X-Files S4E19: Giving more than the cold shoulder

Sestra Amateur: 

IMDb was certainly to be avoided when it comes to a major plot point in "Synchrony." Yes, it’s been 21 years since it aired, but some people are still watching the series for the first time. If you’re dying for some spoilers, then here you go: Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker’s father and Bruce Willis’ character in The Sixth Sense has been dead the whole time.

Anyway, welcome to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where the local time is 11:40 p.m. Jason Nichols and Lucas Menand are walking and arguing, which is rarely a good thing. An old man interrupts to convince Lucas he (Lucas, not the old man) is about to get hit by a bus. Jason is rattled, probably because the old guy knows his name. Security arrives and hauls the senior citizen away. Menand, who is already pissed off, doesn’t buy it. Six minutes later, he gets hit by the bus and dies, just like the old guy predicted. Unfortunately for Nichols, who actually tried to save Lucas, the bus driver thinks he pushed Menand in front of the bus. No good deed goes unpunished.

Mulder takes the case because he just loves Jason’s alibi. Nichols, who was Lucas’ advisor at MIT, tells the police about the old man’s warning. Scully is surprised to learn the security guard is dead and in an “advanced hypothermic state.” Yep, he was frozen solid …inside his patrol car. I know Massachusetts gets cold in the winter, but this is ridiculous. And in true X-Files fashion, his temperature keeps dropping. Scully gloms onto the scientific perspective -- she takes the liquid nitrogen path. At the local jail, Fox and Jason discuss Nichols'  concern that Menand was going to accuse Jason of falsifying his cryobiology test results which would then damage Jason’s reputation and affect his grant. Maybe they can blame the security guard’s death on Nichols after all. To top it off, Dana finds Jason’s prints in the security guard’s car.

At a nearby hotel, the old man meets with a scientist named Dr. Yonechi, claiming he was sent on Nichols' behalf to meet with the doctor. They discuss Yonechi’s accomplishments which apparently haven’t happened yet. The old man is showing signs of sickness, but gets the jump on the doctor -- stabbing him with an instrument that instantly freezes Yonechi. 

At the hotel crime scene, Scully is convinced Jason has an accomplice who killed Yonechi. They talk to Jason’s girlfriend, Lisa Ianelli, another scientist, and show her evidence Dana recovered in the hotel room. Lisa identifies it as a rapid freezing agent. Sculder tell her about the doctor’s death, but she's not convinced that Yonechi is a goner. They bring him to the lab, thaw him out, raise his body temperature (from eight degrees!) and shock the crap out of him. He regains consciousness, but reverses course and burns up, literally. He's certainly dead now.

Ianelli leaves the lab to see Nichols in jail. Luckily (?) the old man is on the same bus. He follows her home and tells Lisa he came there to kill her. She asks who he is and, clearly rattled, the old man leaves without committing another murder. Ianelli reveals to Sculder she was the one who falsified Jason’s data for the grant.

Sculder learn the old man may be at a nearby motel, but his room is empty. Scully finds flight information while Mulder locates a photograph of Jason, Lisa and Yonechi. Instead of assuming they all know each other, Fox jumps to the theory that it’s proof of a futuristic event from at least five years in the future. If only there was a nice, easy tell-tale sign in the pic, like a "Happy New Year 2002" hat to make it plausible. Of course it’s true -- after all, the old man is Jason. (I certainly hope you were able to pick up on that by now!) 

As part of his defense, Mulder quotes Dana's open-minded graduate thesis back to her. Scully admits the possibility, but is convinced humans couldn't endure the process. And she has a point there, old Jason is really not doing well. Ianelli, who realized Jason is the old man, shows up at his hotel room. (Why would the agents cancel surveillance on the old man’s hotel room? They could have resolved this whole thing by now! Any deaths after this are their fault!) 

AARP Discount Jason reveals he’s 40 years ahead of her. Ten years from now, Lisa will meet a man in Zurich who discovers tachyons, leading to her time-travel discovery. Lisa embraces him, but before it gets too weird, Early-Bird Special Jason freezes her to death. Maybe they’ll try to thaw her out too.

Mulder bails Nichols out of jail and takes him to Ianelli. Jason is in full denial mode after hearing the news that the old guy is him. He assumes the photograph is fake, but Fox says it's been analyzed and it’s real. Jason realizes Lisa’s predicament is on him. Nichols and Mulder arrive at the facility, but “Dr. Jason Nichols” has already checked in. The medical staff is trying to revive Ianelli, but her temperature continues to rise, so they put her back into the tub to try and cool her down. It works, Lisa doesn’t spontaneously combust like poor Dr. Yonechi. Mulder learns someone erased Jason’s files from the mainframe. 

Meanwhile, Jason encounters the retirement community version of himself. Hey, casting director, the closeups don’t help with the credibility -- they don’t have the same color eyes or the same style nose or ears. They struggle, but Fox interrupts them. Mulder tells Jason that Lisa is alive and this distracts Nichols enough for the old man to embrace Jason and burn both of them to death. Unfortunately, only young Jason’s body remains, which makes sense. If young Jason is dead than old Jason can’t go back in time to kill him in the first place. (Do you have a headache too?) But you’d think the lab would have had some video surveillance evidence. At least Lisa is OK. Guess she won’t have to falsify her own data for the next grant. Hope it was worth it. Maybe they can freeze Scully until they find a cure for her tumor. 

Sestra Professional:

This is my lost episode of The X-Files. Which is to say that it's always the one I forget about, as opposed to the one that reminds me of fellow cult series Lost. Actually it's not just that it escapes me, but that it feels more akin to something out of Millennium. Darin Morgan might deem that the Mandela ... or Mengele Effect. But not until the 11th season of The X-Files. 

This particular episode -- even though it boasts deft writing from series stalwart Howard Gordon and David Greenwalt (a name Buffy and Angel fans will surely recognize) -- doesn't particularly stand out as a Mulder or a Scully episode. Sure they make their usual suppositions along their usual lines, but not in any particularly memorable way.

Although, let me couch that by being impressed that Fox really does seem to have Dana's thesis down pat, or at least the Cliff Notes version on the subject. He references it several times in this episode. I'm kinda wondering if that's what Mulder has perched on the back of his toilet. "Although multidimensionality suggests infinite outcomes in an infinite number of universes, each universe can produce only one outcome" is quite a mouthful ... and one that might often be heard on The X-Files' sister show. 

