X-Files S9E6: MAILER-DAEMON: Users unknown

Sestra Amateur: 

Remember the phrase "Trust No 1?" It’s Fox Mulder’s mantra – and probably his computer password for everything – as well as today’s title. So that means we’re about to endure a Mulder-related episode. Speaking of enduring, we open with a Dana Scully voiceover in which she glorifies her relationship with Mulder as she (presumably) talks to their son, William. I really wish I knew why my brain just can’t/won’t focus on the words during these voiceovers.

Scully is impatiently waiting for someone by a set of train tracks while an unknown person watches on a grainy video feed. The scene then cuts to Dana taking William to a coffee shop (why are her footfalls so noticeable? It’s like they put microphones by her boot heels) so she can pore over her anonymous emails from Mulder while using the Internet café’s public Wi-Fi. We’re forced to endure additional voiceovers as Scully reads and replies to Fox’s email because the writers and director don’t trust us to read the screen. 

Dana realizes another mother in the shop has left her child alone to argue with a man outside. Later, at Quantico, Scully re-reads a printed version of Fox’s email. Luckily, she's interrupted by Agents John Doggett and Monica Reyes, who need to find Mulder so a source will disclose the identities of other Super Soldiers. John is surprised Dana isn’t jumping at the chance to get Fox home again. Clearly, she still has trust issues.

Later that night, Scully sees the same woman from the coffee shop and witnesses a custody dispute. She stupidly leaves William alone to handle it instead of calling local police, but luckily nothing happens to Dana’s baby. Scully takes the woman -- Patti -- home with her and they bond over the pathetic-ness of their personal lives. (If Patti looks familiar, it’s because she’s played by Kate and Allie's Allison Smith.) Meanwhile, Team Johnica are on stakeout where Patti's husband works, hoping to get to the Super Soldier source without Dana’s assistance. The husband’s coworker watches Doggett and Reyes on the surveillance monitor.

Back to the grainy opening image of Scully waiting impatiently by the train tracks. Monica and John are in the same area, as if on another stakeout. The scene then cuts to Team Johnica’s stakeout location outside the Super Soldier source building. They follow when Patti’s husband leaves for the day. Inside Dana’s apartment, Patti picks up William while Doggett calls Scully to warn her Patti’s husband just entered Dana’s building. Scully holds Patti at gunpoint while John subdues the husband. For some reason, Reyes is back to calling Dana “Agent Scully.” The three of them interrogate the couple and learn Scully – and William – are being watched. Hubby works for the NSA (National Security Agency). Their daughter, Joy, has abilities similar to William’s. Hubby knows all about our three heroes and William’s psychic ability because his government job is to spy on them. He also claims Fox Mulder is the only one who can connect everything. 

They get interrupted by Hubby’s supervisor, played by Terry O’Quinn, who has been in everything, including the X-Files movie Fight the Future. (I don’t think he’s supposed to be the same character, because FBI Special Agent in Charge Michaud was blown to bits.) He knows Dana has email contact with Fox and arranges a meeting with Scully. (At least she remains on a first-name basis with Reyes.) The caller directs her to take a car and drive like a jerk so no one follows her. She switches cars, probably wishing she had a hands-free headset. After arriving to the middle of nowhere, Dana meets with the Shadow Man and he blows up the rental car. Scully still doesn’t register how much he knows about her (your natural hair color?!?) and considering she doesn’t recognize him, he’s definitely not supposed to be the same guy from Fight the Future. (“Hey, you look just like my blown-up boss’ twin brother!”) He gives her a deadline for contacting Mulder -- and a new rental car.

The next morning, Doggett confronts Dana about what’s happened. He points out how the Shadow Man could probably reach Fox on his own. Scully admits she notified Mulder, who is arriving on the midnight train to … no, not Georgia, probably Virginia. Also on the stakeout is Patti’s hubby, who points a gun at Dana. Actually, he points it at the Shadow Man, who shoots his coworker, gets shot by John and falls onto the tracks at the worst … possible … time. The train operator gets the order to keep the train moving, to Scully’s chagrin. Of course, if Fox was really on that train, he would have jumped off, especially because of Dana's involvement in gunplay. 

Good news for the Shadow Man, he’s a Super Soldier so the gunshot – and the train – didn’t kill him. Scully learns someone jumped from the train. Team Johnica go looking for the man in a rock quarry and think they spot Mulder who keeps running (see? I told you he would have jumped). Dana arrives and finds the Shadow Man and he is very, very pissed. He’s affected by the iron(?) in the rocks surrounding Scully, goes all Silver Surfer and gets pulled into the rock. I guess now they know how to fight the Super Soldiers. Too bad I zoned out during the final voiceover, but that’s probably because I was reading the screen instead of listening.

