was to rest GA's voice, as it truly seems as if her vocal chords are damaged - which is pure speculation on my part, I have no idea if she has anything wrong with her voice, but it has sure sounded horrible in prior episodes. 

This was weird. I didn't take it seriously at all, since it was so off kilter (who would go into a completely deserted restaurant - and then about a million other improbable things). Why doesn't Scully have a car? I guess the writers just wanted to screw around and said, "What if the two of them were harassed to the point of almost being killed by AI?" and then went from there. 

Scully's home was so sterile and cold and cavernous. What an awful place - devoid of any comfort or warmth, all hard edges and darkness. A mean and hostile environment. Scully was so out of place there. I didn't buy it for a moment that it was her home.

I loved Mulder eating Pop Tarts. He's adorable.

I wouldn't have left a tip either - no one performed a service. I hate those fish with the human-looking faces! So gross! And sushi makes me gag. 

There were a few moments that made me chuckle but otherwise - just nonsensical and boring at times. The writers were indulging themselves, I felt.

Edited March 2, 2018 by Biggie B

[Sharna Pax]

On 3/1/2018 at 2:02 PM, pagooey said:

I honestly LOVE the very subtle thread running through season 11 of Scully, a badass, independent, fifty-something, sexual woman who has both a vibrator and a hot soulmate she now allows herself to reach for when the AA-battery version does not appeal. There's an element of defiance in it--a rejection of the Blessed Virgin Saint Scully portrayal she labored under for years--and I am HERE FOR IT. Scully no longer gives a shit, y'all. You go on and put that beautiful man to work, girl. 

Oh, yes, I love that too. The one point about the original X-Files that consistently bothered me was the weird obsession with treating Scully like a virgin martyr, and I love how clearly and definitively this season has swept that nonsense away. Even if I didn't like anything else about this season - and actually I like it a lot - I'd think it was worth bringing the show back one more time just for that. (I do wish Scully had hooked up with Mulder in "Plus One" just because she felt like it, and not because she was insecure about her uterus, but hey, Chris Carter gonna Chris Carter. At least we got "Mulder, come back to bed," which is more than I ever expected.)

I get such a Season 7 vibe from this season. You've got Mulder and Scully in some kind of relationship that's unconventional, unofficial, and apparently secondary to their work together, but that seems to work for them and make them happy. And you know what? I'm okay with that. I was happy for them in Season 7, and if they've circled back around to this semi-relationship because it's what works, then why not? I'm just glad that the show can finally admit that they're sleeping together instead of drowning everything in ambiguity.

[Ottis]

That was an hour of my life I would like back. I thought maybe at the end it would be a dream or a novel one of them was writing. It was boring, nonsensical and didn’t say anything. 

[Neptune]

 XFN talks "Followers" with Kristen Cloke and Shannon Hamblin

“Mulder is the type of fringe character, isolated.” Hamblin explains when asked about the way they’ve portrayed Scully’s home and life in this episode. “She would probably have more technology in her life; she was a doctor at a nice hospital, so she would be more open to technology and society, and things like that Mulder wouldn’t.” They admit to having toyed with the idea of having her have an instagram with a decent amount of friends, and Mulder would have one account too, but Scully would be the only one he’d follow.

“We benefited from the fact that her life wasn’t thoroughly established.” Cloke reasons as well. “It became a gift for us. We kind of relished on the fact that her life is much more updated and lush than Mulder’s.” Shannon also adds that Chris Carter agreed that she would live in this house, and it served as an opportunity to show how their lives had gone in different directions and where that would put them.

http://xfiles.news/index.php/news/reviews/1580-followers

[AntiBeeSpray]

4 hours ago, Biggie B said:

I wonder if having but a few lines of dialogue was to rest GA's voice, as it truly seems as if her vocal chords are damaged - which is pure speculation on my part, I have no idea if she has anything wrong with her voice, but it has sure sounded horrible in prior episodes. 

This was weird. I didn't take it seriously at all, since it was so off kilter (who would go into a completely deserted restaurant - and then about a million other improbable things). Why doesn't Scully have a car? I guess the writers just wanted to screw around and said, "What if the two of them were harassed to the point of almost being killed by AI?" and then went from there. 

