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The X-Files: Folie a Deux

Case: While investigating bizarre and threatening behaviour from an office worker called Gary Lambert, Mulder gets caught up in a hostage situation and finds himself leaning towards the point of view of the hostage-taker.

Destination: Oak Brook, Illinois

"The delusions of one can be passed on to the other."

This case starts with a hostage situation, which The X-Files always did very well, then moves into a story about paranoia, which of course they do very well, and ends up with an affirmation of the core relationship between Mulder and Scully. It's classic X-Files in the best sense from start to finish.

I love the ambiguity of this episode. Of course, by the conclusion it certainly seems like there's something pretty freaky and supernatural going on, but the exact nature of it isn't necessarily so clear, and you can never be entirely sure whether giant bugs with zombie slaves are taking over, or whether this is a spreading madness that Mulder has caught from Gary. Scully's reaction to that ambiguity is also fascinating, as years of working with Mulder have left her more open-minded than she used to be towards the weird and wonderful.

The story works as a parallel to the series as a whole, with Mulder insisting he can see a truth hidden to others, and only Scully believing him because she loves him so much that she can share his madness. Have Mulder's delusions about aliens, telekinetics, sewer monsters and the rest been passed on to Scully because they're so close? Or is she simply having a rational reaction to overwhelming evidence? Like many of the best episodes of the show, there's no clear answer here, though of course it leans heavily towards the paranormal explanation.

What this episode is really memorable for is the Mulder/Scully stuff, which stops just short of being outright romantic, but only just. Whatever the nature of their relationship, one of the strengths of the show is how much they love and rely on each other. At several points in this episode, Mulder seems to be pushing Scully away, and of course, it's only when they work together that she's able to save him. They may share madness, but they're always stronger together than apart.

Other Thoughts

 - There's a really nice directorial touch early in the episode when Mulder rubs his head for a minute or so and his splinted fingers are front and centre of the screen, reminding the audience that he was tortured last week, which is one reason he's being extra pissy (the other being part of his slow deterioration and crisis of faith in his own convictions that's been taking place across seasons four and five).

 - I love the greyed-out effect on the bugs'-slave-zombies. Simple but effective.

 - The giant bug costume itself is cleverly digitally manipulated to hide the slightly cheesy design, making it look genuinely scary.

Quotes

Scully: You're saying 'I' a lot. I heard 'we.'

Mulder: Scully, you have to believe me. No one else on this whole damn planet does or ever will. You're my one in five billion.

Creepy nurse: Sleep tight! Don't let the bed bugs bite!

Mulder: What did you tell him?
Scully: The truth, as well as I understand it.
Mulder: Which is?
Scully: Folie a deux. A madness shared by two.

Final Analysis: An episode that highlights all the things The X-Files did really well. Four out of four giant bug zombie slaves.

Juliette Harrisson is a freelance writer, classicist and ancient historian who blogs about Greek and Roman Things in Stuff at Pop Classics.

4 comments:

  1. Juls,
    You nailed this review. The moment when Scully sees this nurse as a zombie is in my top 5 for the whole series. Just thinking about it makes me want to weep. :) Yay, Vince Gilligan for masterminding this one.

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  2. Probably my favourite episode period. When I did my binge re-watch earlier this year, this was the episode I looked forward too the most. It's also the episode I talk about to friends that have never watched X-Files.

    And the scene I remembered the most throughout the years? The same scene mentioned above... Scully seeing the zombie nurse. Wow!

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  3. "You're my one in five billion." Sigh...

    As we draw to the end of season five, this episode is a perfect encapsulation of where we are. Mulder is exhausted and worn out; Scully is trying to hold on to the rational world in light of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. But, like you say, they are one hell of a team and much stronger together than apart.

    The scene in the hospital gets me every time. I love the looks they exchange as much as I love the words they speak. Of course, this episode goes out on one of the greatest lines in the entire series.

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  4. Much agreement here. I loved that even though it seemed so obvious that Mulder had crossed the line into madness, Scully believed in him enough to open her mind to the possibility that he had not.

    This is the third episode of The X-Files in my mini-rewatch that featured Roger Cross, so I had to check IMdb. He was in four episodes of the series, each as a different character.

    - Folie a Deux (1998) ... Agent Rice
    - Pusher (1996) ... Swat Lieutenant
    - Fresh Bones (1995) ... Private Kittel
    - E.B.E. (1994) ... Officer Green (uncredited)

    ReplyDelete

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