Speaking of interchangeable dialogue, Scully's retort "And if your sister is your aunt and your mother marries your uncle, you'd be your own grandpa" is a nice little turn of phrase, but seems kind of out of place in this episode. Maybe it would be more at home in say ... Seattle, spoken by either of Frank Black's police compatriots -- Bletch or Gielbelhouse?

There's been some incongruous evidence I've had difficulty explaining myself: On the other hand, I'm totally impressed by The X-Files' art and special effects department -- particularly as it pertained to the frozen subjects. They eventually were honored for their work on this season's "Memento Mori" (Episode 14) and "Leonard Betts" (Episode 12) respectively, but the detailed work on the human Bomb-Pops provided further evidence that they were delivering movie-quality on a weekly basis.

Puts a whole new spin on being your own worst enemy: I lay the blame of the lack of matching Jason looks as much on director James Charleston as casting director Rick Millikan. It's pretty evident when Charleston -- hey, he did film two episodes of Millennium in addition to his four X-Files -- directs the camera up the nostrils of young Jason that they're not the nostrils of the old man ... no matter how much he may have snorted up there while awaiting his chance to jump into the wormhole back to the past. 

And speaking of casting, Susan Lee Hoffman (Lisa Iannelli) looks like someone who didn't get the part of the adult Samantha Mulder. Or ... she kinda looks like Frank Black's wife Catherine too. I just can't shake that Millennium-istic feeling. Must be why the confusion continued right up to and including this rewatch. 

But back to Lisa. Her look at the sketch of Old Man River and the non-verbal way in which she put the pieces together, figuratively, not so much literally, was one of the episode's nicer touches. I was kinda glad to see her go and not so thrilled when she didn't burn up on re-entry, though. She didn't quite have the staying power of the Megans -- Leitch (Samantha) or Gallagher (Catherine).

Never is a very long time: One last tie to the sister show, the way this episode wraps up with the premise that the future can't be altered even though both Jasons are toast. The attempts to stop the research will fail and eventually the compound and basis for time travel will be discovered. That's the kind of downbeat note that's a trademark of a Millennium episode. I won't bring it up any more, unless -- of course -- I travel back in time to write this blog all over again.

Back to the meta: In the official fourth-season episode guide, Gordon laughed about a piece of advice he had for all would-be screenwriters -- avoid writing about time travel and disgruntled Vietnam veterans at all costs. On "Synchrony" and "Unrequited" (S4E16) -- two of his final three scripts for the show,  he covered both. ... The bursting into flame of Dr. Yonechi -- actually the show's stunt coordinator Tony Morelli -- was a practical effect done in 12 seconds from the start of the fire to the extinguishing of the blaze, according to the guide. ... The "other" Dr. Yonechi, played by Hiro Kanagawa, met an untimely end as a scientist in "Firewalker" (S2E9) as well.

Guest star of the week: Michael Fairman does a fine job as the conflicted elder version of Jason. He imbues him with equal parts anguish and determination. The character actor is a veteran of television of movies, but I know him best from an episode of WKRP in Cincinnati he co-wrote and stars in with Richard Sanders (Les Nessman). Nope, he never did a Millennium guest spot.

X-Files S4E18: Set piecing it together

Sestra Amateur: 

I’m not going to leave you in suspense any longer; Mulder gets safely back to land, but then he’s chased down by men with guns. Shocking, I know. Pendrell has a gunshot wound to his chest and his shooter – Scott Garrett -- gets away. Local cops arrive pretty quickly so that’s a plus. Scully tries to convince Pendrell to live for her. And just when we finally forget about Dana's illness, she gets a nosebleed. Maybe they’re stress-related. 

Sgt. Louis Frisch seems perplexed about how the gunman (lone, but not one of the Lone Gunmen) found him so quickly. He clearly doesn’t know just how resourceful the government is when it wants to be. Assistant Director Skinner arrives at the bar, but Scully doesn’t have any real answers for him. He has a few for her, though, Frisch is being arrested by military police under suspicion of murder. How’s that for a turnaround? Can’t assassinate the man, so let’s frame him. … Someone above both their pay grades also decided Fox should be arrested too. Skinner deflects by focusing on Scully's health. But how did he know she had a nosebleed? Dana already cleared away the blood from under her nose and the blood on her tissue could have been Pendrell’s. See? Walter is just that good…

Scully picks up Mulder and they discuss the military taking responsibility for the downing of Flight 549 and Sgt. Frisch’s story variations. The whole conversation takes place while Fox changes out of prisoner greens into one of his trademark suits and coat. Dana respectfully manages to avert her eyes the entire time. I guess she knows if he’s the boxer or briefs type. I think he’s too uptight to wear boxers. Mulder likes being in control. He shows Scully the radiation burns on his forehead that he thinks came from the aircraft he found in the lake. Dana one-ups Fox in the shocking news department by first revealing Sharon Graffia is not Max’s sister, then informing him Agent Pendrell died of his injuries. Scully asks the million-dollar question: Is everyone dying for the truth or the lies? Whether intentional or not, Mulder makes it sound like these deaths are the current platform for his truth crusade. It’s good to have goals, Fox.

Sculder go to Max’s trailer, which still looks like a paranoid conspiracy theorist’s dream home. Mulder plays one of Max’s videos, which sounds pretty out there until it’s interspersed with the military doing the same thing Max talks about them doing. Even the sickly grey alien makes an appearance in a body bag at the site. Here’s a question for you: There are six body bags similar in size to the alien. Does that mean there were six alien bodies recovered? Apparently radiation is still a factor because the clandestine divers keep getting exposed and suffering from burns. And looming above them all is Pendrell’s shooter. For a minute there I expected Cancer Man.

Mike Millar is addressing his fellow NTSB investigators for the last time. He seems disenchanted with the Air Force’s explanation of the cause of the crash, even though he doesn’t let the others know. They get their pats on the backs and he releases them from the investigation. Sculder compare notes with Millar. Fox thinks Max was carrying proof of alien existence, which would explain the radiation blisters visible on Fenig's face in the flight flashbacks. Mulder also suspects an assassin was on board, but I honestly don’t remember how he came to that theory since the gun the would-be assassin was going to use ended up removed from the crash site by the conspiracy clean-up crew. Max’s plane was intercepted by an alien craft which begs the question, why would they now choose to take Fenig when he’s surrounded by more than 100 people? 