Scully's home was so sterile and cold and cavernous. What an awful place - devoid of any comfort or warmth, all hard edges and darkness. A mean and hostile environment. Scully was so out of place there. I didn't buy it for a moment that it was her home.

I loved Mulder eating Pop Tarts. He's adorable.

I wouldn't have left a tip either - no one performed a service. I hate those fish with the human-looking faces! So gross! And sushi makes me gag. 

There were a few moments that made me chuckle but otherwise - just nonsensical and boring at times. The writers were indulging themselves, I felt.

 

Well said!

Yea Scully's place felt so empty and sad. I felt bad for her. I didn't either. As far as I was concerned, it was nothing more than a plot device.

Agreed about the writers.

 

This interview via Syfy says it all in my opinion: http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/exclusive-x-files-writers-kristen-cloke-and-shannon-hamblin-explain-rm9sbg93zxjz

 

Especially this part:

 

Quote

This isn't the first time The X-Files has featured machines with a mind of their own. Did you go back and watch any of the other episodes? Did you keep in mind how technology has changed in the last 25 years?

SH: I didn't go back and check the episodes. I think technology haschanged so much over the past... even five years. Just thinking about people who don't know what an answering machine is. Even with the car being automated... I'm working on something right now and GM is talking about their cars being automated. Everything is happening and is so different in technology that I didn't think it was touching on anything that had been explored before in previous episodes. Did you go back and watch?

KC: No, I didn't. I was on The X-Files 20 years ago, so I remember. When [the fans] had something to say about you, they had to say it on a message board. So the technology has changed a lot. I think it was completely appropriate to do an episode that deals with technology, and I think one of the interesting things, whenever I see clips of the show, if they are talking on a phone, they are usually talking on a landline. They weren't even really using cell phones when the show first started. That alone is just so different. It would be appropriate that Mulder and Scully could get into what is now, appropriately, called the Black Mirror, I guess.

What writer doesn't go back to watch? Just to make sure they're getting the characters down right?

 

And here's another one that I think does as well: http://xfiles.news/index.php/news/reviews/1580-followers

 

Along with a quote: 

 

Quote

“Mulder is the type of fringe character, isolated.” Hamblin explains when asked about the way they’ve portrayed Scully’s home and life in this episode. “She would probably have more technology in her life; she was a doctor at a nice hospital, so she would be more open to technology and society, and things like that Mulder wouldn’t.” They admit to having toyed with the idea of having her have an instagram with a decent amount of friends, and Mulder would have one account too, but Scully would be the only one he’d follow.

“We benefited from the fact that her life wasn’t thoroughly established.” Cloke reasons as well. “It became a gift for us. We kind of relished on the fact that her life is much more updated and lush than Mulder’s.” Shannon also adds that Chris Carter agreed that she would live in this house, and it served as an opportunity to show how their lives had gone in different directions and where that would put them.

 

But one thing stood out to me:

 

Quote

“Glen wanted to do an episode like this, he wanted to do something with drones a few years ago,” Kristen explains. “When he handed us the episode there were certain challenges and topics that he was interested in tackling. He gave us five things that he wanted to have in the episode, and one of them was no dialogue.”

This was one of the selling points of this episode since it was announced. To many within the team, it represented a challenge to make such a style fit in a show that relies so much on dialogue at times. David Duchovny expressed at the TCA sessions back in January 2018, that he was cautious about approaching the episode, as no one wanted to make it feel like a mime sketch or silly. But the style proved to be more of a blessing than an obstacle.

I wonder how it would have turned out if he had written it. Oh well. Given what he did for M and S in 'Home Again' and 'This'... what could have been. Given that he knows M and S well.  At least the direction was ok.

Edited March 3, 2018 by AntiBeeSpray

[sharifa70]

If you’ve spent the past thirty years wondering what would happen if the “I want my two dollars” kid from Better off Dead got his own spinoff, you’re in luck. You’re welcome. 

