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randomfoggytiger · 11 days ago

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React: A Late-Canon Reviler Gives the Revival a Try (My Struggle IV), Part X

We're here.

We're finally here.

My Struggle IV.

I've got my snack, I've got the snark on tap, and I encourage you to buckle in. This is gonna be an exercise in tearing apart a piece of garbage as entertainingly as possible.

THE OPENER

"Previously on The X-Files"-- OH, we're opening on Chris Carter, now are we???

This is gonna be a doozy.

Skipping past the entire rehashed monologue: Scully says, "Mulder, William is the key"; and I'd just like to rip a handy dandy little list from this excellent post that tears the later mytharc apart quite succinctly and emotionlessly:

Sveta is also referred to as the “key to everything” in “My Struggle.” Gibson Praise is referred to as the key to everything in “The End.” Cassandra Spender is referred to as the key to everything in “Two Fathers.” The alien artifact from “Biogenesis” was said to “hold everything.” The spacecraft from that same “Biogenesis” arc is referred to as the key to everything in “The Sixth Extinction,” and so was Shannon McMahon in “Nothing Important Happened Today II.”

So, pardon me if my breadth of belief has been sharply narrowed over The X-Files's tenure. Pardon me further if I happen to take CC at his word and believe there is no plan to this show; and pardon me even further if I dare to suggest all of this-- the mytharc past Season 8 (which made sense in a limited capacity until Season 9 blew it...), the continual renewal of a dying franchise, the random plots and threads thrown at walls without justification and very little reason-- is not only a failed attempt at intellectual justification of its egotistical creator but also a failed negotiation with the audience and studios to finally, finally get that movie franchise Carter was lobbying for since Fight the Future first aired.

And spare me the narrow-minded and small-hearted blame that is often tossed at fans for not "getting" what Chris Carter was going for. No one can get inside another's head, translate that madness, and coherently put it to paper (except Frank Spotnitz, apparently.) That's the writer's job. It's also the writer's job to make us believe in the events that unfold: artistic merit and expression aside, that artist is still trying to sell his wares to people-- ordinary people that work 9-to-5s, 40 hours a week, and could spend their money on another artist's project that more consciously and masterfully weaves together a world and its expression. That's not a knock against any artist's vision-- that's a knock against their expectation that you should like this, without criticism, because I made it.

So before we even begin, let me address the writer(s, for they are all involved) directly: woo me with your words. Regale me with your presentation. Win me to your side with convincing arguments. Charm me with your magic. But do not expect me to abandon reason for madness, no matter how prettily it's packaged.

MY STRUGGLE IV

OH, LOOK, it's Jackson's struggle: Struggle I was Mulder's, Struggle II was Scully's, Struggle III was CSM's, Struggle IV was William's.

So, in total: Chris Carter "planned" (despite pivoting that plan ideologically between My Struggle II-- post here-- and My Struggle III-- post here-- four mytharc tie-ins but... decided not to put any work, thought, intent, or consistency into it other than--

Restructuring the mytharc in order to take significant jabs at (and slide around like a velcro snake in) modern politics;

Breaking up the leads for shock value and unresolved-resolved sexual tension;

Creating a pathetic though pitiable disappointment in their son so we the viewers will let Jackson go, as his plotline now become irrelevant-- and was never considered, seriously, in the first three parts.

I'm sure this will be lovely.

William is connected to Scully... but we're told in My Struggle III that he is reaching out to protect and help his parents, assuring them he won't be caught by the Syndicate... only to have that message directly contradicted in Ghoulie when Jackson is revealed to be an ordinary, out-of-his-depth teenager who has no idea who Scully is, what his role to play is (with any clarity), and that he did or didn't have powers growing up that did or didn't manifest really until recently. And if that confusion isn't confusing enough, he isn't Mulder's son: he is, as Skinner believes, CSM's.

I guess CSM always fathers losers, then (Mulder always losing to the Syndicate, according to latter canon; Jeffrey getting shot in the head then disfigured then nearly killed then on-the-run over the course of his life; William being a mostly powerless philanderer.)

Oh, yes: William is a man with two girlfriends probably because his birth father (CSM)-- according to Revival canon-- is a womanizer, too. Since Mulder has no game and Scully has no game-- we can assume this was CC's intention, since he kept both in a holding pattern for nearly seven years-- and CSM seems to have bedded, or wished to, every woman he came across-- according to Chris Carter's own lore-- that only points to one ugly conclusion. A conclusion which Carter seems to have eased the breaks on in recent years, justifying that William shares mitochondrial DNA with his "father" (Mulder) and his father's father (CSM)... which, scientific inaccuracy (and impossibility, as mitochondrial is traced through the maternal, not paternal, line), is not only a crock of nonsense according to Scully's fertility timeline (established in Per Manum) but also becomes layers and layers of greasier grossness. In short: CC's inability to own up to his failures makes his work-- and him by proxy-- look like the sleaziest, slimiest, most perverted mind in the business; and his appalled "no, you" deflections only make him look worse. And while it's true he truly didn't mean to achieve these levels of toxic intent, his roughshod writing and inability to take an L have doubled back on him two-fold.

As Jackson Van de Kamp continues to narrate, I'd like to break it down in chunks:

William's childhood is a retelling of Ghoulie which is a retelling of My Struggle III which is a retelling of William: in Ghoulie, Jackson's therapist states he'd been signed up for her sessions very recently because his new symptoms were troubling to the Van de Kamp family. The therapist (and his parents, most likely) diagnosed him as schizophrenic; but shortly thereafter, Jackson realized the extent of his powers and played a prank on his two girlfriends (who did not know about each other, and who he still yanked around even after both were hospitalized. Stellar kid.)

In one breath he states that he had a "happy childhood" while in another acknowledges his use and abuse of his powers in anger-- to throw a fit in front of his parents, to gain attention from his classmates, to put a bully in the hospital after their fight was broken up. All of these points are to make us, the audience, realize Jackson is a danger: someone who needs to figure himself out and will only bring havoc and chaos into Mulder and Scully's life-- a cheap way, in short, to make up dislike William and back up Scully's decision to disown him. Not only is this lazy because it doesn't honestly address the life Jackson had to have led to make him act out on impulse with those behaviors, but it simply dumps a ton of information on the viewers for us to swallow blindly, accept, and regurgitate as "what little psychopaths with powers are like."

Spot the difference between young Jackson and Goob from Meet the Robinsons (both adoptive kids with developing victims' complexes):

As he states flippantly, "And I, uh... just became a criminal."

The obvious conclusion we're supposed to ignore is that some teenagers are just jerks pumped full of hormones, and that handing that kid the equivalent of a biological weapon will cause them to feel superior, ostracized, and alone.

The meta conclusion we're also supposed to ignore is that two of-the-earth farm folks somehow messed up so badly while raising a child they always wanted that he now feels entitled and selfish to whatever cheap tricks, maneuvers, and pain he has to inflict to get his way. And that is not only a moral failing on them but also on Mulder and Scully, who the show continually reminds us loved and wanted William but gave him up.