Sestra Professional: 

When did Mulder and Scully's relationship turn into dime-store paperback fodder? Ugh, those voiceovers, those emails. This is not the way these two have ever related to each other. I feel like I'm watching an episode of thirtysomething (truth be told, that's not a show I  watched, it's just profiling). This is worse than what happened to Moonlighting after David and Maddie finally got it on. (Now that is a show I followed religiously, even through an unending parade of repeats.)

 

The Moonlighting reference seems pretty applicable to the ongoing X-Files run actually. Show creator Chris Carter and executive producer and Frank Spotnitz are the series' No. 1 and 2 guys, but they've concocted something here that feels so far afield from who their protagonists have been for eight-plus years that my head may explode like the Shadow Man's. Yes, we're used to a certain amount of overwriting in the voiceovers, lines akin to, "And in that moment, you will be blessed, and stricken. For the truest truths are what hold us together or keep us painfully, desperately apart." But seriously, is Dana talking to William, or is this Jor-El talking to Superman in the Fortress of Solitude? Are Carter and Spotnitz, expecting the series to end after this season, submitting this script not for Emmy consideration, but to Harlequin in hopes of a new career in romance novels?

I'm physically shaking right now seeing your words: I know how you feel, Scully. My stomach is in knots almost to the point of heaving. "Dearest Dana" ... blech. This is not the way Fox Mulder talks, has ever talked, will ever talk as far as we know. Scully's trust issues obviously don't extend to getting email so clearly not written in Fox's voice, yet she's reading every word over and over again like it was a note she was passed in high-school biology. Even the most ardent shipper has to admit this kind of tripe is not what's so magical about their relationship. 

 

Mulder says he's lonely and he's uncertain of his ability to live like that. From what we know of Fox, he lives for living like that. He wouldn't know what to do with himself if it wasn't Mulder vs. the world. Funny thing is, there are elements for a pretty taut episode if it wasn't for those voiceovers and emails. But they take me so far out of this episode that I can't find a way back into it. I'm also not buying Dana not trusting the two people who have risked life and limb on more than one occasion to help them. It couldn't be because she's starting to enjoy the type of martyrdom we've been hanging around Mulder's neck, could it?

Strangely enough, the two newcomers are faring much better in Carter and Spotnitz's hands. My affection for and attachment to Doggett and Reyes are definitely growing. Note that Monica doesn't want to compromise the possibility of Mulder's return. That is her primary concern. Put a pin in that (and all the other times I point out her motivations), because I'm building a case for later. 

It's a con job: I'll buy there's a danger to Mulder, but isn't the one to William -- and by extension, Scully -- far greater? The consensus seems to be that Fox is in greater danger because he has the capability of figuring things out. Weak. Granted, the show had to come up with some way to cover when David Duchovny didn't want to return, but they should have come up with a better way to do that. Like he actually saw something or is in possession of a crucial piece of information. Why Mulder or his son must die remains a mystery. They don't seem like mutually exclusive options at this point.

"Trust No 1" finally gives us a measure of focus on Scully, something that's been lacking for most of the ninth season. The way she has to follow the mystery man's instructions is compelling. Dana's being watched -- and apparently has been for a long time -- by who knows how many agencies with all forms of technology. Director Tony Wharmby has the proverbial field day utilizing street cameras to raise the level of intrigue.

The Shadow Man ends up voicing words that legions of shippers were not longing to hear -- one lonely night Dana invited Fox to her bed. That kind of shoots down reams of fan fiction from the first eight years. And it points out the distinct differences between that morsel of information and the way the voiceovers and emails deliver more melodramatic Gone with the Wind-level folderol capped with "Until then, I remain forever yours, Dana."

The train station denouement is action-packed and riveting, but we haven't had enough time and space with the National Security Agent to have more of a reaction to his death other than to consider it could have been Mulder's. The quarry scene ends up providing more substance to the ongoing storyline and actually feels more like a glory-days X-Files episode. Of course, Scully gets a bit lucky with the reaction caused by the quarry's iron compound, but it's not a deal breaker.

Guest star of the week: Terrance Quinn. That was an interesting way to go about his billing in the opening credits, aimed at not giving away the fact that the Shadow Man was played by the Millennium regular and incinerated Fight the Future agent. And although it was pretty easy to pick up on the fact that he was Quinn early on, he greatly added to the gravitas of the goings-on. Not to mention the fact that he conveyed one spectacularly unique death scene.