[100Proof]

On 3/1/2018 at 1:06 PM, welnoc said:

I fully believe that your "smart" fridge and your "smart" car and your "smart" phone can all talk to each other. Forget about those new google and amazon "assistants". They're just there to gather data, not help you out.

I am so glad I don't own a mobile phone, "smart" or otherwise. 

 

In what's the domain of physics, mathematics, chaos theory, game theory, statistical analysis and AI, people don't realize that all the stuff they upload and talk about and who they talk with and all of their behaviors is pure data that is collected and analyzed by highly sophisticated AI algorithms.  These in turn are used to manipulate and to literally  steer the course of history.

 

Of course none of this bothers the average person, because unto themselves, life is pretty boring, ordinary and fairly uneventful so what do they care who's collecting their data and they got nothing to hide anyway.....

However, it's you times hundreds of millions of other people's 'boring' lives, likes and dislikes, political and religious leanings, etc etc etc etc, that enables various 'agencies' and large multi corporations to predict future events and therefore manipulate them. 

It's kind of like, for example, a person arguing with another as to why are they driving a gas guzzler and what its doing to the environment and all that. Gas guzzler guy says, "mind yer own business. what I do has no effect on anything."

Which is true. However, this one guy times tens/hundreds of millions of other gas guzzler guys like him, adds up to real world tangible effects on environment, gas prices, wars waged for oil, politics etc.

Except this time its pure data that's the commodity

Edited March 3, 2018 by 100Proof

[TVbitch]

This was a middlin' episode ...of Black Mirror.

In the "normal" X-files universe, it will never be spoken of again and going forward it will be like it never happened. 

[Casually Observant]

On 2/28/2018 at 7:00 PM, janeta said:

wth?

 

and mulder just should have shot down the drones.

Yes! I kept saying to the TV screen, "Mulder, Scully, where are your GD guns?  Shoot them!"  I also realized the value of a tennis racket or a lacrosse stick. Maybe I'll buy one of each and have them by the front door, just in case...

[TexasGal]

On 2/28/2018 at 8:12 PM, Pippin said:

 

"Why is your house so much nicer than mine?"  LOL.

I snorted so loud at that I scared my dog.  

I started off thunking the episode had to be in the future but wasn’t so sure by the end.  In any case, I really liked it.

[Casually Observant]

On 3/1/2018 at 12:21 PM, teddysmom said:

Me too. I hated this. I was so bored I started cleaning my apartment.  No dialogue, and I hate this "automation taking over everything". Why was no one else in the restaurant? Why is she ordering a car when Mulder can just take her home. Why does he have to get a map out? He's lived in DC for 20 years. 

I did like that they got her a shorter wig, it looked much better. 

I didn't like the short wig. It looked too wiggy. I feel like they put her in it to make this episode be a stand-alone, sometime-in-the-future episode.

[Casually Observant]

'A CAUTIONARY TALE' .  At the end when the two are sitting in the coffee shop with live people and a real waitress serving them, we notice that the normally stingy Mulder has left a hefty tip.

'We learn from you!' works both ways, it seems.  He then mentions to Scully that he was glad she got back all of her electronic devices.

"Well, not all of them," she replies, and we know immediately that she did not get her vibrator back. 

Scully sees the generous tip and notices they are both using their electronic devices rather than interacting with each other. She sets her phone down, and puts her hand on Mulder's hand.

They look at each other. He puts his phone down, too.  Mulder's generosity has stirred something within Scully and Mulder is happy to cooperate.

Abstaining from our electronic crutches,  will force us to interact with each other like we used to and that can be a very good thing.  And, as you delegate more and more human tasks to AI, you may find that can be a very bad thing.

[anonyposter]

Possibly the best episode since Season 5 maybe?

Those computers wasted so much more money than they got from Mulder's tip though.  Not very smart AI.

[Pippin]

Space reran the episode on Friday and I rewatched accordingly and so a couple more thoughts.

What exactly was the warehouse for?  Shipping? Manufacturing? A little of both? Not a vital plot point, I know, but I'm just wondering.