The second meta conclusion we're supposed to ignore is that Mulder and Scully's failings don't end there: their genes somehow created the worst possible human. Or William became the pseudo-monster that he is (as the writers doubled-down on in this episode) because he shares genetic markers with the CSM-- despite both of Spender's sons turning out morally and ethically better than their father (setting aside my quibbles with Mulder's paternity, etc.)

"So I was sent away to a school for bad kids-- devastated my parents, but I couldn't help myself. ...I'd talk to psychologists and tell them what they wanted to hear."

Really.

Really now.

Not only do I not accept this excuse in-canon, I don't accept it on a meta level. Jackson's actions are shown to be deliberate and malicious, repeatedly. When he talks to the assigned therapists in his flashbacks, he's manipulatively vulnerable on the outside; cocky, self-assured, and completely detached from the consequence of his behavior on the inside. Superior. Grandstanding in an ego-driven teenager way. To quote Mulder, "Boggs does it because he likes it."

A shame that William became the men his father was taught to hunt in the BSU. In another universe, Mulder could have made his career as the VCU's Golden Boy had he tracked down and locked up his own son, instead.

Also: psychologists who are well-trained will be able to spot a faker dead-to-rights. And perhaps this sequence could serve as commentary for the lacking mental health services in Outback, Wyoming but I doubt, highly, that that was the writers' intention.

"I was smart-- I didn't make any mistakes until I played a stupid joke on these two girls."

WOW. The minimization. "Didn't make any mistakes"-- like an act of violence-- "because I was smart"-- code red thought pattern right there-- "until I played a stupid joke"-- oh, so it's not JUST a joke, it's a stupid joke; which makes everything better, I'm sure-- "on these two girls"-- OH, "these two girls" as if they were nobodies, as if they weren't your betrayed and terrified girlfriends who didn't know about each other, nor the fact that you were having a relationship with both. behind each other's Got it.

How's he a normal teenager again? Further: how's he a pitiable character again?

He isn't. And that was the point.

Stack up Jackson's raw dialogue next to CSM's My Struggle III pity party and you'll start to see how much well poisoning CC was committing to justify his rushed, hack job ending.

Jackson already believes he's CSM's son. ...And canon is backing that up because William Redux was given visions that connected him to each biological parent: Scully and CSM.

If you accept the Revival as canon, William's paternity is lumped in there, too. At no point in-canon does Jackson come to see Mulder as his father, and at no point in-canon does he seem to give him a sense of loyalty or love.

Further: Mulder is made into a buffoon-- a chump. He embraces a son that isn't his, who he loves; and one who not only rejects him and tricks him into believing he's dead, but one who doesn't tell him "You're not my dad-- CSM is" honestly. Further further: we know Mulder would love him, regardless; but Jackson, little William all grown up, doesn't seem to care.

Even further: Mulder is given three moments to connect with his son in this show-- dreaming about a life with him and clutching his picture in Founder's Mutation (an episode not written by CC) and holding him once more in My Struggle IV (albeit briefly)-- only to be rejected. William played baseball in Ghoulie, but only Scully is allowed to mourn him. Jackson "dies" before his eyes in MSIV, but Mulder's anguish is reduced to his identity as a father and brushed aside by Scully's insistence that Jackson wasn't theirs and should be forgotten.

As much as Scully is reduced to an inactive participant in My Struggle IV, Mulder's role as a father is cast-off-- despite his alleged depression, despite Duchovny's on-screen anguish-- and he is not allowed to express his seventeen years of buried-deep pain... and when he does, Scully tells him he's wrong.

The writing destroys them both:

Scully is over-emotional: given to outbursts and chaotic gun-jumping to prevent herself from living with more pain. She becomes an agent of the plot, twisting about according to its whims, without mitigating her own overreactions with logic and coherent thought.

Mulder is denied emotion: burying it down and being blamed for his deflection with unnecessary lines in the sand, being diagnosed with unexplained (and wrongful, post here) depression, and aggressively and irrationally insisting on charging head-long into danger without checkmating his impulses with Scully's level-headed advice.

Both are reduced to caricatures: depressed parents who lost their child, who drifted away from each other, who only connect over their son or the empty place his absence leaves in their life; and only offered a reprieve via comedic bits (i.e. a Darin Morgan script) or a thigh squeeze and bed cuddle here or there.

Both are stripped of their agency. Mulder knew 2012 Colonization wouldn't happen before 2012 arrived (according to My Struggle I) yet fell into a depression tied to... what, exactly... sometime after. Scully left her partner after he sank into depression while spouting she was afraid it would get worse (according to My Struggle I)... which means she left before it got bad. Mulder and Scully share a thigh squeeze in My Struggle III but only get in bed together again to (accidentally) create a baby in the St. Rachel (a patron saint of older mothers) Motel. Scully expresses concern in finding her son until the plot says "no"; then expresses concern again when the plot says "yes." Mulder expresses no immediate concern in finding his son until Scully says "yes", and loses that concern when Scully says "no."

CSM is the only character to keep to the same idea, consistently, the entire mythology. And while that is befitting for a villain that never grows or changes, it also reflects catastrophically on the two main leads who yo-yo back and forth with their characterization, agency, consistency, impulses, motivations, goals, hopes, and fears.

It's... sad-- a destruction of the legacy and hard work, talent, imagination, and sheer grit of an entire team of dedicated, loyal, and hardworking people that breathed life into the original series.

A teaser for CSM's slaying of "Mulder."

Opening credits.

Depressing.

Oh, the episode starts here, with Mulder finding Jackson? ...Didn't expect that, not mad about it.

Mulder just tells this random stranger that the boy is not a criminal, "he's my son."

Why?

That's just brutal, man. Mulder believes he's going to see baby William all grown up; and we, the audience, have just watched an opening segment detailing how Jackson believes (as CC wants us to believe) that CSM is his father-- that he doesn't even know Mulder. That's... how mean-spirited.

Chris Carter's a slow burn angst writer, we all know this. But.... Mulder was done so dirty here.

And Scully-- let's not forget she's barely in this episode. But if she had to be in it just to suffer more angst... I don't know, do I want her here? At the same time, she's told about William's paternity off-screen (by Skinner); and that's inexcusably lazy. WHY DIDN'T THEY HAVE A NEAR-END SCENE, ALA REQUIEM, WHERE THE TWO TALK ABOUT WILLIAM'S PATERNITY THEN-- THE PRESENT RHYMING WITH THE PAST????? That's in CC"s wheelhouse, WHY.

Kersh being angry at Mulder being on the internet... I DON'T care.

I will say: yes, that would get under an employer's skin if they're mouthing off on a known conspiracy theorist's show-- couldn't have happened without consequences (rightly or wrongly) in 2018. But also... WHY wouldn't Kersh just call Mulder in and breathe fire down his neck. Why is he spewing at Skinner, of all people?

Kersh "I'm shutting down The X-Files. I want Mulder and Scully's badges."

That... wouldn't happen. If anything, Mulder would be put on leave, not fired (to save face for the government)-- perhaps even softly fired (read: retired.) This reaction? This late in the game? Nah. Toothless.