X-Files S9E5: Oh lord, where's the insect repellent?

Sestra Amateur: 

Who had to read William Golding’s classic novel Lord of the Flies in school? That story depicts what might happen when school-aged boys are stranded on an island without adult supervision – or civilization – to keep them in check. The X-Files may be using the title but the script goes off in a typically different direction.

Aaron Paul’s face is the first one we see in this episode. Makes you wonder whether he and Vince Gilligan crossed paths here before they moved on to Breaking Bad, possibly the high point of both careers. Here, Paul plays David Winkle, aka Sky Commander Winky, the torturer to torturee Bill, aka Cap’n Dare, as they film a Jackass-type stunt show called The Dumb Ass Show. Dare’s girlfriend, Natalie (Samaire Armstrong)  briefly provides the voice of reason but she bows to crowd pressure. Unfortunately for Bill, his face caves in during the last stunt. 

Agents John Doggett and Monica Reyes respond to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Ocean County, New Jersey, where the coroner can’t -- and won’t -- explain what killed Dumbass Bill. Team Johnica also can’t explain why there’s a swarm of flies coming out of Bill’s eye. They call in Agent Dana Scully, who verifies Cap’n Dare was protected from impact trauma by his helmet. His injuries came from within. Dana gets assistance from an unsolicited source, Dr. Rocky Bronzino, who Sestra Pro will probably despise because he’s from Rutgers University, not because of his “winning” personality. He’s brought in as the entomology expert. Yep, he’s a bug man.

At Garfield High School, Natalie is lost in thought as creepy loner Dylan Lokensgard stares at her. Sky Commander Winky and his Camera Dude (that’s his sidekick’s actual name credit) interrupt her quiet moment to demand she contribute to Cap’n Dare’s memorial video. That gets Dylan’s attention. He relates to former Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett so tread lightly, David Winkle. Of course, David humiliates him in front of everyone and the cafeteria antics get both of them in trouble. I’m sure it doesn’t help Dylan that the principal is Anne Lokensgard, Dylan’s mother.

Doggett and Reyes watch the video from David and Bill’s day of dumbass-ery. Monica notices Dylan is the only one there not partaking in the “fun.” Mrs. Lokensgard, played by Jane Lynch (so many familiar faces in this one), brings Sky Commander Winky to Team Johnica for an interview, but David has trouble sitting still. It’s not because he feels guilty, but because someone inflicted a “dumb ass” tramp stamp on his lower back. In the Lokensgard house, Mom tries to lay down the law but Dylan won’t listen. He retreats to his bedroom, which is a Syd Barrett shrine, and moons over a picture of Natalie while ignoring his mother. Meanwhile, flies swarm around his window.

Scully tells Reyes and Doggett that the flies that ate Bill’s brain were all female. Monica agrees it’s a biological attack and thinks Dylan somehow controls the flies. Natalie goes to Dylan’s house the next morning, but Mom won’t let her in. Anne tries to talk to her son about how his body is going through “changes.” He refuses to listen and heads to school.

Dana and Rocky go to the crime scene. Turns out, Dr. Bronzino is a big fan of pheromones. We really should introduce him to Dr. Bambi Berenbaum (Season 3, Episode 12's "War of the Coprophages"). His pickup lines aren’t working on Scully. His sensors pick up Dylan as he pedals past them, but Dana and Rocky are too busy looking for flies in the sky to notice him. Dylan catches up to Natalie at school. (How apropos she drives a Volkswagen Beetle.) They seem to like each other. The morning bell ruins the moment, but Team Johnica’s arrival probably would have had the same effect. Anne arrives and tries to end the interview. Dylan reacts by getting fly-swarmed. This is why kids shouldn’t be forced attend the same school where their parents work.

Reyes is convinced Dylan is controlling the bugs. Scully is carrying samples from Dylan’s fly swarm and they tip the scales on Bronzino’s pheromone machine. He claims it’s impossible for a boy to emit insect pheromones, but nothing is impossible on this show. Natalie unexpectedly shows up at Dylan’s house, climbs through his bedroom window and kisses him. Too bad he somehow causes her mouth to bleed and that sends her out of the house in a panic. Sky Commander Winky and his posse then arrive and kidnap “Bug Boy.” Dylan crashes the car by showing what’s actually in his mouth. (Poor Natalie.)