Some of the scenes in said warehouse reminded me of scenes aboard the Russian research ship in the movie Virus, a stupid movie that I still stubbornly like even though I know it's stupid (but given the ingredients, could have been really good).  It's the little walking bots in the sterile grey environment that does it, I think.

I realized that there are a lot of Hollywood movies where you have a villain who relentlessly pursues the hero due to a very small slight, or because they're psycho, so the bots going postal due to a neglected tip is not that far out. 

The other scenario is that it was a trial run for taking over the planet.  Although I, personally, have never understood why anyone would want to rule the world -- seems like a headache to me.  As Lord Vetinari in the Discworld series of books observes, being a successful tyrant involves a great deal of thinking and hard work, and most tyrants are lazy and sloppy and so end up dying in very disagreeable manners. 

So it seems to me that a nanosecond of thought and your average logical computer would realize that and leave the monkeys to their own wayward devices.

[AntiBeeSpray]

On 3/3/2018 at 8:59 AM, sharifa70 said:

If you’ve spent the past thirty years wondering what would happen if the “I want my two dollars” kid from Better off Dead got his own spinoff, you’re in luck. You’re welcome. 

I just saw that movie up at Wal-Mart! Better off Dead that is. Surprised me.

 

On 3/3/2018 at 4:53 PM, Casually Observant said:

I didn't like the short wig. It looked too wiggy. I feel like they put her in it to make this episode be a stand-alone, sometime-in-the-future episode.

I'd wish it was so. But I saw it in other caps. >_< (not trying to be too spoilery)

 

Just saw an old movie I saw when I was a kid at a store recently, Batteries Not Included. That's what this ep reminded me of in a way.

 

Found a screen cap from it that reminded me of when Mulder saw all of those little flying bots/drones.

 

Edited March 7, 2018 by AntiBeeSpray

[Sunshinegal]

I just watched this episode recently.  I didn't like it.  I guess they were going for a Black Mirror vibe.  It felt like they were doing an episode of Black Mirror and not the X Files.  I even get them doing a mostly silent episode, but the execution to me wasn't good.  GA and DD did well, but this episode didn't click.  I was mostly bored. 

I know that technology has changed over the years.  Technology brings both good and bad consequences.  We should see the good consequences and limit the bad ones as much as possible. 

I don't believe that Scully would have a smart house.  Personally, I'm afraid that somebody can hack the locks or my security camera in a smart house.  I wouldn't get one personally because there are so many security issues.  It is worse than hacking a personal computer and we hear a lot in the news about data breaches.  If something is controlling access to a house or car, it could endanger lives.  Personally, I would not pay to have Google or Amazon data mine my searches or my buying habits.   I believe that Scully would know this.  I do believe she would have an alarm system and easy access to a gun. 

I understand why Mulder didn't leave a tip.  I didn't understand why the restaurant and Scully's house seemed so sterile. 

I liked reading this thread.  I enjoyed all of the insights.

it felt weird that Mulder didn't talk much.  Mulder looooooves to talk. 

I like sexual Scully.  She's been through so much.  She deserves to have some fun.

[uoflfan]

I laughed when all those Alexa devices went crazy this week.  Maybe they watched this episode.

[eleanorofaquitaine]

On 3/1/2018 at 6:02 PM, pagooey said:

And although broad continuity has never been this show's strong suit, I honestly LOVE the very subtle thread running through season 11 of Scully, a badass, independent, fifty-something, sexual woman who has both a vibrator and a hot soulmate she now allows herself to reach for when the AA-battery version does not appeal. There's an element of defiance in it--a rejection of the Blessed Virgin Saint Scully portrayal she labored under for years--and I am HERE FOR IT. Scully no longer gives a shit, y'all. You go on and put that beautiful man to work, girl. 

 

I wonder, though, if that was really the message of this episode. (Or I should say that I think that the writers wouldn't disagree that Scully is a badass independent, sexual woman). But I actually thought that the ep was making the point that technology, for all that it gives us the simulation of human contact, is not an actual substitute for human contact.  So including the personal massager in there was a very intimate way of making the same point - that Mulder and Scully need to have that human contact.  But I do agree with you that yes, they are FINALLY after all of these years rejecting the idea that Scully is a saint who must be put on a pedestal.  No, she's actually a flawed human being with the same needs that everyone else has and one of those needs is the desire to have sex (with Mulder).