Kersh acting irrationally and unreasonably-- "I don't care if it is true, that's someone else's problem"-- is also a butchering of his established character. So, add that to the list.

The camera work and patchwork editing is so bad in this show, wow. Lipstick on a pig; and lipstick you have to stare at every day as the pig whines and squeals in inexhaustible, incorrigible levels for breakfast, lunch, and supper.

Scully's bad voice is back, WHY. GILLIAN, whyyyyyyyyyyy. You had a good mix in My Struggle II and My Struggle III.

My only explanation at this point is Scully took up stress smoking when on the run, off-and-off post IWTB, full-time during the breakup, and off-and-on again during the Revival. That's it.

SKINNER'S BEING PRECIOUS NOW ABOUT MULDER'S BEHAVIOR WHEN HE AND WILLIAM ARE IN DANGER AND BEING PURSUED.

SO, SKINNER IS WILLING TO SIT BACK, TAKE KERSH'S GUFF, AND REAM OUT MULDER AND SCULLY FOR MULDER'S WORDS (and figure out a way to keep their jobs, probably by licking a few boots) INSTEAD OF HELPING MULDER, WHO IS ON THE RUN WITH WILLIAM.

SO, SKINNER THINKS WILLIAM SHOULD GET CAUGHT, ESSENTIALLY, BY THE CSM-- who, by the way, he took a call from right before Scully came to ask for help; and who, by the way, told him the plague might all go away if he got his hands on "the boy"-- because he's not Mulder's son, anyway. AND IF YOU TAKE OFF YOUR GLASSES AND SQUINT AND ONLY FOCUS ON YOUR RETIREMENT FUND, THAT DOESN'T MEAN HE'S SCULLY'S SON, EITHER, RIGHT, BECAUSE WILLIAM IS NOW CSM'S, RIGHT, AND THAT MEANS HE SHOULD BE DISCARDED, RIGHT????

And Scully, when told off-screen, believes this is sound logic, I guess.

Also, it wasn't Mulder who gave Tad those statements, if was Scully.

1. But Tad gave Mulder the credit.

2. Despite him and Scully always talking.

3. And despite that statement belonging to her.

Real nice of you, Tad.

And Scully doesn't seem bothered, so I guess she's chicken about owning public statements and hid behind Mulder? Or let Tad hide her behind Mulder? Real nice of you, too, Scully.

Oh, look at the sign: I didn't know CC and co. had taken to self-parody, too:

What a talented bunch.

Monica called Mulder and Scully to tell them where William was while CSM was on a smoke break.

That's nice.

Um. This probably won't be nice. it'll probably be a trap that we, the audience, are supposed to be fooled by because Scully just trusts Monica now despite having a vision that Monica was teaming up with the CSM-- and despite the fact that righteous loyalty means everything to her (because she regularly tore Skinner apart during the original run for being a coward or a traitor at sundry times.)

Scully had a sense that Jackson wasn't on the plane. But let Mulder go anyway even though Mulder was looking TO HER to tell him what to do, even though Mulder was trusting HER to have a good counterargument. So, while this doesn't strip Scully of her agency here, it DOES strip her of her character: normal Scully would have assessed the risks, laid out the possibilities, and presented facts combined with her own gut instinct and come to an agreement with Mulder. This Scully doesn't have anything to counter with, and just lets the matter go... even if you or I, sitting wherever we are in the world with our snacks in the midst of reading (back through, for me) my woe-is-me insights, can immediately think of a multitude of dangers and traps right off the top of our heads.

So... Scully has agency-- y'know, before she's tossed aside like a doll for the rest of the episode-- but she's also an idiot. Whereas Mulder has little agency-- and is given the most screen time while being caught-up in the current of other peoples' agendas-- and is also an idiot.

Just.

Lovely.

Not to be that fan who debates Earth 2 theories on a weekend (always going to think of that poke from Blood, thanks CC), but WHY is Scully letting Mulder go ALONE, AGAIN, knowing she's pregnant, when he could be in danger, captured, or killed when she's--again-- PREGNANT. AGAIN. Did she just want to relive Requiem, or...?

10:30 in and... it's ridiculous but not atrocious. Yet.

The least offensive My Struggle thus far.

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, the Russian agents who attacked their home in This(?) were sent from Second Syndicate groupies, ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. (Yes, I did watch the episodes out-of-order.) And here they are again. ...Continuity?

Mulder shoots off a gun outside? Or rigs a gun to go off? Or rigs his car to make noise...? Somehow? And aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall the guards run out to run off the intruder. Because of course they do. Which allows Mulder to sneak inside. Because of course it does.

MULDER'S CAUGHT IMMEDIATELY and just turns around and grabs a weapon from the guard's hand while holding said guard in a choke hold which holds off the other guards....?

I don't think that's how that works. I'm not buying it.

Three bullets go off and Mulder, we're shown, ducks into Syndicate Man Y's room.

WAIT, MULDER JUST KILLED ALL THOSE MEN. HE SHOT AT THEM AND THEY DIDN'T SHOOT HIM BACK THE MOMENT HE TOOK ONE OUT??????????

Whoa, whoa, whoa, go back a sec: MULDER. MULDER. KILLED THREE MEN. POINT BLANK. Instead of just backing up with his hostage, which is what he was already doing. Even IF that situation were to happen plausibly, HE KILLED THREE MEN IN COLD BLOOD WITHOUT A CARE IN THE WORLD. THREE MEN WHO WERE ARMED BUT SUBDUED.

Nope, we're back in Earth 2, ladies and gentlemen. GET OUTTA HERE, get out.

MULDER JUST KILLS TWO MORE PEOPLE INCLUDING Y (at least this time in self-defense.) AND ONLY NOW REACTS BECAUSE HE SHOT Y, who he needed information from, WITHOUT THINKING.

There goes your information, BOZO.

One look at the security cams and Mulder's going away for a long time.

I will say: fans could use this as justification that like father, like son when it comes to violence. ...IF ONLY My Struggle IV wasn't breaking pre-established characterization to perhaps, maybe (definitely unintentionally) make that point.

This whole facility only had five guards total? ...Odd (read: lazy writing.)

Jackson's outrunning militia men with twice or three times his experience? When one is right behind him in one shot then further behind in another? (Read: lazy writing.)

At least Scully found some info on the web. She couldn't BE THERE IN PERSON (read: lazy writing), but wherever Mulder ends up is due to her efforts and final conclusions. So... that's something?

Wait, wait, wait, "They found him"????? HOW DID SCULLY KNOW CSM'S GUYS FOUND WILLIAM??????? Did Monica send coordinates or something?????

I'm a little over a fourth of the way through, siiiiiiiiiigh.

Gas station scene was... what was that? Obvious Canadian accent aside, the dialogue was so unnaturally punchy and to-the-point that... again, updated for the modern, punchy audience, I guess. (Read: lazy writing.)

Mulder's car just got tracked, great stuff. Fantastic.

Scully and Mulder's dialogue is SO BAD. SO BAD. (Read: lazy.)