According to Fox's theory, the aliens didn’t intend to crash the plane. Then those two aircraft were intercepted by the good ol’ military plane, which had to go and screw up a perfectly innocent alien abduction. Millar has a little trouble believing Max was removed from the plane without physical evidence. But then Fenig was returned to the cabin of the plane, time began again and all hell broke loose. Now here’s a more important question: How do the toddler actors in these terrifying, chaotic scenes know this is not a real plane crash or other traumatic event? I’ll bet at least one of those kids grew up terrified of flying, heights or enclosed spaces. Maybe all three.

Millar is still struggling with Mulder’s wild speculation, but Scully gets Mike to focus on the facts, like the radiation readings around Max’s seat. Turns out, Millar’s crew recovered Fenig's bag (and NICAP cap) but no evidence was inside. Dana reminds Fox his “house of cards” is “built on a shaky foundation." (I unknowingly used Scully’s line to describe DC’s plans for Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice to be the tent pole for the Justice League movie franchise.) Mulder returns to Max's trailer, which has since been trashed. He finds a letter Fenig mailed to himself as Paul Gidney, his frequent alias. Inside, Fox finds something useful -- a baggage claim ticket. 

At the mental institution, Scully sees Sharon Graffia has the same blisters on her face as Max. Sharon stole alien technology from work to prove Fenig right. They both had a piece of it. Mulder goes to Syracuse Airport and claims Max's bag, but he has to find another way out because other men in suits are blocking his exit. Dana calls to update Fox about the potentially radioactive contents in the bag, but their connection is pretty pathetic. Mulder runs it through the airport X-ray machine – I’m sure all of the civilians who are not carrying radioactive alien technology were thrilled about that – and describes it to Scully. Of course, Mulder is stupid enough to get on a plane with the bag. And guess which assassin happens to be on the same plane … there’s a Lariat rental car station right there, Fox!

During the flight, Garrett sits next to Mulder, who subtly points his gun at the assassin. They engage in a nice conversation about what is in humanity’s best interest. After "securing" Garrett in one of the bathrooms, Fox calls Dana to tell her Pendrell’s killer is on board and she should notify Skinner. Mulder realizes his watch has stopped and tries to warn a flight attendant, but Garrett escapes and gets Fox to put down the bag by pointing his customized gun at him. Then the flight is intercepted by a bright light and turbulence. Garrett doesn’t listen as Mulder tells him to let go of the bag and the emergency door silently opens. Boy I hope this turns out differently for Flight 501 than it did for Flight 549. 

It does, the flight lands safely in Washington, D.C. without Garrett or the bag. And Fox's Swiss Army watch is now running nine minutes slow. Maybe he should switch to Timex. No one else on the plane acts like anything weird happened. How come Mulder gets to retain the memories? Sculder later meet with Sharon at Max’s trailer. They allow her to take possession of his property and Fox gives Sharon some sound financial advice. Maybe he can also refer her to a dermatologist for the radiation burns. By the way, Scully, while you’re mourning the loss of Pendrell, the co-worker you treated like a co-worker and not a friend, remember his first name is ... um ... I think it’s ... Agent?

Sestra Professional:

It's so rare that one of our heroes is in the teaser, although amusing that in an episode entitled "Max" we didn't actually get to see Fenig until almost 13 minutes into the show. I was glad to see Fox, the novice diver, back on land because while he was down in the depths, it was kind of taking me out of the action. He really shouldn't have been able to breathe with equipment he hadn't used before, let alone evade the pro divers.

I don't think it was that tough of a supposition with Walter asking Dana if she was all right. She had a tissue with some blood on it, but not as much as she might have had for trying to stop the Pendrell gusher. I guess we were due for a reminder that Scully's sick.

What are these people dying for, is it for the truth or for the lies? The show took a nice beat in initially addressing the death of Pendrell, even though we don't actually see it on camera. He didn't have a lot of air time in his short run on the show, but it was easy to get attached to him because his interest in Dana, in some ways, echoes our own. Plus he probably saved Scully's life, even if it was inadvertent. 

I totally agree with Sestra Am about how "the kook on the video" just seemed like he was ridiculously ranting and raving until his words mirrored the military's actions. The script -- again by show creator Chris Carter and right-hand man Frank Spotnitz -- give Fenig (and Scott Bellis in the process) some perfect bits about not being afraid of a few CIA spooks when he faces the possibility of getting kidnapped by a bunch of "little grey dudes" every single day. 

We get less of the investigation leader Mike Millar this time. His disappointment is palpable in addressing his team by saying the probe into the crash has been completed, even though he knows there's more to the story that can't be documented and wouldn't be believed in Washington. His primary function in "Max" is to be a listening board to Mulder's explanation of events. And although he hasn't completely come around, it's still nice to see someone in his position actually give Fox a chance to lay out his hypothesis.

Where I come from that's what we call a whopper: I also concur with Sestra Am when it comes to Mulder guessing about the hitman. But even though that's jarring, I still completely bought into one of the big set pieces -- the abduction and attempted return of Max. Director Kim Manners was becoming more ensconced in the mythology episodes and he was able to deliver action sequences and key conversations with equal weight. The "UFO tractor beam" with Mulder's voiceover is just fascinating. I'm still not really sure why the aliens took him at that time and place, but I didn't mind going along for the ride.

So the plutonium Max was carrying was the same thing as the alien energy source Fox had on his flight, only Mulder's was packaged better? It was pretty scary when Fox boarded the next plane with Max's bag, seeming more like genuine danger than his deep sea dive. And that's not even considering the fact that the miraculously healed hitman dude was aboard as well. 

We all expected another alien intercept, I'm sure, and they're just lucky they didn't suffer the same fate, I suppose. Perhaps off screen, CSM gave an order not to shoot down his son -- a lot happened off screen in this one. I don't think Mulder did retain what happened in the lost minutes, Sestra Am. Garrett was there and then he was gone, so Fox just made one of those Mulderrific guesses about the gunman catching the connecting flight.