This episode has grown on me in the week since I saw it.  The themes were simple but the premise was creative, and I like how they delineated the differences between Mulder and Scully when it comes to technology.  And I also liked how it elevated some of both Mulder and Scully's character traits to an absurd degree (like Mulder's cheapness, Scully's belief that "science" has all of the answers). Ultimately, in the long run, I bet this episode ends up getting cited as one of the best of season 11.  

And yes, to follow up on what a few others have said, I don't really worry about continuity when it comes to this kind of ep. This episode was more about using Mulder and Scully to make a thematic point, less about following the continuity of the show.  I mean, it included enough about them that it felt in-character for both of them, but I don't think it needs to follow every thread of continuity to be a good episode. 

[Sunshinegal]

Morgan and wong  viewed Scully as multi dimensional.  They did write never again where she did have sex.  They wanted her to be darker.  I think saint Scully started after they left in my opinion.  Having Scully having needs and desires with Glen Morgan being a show runner makes sense to me.

[Taryn74]

6 hours ago, eleanorofaquitaine said:

But I actually thought that the ep was making the point that technology, for all that it gives us the simulation of human contact, is not an actual substitute for human contact.  So including the personal massager in there was a very intimate way of making the same point - that Mulder and Scully need to have that human contact.

I wish, wish, WISH they'd have had Mulder lean over and say in that sexy bedroom voice of his "Well, all the ones you need" when Scully said she didn't get back all of her personal devices.  With a suggestive eyebrow wiggle, even.

Missed opportunity, I tell ya.

[Sunshinegal]

Just now, Taryn74 said:

I wish, wish, WISH they'd have had Mulder lean over and say in that sexy bedroom voice of his "Well, all the ones you need" when Scully said she didn't get back all of her personal devices.  With a suggestive eyebrow wiggle, even.

Missed opportunity, I tell ya.

agree.

[AntiBeeSpray]

4 hours ago, Taryn74 said:

I wish, wish, WISH they'd have had Mulder lean over and say in that sexy bedroom voice of his "Well, all the ones you need" when Scully said she didn't get back all of her personal devices.  With a suggestive eyebrow wiggle, even.

Missed opportunity, I tell ya.

I think Scully's hand on his said a lot right there  ;).

[Sharna Pax]

15 hours ago, eleanorofaquitaine said:

And I also liked how it elevated some of both Mulder and Scully's character traits to an absurd degree (like Mulder's cheapness, Scully's belief that "science" has all of the answers).

I really enjoyed the callback to Mulder not tipping in "Bad Blood." It always cracks me up that the not tipping is in Mulder's version of events, when you'd think it would be in Scully's. But to be fair to Mulder, he doesn't just get poor service from the restaurant; he also gets ripped off. If I'd just paid for an entire meal that I never got, I'd be pretty firmly against giving the restaurant any more of my money too. I think it's the principle of the thing more than anything else - but it strikes me as very Mulder to make such a stand on principle that he's repeatedly almost getting them both killed over a $5.50 tip.

On 3/2/2018 at 5:53 PM, Neptune said:

 XFN talks "Followers" with Kristen Cloke and Shannon Hamblin

“Mulder is the type of fringe character, isolated.” Hamblin explains when asked about the way they’ve portrayed Scully’s home and life in this episode. “She would probably have more technology in her life; she was a doctor at a nice hospital, so she would be more open to technology and society, and things like that Mulder wouldn’t.”

Maybe it's just my own personal aesthetic, but when I look at these two houses, it's Mulder who comes across as more connected and social, just because his house seems like somewhere that human beings would actually want to hang out in. Scully's house strikes me as cold and inhuman and very, very empty. Mulder's has a lot of warmth and personality, and even when he's the only one there, it doesn't look visually lonely in the way that Scully's does.

4 hours ago, AntiBeeSpray said:

I think Scully's hand on his said a lot right there  ;).

That, and I think her saying "Not all of them" was plenty suggestive already. I like it when Scully gets a chance to make the suggestive remarks.