DD's acting is suffering, too: it's not inherently terrible... it's rushed. He is rushed-- more to the point, he is being rushed. WHY? Why rush your principle actors for the finale of your television season, even if you hope there'll be another season to smooth things over then???? IT'S SO LAZY.

I hate how this episode is shot so much.

I hate Mulder's muscle car now. Where did he even get it, why does he even have it, how can he even charge it around the country like a heavy-duty, high-speed monster? Doesn't that wear on the engine? Because I'm lazy I typed in "does speeding a jaguar/mustang cause problems" and Google has informed me that, yes, it does: in fact, it causes safety and performance issues, especially at those maintained higher speeds. So, now I'm expecting Mulder to drift off the road sometime soon and die in a careening mushroom of fire and smoke.

Truck driver trying to give Jackson consolation and good advice: "I've seen it all-- driving can drive you mad." Cut to Mulder BECAUSE THAT'S CLEVER, GUYS. (Read: laaaaaaaaaaazyyyyyyyyyyyyy.)

Truck Driver is supposed to be some sort of wise man who gets Jackson to reflect on his life choices, I suppose? All this time to yourself leads you to get into trouble-- what kind? "The kind you're looking for." And that'd be a cool beat... if it had lingered. Or mattered.

Or, I dunno, if Jackson had started talking to Mulder in disguise (on the same bus, for instance) because he'd been doing some digging or maybe because he'd read some of Scully or CSM's thoughts and saw Mulder prominently featured. And asked him those questions because he needs guidance, and he's alone, and afraid; and his loneliness hopes to find advice or balm from another solitary, lonely soul. And Mulder could have given him sage advice, shown off the wisdom he'd learned: that the Truth is elusive, a fantasy; and that it'll keep driving you to madness and never ending lines. WOULDN'T THAT HAVE BEEN COOL, CHRIS.

It definitely would have given Mulder more to do than DRIVE and ASSASSINATE people (and his character.)

And you know what would have been cooler? If Scully tried to reach out comfortingly to William when he connected with her briefly and that's how he learned bits about Mulder and that's how he knew Mulder was coming after him and that's what made him curious to hitch alongside Mulder and ask him these questions.

Here, I wrote a better episode for Chris Carter (didn't even need the plane tip off or the Second Syndicate segment): could have just had Monica say Jackson was spotted in a localized area and that CSM's men were after him. Then you send over Mulder, have William connect with Scully, have her try to reassure him, have him seek out and hitch a ride around with Mulder (as "Jackson's friend") and "lead" Mulder to "Jackson's" hiding place while probing and prodding him for guidance and advice. Then CSM's men show up, Jackson runs; Mulder finds him again later at a motel, BOOM, SIMPLE.

We see the scene when Scully called Tad-- I don't care-- and didn't put her name to her claims. And said "Agent Mulder's our only hope" because he was out there trying to find William.

Why.

Because Mulder's the big beefy action hero now, of course; which the writers shall swiftly undercut and back down from for the "SURPRISE, THEY'RE HAVING A BAAAAAAAAAABYYYYYY" finale.

Weak. (Read: lazy writing.)

Tad's assistant is named Karen, wow.

Jackson just terrifies a driver who kindly picked him up and kindly gave him advice and kindly tried to help him open up BECAUSE HE DIDN'T BELIEVE JACKSON COULD SHAPE SHIFT. And because Jackson could and felt miffed that he wasn't believed, he did.

BECAUSE JACKSON'S A PSYCHOPATHIC MONSTER.

Chris Carter, what are you DOING.

Mulder completely passes the truck then goes back to see what happened-- which is in line with his character, sure I guess.

Jackson gets a vision of the future about "Mulder's" death, which means he will finally live up to his destiny and stop being a meanie, guys, and save Mulder's life-- which is supposed to be a redemption arc. Except it's undercut by completely selfish reasons: he needs to "die" so he'll stop being chased... and also, the finale's confrontation turns out to be a happenstance misunderstanding. Great stuff.

He'll be all happy, too, when Scully says to leave him alone. Mark my words.

MULDER IGNORES SCULLY'S WARNING. COMPLETELY. Looks like we're back on Earth 2, again.

"You're not listening to me," Scully begs./"You're not listening to ME," Mulder insists; and I do Not CAAAAAAAAAARE.

"I've seen how it ends, Mulder" means NOTHING, SCULLY, there is no SUBSTANCE, SCULLY, use your words, SCULLY.

STOP BEING AN IDIOT, MULDER, YOU WERE NEVER THIS STUPID, MULDER, GO ON THE DOWN-LOW IF YOU WON'T TURN BACK, MULDER.

CHECK FOR FOLLOWERS, MULDER.

CSM's dude found Jackson, of course.

I don't even want to THINK about the travel logistics in this episode.

Also: look, man, I'm sorry, Jackson isn't Mulder and Scully's son. You know who he SHOULD have been? A Project baby ala Emily Sim. It would explain Scully's visions. You know what, who cares, let's go there: I'd rather William had never existed than see him turned into THIS. Let's be real: he's sadistic. He's not a wayward teenager, he takes gruesome delight in using and frightening well-meaning people for his gain. He was raised right, taught to act right, and disappointed those parents (and by proxy caused their deaths) through his own choices.

You can argue "this is Chris Crust's episode and we should ignore what he says", but THIS is William, too: an unadulterated, unfiltered, unbuffered look at how Carter envisions William after his adoption, with his powers in tact. We as a fandom can point out the damage and flaws and stupid mistakes to the conception timeline, but William is a psychopath no matter how you slice it. He could chose to be an ethical one, he could choose to be a pity party one, or he could chose to be a sadistic one. The point stands... is this who you would consider to be Mulder and Scully's son, no matter how much Morgan tried to soften the blow in Ghoulie?

Oh, look, there's West Duchovny. She did just fine, good chops. I can see her finding her niche and excelling in it. Thumbs up.

Also: I don't care about Jackson's old girlfriends... but he immediately shows up and starts emotionally manipulating Girl A, and IMMEDIATELY puts down his ex's sister-- "You're up past your bedtime"-- because she calls him out on his behavior. AND GOOD FOR YOU, WEST'S CHARACTER, YOU STOOD UP FOR YOURSELF AND REFUSED TO STEP DOWN, simply nodding while sweetly "you can't bully me" smiling. GO, GIRL.

So. Jackson's not only a psychopathic manipulator, he's also a tad abusive and controlling. Just... just a lovely combination.

Also, also: Mulder found the other ex and is questioning her. So, like father, like son; except, like mitochondrial brother-father, like mitochondrial brother-son.

OH. So they aren't even his exes. Or one of them isn't, at least.

So he's a liar, a coward, a manipulator, a psychopath, AND resource-using bum. Fantastic.

And Girl B seems to know he has two girlfriends, seems sad about it, but... lets it be. Girlie deserves better.

"I can't believe you, Sarah," says Girl A's sister (West) and honestly she's 100% correct.

Jackson is giving himself a pity party because he's on the run from the people who killed his parents AND YET won't go to the two agents who he knows want to help him because....

