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PLOT: A man claims that he can make it rain in a drought-stricken Kansas community prompting an investigation of fraud by Mulder and Scully, but Mulder suspects that someone's emotions may actually be controlling the weather.
"Rain King" is one of those episodes that makes you wonder how the writers can put a fresh spin on a topic that has been done in countless science fiction stories. After all, scientists have been trying to fully understand the nuances of an unpredictable natural phenomena as weather. Imagine if weather can be controlled? There would be no more tornadoes, hurricanes, tropical storms, floods, or droughts. And scientists have determined that weather does affect a person's mood. But in this episode, a person's mood affects the weather. With the added spin on romance, this is definitely one of the "must-see" episodes of the sixth season.
The main storyline really revolves around Holman Hardt and his undying love for Sheila. A shy man, Holman has been hiding his true feelings for Sheila since high school. His emotional anguish has created some unbelieveable weather phenomena like snow during Fourth of July and sending a cow through the air and dropping down onto a motel bed. Holman knows that he affects the weather with his moods. That is why he felt so guilty for Daryl losing his leg in an accident, which Holman believes he caused with a freakish hailstorm. He also felt responsible for the cow dropping in on Mulder's motel room.
There is no explanation given on how Holman affects the weather. Mulder surmises this fact from past weather events coinciding with traumatic events in Holman's life. It could be some sort of psychokinesis, but our duo never really explains how Holman does it. The unrequited love is the more interesting part, and isn't it amusing how many times Mulder and Scully were mistaken as a couple? It happens *three* times!
This was definitely a great episode. The humorous overtones were abundant. The scene at the class reunion where Mulder and Scully were swaying to the music as they kept watch on Holman and Sheila was hilarious. Mulder cracks wise throughout, but notice that there were two significant times he could not come up with a "Mulderism": When Scully asks him when the last time he was on a date and after Holman commented how he has seen Mulder and Scully "gaze at each other."
If you want two people to ask regarding affairs of the heart, Mulder and Scully would be the last people on your list. They opress their feelings for each other so deeply, that when they might peek out as they did in the feature film, one or the other is not on the same wavelength. Yet, people see these two attractive people and automatically assume that they are either involved with each other or are major "players" in the game of love. Of course, Holman and Sheila talk to them for love advice. As Scully describes Mulder's attempt at helping Holman with his love life, it's "the blind leading the blind."
Ironically, the fact that the key to this case and the weather drought is Holman confessing his love to Sheila and her realization that she has always loved him makes Mulder and Scully reflect upon their own relationship. Scully comes closest to confessing her true feelings for Mulder when she explains to Sheila that "...one day you look at the person and you see something more than you did the night before. Like a switch has been flicked somewhere. And the person who was just a friend is..suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with."
Now who else would Scully be referring to? She has always said that the X-Files and Mulder were her life. When you spend a majority of your day for six years with someone, feelings are going to be produced. That's human nature. She has been close to death so many times in the past couple of years that her feelings for Mulder are no longer as oppressed as they were once before. Scully knows that life is too precious to take for granted as well as the people you love.
As for her partner, Mulder is "insecurity" personified. He can crack the toughest investigations, but he cannot fully cope with his own feelings for the most important person in his life: Scully. When you think about the two women the series has shown from Mulder's past, Phoebe Green and Diana Fowley, there is a "familiarity" shown between them. He even allows them to call him "Fox." With Scully, he is so ever distant and only seems to show concern when she is in danger. His behavior can be taken one out of two ways. Either Mulder has so much love and respect for Scully that he does not want to screw up their relationship like he did with Phoebe and Diana, or he is scared to even try. I believe both apply. Time will tell if Mulder will finally stop kidding himself.
This episode had so many funny lines. The following are some samples:
Upon greeting Mulder and Scully at the airport:
Mayor (to Mulder): If I'd have know you was bringing the missus, I would've arranged for fancier accommodations.
Arriving at the television studio, Sheila approaches them:
Sheila: Holman, I'd like to introduce you to the Gundersons.
Holman: Congratulations! I hope you have a truly romantic getaway.
When the real Gundersons, who look *nothing* like them, arrive:
Mulder: It's like looking in a mirror.
As workers are ready to remove the cow from Mulder's motel room with a chainsaw:
Man: Ma'am, unless you want to get covered in hamburger, I reckon you should step outside.
When it looks like the rain will *never* stop:
Mulder (to Scully): I'll build the ark, you gather the animals.
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