[ganesh]

7 hours ago, Sharna Pax said:

Scully's house strikes me as cold and inhuman and very, very empty. Mulder's has a lot of warmth and personality, and even when he's the only one there, it doesn't look visually lonely in the way that Scully's does.

Yeah, and earlier in the season, she and Mulder were napping together on his couch, so it doesn't seem like Scully likes her house either. (Although it's nice she made a note of Skinner's birthday). 

[AntiBeeSpray]

12 hours ago, Sharna Pax said:

I really enjoyed the callback to Mulder not tipping in "Bad Blood." It always cracks me up that the not tipping is in Mulder's version of events, when you'd think it would be in Scully's. But to be fair to Mulder, he doesn't just get poor service from the restaurant; he also gets ripped off. If I'd just paid for an entire meal that I never got, I'd be pretty firmly against giving the restaurant any more of my money too. I think it's the principle of the thing more than anything else - but it strikes me as very Mulder to make such a stand on principle that he's repeatedly almost getting them both killed over a $5.50 tip.

Maybe it's just my own personal aesthetic, but when I look at these two houses, it's Mulder who comes across as more connected and social, just because his house seems like somewhere that human beings would actually want to hang out in. Scully's house strikes me as cold and inhuman and very, very empty. Mulder's has a lot of warmth and personality, and even when he's the only one there, it doesn't look visually lonely in the way that Scully's does.

That, and I think her saying "Not all of them" was plenty suggestive already. I like it when Scully gets a chance to make the suggestive remarks.

I do too. It's too bad that I wasn't a huge fan of this ep otherwise though.

[millennium]

On 3/1/2018 at 4:14 PM, spritz said:

As satire, this episode wasn't too bad. No need to overthink the story. 

 

I agree.  This wasn't meant to be taken seriously, or literally.   It was a parable.    Any uncharacteristic behaviors or illogic regarding Mulder/Scully and their domestic accommodations existed solely to carry the theme.

[millennium]

On 3/10/2018 at 12:37 PM, Sunshinegal said:

 Having Scully having needs and desires with Glen Morgan being a show runner makes sense to me.

Having one of ten precious episodes written by Glen Morgan's wife doesn't make sense to me.   Nepotism and quality rarely go hand in hand.

Kristen Cloke has exactly three writing credits listed on IMDB:   this episode of X-Files, which was directed by Glen Morgan, and two episodes of Intruders, a failed series created by Glen Morgan.   

No offense to Ms. Cloke, but there are better and more experienced writers out there who potentially could have delivered a better, more memorable episode.   

ETA: Maybe it's not all Kristen Cloke's fault; Wikipedia states she wrote the episode based on a story by Glen Morgan.

I'll always see Kristen Cloke as Lara Means from Millennium, who was given one of the most memorable mental breakdowns in television history, accompanied by Patti Smith's "Horses."

Edited March 27, 2018 by millennium

[MissL]

2 hours ago, millennium said:

Having one of ten precious episodes written by Glen Morgan's wife doesn't make sense to me.   Nepotism and quality rarely go hand in hand.

Kristen Cloke has exactly three writing credits listed on IMDB:   this episode of X-Files, which was directed by Glen Morgan, and two episodes of Intruders, a failed series created by Glen Morgan.   

No offense to Ms. Cloke, but there are better and more experienced writers out there who potentially could have delivered a better, more memorable episode.   

I'll always see Kristen Cloke as Lara Means from Millennium, who was given one of the most memorable mental breakdowns in television history, accompanied by Patti Smith's "Horses."

 It also screams "See Gillian! We let a woman write an episode!"  If she tanks it just proves they were right to keep it a boys club. Maybe that's me being far to cynical though. All my love for CC is gone. 

Someone online suggested that instead of a sushi date Mulder and Scully could have gone to an airbnb for vacation and ended up in a smart house that Mulder somehow pisses off (because of course it would be Mulder) and they have to find their way out of the house together but they can't talk or the house will hear them. Fixes everyone being distracted by Scully's out of character cold home and the fact that they aren't living together in the unremarkable house. Also makes the not talking not so much of a stretch. I don't know. It's an idea. Honestly it wasn't my favorite episode beyond the reaction to the blobfish and the vibrator. I can't say I cared much.  Not a rewatchable one for sure. 