So we circle back to the Apollo 11 keychain at the end, which gives Dana a chance to pontificate about how the success on the moon reminds us to dream, work hard and remember no one gets there alone. Which is probably what Fox had in mind, but since she said it so well, he went for the joke -- "I just thought it was a pretty cool keychain." He should have gotten her a hankie for when she has to attend to her nose.

Miss meta manners: In The Complete X-Files, Kim Manners detailed the friendly competition that sprung up between himself and Rob Bowman, who directed the previous episode "Tempus Fugit." "I would look at his dailies and I'd say 'That dirty rat bastard' because he'd come up with a great shot, a great performance. He'd see my dailies and he'd come down and go 'You son of a bitch.'" ... David Duchovny described the action-packed two-parter perfectly in the official fourth-season episode guide: "The episodes were fun to watch. They're ... big production numbers. It's like Vegas; you bring all the showgirls out and all the hardware. Then you light 'em good and you get some real entertainment." ... In the guide, Manners said the full-scale cabin mockup was a "violent ride." The camera operators wore helmets and 80 extras were shaken -- and not lightly -- for three days. ... Soul Coughing's "Unmarked Helicopters," heard a couple times so perfectly in the background at Max's mobile home, had been on the The X-Files-inspired Songs in the Key of X compilation that came out a year before. ... Manners shot Fenig's home videos himself.

Guest star of the week: Scott Bellis becomes the second repeat honoree, and the first for playing the same role. There's something completely unique about Max Fenig, the way he's written and the manner in which he's played. We have three Lone Gunmen on the canvas now who weren't around for Max's original incarnation in Season 1. Perhaps it's the abductee aspect that sets him apart or Bellis' ebullient take on a doomed man. Sure wish I could get a look at the Max Fenig Rolling Multimedia Library and Archive with "Unmarked Helicopters" playing in the background.

X-Files S4E17: Looking for the plane truth

Sestra Amateur: 

Here's your Latin Lesson du jour: Tempus Fugit when you’re having Amet -- time flies when you're having fun. Remember Max Fenig from "Fallen Angel" (Season 1, Episode 10)? I didn't, but luckily Sibling Cinema has these informational blogs to jog your memory. 

Max is back, still paranoid and quite the squeamish airline passenger on Flight 549. But he has good reason to be paranoid, another passenger has one of those non-metallic John Malkovich guns from In the Line of Fire that can get through security. He pieces it together in the bathroom, but before the would-be hitman can use it, the plane is attacked by … turbulence and bright light?

Back in Washington, D.C., Sculder are celebrating Dana’s birthday. I would love to find a restaurant that serves Hostess Sno Balls with a sparkler candle. Mulder seems unusually giddy as he gives Scully her birthday gift. They are interrupted by Max’s sister, Sharon Graffia, who says Fenig was delivering something important but his plane went down. The agents attend the National Transportation Safety Board meeting on the crash, and the last radio transmission implies the plane may have been forced down. Lead investigator Mike Millar, played by Joe Spano -- who has made a career out of playing respectable law enforcement characters -- is this episode’s mandatory non-believer. He belittles Fox's theories in front of the crash investigators because of the seriousness of the situation -- everyone on board is presumed dead. I’m sure Millar will see the light, so to speak, before the last act. 

Sculder arrive at the horrific crash site and Dana lists all of the possible weather-related causes of the crash. Half of the hitman is found by "investigators" who knew to look for his gun. They remove it discreetly and just as subtly burn away his fingerprints and facial features with some type of acid in an aerosol can. Can you imagine if their significant others mistook that for their Aquanet hair spray? Mulder and Scully find watches which stopped at 8:01, even though the crash supposedly occurred at 7:52. The man sitting next to Max is found alive, but barely. Dana claims his burns are from radiation, not from a fire. 

Sharon gives Scully additional information about Max, who used one of his aliases to book his flight, and another to work in a facility where plutonium is stored. Fox stands by his belief that Fenig was abducted before the crash and will return. Dana breaks the news to Mulder that Max’s body was found near the crash site. Back in her hotel room, Sharon gets a visit from the turbulence and bright light. Not quite sure what that means when there’s no plane involved.

Mulder looks at Fenig's partial remains. Luckily (or unluckily) it’s the top part, so Fox can clearly see his face, as well as the Fox Mulder business card in Max’s shirt pocket. Amusing how Scott Bellis keeps showing signs of life when he's not supposed to be alive. Maybe he’s ticklish. And was it just me or did Mulder’s speech to Scully about the ignorance of facts as fact seem just as relevant in this day and age as it was during the original airing 21 years ago? Fox still sees conspiracy, especially since the other passengers are missing their wristwatches. Of course, if the crash occurred now, maybe only a handful of the passengers would be wearing them because watches have become pretty obsolete.

Sculder interview Sgt. Louis Frisch, one of the Von Drehle Air Force base air traffic controllers who saw Flight 549 drop altitude at 1952 hours (7:52 p.m. in civilian speak). He claims they notified Albany’s air traffic controllers when they couldn’t reach the plane. He doesn’t give Mulder any answers about the missing nine minutes. After the agents depart, we learn Sgt. Frisch told them what he was supposed to tell them, not the truth. His partner, Sgt. Gonzales, is ready to crack under the pressure.

Sharon’s motel room has been trashed with no sign of her, so Fox claims alien abduction. Can you imagine if that was your default setting? Newspaper didn’t arrive? Aliens stole it. Blind date stood you up? Must have been alien abduction. Dana tells the motel manager the government will pay for the room damages. Investigator Millar is warming up to Mulder’s theories, especially when he finds evidence of unexplained tampering on the emergency door by Max’s seat. 

When Frisch returns to the Air Force base, it looks like Gonzales shot himself in the head. Although a suicide shot would make more sense if it was to the temple or in the mouth, not the middle of the forehead. So it’s probably not suicide. Armed men, including the one who took the would-be hitman’s gun at the crash site, arrive for Frisch, but he hides on the roof.

