S.R. 819

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PLOT: Skinner is dying and Mulder and Scully are racing against time to find a cure.

I usually cringe when I see "John Shiban" listed as the *sole* writer of an episode. He's had some classic ones (remember Season 4's, "El Mundo Gira?"). So I was wondering how "S.R. 819" was going to be even though the very popular Skinner was the central character in this one. To be honest, it was surprising in the complexity of the story, and how it seamlessly flowed very nicely into the overall conspiracy. If Shiban's future stories are going to show this kind of depth, then I wouldn't cringe as much.

Another thing that I liked about this episode is that Mulder and Scully are not pushed to the side just because Skinner is the focus. That should always be the case, since they are the two stars of the series. Fortunately, the story was very compelling that their addition to it was not just some garnish to add to the overall flavor. They were just as important in the direction the story took. Other than the beginning, Mulder and Scully were part of the story until the very end, and that makes it a very good episode.

A cleaver teaser to catch our attention. Skinner is dead. That would be on the headline of every x-phile's web page. It certainly caught my attention immediately, since I was not sure exactly where the story was leading. But to see Skinner in the horrible condition he was in and in less than 24 hours! Whoa! There certainly was some major poison injected into our favorite Assistant Director. The frightening thing is that nanotechnology is not too far in the future from what I understand. Using it for nefarious purposes such as blackmail and murder certainly is not the goal of most scientists working with this. Of course, when it comes to anything, someone will be able to use it for other than its intended purpose.

From what was shown, Skinner's personal life doesn't seem to be any richer in existence than Mulder's or Scully's. His appears to be the loneliest, because he does not have a Scully to turn to in those times when he needs a friend. Does being a hero *have* to be that way? Even Superman eventually got Lois. This episode showed his loneliness to the dedication of his duties, and I felt really bad for him. And his admiration for Mulder and Scully certainly was not lost on them, because they certainly did not hesitate in helping him even though they were under no responsibility or commitment to do so. Their respect for each other goes way deep, and it is no surprise how desperate Mulder and Scully felt in not only finding who was responsible for Skinner's affliction but also how to cure it.

It was rather surprising that Senator Matheson was involved in this particular episode. He hadn't been heard from since Season 2. Mulder had looked up to him as some kind of mentor, because of the immense help he was able to provide Mulder in his quest. Now, Matheson appears to have been stuck between a rock and a hard place, because he has no concern whatsoever for Skinner's dilemma if it jeopardizes his own life and reputation. In that point of view, Mulder lost respect for Matheson and most likely will not return to him for any future help. Too bad. Mulder definitely needs as much help from people in high places as possible, since many of his and Scully's efforts appear to just fall on the wayside because it interfere's with someone's agenda.

I found it a treat to see that Krycek was involved in Skinner's ailment. He is as evil as one can get and even more dangerous than the Smoking Man, because he follows noone's agenda but his own. In this particular case, Krycek does not appear to be aiding the Consortium at all, but why the fix on Skinner? Even though Mulder and Scully are no longer assigned to the X-Files, Skinner is more of a figurehead in that respect of the department. It's pretty certain that Spender and Fowley do not have anywhere close to the caseload and dedication of the original residents of the basement office. So that was a bit puzzling. Skinner would not really have been a threat if he doesn't have agents that will follow through with their investigations. Obviously, Krycek definitely knew he needed Skinner for some reason in the future, but we just have to wait and find out (like "Biogenesis").

When Skinner told Mulder and Scully three weeks later that he had no desire to pursue the case any longer, I knew he was blackmailed. The looks on both Mulder and Scully were of pure bewilderment. How would someone as stubborn and bullheaded as Skinner *not* want to get the person or persons responsible for his affliction? It's a wonder that Mulder and Scully didn't continue on their own as they normally would anyway. But it appears that out of respect of Skinner's wishes, they didn't.

So we know that Skinner isn't really cured. Krycek took him to the extreme and actually "killed" him just to prove a point. That he can kill Skinner any time he wanted, and *that* is a powerful blackmail. So reminiscent of Season 4 when Skinner sold his soul to the Smoking Man in "Memento Mori" to hopefully get a cure for Scully's cancer, Skinner again finds himself in a bit of trouble. We'll have to wait to see how this pans out in the next season.

"S.R. 819" was exceptionally written and acted. I found it amazing that this story came from the mind of what many X-Philes consider as the series' weakest writer. But surprises do happen, and John Shiban definitely delivered one with this episode.

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