[millennium]

48 minutes ago, MissL said:

 It also screams "See Gillian! We let a woman write an episode!"  If she tanks it just proves they were right to keep it a boys club. Maybe that's me being far to cynical though. All my love for CC is gone. 

Someone online suggested that instead of a sushi date Mulder and Scully could have gone to an airbnb for vacation and ended up in a smart house that Mulder somehow pisses off (because of course it would be Mulder) and they have to find their way out of the house together but they can't talk or the house will hear them. Fixes everyone being distracted by Scully's out of character cold home and the fact that they aren't living together in the unremarkable house. Also makes the not talking not so much of a stretch. I don't know. It's an idea. Honestly it wasn't my favorite episode beyond the reaction to the blobfish and the vibrator. I can't say I cared much.  Not a rewatchable one for sure. 

This revival, and the last, seem like the brainchild of someone who never watched or truly understood the X-Files.   I believe all the glowing reviews from the previous revival (i.e. Weremonster) can be attributed to nostalgia and giddiness at the series' return.  By and large, the revivals suck.  

Used to be, you got a sense that unknown forces -- alien, supernatural, government -- were influencing events and Mulder and Scully were playing catch-up.   That atmosphere has mostly vanished from the series (although a ham-handed attempt was made in this episode).

I think the Morgan/Wong hand has been terrifically overplayed and the revivals suffer from the lack of Frank Spotnitz's participation. 

[Hanahope]

i too felt a very Black Mirror vibe to this episode.  There’s a lot of tech I refuse too buy and now I feel a bit better about that decision.  It is amazing how little personal interaction one can have with people.  And you here of more coming all the time.  I know I will never eat in a restaurant where there’s no human at all.

[AudienceofOne]

On 02/03/2018 at 10:02 AM, pagooey said:

And although broad continuity has never been this show's strong suit, I honestly LOVE the very subtle thread running through season 11 of Scully, a badass, independent, fifty-something, sexual woman who has both a vibrator and a hot soulmate she now allows herself to reach for when the AA-battery version does not appeal. There's an element of defiance in it--a rejection of the Blessed Virgin Saint Scully portrayal she labored under for years--and I am HERE FOR IT. Scully no longer gives a shit, y'all. You go on and put that beautiful man to work, girl. 

This comment pretty well makes up almost entirely for this shitty Dark-Mirror-wannabe episode. 

On 27/03/2018 at 12:56 PM, MissL said:

Someone online suggested that instead of a sushi date Mulder and Scully could have gone to an airbnb for vacation and ended up in a smart house that Mulder somehow pisses off (because of course it would be Mulder) and they have to find their way out of the house together but they can't talk or the house will hear them. Fixes everyone being distracted by Scully's out of character cold home and the fact that they aren't living together in the unremarkable house. 

God that would have worked so much better. I spent the whole episode going "are we supposed to think they live separately"?

[AntiBeeSpray]

On 12/13/2018 at 3:47 AM, AudienceofOne said:

This comment pretty well makes up almost entirely for this shitty Dark-Mirror-wannabe episode. 

God that would have worked so much better. I spent the whole episode going "are we supposed to think they live separately"?

Word. Instead it goes with what Chris wanted. Them NOT living together. /facepalm Seriously? Was glad when said building caught fire.

[ganesh]

The thing is that they lived together in the second movie, so it's like, did she kick him out? 

[AntiBeeSpray]

On 1/1/2019 at 4:13 PM, ganesh said:

The thing is that they lived together in the second movie, so it's like, did she kick him out? 

Nah. We all know who did. Chris. He didn't want them to be together in a serious way. He wanted to have his cake and eat it too. Let them screw occasionally and nothing more. 

At the end of IWTB, I thought they were giving each other another chance. (David thought that as well, going from an interview from that time. CC said it was a break up. It was confusing... and I went with what David said and ignored Chris. :D)