Mulder recognizes the air traffic controller’s voice on the black box recording. He wakes Scully and tells her to come over and listen to it. It’s a portable tape player, Fox. Get off your lazy ass and walk to her room! On the way, Dana gets grabbed by Frisch, who takes responsibility for the crash. Louis admits to Sculder and Millar he was under orders by his commanding officer to monitor Flight 549. Frisch also claims the military shot down the civilian plane. Mulder thinks a third aircraft, possibly a stealth one, was also involved. Apparently Fox would still rather think it’s an alien conspiracy instead of a simple government conspiracy. 

Millar suggests they go look for the second crash site. Shadowy government agents try to intercept Sculder and Frisch's car, chasing them down a runway at the airport. Fox outruns a landing plane, which forces the chasers off the runway. Mike arrives at the crash site and sees a stealth UFO scanning the ground with a bright light. It stops briefly above Millar before it disappears. Then Sharon shows up out of nowhere, begging Mike not to let it take her again.

Back at the airport, Mulder raises the theory that the secondary crash site is in the nearby lake. Fox sends Dana off to D.C. to safely deliver Frisch while he checks out Great Sacandaga Lake, where some type of search and rescue is indeed in effect. Scully decides to swing by her apartment to pick up a few things before delivering Louis to a safe house. Frisch asks to make a personal phone call. Get the feeling that was a bad idea? You should know better, Dana. 

Back on the lake, a somewhat inexperienced Mulder is going scuba diving. Scully takes Frisch to the birthday restaurant, where a buzzed Agent Pendrell is at the bar and very happy to see Dana. Hey Louis, you might feel more comfortable if you changed out of clothing that clearly identifies you as Sgt. Frisch with the United States Air Force. Alas, these words will have no impact upon him because the shadowy hitman has found them. He shoots Pendrell as he unintentionally blocks Louis and Scully shoots the killer. Back at the lake, Mulder finds UFO wreckage and what seems to be a small, gray alien inside. Before he can investigate further, a bright light appears behind him. Are you more concerned about Mulder’s fate (which is pretty safe, Duchovny being under contract and all) or non-contract Brendan Beiser and lovestruck Pendrell’s possibly lethal chest wound? You’ll have to wait until next week go find out how it gets resolved...

Sestra Professional:

...unless you watch ahead on your streaming device or pull out the DVDs ... or just remember what happens from seeing it before. I think you were right about that Duchovny dude, though.

You didn't remember Max, Sestra Am? He's my favorite non-Lone Gunmen Lone Gunman. In fact, pause for unpopular opinion effect ... I might actually like him more than our lovable trio of misfits, probably because he's kind of like all three rolled up into one person. The aliens seem to like him even more than I do. But it was a treat to see him again and very disheartening when he was so swiftly taken away. It was particularly painful when it felt like maybe Max had been saved by something otherworldly, only to find out in the least dramatic way possible that he hadn't been. 

Perhaps you were more invested in poor Agent Pendrell, who has been passive passively (as opposed to passive aggressively) pining away for our brilliant doctor, Sestra? He's pretty drunk at the bar, maybe he had been waiting and drinking since Dana's actual birthday. Apparently that gave him license to be pretty pushy when it came to Scully and what we thought was her date. That shot sure sobered him up, though. Does no one actually understand what the words "Get down" mean? I thought Dana's intention was pretty clear.

Speaking of Scully's birthday, this is where the telltale Apollo 11 keychain comes into play. That's a prop we will see again in the later years when it's regifted ... a couple of times. Although I gotta admit Mulder's joke of a couple of alien implants made into earrings might have made a great marketing gimmick.

It's pretty jarring to go from that to the crash investigation, but maybe that's the point of the script co-written by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz and vividly depicted on the screen by director Rob Bowman. There were 134 passengers and crew members on the manifest of the flight, and it's really brought home when we see all the yellow body bags, charred pieces of airplane wreckage and the scorched earth. 

Do you remember the last time you were missing nine minutes? The same is true of the later scene in which Mulder confirms that Max has been killed. All of it is delivered with gravity and sensitivity we might not expect from a weekly television show. Even when Millar dresses down Fox in front of the NTSB meeting, it's not done with malice. It's done with respect and regard for the investigators of the crash -- at least the ones not erasing faces and fingertips while stealing wristwatches. I'm not really understanding why the nine minutes was such a big deal it required taking items off victims, wouldn't it have been easier for the report to be altered to nine minutes earlier? They're giving Fox more to work with by playing it that way.

I'm not going to have no blood on me: The other thing that I don't really understand is that Dana provided proof of radiation burns. Max was carrying plutonium and Scully thinks that could have caused the crash. Why is that rationale not investigated? Fox keeps saying there was no reason for the plane to have come down, but it sounds like a reason to me. And I have no idea how he even comes up with the idea of a third craft taking out the second one that was messing with Max on the first plane. Frisch eventually backs his hypothesis up, but it would have been nice to have gotten that information from Lewis or some other less jarring manner that didn't sound so out of the blue.

The chase on the tarmac with the landing jet is another great set piece in an episode chock full of them. Seeing is believing in this one for sure, just ask Millar, who did indeed see the light. He sure had to take in quite a lot of information over the course of one episode -- some of his hard-working investigators are stealing and changing evidence, he's seeing UFOs, he's comforting returning abduction victims. I think he'll be taking early retirement.

The plot points work a lot better than the dialogue in this episode. Consider it sour grapes for the way Scully delivers the news of Fenig's death -- "Max is returned" -- in response to Mulder's belief that Max wasn't one of the crash victims and eventually would be returned by the aliens. Although I give Carter and Spotnitz credit for Frisch's turnaround. Once the "dots on his screen" turned into palpable carnage, Louis certainly realized the error of his ways and lies. Having some shadowy figures on your tail also help in that regard.

Once I got a quarter off the deep end at the Y pool: It's pretty hilarious that Mulder makes a 50-foot dive with no experience, and in minutes, finds what it took advanced stealth UFO technology longer to do. By the way, our writers didn't give Fox scuba experience in the name of making the YMCA joke ... but he probably wouldn't have survived without knowing how to operate his gear. Still, the combination of the underwater bright lights -- it's not The Abyss, is it? -- and Pendrell's pending health woes made for one crackling cliffhanger.

