|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
PLOT:Contact from an anonymous informant at Area 51 prompts Mulder and Scully to visit the top-secret base. They witness what appears to be a UFO and encounter an unusual space-time phenomenon that has Mulder switching bodies with an Area 51 agent.
This is the first two-part episode that does not delve into the X-Files mythology for a change. It works well in that we view Mulder in a much different perspective as he has to cope with his life as he knows it being taken away and dealing with a life that would be considered "a life." We also see Scully realize that whom she thought was her partner was actually a total stranger.
Ironically, Mulder gets to go into Area 51, a top-secret installation that all conspiracy theorists believe houses UFO technology. He gets to peek inside some part of the truth that he has been searching for so long. The anonymous informant that Mulder was supposed to meet does not reveal himself right away, because he has no idea who Mulder has become. His changed physical attributes are a perfect cover to infiltrate such a facility, but his awkwardness at being a conspirator and a family man slowly gives him away to his "co-workers" and his "family."
It takes a little longer for his partner, Scully, to fully understand what has happened. It's interesting to see that noone at the Bureau notices the change in Mulder. He becomes an ass-kissing bureau clone, whom everyone, including A.D. Kersh, expects out of their agents. So his rather significant attitude adjustment is something that was a long time coming as far as Kersh and everyone else was concerned, but Scully knew better. There were many subtle habits that Scully knew was wrong: the cigarettes, "Dana" instead of "Scully," the open flirtatious manner, the condescending attitude towards her (well, maybe that's not necessarily new), the open civility with Kersh and the little fling with Kersh's assistant. On that note, it was funny to see Scully in the same hallway that she and Mulder *almost* shared a passionate kiss fume with rage and jealousy the moment she saw the attractive assistant come out of Mulder's apartment. Poor Scully! It looked like she wanted to take her gun out and shoot both of them!
Mulder wasn't doing much better. Stumbling through his first work day at Area 51, he has to come home and try to avoid his "wife." She already suspects that he may not love her anymore, and not knowing his own "children's" name does not endear them to him either. Scully had asked him at the start of the first episode if he ever thought of having a "normal" life with a house and family. The fact that Mulder does not even come close to connecting with Morris' family shows that his mindset is nowhere close to having a "normal" life.
On the other hand, Morris easily fooled everyone around him as Mulder. He is a government employee, so he is fully aware of the bureaucracy involved. His job at Area 51 had to deal with public relations, so he already had the sleazy charm and people skills to sway any suspicion from him. Since he was the type of "agent" that the FBI admires, it did not take long for him to be endeared to Kersh. Ironically, he was what Scully was trying to get the real Mulder to be: a by-the-book, respectful of authority, relaxed and unassuming Mulder. It ended up being her worst nightmare.
The phenomenon that caused this change in Mulder's identity is not an isolated incident as the Area 51 agents see repercussions of the UFO crash. Lizards inside rocks, a pilot switching bodies with an old Hopi Indian woman and the destruction of the gas station. No matter what type of incident occurs, Mulder shows his compassionate side to try to "fix" things even though noone knows how to fix this type of accident. Mulder shows his maturity and Scully's influence on him in that he does not just obsess about the truth without consequences to innocent lives.
Since the event that caused Mulder's identity change was a totally random, unnatural phenomenon, there is really no way to reverse the process. In this way, I believe the writers really had a leap of logic when the process just automatically reversed itself. True that the episode was not flawless, but this solution seemed rather rushed and empty compared to the richness of the story and characters from the rest of the two-parter. In fact, I found myself looking at the clock during the second part, because no resolution seemed to present itself until almost the last five minutes.
Still, the loss of the Mulder/Scully partnership would have been tragic if the storyline were to continue beyond this two-parter. Morris was everything that Scully hoped Mulder would be as an agent. It was what she thought would totally endear Mulder to her and the FBI. She proved herself wrong, because Mulder's renegade attitude and beliefs have become Scully's now as well, though in a much more structured way. She would never accept this fake Mulder as her partner much less work another day with him.
Meanwhile, Mulder destroyed any credibility he had as "Morris" both personally and professionally. The fact that he would no longer have Scully as his partner would crush any enthusiasm he had left to discover the truth. She was his anchor in his unstable life that made every day worth a look for him. Without her constant presence and influence, it would only be a matter of time before he stumbled through alleyways as a drunk or decide to end it all with a bullet to the head.
It was almost tragic to see the real Mulder and Scully give up hope when no solution was evident. Realizing this no-win scenario, Mulder gives Scully the only thing he had tangible to give her to remember him by: his sunflower seeds. That small physical act closed the book on the Fox Mulder that they both knew and Scully loved. This is just a small testament to note that Scully could have easily been with the fake Mulder, but his "essence," that intangible thing we call a soul, would never be there for her to be fully dedicated to her work or the man she loves.
Fortunately, it is not a permanent loss. Yet, since the phenomenon changes the past, neither agent can recollect the last few days' events. But the clever little touches of the fused coins and Mulder's new bedroom set (unless he actually *had* one to begin with) were subtle reminders and an inside joke to the audience that the events *did* happen.
The special effects were outstanding in these two episodes, particularly the hilarious "mirror dance" where Mulder's and Morris' bodies flawlessly melded each other's identical dance of insanity. That is very reminiscent of "Quantum Leap."
The acting was also outstanding. The chemistry of David and Gillian was evident throughout both episodes. Michael McKean gave Morris just the right mix of sleaziness and humanity for us not to fully hate his actions as Mulder. Nora Dunn was absolutely wonderful as the confused and bewildered wife. She still loved Morris and seeing her cry at the bar also showed that Morris still loved his wife. With Victoria Jackson appearing in "Rain King," this season has shown a preference for former Saturday Night alumni. I'm waiting to see Dennis Miller or Dana Carvey come on the show soon.
One last thing, it was nice to see Mulder appreciate Scully enough to thank her for "tagging along" on their "little field trip." Did I mention he was maturing?
Please use the "Back" Button on your browser.
HTML Page Design & Copyright © XFManic, 1999