Because then he wouldn't get to live with the excuses he does now.

Sarah is too emotionally tied to her cute, freak monster man and not in a cute Tumblr way.

NOW JACKSON IS THREATENING, in effect, SUICIDE AND HOLDING OUT THE CARROT THAT HE WON'T KILL HIMSELF IF SARAH COMES WITH HIM. TO WHERE AND FOR WHAT.

And when Sarah turns him down-- "I can't"-- he pushes past her "no" by immediately bartering for them to live a nice life on their own terms because he has "money."

There is no excuse for this, at all. None of these behaviors mark Jackson as a good person, none of them mark him as a dumb teenager in trouble, none of them mark him as a troubled soul who is forced into the situation he's in and just wants to be free. ALL of his behaviors expose him as a selfish, self-righteous, angry, egotistical, psychopathic, self-centered little narcissist. A little black-souled humanoid who will do and say the things he needs to to get his way-- being kind to Scully because she cried over him (a stroke to his vanity and ego), being kind to his girlfriends in order to string them along for free food and housing (self-serving and self-centered cash-ins) and vulnerably crying and admitting suicidal thoughts to Sarah (a diabolically manipulative tactic to not feel so alone in his self-imposed exile.)

Insane.

I'm calling him "Little Riverdale Psychopath", LRP, from now on.

Mulder shows up, "West gets a little meta "I don't believe you're his father" (and honestly? Wish Mulder and Scully had had a kid with her sense and "prove it to me but I'll listen" instincts and good manners. OH, WELL, I GUESS.)

Plot, who cares.

Mulder shows up at the hotel; and answers LRP's direct, "Who is it?" with an equally direct, "I'm your father." Go, Mulder. (...If only this wasn't Earth 2 Mulder.)

Mulder delivers his infamous, "You're taller than me. I held you when you were a baby"... and BOY does that moment fly past quick: three seconds later, Little Riverdale Psychopath says, "Okay, maybe you did but I don't remember that" and Mulder the NPC draws back to dole out expositional dialogue. WELP, MOMENT OVER, I GUESS.

THE DIALOGUE IS SO BAD even David Duchovny's letting me down. It cuts from Mulder's genuine emotion to Little Riverdale Psychopath's reaction to Duchovny's suddenly flat, emotionless, and disconnected expression-- who then, without warning or precursor, yells, "I can PROTECT YOU if you trust me!"

WHERE DID THAT COME FROM.

WHAT HAPPENED.

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BOY.

WHO directed him to do that and WHO said that was the best take and WHO even wrote this dialogue to begin with-- oh, wait.

The entire thing feels so stitched together, with no seamless transition between takes; and the disconnect is even more pronounced because the editor chose the WORST takes to stitch together in the cutting room. WHY.

Firstly, LRP tries to point out that Mulder doesn't share the same visions that he and CSM do (without mentioning CSM) but Mulder doesn't get it. Secondly, CC is trying to soften LRP up here so we'll see he's a scawed widdle boi deep down, see, he did these things because he's just pwotecting himself, guys.

I don't buy it. It's just more evidence of how BADLY Chris Carter's writing has devolved. What happened, Chris, did you just not care, was this all flash so you could delve into substance in yet another season in yet another hopeful bid to FINALLY get the movie franchise you so desperately wanted? How many more seasons will it take before you accept that you're not getting any closer to your dream because you won't put your all into the opportunities you have right in front of your face? How are they less valuable, less deserving of your time and attention, of your care and abilities, just because they're not what YOU deem to be enough? What is enough, and when will you have enough before you have to face yourself and your failures in the mirror? Never enough? Always on the move, always driving towards that elusive Truth, Chris? Always following never-ending lines that lead you ultimately nowhere?

When will it end, Chris Carter? Can you not bear the fact that it will, that it has? That it's over?

MULDER, like an idiot, DOESN'T LISTEN TO LRP'S WARNING AND JUST OPENS THE DOORS SO THE MILITIA CAN COME THROUGH. Proving immediately that LRP CAN'T rely OR trust him. Wow.

What happened to the Mulder that took his cues from the paranormal participants around him, that sensed when danger was closing in because he paid attention to the signs no one else did? What happened to Earth 1 Mulder? Can I exchange this idiot for $2, at least?

FOR A SPLIT SECOND, Little Riverdale Psychopath contemplated killing Mulder; then decided to leave well enough alone.

Wow.

Can he stay dead in the water? For me, as a treat? No, not a treat-- as a deserving award.

(Hey, I forgot to eat my snack and provide commentary on it. But there's still 14:44 minutes left, and if I start now it might be done before the ending. Do I save it for afterward, or chance it now...?)

Mulder the Buffoon lost LPR again.

Back to present: Skinner post-Kersh reaming.

Scully gets a call, and is told Mulder lost Little Riverdale Psychopath.

MULDER FAILED YOU GUYS, GET IT. So he calls Scully and mourns his failure and Scully insists on coming down because, "He'll listen to me." Scully gets another check mark on her agency tab BUT AT THE COST OF HER AND MULDER'S CHARACTER. WHY wasn't she there to begin with?

And here's the truth, the truest truth of all: Scully's not there-- NOT because she's a woman, NOT because she's a mother, NOT because she's pregnant-- because if she were there, William WOULDN'T have run away, Mulder WOULDN'T have opened the motel door, Mulder WOULDN'T have walked into the light in Requiem.

While it made sense in Requiem (abductions and cancer concerns looming over her head), it makes ZERO sense now, especially when she'll just pivot on a dime and fly out to talk to William, anyway.

Ironically, she is actually the key to everything... and that's why she can't be there, because then the plot has to progress; and then WHAT WILL the writers do????? They'd have to write a coherent plot!!!! The HORROR!

Scully's gonna go, Skinner nearly whines ("I'm supposed to reign you in"), and Scully becomes the voice of sole reason in this entire episode-- "This isn't about the FBI, Sir: this is about our son"-- before she waltzes away to commit the highest treason of her character. LOVELY.

Lazy, lazy, lazy. CC really thought he aced this finale, didn't he?

Skinner is going to drive her; which is, we're left to assume, when he tells her about William's true father. OFF-SCREEN.

Tad's back, oh well, I don't care.

(Also, forgot to mention: Little Riverdale Psychopath killed the undercover agent that picked him up. Without remorse. Oh, well, I don't care. Do you expect me to feel pity?)

Here's a blurry screenshot because no one-- including myself and Chris Carter-- care about Tad:

We could be frustrated that West's character is covering for her sister (who is gone? or something?) but she's a real ride-or-die. And as far as she knows, this strange man didn't say he was FBI just that he was LRP's father; and as far as we know, she doesn't believe a word he said. I'm on her side all the way.

THEY CUT AWAY JUST AS SKINNER WAS GOING TO TELL SCULLY; and of course they ate up the time with meaningless filler dialogue ("There's something I gotta tell you, something that you need to know, something that you might not want to hear" WHO CARES, just TELL ME.)

West's character is convinced-- we don't get to see that either, shocking-- and guestimates Sarah and LRP would be meeting up at the docks. Tumblrinas, here we go.