Multiple metas: The show's postproduction crew won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing for "Tempus Fugit." It is pretty outstanding. ... The show tapped an NTSB official as tech adviser and Carter said in The Complete X-Files that the crash site set was deemed absolutely believable, except for the smell. ... According to the official fourth-season episode guide, Scott Bellis had auditioned for another small part on the show a couple of seasons after "Fallen Angel" aired, but Carter said memories of Bellis' other role were too strong. (He shoulda consulted Sestra Am.) ... Mulder's business card actually reads "United States Bureau of Investigation" because making fake cards is against the law. 

Guest star of the week: Sestra was right on the mark about Joe Spano as Millar, best known for his detective work on Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue. He totally suits the role of Millar, providing more conviction and less of the one-note characterization that often befalls the disbelieving nature of officials on the show.

X-Files S4E16: Some things should be requited

Sestra Amateur: 

We’re at the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. where Assistant Director Walter Skinner is leading a manhunt with his agents searching a large crowd for Nathaniel Teager, played by Peter LaCroix. If Teager looks familiar, it’s because he’s been on the show twice before but not as the same character. Scully sees him first but loses him. Skinner is in rare panic mode as each agent finds the suspect then loses him again. But it’s not the agents’ fault. The guy, who happens to be armed with a handgun, disappears into thin air. So why is Walter so frantic? Let’s backtrack a bit to answer that question.

Twelve hours earlier, Lt. General MacDougal finds a king of hearts card in his limo. He looks up and sees Teager pointing a gun at him. Of course, Nathaniel wasn’t in the car when the Lt. General first entered, so that’s quite a trick. Teager shoots MacDougal and the limo driver, a private, has a lot of explaining to do. 

While debriefing his field agents, Skinner identifies the king of hearts as a “death card” used by soldiers during the Vietnam War. He’s worried someone will be targeted at the War Memorial’s rededication ceremony. It doesn’t help hapless Private Gus Burkholder that he’s on a mailing list for a militant group called the Right Hand. 

Sculder meet with Right Hand man Denny Markham, who sics his dogs on the slow running agents. They barely get back to the safety of the fence when Markham comes out to meet them. Denny denies knowing the private and recites his own anti-government beliefs, but gets rattled when Mulder shows him the death card. 

Markham identifies Lt. General MacDougal’s murderer as Sergeant Nathaniel Teager, a killing machine created and abandoned in Vietnam by the U.S. government. Denny claims his organization liberated the prisoner of war and later disappeared. Markham gave up a lot of information pretty easily so Scully is convinced it’s fake news -- I mean false data -- to continue the conspiracy.

Back at the Vietnam Wall, Teager approaches the wife of Green Beret Gary Davenport and tells her Gary is still alive and a prisoner of war. He gives her Davenport’s dog tags – both of them -- then disappears. Sculder show Renee Davenport the recent picture of Nathaniel and she claims it’s the same man. Renee starts bleeding from her eye and Fox thinks it’s because of Teager, the disappearing man. Dana thinks she just burst a capillary from being so upset. 

Mulder has Nathaniel's remains -- a few teeth -- analyzed, then learns Teager’s death investigation was pretty half-assed and signed off by General John Steffan. He calls the general to warn him his life is in danger and assigns two agents to protect him at the Pentagon, which is probably the most secure building in the United States. Of course, Nathaniel gets inside undetected and leaves the king of diamonds death card on the general’s desk. 

Scully tells Mulder that Renee suffered from a scotoma -- a “blind spot.” General Steffan calls Fox at the same time about the death card. Mulder, who is in the Pentagon and on his way to Steffan’s office, hears the general get shot and killed. Too bad Mulder also has a blind spot because he can’t see Teager standing above him. Skinner reviews the video, which shows Nathaniel going through the metal detector at the Pentagon entrance. Fox claims Teager is able to manipulate people’s vision but does not have that capability with video technology. Walter is beyond pissed that Nathaniel just waltzed right in. If he could, he probably would have fired the entire security staff at the Pentagon.

Major General Benjamin Bloch gets nothing useful out of Markham in the military prison. He should have let Scully or Mulder take another run at Denny. Fox somehow arranges a meeting at the Lincoln Memorial with New York-based Marita Covarrubias. Maybe she was also conveniently attending the rededication ceremony. She confirms MacDougal and Steffan’s connection and admits there’s a third man. Gee, I wonder who it’s going to be.

Scully and Skinner try to protect the major general but Dana loses sight of Teager after she pulls her gun and causes a minor panic among the spectators. But the show must go on, so everyone continues with the ceremony preparations. Fox claims Walter was assigned this detail because the U.S. government meant for them to fail. That really says a lot about how the government sees Skinner, especially since this isn’t even a Cancer Man episode. Bloch has every intention of delivering his speech so the assistant director joins him on the stage. Nathaniel gets recognized by Leo Danzinger, a veteran who served with him. Teager gives Danzinger a list of the POWs who are still alive.

The major general is about to begin his speech when he finds his death card -- the ace of clubs -- on the podium. And now we’re all caught up. Agents are searching for Nathaniel, Walter is panicking, Dana gets spotted, Fox suffers from scotoma. Skinner removes Bloch from the scene, but Mulder realizes Teager is in the car. The fact that Nathaniel starts shooting at them backs up that theory. He wings Skinner in the arm, but gets shot to death by one of the agents. 

Too bad the government managed to cover it all up and the major general is going to get away without even a demotion. I don’t even know why the writers had Teager give Danzinger the list of imprisoned soldiers, then do nothing with it. There are no happy endings with this one. And how does the title "Unrequited" relate to the episode? Unrequited refers to feelings of love not returned or rewarded. Need some help here, Sestra Pro. Maybe Leo was Nathaniel’s unrequited love? Nah. Although a scotoma might go a long way to explaining the second shooter on the grassy knoll in Dallas.

Sestra Professional:

The dictionary defines "unrequited" as "not returned or reciprocated," but also "not avenged or retaliated" and "not repaid or satisfied." So Teager probably had the latter two definitions in mind. And my impression of that list is that those names will get out. So maybe it's not as over as the CID -- who took over the investigation from Skinner -- would like it to be.

