Invocation

Free Web Site - Free Web Space and Site Hosting - Web Hosting - Internet Store and Ecommerce Solution Provider - High Speed Internet

PLOT: Scully and Doggett investigate a young boy who mysteriously reappears after missing for 10 years and has not aged a day.

Though this episode had its share of flaws, it is very much the type of story that made the series so memorable in its first few seasons. Outside of the mythology-type episodes, the best type of X-Files story is blending together a paranormal event with the very earthly investigative skills of our F.B.I. agents. Though I believe these are the type of episodes missing for most of Season 6 and Season 7, it was still a very watchable and intriguing episode that made me wonder how on earth it would end.

Many of the elements of "Invocation" can be attributed to early X-Files classics. Yet, there was still an originality that made the episode watchable. Setting aside the flaws for the moment, the teaser set in a school fair very much harked back to Season 2's "The Calusari" for total creep factor. Seeing Billy reappear 10 years later on a swing is reminiscent of Season 1's "Eve" where the teaser showed someone on a swing in a very eerie light. Then, there was the personal nature of a child abduction case that appeared very close to Agent Doggett's worst nightmares very much like Season 4's "Paper Hearts" was to Mulder. All of these familiar elements blended well together to form a rather creepy, stand out episode.

Two factors made "Invocation" work. The uncertainty and mystery surrounding Billy's disappearance, and the obvious attention Doggett places on it due to an as of yet unknown personal experience. I really like the fact that this is definitely a "no doubt about it" X-File. It's sad enough that there are kids being abducted on a daily basis without ever being found again. Imagine being a parent and having your emotions go through another roller coaster ride when they show up years later? It was almost sad to watch the mother, Mrs. Underwood, cry with pure joy from seeing Billy again even if he looks *exactly* the same way she last saw him almost 10 years previous. Her reaction to him was a nice touch, because there is no doubt that she must have laid awake many a sleepless night over the last 10 years feeling immense guilt. Just seeing her son appearing safe and sound overturned any warning bells in her head that there was definitely something wrong.

The young actor playing Billy Underwood was definitely effective in his blank stare. I always found it interesting how a majority of people find a quiet person unnerving. Quiet children are even worse. Contrast the present day Billy Underwood to the one that was on the swing vying for his mother's attention. Even though science shows that it is the same Billy, common sense says that there is definitely something amiss.

The interaction between Scully and Doggett was conflicting though not in a bad way. As usual, the scientist in Scully is amazed that Billy has not aged one day in 10 years. So she is further shocked to hear that Doggett is more interested in finding the bastard that took him. From this minor reference, it was obvious that he was taking the case more personally. Scully doesn't seem to pick up on this little character trait until later. The audience gets to see a picture of a young boy that Doggett carries in his wallet. Undoubtedly, this mystery boy caused a past heartache for our resident F.B.I. agent, but what exactly that is will have to wait for a future episode. And just like Mulder did with finding his sister, Samantha, Doggett appears to have a slight obsession with abducted children cases. In the meantime, Doggett and Scully pursue their individual interests in the case.

"Invocation" was definitely more of a Doggett ep than a Scully one. She added her two cents every now and then, but it was obvious that the focus was more on Doggett, and the demons that he still carries with him. I like that Scully acted very "Mulder-like" with her observations and trying to find out the why and how rather than the who and where. It was a neat trick she did with the tape recorder. How exactly did she realize that there was something hidden within the recording is almost "spooky." Yet, she did the right thing by being aware that Doggett certainly had issues about the case without cutting off his instincts. Also, she saw a little bit of herself from her early days in the X-Files in Doggett's frustrations in understanding what happened to Billy even though he witnessed what he thought was a normal seven-year- old boy.

Now, the majority of the episode was very watchable and intriguing for the most part. Yet, the one thing that bothered me was that there seemed to be pieces missing that were either overlooked or forgotten. For instance, what exactly did Ronnie want with Billy? We find out near the end of the episode that he basically abducted them for his mother's boyfriend. Yet, what did he want with them? Of course, the obvious answer would be torture or pleasure. So does that mean there were other young boys or girls taken as well? Also, was it just pure coincidence that the guy happened to run into Billy's brother, Josh, to abduct him? From what was shown, it's rather sketchy if Billy was warning everyone that Josh is next, or if he returned to let everyone know what happened to him.

That can help explain how the episode seemed to end almost too quickly. There were definitely some plot points missing from the episode to make it more cohesive than what was shown. It was almost excruciating to watch Doggett interrogate mentally strained Ronnie Purnell. Poor Ronnie was so emotionally conflicted that I thought he would never tell Doggett who took Josh. Yet, it became clear that Billy truly was dead from Ronnie's reaction in his car. Since the small skull he dug up in the woods had to have been Billy, it was only a matter of time before Doggett and the other agents found it as well.

David Amann wrote his best episode to date. He helped shape a story of personal loss into vindication for the victim. He also showed us a glimpse into Doggett's past, and his own obsessions. Though I still think that this story would have worked better if some of the holes were patched up, it was still worth watching and makes Season 8 look more and more respectable while Mulder is missing.

Please use the "Back" button on your browser.