Wait, so we DO get to see Scully's reaction to hearing the news. WE'RE JUST NOT GIVEN ANY TIME TO DWELL ON IT because she immediately spots Mulder's car and changes the conversation. ...That's even worse because-- according to the script and on-screen dialogue-- that means she processed it quickly and readily disowned him later knowing she was already pregnant. Not just lazy writing but completely alien... and awful. And so detached in intent that it comes across as mean-spirited.

I'm convinced that CC meant to have Scully "owning" her agency and bodily autonomy by having her reject William, tell Mulder to move on (by following her lead), and forge the way into a new and better future with their confirmed miracle baby.... and that is SO off the mark to Scully's character, to parental instincts, to human nature itself that it's BAFFLING.

Not only does this make her seem callous and selfishly uncaring-- reminiscent of her not caring for the missing women in IWTB because the case inconvenienced her, and stabbing Sveta with a medical instrument in My Struggle I-- but it strips Scully away from a fully empowered choice. If the writing had been just a tenth better, we would have sat with her digesting the news, with Gillian emoting Scully's conflicted feelings; and come away from that obscene ending with a better grasp of her head space.

Instead, the final pages were withheld-- exactly what CC did to Gillian and Mitch Pileggi in Requiem, seventeen years earlier-- and no time was given to focus in on, let alone explore, Scully's emotional state and burgeoning decision. Gillian herself had no idea how the episode would end; and, with vanishing night and mere hours to film before the location was a wrap, didn't have much time to explore those territories herself in preparation.

And Scully isn't the only one to suffer: Mulder is made into an action-hero shell of his former self-- empathy and in-tune sensitivity gone' eyes only for the mission, reckless and heedless and one-track minded on his goal. Exactly the kind of men he'd derided and warned against in the original run. A man so focused on his own wants and wishes that he overlooks the warning signs that even he, paranormal enthusiast and UFO-light chaser extraordinaire, wouldn't miss a mile away.

The two of them bounce between useful idiots and plot devices. As do Skinner and Kersh and Monica Reyes and CSM, who have no character. As do LRP's girlfriends/exes. As does the Second Syndicate. As do the undercover agent, the truck driver, the gas station employee. None of them are people, let alone characters.

WHAT HAPPENED: it's simple, and I'll put it in caps for my sake: CHRIS CARTER CAN ONLY FOCUS ON FLESHING OUT ONE CHARACTER AT A TIME.

In My Struggle I, Mulder was center-stage and humanized; and Scully merely an addition to his findings.

In My Struggle II, Scully was center-stage, and Mulder merely a prop to her medical science.

In My Struggle III, CSM was center-stage, and Mulder's driving and Scully's visions merely a tool to further the plot to his next monologue.

In My Struggle IV, Little Riverdale Psychopath is center-stage, and Mulder's hopeful quest and Scully's declaration merely side plots in his end goal of freedom.

It's literally as simple as that: the same pattern held true in a lot of CC-centric episodes, with the exceptions of the Pilot, Triangle, and How the Ghosts Stole Christmas. Every other one focused heavily on one character (a Christmas Carol, All Souls, Fight Club, etc.) at a time; or if Mulder and Scully shared screen time, one usually got kidnapped (Deep Throat, The Erlenmeyer Flask, etc.) or both were separated (every mytharc to date.)

Ironically, the episodes that were solo-focused were mainly Scully, not Mulder, story lines (Irresistible, Revelations, A Christmas Carol, All Souls, Orison, Fight Club, etc.) My guess? Carter considered Mulder a less empathetic character, and thus not as juicy to lob dilemmas or emotional gut punches to. Scully, meanwhile, as the normal and sane character would be most in-tune, I'll bet he supposed, with the audience's reaction. In short: LAZY.

Monica Reyes tries to stop CSM from running over Skinner, but... lets him drive a very, very long distance to run Skinner over. Because, as established in my My Struggle II reaction, she's selfish and self-serving.

Another beloved character butchered-- literally, she's dead.

Skinner's decision to stand his ground against an on-coming car THEN start to lightly run back to his own was... stupid. Especially because-- aren't there stairs to a door right behind him? RUN THERE.

Also: Mulder and Scully hear Skinner's shots, and Mulder stops her from going back to help because... he wants to reiterate that William wants to be found. ...WHO CARES, SKINNER'S IN DANGER.

"Stop, it's no use!" Mulder monotones. ...Really buying that line delivery.

OH, WAIT, this is Little Riverdale Psychopath. He's being flat because he's manipulating her-- saying, "He [LRP] knows that you love him" as a way to convince her to let him go later. ...'Kay.

It makes sense that Mulder wouldn't go check on Skinner-- this is bloodthirsty LRP. Got it.

Mulder shows up, yells, "Scully, stop him!" and I'm thankful for small mercies-- that Mulder didn't betray his own character to give up on Little Riverdale Psychopath.

Now this is where Scully realizes this kid has no idea what he's doing or how to keep himself safe and decides to completely ignore what he told her-- except that he loves her-- and claim him anyway, right???

Or are we going to get an Emily 2.0 where she lets another child go because that child asks her to-- DESPITE that situation being a entirely different context and piloted by entirely different reasons-- repackaged (read: lazily) anew to justify the finale's decision.

Guess which one, boom, you win a prize: nothing. We all lose.

Scully chooses here to chase after him... SOOO why does she let him go later? Because the last hidden pages told her to do so, that's why.

You're telling me Little Riverdale Psychopath is able to outrun Mulder the Nimble? Not a chance.

I can't believe they slowed Duchovny down to make William appear faster. What a travesty. You can TELL he's holding his back: walk-jogging at MOST.

This long chase scene was absolutely necessary, guys. More necessary than giving Scully any time to process William's parentage. Definitely.

Oh. Wow. The final confrontations' lazy.

CSM somehow beats everyone to the dock.

Little Riverdale Psychopath for some reason decided to dress up as Mulder again.

CSM thinks LRP is Mulder and shoots him.

Wow. That clever twist was certainly worth the entire mytharc and Spartan virus buildup and Monica's death and Skinner's supposed death and this entire episode's butchery.

I'm, frankly, impressed by CC's super villain powers of laziness.

CC's absolute lack of nuts, wow. He gave the paternity question an out: "That I'm the one who made him. That I'm his creator." What a sneaky little--

And you know why, too: so he can bait the "is he or isn't he?" next season. And when that didn't happen, he leaped to mitochondrial DNA instead of, I don't know, saying CSM restored Scully's fertility (a complete and total rewrite of history) an leave it at that.

But no. He's so, so smart and we've gotta deal with it.

"When I gave you life," CSM says, "I never fathomed the moment when I would end it."

That's 'cuz you're not the daddy, CSM, until later canon deemed it so. Or, if you want to stick to the bio dad heresy: you never knew Mulder was your child until years in (after One Son, at least.) Perhaps you had suspicions, perhaps you guessed; but never with any proof before Amor Fati-- hence why you kept trying to kill him, then pivoted to grooming and sacrificing later. And now that the game is tired and you are old and ready to father more sons with Scully, Mulder has run his course.