I think unrequited is an apt description for how fans feel about this episode. It's not mentioned a lot when people talk of favorite shows or guest stars or plots. But I feel it scores on all three fronts. It might be considered bleak, sure, but it's intense and delves pretty deeply into Sculder's area of expertise. Although I admit I'm a wee bit at a loss to explain how it is that Teager can create the transient scotomas. Mulder describes it's similar to soldiers seeing guerrillas appear and disappear before their eyes, but that doesn't really explain the science. Scully, that's your cue. And shouldn't everyone who saw Nathaniel (and then didn't see him) have damaged retinas now? Shouldn't all their capillaries be bursting? Maybe it's just my blind spot and they're treated for them after the credits.

I've already seen more dead soldiers than I ever want to see: The story, written by Howard Gordon, certainly has a lot to say on the subject and it's woven into the fabric of our story pretty seamlessly thanks to Skinner's military past. In the end, when Walter is telling Mulder the case has been reassigned, Fox points out that Skinner could have been Teager. It hits home, and not with as a heavy a thud as one might expect.  

The Teager teaser's a pretty exciting one even though it's not much more than Scully, Mulder and another agent trying to get a glimpse of Nate during the rededication ceremony. Good thing I liked it so much, since we got to see it twice over the course of the episode. 

You mean there's no procedure outlined for an invisible assassin?: We have a pretty good split between Mulder and Scully's theories of what's happening in this one. Dana clings steadfastly to the idea of Markham masterminding the deaths -- or at least knowing about them -- by distracting the agents with a "phantom POW." She won't even cop to the idea when she sees Teager and draws her gun en route to the ceremony. But Fox is seeing clearly, well as much as he can until he gets scotoma-ed.

Denny's played by Larry Musser, another actor we've seen a couple times before on the show, most notably as the foul-mouthed Detective Manners in Season 3's "Jose Chung's From Outer Space." Musser and LaCroix (who stood out as Ranheim in Season 1's "E.B.E.") help ground the episode. They feel familiar and so, as viewers, we don't really need to adjust to their presence. 

Maybe the war ain't over, Scully: Renee Davenport probably shouldn't have been so quick to believe the government's assertion that her husband was dead if they provided the type of evidence used to declare Teager deceased. It took Fox about a minute to declare the two bicuspids and molar found at the crash site as presumptive and inconclusive.

I actually thought this was one of the cleaner uses of Marita Covarrubias. She added something to the mix that wasn't going to be otherwise gleaned so it's organic in terms of plot, if not in terms of location at the Lincoln Memorial. Skinner's detail was asked to protect the three-man commission responsible for leaving Nathaniel and other soldiers behind. I don't think it's a black mark against Walter, it's more of a two-birds-with-one-stone thing, since those powers-that-be (even less of a physical presence in this episode than Teager) knew he'd bring the agents they're always looking to discredit into the mix. 

You did your job. So did Nathaniel Teager: At its very heart, Gordon's story reminds us that though war may be in the rearview mirror, it really isn't for those involved. An extreme example here to be sure, but probably a message we shouldn't soon forget all the same. I'd really like to give Gordon and/or Chris Carter (who helped smooth the edges of the script, according to the fourth-season episode guide) credit for giving another agent the kill shot that finally got Teager.

Meta you can see: In The Complete X-Files, Gordon explained the science beyond the plot. "If you move your finger, you will see that you do have a blind spot because that's where the cortical nerves wind up bundling," said the writer, whose brother is an ophthamologist. ... Gordon came up with the idea after seeing a 60 Minutes story about CIA agents abandoned in Vietnam, according to the official fourth-season episode guide. ... For legal reasons, actual names couldn't be used on the memorial. The show's art assistant Kristina Lyne tapped her sister to make up 2,000 imaginary names. Although two of them seem familiar -- sci-fi writer Harlan Ellison and infamous Jessica Hahn were combined to Jesse R. Ellison and Harlan L. Hahn, the guide said.

Guest stars of the week: LaCroix also got this nod back in the first season for his key role in "E.B.E." He's actually even finer here. He doesn't have an overwhelming amount of dialogue, but I believed and even felt for the character, particularly when he got to show the human being Nathaniel must have been before he turned into Teager with 26 confirmed kills.

X-Files S4E15: Here's mud man in your eye

Sestra Amateur: 

This episode aired a week after "Memento Mori," in which Scully learned she had cancer. But you wouldn't know something so moving and life-threatening occurred so recently to her (and Mulder) since it's never mentioned. Sculder completely throw themselves into this stand-alone investigation as if Dana wasn’t given a death sentence. 

Today, we’re attending a Jewish funeral in Brooklyn, New York for a Hasidic man named Isaac Luria who was beaten and shot to death in his grocery store. This episode’s title, "Kaddish," means Jewish prayer. (I don’t remember everything I learned in Hebrew school but the prayer recited by the mourners sounded authentic.) The scenes cut from the widow’s perspective to that of her now-deceased husband when he’s looking at his killer. Not sure if that’s for the audience’s benefit or if his wife had the ability to see things from her husband’s perspective. If so, then she knows what the murderers look like. Later that night a hooded person in the cemetery creates a man out of the mud on the victim’s grave, a mud man who appears to be breathing. 

For some reason, this murder in New York has become an X-File instead of a Law and Order episode. In a rare turn of events, Scully is providing exposition to Mulder. One of the teenaged boys who was responsible for Isaac’s murder – Tony Oliver - was found strangled to death, and the prints on his neck belong to the now-dead Isaac. Dana believe it's an anti-Semitic hate crime committed in Luria’s name but not by Isaac himself. Sculder meet with Ariel Luria and her father, Jacob Weiss, during the family’s shloshim (their period of mourning). Jacob is played by character actor David Groh, but it’s hard to recognize him under the fake hair and beard. Groh has the distinction of playing one of General Hospital’s most hated characters, D.L. Brock. Jacob is incensed because he and his people haven’t gotten help from the local police after they were harassed. Weiss supports whoever is achieving vengeance on their behalf and does not want to help the FBI. Unfortunately, Sculder are so busy discussing their perspectives of justice vs. revenge they don’t see the mud man hiding behind a plastic tarp across from Ariel’s apartment. 

The agents interview Curt Brunjes, the printer of Jacob’s anti-Semitic literature, who is unable (more like unwilling) to mask his disgust toward Jews. Scully puts the fate of the remaining two murderous teenagers in Curt’s lap. One of them, Derek Banks, is watching on the video monitor from the back of the store. Brunjes goes to warn him, but Derek and accomplice Clinton head to the cemetery and dig up Isaac’s casket. Derek breaks open the coffin and sees Isaac’s body while someone strangles Clinton to death. 

