Patman

Okay, I thought this episode was a little better than the previous ones from this season. It's getting back to X-Files cases, and away from the political witchhunts inside the FBI.

elektra

I also liked the fact that it was back to the good old creepy X-Files. They do seem to be establishing Reyes and Doggett as a team, fading Scully out. I don't know if I can continue to follow with those two, however.

nemein

Personally I like it again now that Mulder is gone, but that's JMO. Anyone else get the sense though Carter is trying to bring Millennium back to the screen, just w/ the X-Files name on it W/ Mulder it was aliens, w/ Dogget it looks like it's going to be "evil".

Apocrypha

YES! That episode really did have a Millennium feel to it. All it was missing was Frank Black, HMMM note to Xfiles hire Lance Henriksen and bring back Frank Black.

Good episode really creeped me out Annabeth Gish is not a good actress though. Remar was great. First one this season that I actually made it through the whole episode.

bboisvert

Just a note (not that anyone cares!) that I made good on my threats this week and officially gave up on The X-Files. I did not watch or tape this week's episode. Alias is just too much fun, and The X-Files is just getting too unbearable.

Judging from the ratings, I'm not alone:
http://tv.zap2it.com/news/dailyniels...ngs.html?22269

After 8+ seasons of viewership, I'm throwing in the towel. This just is not the X-Files anymore. I look forward to any future theatrical films, but without a major overhaul, I won't be watching the weekly show during season 9.

It felt strange to not watch it, but somehow it also felt pretty good. Like a big weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

marty888

I have to agree - it's something else trying to be the X-Files, and while I'll probably stick with it a little longer, in my mind the series has ended...

Patman

I'm sort of waiting for Reyes to start channelling Deanna "I'm sensing...evil..." Troi.

elektra

I have it on more or less in the background as I get ready for work the next day, but it's lost it's charm without mulder.

Patman will continue to watch until there is no more Scully.

Patman

sigh...I suppose so...

Was anyone else a little agitated when Doggett would just scream at the bad guy when he would be withholding stuff from Doggett? Doggett's interogation technique needs work.

sherm42

This show is really starting to tear me up. It's starting to make me think less of the series as a whole.



Does anyone think that Gillian Anderson looks a bit thin this year? She doesn't even look like Scully, let alone act like her.

Either way, I blame the story lines, bad dialogue, and uneven acting on the writers.

goofee girl

I truly enjoyed the Millennium-esque feel to this episode. Boy do I miss that series. And what was with the Hitchcock style camera work... the chessboard pattern overtaking the screen, the high, overhead camera positioning, and the spacious, empty feel of the sterile hospital.

Oh, and if I ever get committed I'd like to go to that facility.

It's an interesting twist to have Scully teach at the academy far away from the center of the X-Files and an easy way for her to drift off. But what about her baby? Suddenly no mention of her child after all the hoopla surrounding it's birth and who the father was.

No, I don't miss Mulder. However, there is a noticeable application of roles among the characters such as Doggett taking on the role of the dry jokester that was once Mulder's position.

IMO they ought to drift a little from the conspiracy and sabotage within the FBI and back to the old methodology of unexplainable phenomenon.

Tscott

My thoughts: I'll keep watching for sure if they keep making episodes like this one (though, the 'explanation' on the chalkboard was a bit too much).

Forget the mangled mythologies, the confusing conspiracies and the muddled motives. They need to bring on more Monsters Of The Week- and have fun with it (but they better not just re-hash the good, older 'monster' episodes like 'ice', 'pusher', 'tooms', etc.).

G. Noel Gross

Amen, brother!

He's not supposed to be smoothe. His shtick is being an old-school street cop.

TheBang

I liked this episode a lot more the first time I saw it, when it was called The Silence of the Lambs.

Still, I must admit, I enjoyed it more than the season openers. Who'd thunk the day would come when we look forward more to the Monster of the Week episodes than the Mythology episodes?

agent_reyes

In theory I think you are right. The shows that involve conspiracy within the FBI and the whole mythology arc seems too heavy handed now and completely unbelievable. I don't even think the writers have a chance here. But forgetting is the hardest part for those of us who have watched the mythology unfold for 8 years. The answers to ALL those questions are still wondered by so many people and watching now and trying to pretend it all didn't happen just to get back to the 2 brand new characters (basically) start chasing monsters again is not that easy.

Over and over again I keep telling myself to just watch the episode and try and enjoy it, but the story that has developed over so long just seems ridiculous to abandon it but where they have taken the mythology arc it also seems ridiculous to go on. What about the bees? I know Krycek is alive, so when is he gonna be back? Really, is CSM dead or alive? Who is really related to who? What about colonization? Are they waiting for something special? OK, what exactly are the Super Soldiers for anyway? To fight colonization? Well, then what about the "other" aliens who seemed to be helping Mulder and Scully (and the good people of earth) because they didn't seem too fond of those aliens either? Really, Mulder was either almost killed or people were planning or had the ability to do it for every season of the show, so why did he REALLY have to leave now (other than DD leaving the show)? They couldn't give us something better than their pathtic explanation? And if we need to fight the aliens with Super Soldiers, why are we making baby Super Soldiers? To fight the aliens in 18 years when Scully's baby is old enough to actually go to war? And don't get me started on the drinking water...who drinks that stuff anyway? Everyone I know drinks botttled water.

And I'm sure even more die-hard fans could come up with so much more. The last episode was pretty good and I admit that David Duchovny was kind of making it hard to like Mulder because he seemed to be bringing his apathy about the show (yeah, like he's going to be the next George Clooney...not!), but I have to admit it WAS about his (Mulder's) quest and unless he died and passed it on to Scully the show really seems to missing a big piece of its heart and soul without him.

I like the new people. I think Gillian is great and will continue to watch as long as she is on the show. I think she looks so thin because she's dressed more and appears on the show more like the real Gillian. As well, I'm sure she has more free time to act in film or do plays or do whatever now, so her appearance on the show is going to be more reflective of how she wants to appear and not as much as Scully would look like. Although, by season 4 she was pretty thin already.

Finally, how many more really inventive and creative monsters or paranormal things are even left for Dogget and Reyes to investigate anyway? Even the non-mythology shows just aren't as original as they used to be, but they are certainly better than the Super Soldiers arc. It's really a new show now. For new fans or people tuning in, it's far better still than 90% of the crap on tv now but it's nothing like it used to be and this is from someone who thought last year, with Mulder missing most of the time, was pretty darned good. The shows grades so far: #1-C, #2-D, #3-B

Well, at least I can go pop in "Small Potatoes" into my dvd player and remember how good this show used to be be.