The whole thing's so stupid.

I have more criticisms of Duchovny's acting, I know, I know: he's acting as LRP acting as himself... but there is no mania, no wide-eyed expressions, no soul inside of himself that is separate from Mulder's. We all know he's capable-- Small Potatoes, for example-- but why isn't he doing so here?

Again, I'll BET there were some... unique directions on set. If I were to wager a guess, I'd posit that CC's paranoia over his "vision" being lessened (via studio interference or scripts leaking) also extended to his actors-- that he couldn't let their in-the-moment-instincts get in the way of his ideas, that what they brought to the table wasn't good enough for his thematic shots-- and that his final say overrode their input or gut reactions.

Definitely something I need to look into.

WHY DOES DD ACT MORE LIKE LITTLE RIVERDALE PSYCHOPATH WHEN KILLING CSM IN COLD BLOOD THAN HE DID AS MULDER ACTING AS LITTLE RIVERDALE PSYCHOPATH???????? YES, Mulder is emotive, YES DD acts him that way in a rage; but WHAT IN THE WIDE, WIDE, PEARL-CLUTCHING WORLD WAS THAT.

CHRIS CARTER, you let DD rage when slaying CSM but not EMOTE as LRP, an emotive person, WHO WAS FACING DOWN A BULLET.

And yes, I'm aware that Little Riverdale Psychopath was manipulating the CSM into pulling the trigger, hence his "Would you really be able to do it?" moment, but COME ONE, GIVE DAVID SOME LEEWAY HERE.

Or, and I shall lay this criticism down now: David Duchovny, what was this? I know if you were to watch this back you'd find a million places you could improve. Were you rushed, did you not care, were you following CC's directions to the letter? Did he have more restrictions for you than Gillian? What happened here, man?

And yes, I know: Mulder shot CSM multiple times and pushed him in the river.

CSM wouldn't still be standing.

Um, no. Mulder's a one shot kinda guy.

And yes, I will agree with fandom sentiment: why didn't Scully get to pull the trigger here? Because it was about fathers and sons, yeah, I see the themes. AND SO WHAT. WHAT ABOUT SCULLY, the one who had a tie to William, the one who led Mulder this entire episode, the one LRP knew loved him?

Was CC's decision to have Mulder shoot CSM a way of proving Mulder's love to/for William? To give Little Riverdale Psychopath a frame of reference? ...Or just because it would be cool?

Who knows because there won't be a Season 12.

I will say: there's a sadistic glee I derive from that ending for CSM-- he's dead before he can even figure out what happened, or even that he'd been duped. But also: I'm so emotionally tapped out I might hate it later. Depends.

Here we go, time for the worst part of the episode.

I'm not going to try to make sense of any of this because there is no sense to make.

Mulder is working up to a break down-- oh LOOK, David Duchovny CAN act. WOW. INTERESTING.

Scully hears William just died and says...

"He wanted us to let him go."

I don't think he really wanted to get MURDERED though, Scully.

"He wasn't meant to be"/"He was our SON"/"No"-- get sniped by a thousand paper cuts.

"Scully, he was our son." Great voice crack, great emotion, where was this before, HMMMMMM? (100% it was suppressed due to action man on-set Chris Carter. I'd bet that $2 I wanted from trading back Earth 2 Mulder on this.)

"No. William was an experiment, Mulder. He was an idea, born in a laboratory" BYEEEEEE get ye gone, shoo, vamoose.

GA's REALLY trying to save this, bless her heart. But... what a disservice to Scully. Mulder, too-- sure, fine, whatever: but he got to grieve and Scully did not. How... did CC think this was okay?

Scully stopping to release a breath after denying herself as William's mother is.... heartbreaking.

Her sentiment in this scene is not even in line with THIS canon, nor the exchange she and Little Riverdale Psychopath had MINUTES ago when LRP assured her he knew she loved him. THAT was a motherly moment between Scully and her child-- that should result in the EXACT OPPOSITE of her conclusion on the docks. THAT WOULD HAVE CEMENTED HER FEELINGS EVEN IF SHE LET HIM GO, what were you THINKING, CC. TH-THIS DOESN'T EVEN MAKE LOGICAL sense in your own SCENES, CC.

"I carried him, and I bore him... but I was never a mother to him." UM, you were mere minutes ago-- and LRP recognized that repeatedly IN HIS OWN MONOLOGUE, CHRIS CARTER, you lazy, LAZY man , you.

"For so long I believed.... What am I now if not a father?" DD did his best but even I can recognize he doesn't believe that line.

My blood pressure's about to go through the roof.

"You are a father."/"What are you talking about." I'm literally crawling through this exchange at a snail's pace as if to put off the inevitable.

You know, this would have been great, say, seventeen years ago. And while Gillian and David are knocking this scene out of the park,

I WANT TO HANG CRUST CRACKER BY HIS SURFER SHORTS IN THE TOWN SQUARE.

GIVE ME ONE MOMENT ALONE WITH HIM,

WE NEED TO TALK.

To me, My Struggle I was the worst... but these last couple minutes? Might rival that. Does, honestly, because while MSI can be swept aside as insane ramblings, THIS is a measured, introspective dive into Scully and her motivations: pure, unadulterated self-preservation. One that casts aside her loyalty and love for little William; and one that hand waves away Mulder's feelings for his son, as well. Her character is dealt the greatest blow in service to CC's boredom and flashy vision, and her and Mulder's legacy and happiness are scrambled around and mashed so incoherently that both have officially shed their skins and lost themselves on that dock. To me, they were gone a looooooong time ago. But now, there is no going back.

We end on them sniffling sadly, at the end of their emotional tethers,

AND OH, LOOK, LITTLE RIVERDALE PSYCHOPATH'S ALIVE--

I don't care.

CONCLUSION

The psychic toll of this episode is immense. My Struggle I made me rage the most... but this one... this one is cumulatively the worst.

MSI was a rewrite of the mythology that ripped Mulder and Scully apart; but they were knitted back to the files with hope(ish) for their future. MSII made some progress and gave Scully a significant role fighting faux Colonization. MSIII stripped away MSII but was, largely, useless. MSIV, though... destroyed everyone. No pity, no mercy.

And all in the last ten minutes. Wow.

I said what I've said, and now I'm counting to three.

Thanks for reading, I'm mad.

Enjoy!

#txf #x files #xf meta #My Struggle IV #Mulder #Scully #Revival #React #mine #Part X #CSM #x-files #xfiles #the x files #Revival Reviler's first-time watch through #A Late-Canon Reviler Gives the Revival a Try #William #Jackson Van de Kamp #Little Riverdale Psychopath

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randomfoggytiger · 12 days ago

Text

React: A Late-Canon Reviler Gives the Revival a Try (My Struggle III), Part IX

it is time, once again, to lose my mind.

I am curious though, before I dive in: which Struggle is the worst for you, Dear Reader? The first, which destroyed the mytharc and gave us a breakup without any reason (which had to be, partially, course-corrected later?) The second, which was filler and nonsensical and gave us a cliffhanger with possibly no payoff? The third (which... I'm pretty sure has Morse Code brain signals)? Or the infamous fourth? If you had to take a step back and assess the total damage... what would be the most heinous?

