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There were so many things to be impressed about "Per Manum." We can also wonder why Carter waited almost four months to show an episode that should have been seen somewhere around "Patience," but I digress. Of course, there was David Duchovny's return, but also the continuation of Scully's abduction/pregnancy arc that has been barely touched on for most of Season 8. There were definitely a few questions answered from as far back as Season 4's "Memento Mori," yet one of the biggest questions has yet to be resolved.
"Per Manum" is no "Memento Mori" by any means, but it definitely carries the spirit of that classic Season 4 ep. Watching it gave me mixed feelings regarding the plot, the return of David Duchovny in flashbacks, the apparent mistreatment of Doggett and the utter mystery of how Scully is in her present condition. We all thought the conspiracy issue would already be dead with the demise of the Syndicate, the death of Smoking Man and the apparent resolution regarding Samantha Mulder. Yet, this episode only reminds us that there were still other questions raised that were never brought to any kind of resolution.
Case in point: We were definitely all shocked about Scully's announcement to A.D. Skinner in Season 7's "Requiem" that she somehow became pregnant. From that emotionally-ridden scene, it appears that Skinner wasn't the only one surprised with that bit of news. I distinctly remember thinking about the ova that Mulder found bearing Scully's name in "Memento Mori." I figured that was somehow coming back to the forefront here. We were never told or shown exactly what Mulder did with that test tube.
In a quick flashback, we witness a never-before-seen moment where Scully reveals to Mulder that she found out her abduction and cancer had left her barren. This doesn't seem to surprise Mulder, and he confesses to Scully that he did find her ova and already had it tested for its "viability." Of course, Scully is stunned that Mulder wouldn't tell her all this before, but it makes sense. She was already going through a bad time, and we all know how much Mulder hates seeing Scully sad. Giving her more bad news would not make anyone's day better. Yet, stubborn Scully wants to double check that Mulder's findings were incorrect.
Thus, "Per Manum" does share that distinct emotional resonance that "Memento Mori" still generates to this day. While that classic episode focused on her cancer, this latest one focused on her pregnancy and the highly unusual circumstances that appear to surround it. Ironically, both are connected somehow with her abduction. Yet, the frustration for both Scully and the fans is only compounded more by the utter confusion regarding the need for human women to be impregnated with alien fetuses. That seems to be too much a part of the Syndicate's original plan for an alien-human hybrid. If that is still the case, who is behind it and why?
Instead of any real answers, we find an already emotionally-stricken Scully trying to cope with an every day existence without Mulder at her side. She seems to be showing (finally!), and it doesn't take one of those excellent flashbacks to know that Mulder is very much on her mind. Then, she has to go to work and find out someone else has experienced a very similiar journey that she had with her abduction and cancer. So instead of being more open to her new partner, Scully is angered that Doggett would even invade her "privacy."
I must say that poor old Doggett was emotionally beaten up in this episode. I have mentioned before that Carter and Spotnitz seem to be the only two writers who know the kind of person that Doggett truly is rather than just a cut-and-dry skeptic ex-Marine and ex-New York cop. He has an integrity about him that screams respect. Doggett is trying to empathize with what Scully must have gone through during those months she disappeared, yet he obviously uncovered a very raw nerve that ties in too closely to her current pregnancy. She still doesn't trust him with her secret. In this situation, she desperately needs a friend to turn to, and Doggett's hand is slapped away instead.
Unlike "The Gift," Mulder's flashbacks in "Per Manum" are much more meaningful and sprinkled with incredible Mulder/Scully chemistry. Though David's style has always been laced with an amount of charm, when the script requires emotional angst, he seems to turn it up a few notches. Hence, "Per Manum" is made even more special with the reminder of how much Scully has lost (not to mention the series as a whole) with Mulder's absence. Though Carter and Spotnitz know how to write Doggett as an appealing character, not even they can show any true chemistry between Scully and Doggett.
Thus, David's return definitely shows that many avenues of the series has still been left unexplored. We see that when Scully is given a chance to actually become pregnant, she does not hesitate in the slightest on whom to ask to be the donor for her baby. I'm actually a bit surprised that Mulder appeared to have to sleep on it, but even that makes sense in his own explanation to her. Mulder understands the immense priviledge and magnitude of Scully's request on him. Besides providing the one true gift that Scully truly desires, he knows that she believes their friendship is special enough to create a life together without ruining the unique bond they have. It is both a romantic and selfless gesture on Mulder's part in every sense of those two words.
However, there is that gnawing sense that something isn't right. Once that particular flashback is finished, Scully meets Mary Hendershot, who is frightened for her life as well as her baby's. She also knows that Scully is pregnant under supposedly similar circumstances. This part is where the warning flags come up. How in the world did Mary know who Scully is when they had never met? Also, where did she get her information regarding Scully's pregnancy? How was she able to find Scully's apartment? These were just some of the glaring plot holes that bothered me.
Meanwhile, Doggett finds out that the man who first told him and Scully about his dead wife at the beginning of the episode is not truly whom he claims to be. So Doggett meets up with an old friend, Knowle. We have no idea who this Knowle character is (other than he is one of those Baldwin brothers). I hate to say it, but he reminds me of a young "Deep Throat." In fact, it appears that Knowle is in the intelligence community. I guess Doggett is still naive.
The scene with Doggett and Scully in the army hospital had to be the most poignant between the two of them all season. Doggett finally understands some of Scully's behavior. In turn, she appears to begin to trust her new partner. Only time will tell if that is truly the case.
Overall, "Per Manum" was an exceptional episode compared to some of the other ones we've seen this season. The emotional depth and skillful editing of the flashback scenes made this truly memorable in the annals of the series. Yet, we are no closer to understanding what has happened to Scully, or who is actually behind these alien pregnancies. In fact, we are left with a very touching flashback that only seems to dispel Mulder as part of the genetic code of Scully's baby. We can take this at face value, but Mulder's own words at the end tells Scully as well as the fans to "never give up on miracles." I think that will be the underlying message for this episode.
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