Destination: San Diego
Scully: “It begins where it ends, in nothingness.”
The painful and beautiful dream sequence at the beginning of this episode sets its emotional tone. Scully will get to be a mother but only for a short time and her most important gift to her child will be to allow her to die. It is painful enough that Scully cannot have children, because she wants them, but then she is given a chance to be a mother and must sacrifice that chance for the good of her child. Emily was born to serve an agenda and Scully will not keep her alive to serve theirs or her own. Scully has had a traumatic year already and now she has to deal with this. No wonder her dreams are of wandering loneliness. She can’t even accept the support of Mulder as she watches her child die.
Mulder tries to do whatever he can to help Emily and Scully. He tracks down Dr. Calderon, beats him up and then follows him. And for once it feels like he doesn’t care if he solves the mystery or finds the truth. He just needs to make Emily okay so Scully can be okay. Mulder has withheld information from Scully about what was done to her. He should have told her before he told the judge (in front of her) and I think she is hurt that he didn’t. Mulder is hurt that she didn’t call him sooner. There seems a bit of distance between them now that wasn’t there before.
This story was obviously meant to be heart wrenching and it certainly made me sad but the episode seemed a bit clunky to me. I think it lost a bit of its emotional power with the focus on the conspiracy piece rather than staying with the enormity of what had actually been done to Scully and how that must impact her. Part of what I like about The X-Files is how they connect the big conspiracy theories to what actually happens to everyday people. While I was interested in the additional pieces of the story arc, Emily and Scully’s story is a tragedy that needed more attention.
Other Thoughts
Mulder is good with kids. His Mr. PotatoHead imitation was hilarious.
I enjoyed the fact that the ‘fake’ Anna Fugazzi turned out to be real.
The mysterious phone calls were never explained. I guess we are just supposed to put them into the supernatural connection category.
For whom people, for whom.
In Chris’s review of the last episode she talked about how they had to replace and reshoot the little girl’s scenes. I have decided that it was the MRI that freaked her out. Those things are terrifying.
Of course Emily’s body is gone when Scully opens the coffin. Mulder doesn’t seem at all surprised. And they left the cross? Did they know she would open the coffin?
Quotes
Scully: “How did she come into this world?”
Mulder: “Have you asked yourself that?”
Mulder: “No matter how much you love this little girl, she was a miracle that was never meant to be Scully.”
Judge: “Does FBI stand for Federal Bureau of Imagination?”
Mulder: “Medical rapists, that's all you are. Now you’re gonna let that little girl die? She’s just a lab rat to you.”
Scully: “Mulder, whoever brought this child into this world didn’t intend to love her."
Scully: “She found me.”
Mulder: “So you could save her.”
Doc,
ReplyDeleteThank you for a review that highlighted so clearly why I like this two-parter so much. It's just so sad... all of the scenes. But! I do love when Mulder goes rogue and pummels the doctor, physically and verbally because we all wanted to.
Great review, Doc. I agree with your assessment that the conspiracy rather detracts from the awfulness of what is happening to Scully.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, this episode is very sad. The final shot, with Scully staring at the cross, gets me every time.