S11.E09: Nothing Lasts Forever

[AntiBeeSpray]

On 3/17/2018 at 2:12 PM, Ottis said:

What was the conversation at the end about? Mulder was right there, and Scully decided what? 

Scully deciding to stay with Mulder and Mulder saying that he'll be with her. Along with an annoying last line that we'll never know. -_- (aka: this ep was a waste of time for me)

 

On 3/17/2018 at 3:25 PM, Mystery said:

The episode started with the killer crossing herself the Eastern Orthodox way (making the sign of the cross from right to left, unlike Catholics who do it left to right) and that made me think they were going someplace with that, but no. The killer went to the same church as Scully, who did it the Catholic way. It didn't seem like anyone gave a donation for the candles they lit, and there was WAY too much talking in church. I wondered if the show was trying to cover up Gillian's voice by having everyone whisper. 

Is there a Go Fund Me to get the production team some lights?

I wish! S11 has run into issues with it. But it's the XF for ya. Never enough lights lol.

Edited March 18, 2018 by AntiBeeSpray

[dingochick]

WTF did I just watch?? Bad dialogue, stupid story, etc. Come on, show, you can do better. This season has mostly sucked, this episode was no exception. :(

[AntiBeeSpray]

2 hours ago, dingochick said:

WTF did I just watch?? Bad dialogue, stupid story, etc. Come on, show, you can do better. This season has mostly sucked, this episode was no exception. :(

I know. They said it would be gorier than Home and it was. But it was anything but memorable. Home was directed well, written well. This... wasn't.

[dingochick]

I didn’t hear about the comparison to Home, but oh man when that first aired it scared the bejesus out of me. It also ruined Johnny Mathis’ song “Wonderful, Wonderful” for me for YEARS!  

 

This episode, not so much. I give it half a meh.

[AntiBeeSpray]

22 hours ago, dingochick said:

I didn’t hear about the comparison to Home, but oh man when that first aired it scared the bejesus out of me. It also ruined Johnny Mathis’ song “Wonderful, Wonderful” for me for YEARS!  

 

This episode, not so much. I give it half a meh.

Definitely.  And it still holds up after all these years.

This episode... one and done.

[ganesh]

I liked the last two weeks. What does one hope for in the reboot? Weird shit going down and M/S interactions. That's always been the show. Sure, it's not as great as it was, and part of that is because what it was was the first of its kind, but I'd be fine with just a bunch of standalones. Aliens and CSM's fever dreams should have been left in the last century. 

[Ghost of TWOP Past]

I'm sorry I waited so long to watch this one, but so far they've been pretty lackluster and I just didn't get around to it until now. I had a hard time figuring out whether it was supposed to be comedic or not. It was certainly interesting, even though the medical science made even less sense than usual. One thing that bothered me was Mulder's odd lack of urgency about looking for Scully after she fell several floors. And how come random teen girl fights like a ninja? But mostly it was blah blah, cute M&S interaction, blah blah. 

I don't know how well it meshes with the dialog, but my impression about the end convo was the Scully proposed marriage. Could be radically wrong, but it fits Mulder's how-it-ends bit. 

[AntiBeeSpray]

On 3/21/2018 at 10:06 PM, Ghost of TWOP Past said:

I'm sorry I waited so long to watch this one, but so far they've been pretty lackluster and I just didn't get around to it until now. I had a hard time figuring out whether it was supposed to be comedic or not. It was certainly interesting, even though the medical science made even less sense than usual. One thing that bothered me was Mulder's odd lack of urgency about looking for Scully after she fell several floors. And how come random teen girl fights like a ninja? But mostly it was blah blah, cute M&S interaction, blah blah. 

I don't know how well it meshes with the dialog, but my impression about the end convo was the Scully proposed marriage. Could be radically wrong, but it fits Mulder's how-it-ends bit. 

Yea that's how I viewed it too. Might as well view it as good head canon.

[millennium]

At this point, everyone's just phoning it in.   Mulder and Scully walk through these episodes like they're walking across a soundstage conscious that everything around them is merely a prop and of no particular threat.  There's no real engagement with the stories, instead the MOW has become merely a metaphor to echo whatever personal angst Mulder and Scully are paying lip service to this week.

The story seemed like an update of the Elizabeth Bathory legend.   The problem is, there was no underlying germ of plausibility.    Mulder and Scully simply accepted that Barbara Beaumont was still youthful and beautiful at the age of 85 without offering any remotely scientific explanation of why it might be possible.  In the past, there was always a balance between "it's a vampire" (Mulder) and "no, it's a blood fetishist or serial killer" (Scully), with the scale tipping to Mulder's view only at the end.   Here, Mulder and Scully are both "why not?" and blithely wander through the action.   

It's not just Mulder who's having problems with his vision.   It's Chris Carter and the bozos writing these lazy episodes.

 

ETA: A more horrific and satisfying denouement would reveal Barbara Beaumont and the doctor had been delusional all along, engaging in these acts of murder and cannibalism while only imagining themselves to still be in the prime of life.  Better that when Mulder and Scully finally found them we discover that they were, in fact, the Leech Woman and the portrait of Dorian Gray.