Dana and Rocky go to the Lokensgard home, which is empty except for the presence of insect pheromones. John and Monica find David’s flipped car on the roadway. He and his posse are trapped inside and covered in webbing. Bronzino continues to bug Scully, so she leaves him to go to the crash scene. Reyes goes to Natalie’s house to ask for her help but Dylan shows up there too. He claims he killed Bill to stop him from killing Natalie during the final dumbass stunt. Rocky, who Dana left alone in the Lokensgard house, meets Anne who attacks and webs him. (That’s no way to treat a partner, Scully!) The bug thing is clearly a hereditary condition. Doggett gets to Natalie’s house and finds Reyes trapped in a cocoon. Dylan has taken Natalie to his own home, where Anne finally explains why he’s not like the other kids. 

Dana searches the Lokensgard attic and rescues Bronzino from a cocoon. This may be the worst-scripted doctoring moment for Scully because Rocky is talking to her, has a beating heart, a pulse and a smile on his face but she still performs CPR on him. Team Johnica are there to witness it. Three other bodies were found hidden in the attic, including Dylan’s missing father, whom he thought abandoned him. The Lokensgards escape and head for parts unknown but Dylan sends a final “I Love You” message to Natalie written in fireflies. Hopefully, no bugs, teens or adults were harmed in the making of this episode.

Sestra Professional: 

And so it goes ... from one of the best episodes of the original run to one of the worst. We've long lamented that teen storylines are not The X-Files' strong suit. These tales have been pastiches of perfunctory teenage experience mingled with some kind of (I assume unintentional) writers' in-retrospect condescension. In other words, not exactly capturing the nature of the awkward adolescents' experience as a whole or William Golding's novel in specific.

 

This kid had crap for brains, the flies just couldn't resist: So for probably the last time, I sit down to watch the fifth episode of the ninth season. I'm quite convinced this will not be worthy of my time during future rewatches of the series. I'm backed up by some pretty sketchy plot points, not-so-special effects and performances across the board. There's no character enhancement or nuances, and so I'll let this one fly away the minute I wrap up guest star of the week honors. If there are any.

 

Perhaps the least damning thing I can say about this Thomas Schnauz-penned episode is that with the "Dumb Ass Show" that's the investigation's catalyst, a fairly good recreation is offered up of MTV's stupid-stunt spectacle Jackass, which was popular with its target audience at this time in our series' original run.

Otherwise there's not much to be said for "The Lord of the Flies." It's certainly not representative of what was becoming the Twilight Zone-esque model for Season 9. It's not scary or tension-filled or even funny. I've long been an S9 supporter -- in truth, I prefer it to the seventh season -- but this ep does a lot of what bothers me about S7. It seems to just be going through the motions. In short, it just bugs me.

I glance at them for amusement: With a lot of spare time while watching this, I looked long and hard for a continuation of the simmering connection we saw developing between John and Monica in "4-D" (S9E4). The closest I could find was Reyes eyeing Doggett sideways when he mentioned peeking at suggestive ads in the back of a magazine.

But at least someone got something out of this episode, namely Vince Gilligan (credited as executive producer, but otherwise not involved in this chaos). As Sestra Am alluded to, we can almost chart the course toward the creation of his Breaking Bad franchise over the course of this rewatch. He's stockpiling for the future! There was Bryan Cranston in "Drive" (S6E2) and now Aaron Paul here. 

Someone is directing the biology: Ooooh, the kid's got a Bob Dylan poster in the midst of Syd Barrett shrine, which I guess is supposed to make us feel he's worthy of our empathy because he's so deeeeeep that he knows Barrett was a huge influence on Dylan. I see nothing in his demeanor that suggests he's gotten much out of his namesake's lyrics. Then again, maybe I'm overthinking it. Because this ep is Dullsville, USA, I'm going to tell a story about when I was a young teen. I was obsessed by the idea of getting a particular shirt of The Doors. I don't remember being a big fan of the group, I didn't have any records by them at the time, I just wanted the shirt because I found the colorful imagery cool. So I'm reversing my course and giving him a pass on the Dylan poster because it could be the same thing.

 

The attempted heartwarming scene between Dylan and Natalie is a perfect example of what I was referring to earlier. What a clunky piece of tripe. I've seen better love scenes in a knockoff of an '80s teen film's knockoff's knockoff. In other words, I'd rather watch a Brazilian princess try to save the rain forest by lambada-ing in 1990's The Forbidden Dance.