Scully assumes they desecrated the grave as payback for Tony’s murder. Mulder thinks it’s because they believed Isaac was seeking revenge and wanted to see whether his body was in the grave. Dana notes Isaac was not embalmed before his burial. Fox finds a Hebrew book buried with Isaac that promptly bursts into flames. Derek returns to Curt, who denies telling him and his friends to kill anyone -- he’s a paper-terrorism kind of guy. In a pathetic play on words to The X-Files' running theme, Curt points out how he’s been spreading “the truth” about Jews. Derek is more of an action type of person.

Sculder meet with book expert Kenneth Ungar, played by character actor David Wohl. (Boy, this episode really loaded up on actors named David. Even one of the extras is named David. Do you think on set they just called them David 1, David 2, David 3 and David 4?) He explains about the book Mulder found in the casket, which apparently didn’t belong in the grave. Although its text is considered mystical, the book itself is made of boring old leather and paper. Oh, and Jacob Weiss’s name is embossed on the book in Hebrew. I guess that would be considered a clue.

Ariel reveals she and Isaac were not yet married, their wedding would have been that day. Jacob survived the Holocaust and protected a ceremonial Jewish wedding ring which would go to Ariel after her wedding. Sculder interrupt prayer time at the synagogue, where Jacob makes a very slow getaway. The agents track him to Derek’s hanging body. Jacob almost gets the better of Sculder until Dana takes a shot at him. Then they take Weiss into custody while someone else with a mark on his hand watches them.

At the police station, Jacob claims he hanged Derek in self-defense. But he assumes responsibility for the murder and wants to see Ariel. Scully tells Mulder that Jacob also has a terrorist past, but Fox is convinced Jacob didn’t kill Derek. Weiss seems to be protecting Ariel, but his daughter isn’t exactly  ‘fessing up. Then the marked mud man kills Curt. Mulder goes back to Ungar and asks about the Golem, a mud creation brought to life by a righteous man and the “power of the word.” Only its creator can destroy it. The Hebrew word written on the killer’s hand is “emet” (I actually recognized the Hebrew letters. One for me). Dana tells Fox about Curt’s murder and they get a hold of the surveillance video that captured a clear image of his killer … Isaac! 

Mulder explains to Scully that a Golem is a form without spirit. Jacob, who for some reason has been released from jail even though he confessed to murder, goes to the synagogue and finds Ariel, who still thinks Isaac will show for their wedding. Jacob is strung up and almost strangled to death, but Sculder save him just in time. Fox goes after Ariel and finds her waiting for Isaac, who makes the obligatory appearance on his own wedding day. Mulder shoots, but Isaac overpowers him. Ariel gets Isaac’s attention by showing him the wedding ring. They complete the ceremony and Ariel releases Isaac from the spell. Guess this whole situation will be hard to explain when she starts dating again. L’chaim!

Sestra Professional:

Every now and then, The X-Files tries to tap into real world issues. It's always a treacherous slope and hasn't been the show's greatest forte. But as these soapbox episodes have gone, this one isn't half bad -- the hatred is palpable and the terror easily felt -- but it's not exactly a crowd pleaser either.

Very Old Testament: I can back up Sestra Am's assertion that the opening prayer of mourning is authentic, I found Ariel's a little later on more awkward. But it's an intriguing manner in which our agents are brought into the fold to explain how the first victim's fingerprints wound up on the second one. And the supernatural aspect, a Golem risen from the grave to avenge his death, certainly fits perfectly into the show's realm.

Sculder are immediately thrust into the world of racial tension and hate crimes. Those they talk to are not exactly willing to help out. The principals still speak their minds, though, anti-Semitic Curt tells Mulder he looks like he "might be one" himself. Our heroes rise above such insinuations, striving to do their jobs when everyone's suspicious about their motives and why law enforcement wasn't on the scene long before the death toll started to rise. 

It's a delicate balance to walk and the script by series stalwart Howard Gordon does a fine job of toeing the line. Director Kim Manners then has the arduous task of marrying these hefty concepts -- and the procedural questioning that comes along with them -- with our Monster of the Week.  

The story about Jacob's communal wedding ring -- one of the best props the series will ever have, it was owned by a rabbi who survived the Holocaust -- may sound heavy-handed but it really develops the idea of every wife being a queen, every husband a king and the home they made a castle. And, in turn, that furthers the concept of the celestial mud man -- creating a living being from the earth itself.

I agree with Sestra Am that intended or not, the driving home of the series' theme of "the truth" as an essential component of the golem comes off as a little forced. OK, it's strange to be able to stomach a man-made monster easier than the idea of having our theme shoehorned into this story. Well, at least it's amenable until we get to the stilted and romanticized dialogue revealing Ariel brought Jacob back to life through love.

I never attended a mud-man wedding before, what's the dress code? It's a rare occasion in which an episode loses you but then gets you back. And when Ariel erases the letter that changed the Golem to dust, it rubbed out the problematic "power of words" logic delivered during "the truth" portion of the guy's explanation. At least for me it did.

Meta matters: "Kaddish" was the 12th episode filmed, but the 15th that aired that season due to the Super Bowl shuffle and the slotting of the two previous Scully show. ... According to the fourth-season episode guide, the plot was inspired by violence going on between Orthodox Jews and African-Americans in Brooklyn at the time, but was changed to reflect anti-Semitic bigotry.  ... Jacob Weiss' incendiary book on mysticism wasn't quite as spontaneously combustible during filming of the episode as evidenced by the fourth-season gag reel. ... In the episode guide, Gordon said probably every Jewish writer with the show had pitched a Golem episode, but he was the one who got the green light in his final year on the series. "Kaddish" is dedicated to his grandmother. ... Ron Leibman was the original choice for Jacob Weiss but was unavailable, according to the episode guide. ... Due to communications mixup, the guide said David Groh shaved off his natural beard before heading to Vancouver to play Jacob, so another had to be applied by the crew.

Guest star of the week: To tell the absolute "truth," I wasn't overly impressed by any of the performances in "Kaddish," but David Groh was forthright and true. He did erase some of those General Hospital memories, even if he didn't quite recall his halcyon Rhoda days.