Edited May 10, 2018 by millennium

[DaynaPhile]

I’ve only just now caught up on season 11. This episode was the first in X Files history to make me gag. The surgeon licking the pancreas started it all and then also the drinking and blender scenes...shudder doesn’t even begin to describe what I felt. 

 

I’m going to refrain from commenting otherwise because I still don’t know how I feel about all of it. Except that I’m stinking mad that CC still thinks it’s cute to mess with fans heads about M&S life status. Just...stop. 

[AntiBeeSpray]

On 12/13/2018 at 6:39 PM, DaynaPhile said:

I’ve only just now caught up on season 11. This episode was the first in X Files history to make me gag. The surgeon licking the pancreas started it all and then also the drinking and blender scenes...shudder doesn’t even begin to describe what I felt. 

 

I’m going to refrain from commenting otherwise because I still don’t know how I feel about all of it. Except that I’m stinking mad that CC still thinks it’s cute to mess with fans heads about M&S life status. Just...stop. 

I'm still mad about that as well. He basically ruined what I loved about the show, just because he wanted M and S to be just pawns that serve for telling his story and never grow or evolve (the latter part is what Frank Spotnitz said about CC). CC (said this in an interview) mentioned that he was forced to have M and S together (para-phrasing here). It's just so sad to see things fall to pieces due to someone being so stubborn and petulant about fans and the characters themselves. The kind of baloney he pulled (along with 1013 and Fox for that matter) wasn't cute back in the day, and it sure as heck isn't cute now.

[AudienceofOne]

I just don't... even... I don't... what... don't... can't...

On 11/05/2018 at 8:12 AM, millennium said:

At this point, everyone's just phoning it in.   Mulder and Scully walk through these episodes like they're walking across a soundstage conscious that everything around them is merely a prop and of no particular threat.  There's no real engagement with the stories, instead the MOW has become merely a metaphor to echo whatever personal angst Mulder and Scully are paying lip service to this week.

It's not just Mulder who's having problems with his vision.   It's Chris Carter and the bozos writing these lazy episodes.

I could not agree more. If we do get another season, I will not be here. I mean it's taken me like a year to watch these 10. 

[millennium]

3 hours ago, AudienceofOne said:

I just don't... even... I don't... what... don't... can't...

I could not agree more. If we do get another season, I will not be here. I mean it's taken me like a year to watch these 10. 

There was nothing -- not a single moment -- in the last two "seasons" that I can accept as belonging to the body of work that preceded them.   Even the godawful movie "I Want To Believe" felt more like the original X-Files, with its themes of twisted faith and science.

It was such a step *down* for Gillian Anderson, who has done some memorable work in other roles (my favorite: Bedelia Dumaurier on Hannibal).  Part of me is disappointed that she agreed to participate in this fraud on longtime fans, but I prefer to think she did it as a kindness.

[AntiBeeSpray]

On 1/12/2019 at 12:32 AM, millennium said:

There was nothing -- not a single moment -- in the last two "seasons" that I can accept as belonging to the body of work that preceded them.   Even the godawful movie "I Want To Believe" felt more like the original X-Files, with its themes of twisted faith and science.

It was such a step *down* for Gillian Anderson, who has done some memorable work in other roles (my favorite: Bedelia Dumaurier on Hannibal).  Part of me is disappointed that she agreed to participate in this fraud on longtime fans, but I prefer to think she did it as a kindness.

Yep. Minus anything that Darin and Glen did. Only eps that I even really liked. As for IWTB, I liked it for what it's worth. It at least (for the most part) felt in character and I cared about the characters. 

Exactly. And she wanted some closure. It's too bad that nothing really came from it.

 

On 5/10/2018 at 6:12 PM, millennium said:

At this point, everyone's just phoning it in.   Mulder and Scully walk through these episodes like they're walking across a soundstage conscious that everything around them is merely a prop and of no particular threat.  There's no real engagement with the stories, instead the MOW has become merely a metaphor to echo whatever personal angst Mulder and Scully are paying lip service to this week.

The story seemed like an update of the Elizabeth Bathory legend.   The problem is, there was no underlying germ of plausibility.    Mulder and Scully simply accepted that Barbara Beaumont was still youthful and beautiful at the age of 85 without offering any remotely scientific explanation of why it might be possible.  In the past, there was always a balance between "it's a vampire" (Mulder) and "no, it's a blood fetishist or serial killer" (Scully), with the scale tipping to Mulder's view only at the end.   Here, Mulder and Scully are both "why not?" and blithely wander through the action.   

It's not just Mulder who's having problems with his vision.   It's Chris Carter and the bozos writing these lazy episodes.

 

ETA: A more horrific and satisfying denouement would reveal Barbara Beaumont and the doctor had been delusional all along, engaging in these acts of murder and cannibalism while only imagining themselves to still be in the prime of life.  Better that when Mulder and Scully finally found them we discover that they were, in fact, the Leech Woman and the portrait of Dorian Gray.

 

I'd say that for the first part of Familiar (it was a bad line read for the first 10-12 minutes to me). I wanted to turn the channel during that. As for NLF, it was a bit better. Still am no fan of it though.

Edited January 13, 2019 by AntiBeeSpray