 

Mothers are women too: I'm almost sure I know the answer, but I'm willing to put this to a vote: Is Dr. Rocky Bronzino the most annoying guest character in the history of this series? This has little to nothing to do with his Rutgers background. How have we've progressed from the likes of smart-and-sexy Dr. Bambi to the guy with rocks in both his head and his name? Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

I wish I could enjoy Mama's admission that she understood what was going on with her offspring all along, because Jane Lynch sells that factoid about as well as she possibly could have that late in the game. In previous seasons, this script might gave gotten a polishing that put it at least on par with the episodes we used to consider sub-par -- the clawing cats and Mexican goat suckers of the world. Maybe it's good to know there's a new low, a place where "Teso Dos Bichos" (S3E18) and "El Mundo Gira" (S4E11) don't seem as bad as they once did.

Worst guest star of the week: I can't in good conscience dole out kudos in this category, even with the presence of Aaron Paul and Jane Lynch -- two actors who have the power to give any project a boost. I'm going to have to go the opposite way. This one set the bar for guest shots back far longer than the lifespan of the average fly. Sorry, not sorry, Michael Wiseman.

X-Files S9E4: Traveling through another dimension

Sestra Amateur: 

This is one of those episodes in which you can’t multitask while watching or else you’ll miss something. Unfortunately, writing this while watching it demands multitasking, so let’s see how it goes. John Doggett and Monica Reyes are working a sting with Assistant Director Brad Follmer to catch a serial killer named Erwin Timothy Lukesh. Monica follows the suspect who slashes her throat. John catches him in an alley…or so he thinks. The tables are turned and Doggett ends up taking a bullet instead. 

After the opening credits, John and Monica are having a nice normal moment -- he brings hot dogs to her new apartment. I guess she’s officially staying in D.C. Assistant Director Walter Skinner calls Agent Reyes to tell her Doggett’s been shot. Then she realizes John is no longer in her apartment. So, to summarize, Monica wasn’t part of that sting with Doggett and Follmer, and Reyes was not present when John was shot at the scene.

At the hospital, Dana Scully says Doggett survived surgery but will be paralyzed. John can’t breathe on his own so he's on a ventilator. Skinner gets ballistic results which conflict with reality, but not with the opening scene in which Lukesh stole Monica’s gun. Scully and Reyes bond outside Doggett’s hospital room until Walter calls for them to meet him at a D.C. Metro police station. There, Follmer interviews Reyes as if she was a suspect, because of the gun and "eyewitness" Erwin Lukesh. Again to summarize, John was shot with a bullet from Monica’s gun which was not actually fired and she (and her firearm) were nowhere near the crime scene.

Back in Doggett’s hospital room, John can only move one index finger. He communicates the word “Lukesh” via Morse code. Reyes has no idea who that is. Meanwhile, Erwin is in his no-so-happy home with his sad, needy, infirmed mother, Miriam. (Picture Anne Ramsey in Throw Momma from the Train.) And now we know why Lukesh cuts out his victims’ tongues, his mama just won’t shut up! 

Later, Walter reveals the details of Erwin’s witness statement to Monica. They meet with Dana and Brad so Doggett can communicate with Reyes using a computer. John reveals the details of the other version of events in which Lukesh slit her throat before shooting Doggett. To summarize, Monica Reyes believes in a parallel universe in which John Doggett was in her apartment while they were simultaneously on a stakeout. And she thinks Erwin Lukesh may be able to freely move between the two worlds. Does that mean there’s possibly an X-Files TV series that still films in Vancouver?

Skinner and Follmer interrogate Lukesh based on John’s witness statement. Erwin knows the truth but acts like the bureau is trying to cover up for one of their own (Monica). He lawyers up and leaves. Too bad all evidence of his nefarious activities is in the parallel universe. Lukesh and Reyes have a battle of wills in the middle of the police department. She taunts him about his mental breakdown in 1995. He gloats about killing her in the other world. 

Back at home, Erwin’s mother is unusually quiet. Looks like she found his/Reyes’ handgun. She’s also freaked out because the feds want to interview her. Lukesh finally hits the breaking point and he stabs his mama to death. To summarize once again, the man who used a parallel universe to commit murder as a way of dealing with his mommy issues just killed his mommy.

Team Johnica has a moment when she shaves his face. He’s either starting to believe Monica’s theory or using it as a reason to convince Reyes to help him commit suicide. Neither sounds like the Doggett we know, but maybe this one’s death will bring back the other one. Skinner calls from Miriam’s crime scene and now there’s a new stakeout team in town: Reyes, Scully, Skinner and Follmer. Erwin takes the bait and attacks Monica, but the team in the van can’t see what’s happening. Luckily, the ADs listen to Dana and storm into the apartment. 

Brad shoots Lukesh in the head before Erwin can kill Reyes. This convinces Monica to do what John wants. She goes to his hospital room and turns off his life support system. Then she’s back in her new apartment with a perfectly healthy Doggett and their hot dogs. So to summarize one final time, the parallel universe is short one Team Johnica.

Sestra Professional: 

This is an episode that proves how malleable The X-Files concept could be beyond the Mulder and Scully relationship, for those willing to give it that chance. I'm not sure why it took me this long to pick up on the fact that the fourth episode of the ninth season is named "4-D," I'll just chalk it up to the fact there is more to be gleaned from repeated viewings.

 

It's actually one of my favorites of the entire run because, and pardon the pun, it offers another dimension to the artist-formerly-mainly-known-as-the-whale-singer, and by extension, to Monica's relationship with John.

Steven Maeda, whose previous scripts for The X-Files -- "Brand X" (Season 7, Episode 18), "Redrum" (S8E6) and "Vienen" (S8E18) all go in the win pile for me -- crafted another eerie little thriller that's tense right from the get-go. Lukesh's menacing smile combined with Doggett's sense of impending doom make for one of our best openers in quite some time.

 

Like I'm back in Gdansk: Following the credit sequence, with the original cosmic mirror effect on the ending words "The Truth Is Out There," there's a dramatic change in the proceedings. And hey, Sestra Am, it's Polish sausage not mere hot dogs! The shippers may call me crazy, but the ease and comfort of Monica and John's scene in Reyes' new apartment comes off as a lot less clunky than a lot of attempts at showing what Dana and Fox did in their off hours.

 

This episode also gives us a better look at Brad Follmer, who is still kinda 2-D but at least distinguishing himself from others of his FBI ilk. It's tough to figure out the premise, but we at least can understand when Brad can't follow his ex-lover's reasoning. There's a lot to be gained, though, from having Follmer investigating with others here -- particularly with Doggett in the opening and Skinner later in the day. 

 

It's certainly nice to see Walter doing something other than wringing his hands about whatever mess his charges have gotten into and/or cleaning up after them. The man's still got some mad skills. So I would co-sign for more investigations with Skinner and Follmer.

 

Too much Star Trek: "4-D," much like Maeda's "Redrum," keeps your brain engaged. We're not just watching things happen to the characters, we're trying to figure them out. It's pretty intriguing how guilty Monica looks, even though she was nowhere near the crime scene. It's not something we can unravel in any normal investigative sense, and the cold hard facts that John likes to work with wouldn't carry much weight. That keeps the suspense high. 

Speaking of Doggett, Robert Patrick plays the hell out of John's incapacitation. It doesn't matter that he has minimal use of his body, we're getting everything he's thinking and feeling through varying degrees of disbelief in Doggett's weary eyes. Likewise with Annabeth Gish in her strongest and most relaxed performance to date on the show. She doesn't just seem like a female version of Fox Mulder anymore. Reyes sees things in different ways than even the ultimate believer would have, because she's doing so without the martyr complex.

You kiss your mother with that mouth? It's never more evident than in the scene that somehow seamlessly transitions from Monica shaving John's face -- according to The Complete X-Files, we can credit Patrick for that idea -- to his Euthanasia request. We know Doggett doesn't believe in Reyes' theory, right? He just tells her to pull the plug because he's not looking forward to a lifetime of paralysis, correct? Or is there a little inkling of belief in her as his partner? After all, if she doesn't get him out of that, he'll never solve the mystery that's shaken him to his own core. 

Now all of this John and Monica development doesn't leave a lot of room for Scully to move around in. But rest assured, she's got just enough leeway to figure out where Lukesh is and save Reyes 2. After all, there's no way that Follmer's going to get that smart that quickly and Skinner's already figured out a plot point in this episode.

Maybe it's kind of pat to go from John's hospital bedside back to the plate standoff in Monica's apartment, but I don't care 'cause that's a lovely ending ... and to bookend the beginning, it's one of the better ones we've had in a while too.

Guest star of the week: Kudos to Dylan Haggerty for delivering smarminess personified. He reminds me of Darin Morgan in "Small Potatoes" (S4E20) but without the empathy we had for Eddie Van Blundht. Even his back story with an almost equally disturbing mother -- and I feel like someone was influenced by the 1970 cult film Where's Poppa? -- doesn't win any compassion votes. And that's because Haggerty plays him as undeserving of any such warmth.