**Note**: Losing my mind for fun. No hate towards anyone, only intense frustration over choices made.

Now, let's rip into this. >:DDDD

MY STRUGGLE III

WE'RE GETTING CSM VOICEOVER.

REALLY.

So. My Struggle I was Mulder's and My Struggle II was Scully's (according to CC) and had voiceovers accordingly... so... this is CSM's.... Soooooooooooooooooooo.

2x-ing this.

Trump getting sworn in, Putin, all these "oh, no, think of the children" clips, ugh.

CSM. You're not a hero just because you don't have a yellow wig. CC, CSM is not a villainous antihero just because you give him a monologue.

And let me be clear: CC does think CSM is the villain. However, he can't resist toying with the idea of Spender's internalized pity-party... but... okay, I'm gonna be honest: he's not exhibiting the skills to do it. Whether that's because he never had them (doubtful) or because he let those writing muscles atrophy with lazy shock value (likely), the fact remains: this isn't going to be good.

How do I know? Because the previous parts weren't good. And I may not know higher math, but I do know enough to know 1 +1 not only constitutes 2 but also establishes a pattern.

Here's a lazy screenshot for CC's lazy analysis:

CSM talks about his sons (which I reject)... and I don't care.

Also, Monsieur Spender sounds awful Canadian now. WBD not keeping track of his vowels again.

(Wait, how'd this get off 2x speed? Back to it.)

"I only hope to show my sons and their sons that I was right."

(**Note from the future**: On first glance, this refers to William as Mulder's son; on second glance... it refers to William's hypothetical sons, I guess. Uuuuuuuugh.)

You know what? I'm angry again that the Revival focused so little on William/Jackson. Then again, they didn't focus on Mulder/Scully, didn't focus on the breakup, didn't focus on Mulder's depression... didn't really focus on anything singularly, huh?

I hate this so much. Faking the moon landing. Acting as the Deep State behind presidents. It's all so... so....

Poser.

It's all stupid and fake and nothing makes sense. Instead of keeping to his guns and rejecting Morgan and Wong's retelling in Musings of a CSM, CC has doubled back and doubled down on it. And honestly, for what? I'll tell you what: because he's ripped away the alien mytharc, we are left with nothing but government conspiracy. And because stupidity begets more stupidity, he then has to build up the Shadow Government's power to believably-- he hopes-- pull off the Conspiracy's reach on the massive scale that is now needed to justify erasing the aliens' involvement in the timeline.

Look how 'poser' this "government agent's" face is. Sums it up.

Scully actually fell over in the office and had a dream.

...Because that's not a complete waste of a previous episode at all.

Now. If this had been set up or alluded to in MSII-- say, Scully's going about her hospital work and hearing voices here or there from reality bleeding into her vision, sure, fine, okay. Or if we're given a sense that it's a vision (with all the fancy camera work they used, the crew could absolutely have implemented a special effect right before the dream kicks in) that Scully, in her altered reality, keeps denying or brushing off-- that'd be a different story. That didn't happen.

37:15 left. These episodes crawl.

I'm gonna say it: I'm not impressed with Duchovny's acting in the scene when he and the EMTs find Scully unconscious. There are glimpses where I think "hey, that's a reaction" before the camera SHAKESHAKESHAKEs or cuts... and I just wonder: who was on set telling him, The Monotone, to tone it down?

Then again. Then again, he could be acting his tail off IF THE SCENE WOULDN'T KEEP CUTTING OFF EVERY 1/3 SECOND.

"I don't want to hear from you. I want to talk to Scully."

How... how did Mulder get less mature with age? Less intelligently verbose? More verbose in general? What happened to the silences in The X-Files where we sat with the characters to get a sense of their emotions? Where has sense gone?

Mulder is supposed to be older, less likely to take anything or put up with anything. And yet, he's also gotten louder, more demanding, and less wise. The writers have given Mulder authority but also, for some bizarre reason, dwindled his assessment skills; they've stripped his former ability to emote in times of crisis (more than he did in normal or even happier times in his life); and they've made him less gentle and downright petulant. It's a pattern I noticed in IWTB that I'd hoped would smooth over here... and yet.

What's the difference between former petulant Mulder and modern petulant Mulder? For one, his newfound aggression does not come with an updated sense of perspective, street smarts, or intelligence. We're to assume he's led by the nose into gay bar closets or stumped by illogical Were-monster rambles or etc. while also putting together pieces that don't connect (even in the writing itself) because he's so clever, he's Spooky Mulder, look how much he's grown?

Yet, he hasn't. Even DD mentioned, once, that the writing (and Mulder's characterization) hadn't updated. So the maturity we see on-screen-- the glimpses, the glances, the gazes, the self-control-- were gravitas touches he brought to the role. ...And that's it. He stands there, he comforts Scully, he shuts up when she talks about William after her mother's death....

I want to ask you this: what does Mulder achieve in the Revival? Honestly? A lot of the cases just happen to him and Scully. A lot of the familial drama ends with him turned upside down and confused, befuddled and left behind. At least Scully-- for all of the fandom's (righteous) fury-- was an active agent. She had the least screen time and accomplished the most: bringing contacts to Mulder, debating Mulder out of crazier ideas, encouraging Mulder back to the files (Were-monster), getting visions from the future and her son, insisting they find William, apologizing to William's "dead" body, making a connection with William at the gas station, saving Mulder whenever he gets kidnapped, etc.

What about those moments where Mulder saves people without Scully by his side? ...Did he? Or did the monsters get vanquished by another person?

By and large, what did the series accomplish? Really? Mulder achieves nothing-- not even to get the Truth between he and Scully (we're left with them grappling the loss of their son-- that she disowns in MSIV-- and being told she's pregnant AGAIN)-- and Scully achieves a little more (coming to terms with why she ran away, seeing her son, disowning him so she can live the rest of her life in peace... yeahhhhhhh...) but ultimately nothing.... The end.

As much as we wish it accomplished something, as much as others love what it brought to the table, what arc did Mulder and Scully go on? What growth did they achieve, measurably, that wasn't messily rewritten in the last minute then butchered the very next episode? What path forward did they open that wasn't thrust upon them? What darkness did they beat back, what truths did they discover or decide to walk away from? Nothing was done with agency-- none of the Revival had a shred of the exploration the Pilot did, let alone the mini arcs in Season 1, the season-long arcs in each subsequent season, even the grand and sweeping narrative sweet spot of Fight the Future. You either salvage what you love from it, or you begrudgingly admit it exists. (Or, like me, you live in delusion that it doesn't.)

And hot take: Scully doesn't lose agency in the Revival-- she chooses to leave, chooses to join Mulder on the work, chooses to ignite Mulder's fire in the MOTWs, chooses to pursue William or leave Jackson alone, chooses to save the world through her science, chooses to get back in bed with Mulder, chooses when she wants to move back home. Her past actions were stripped of agency (En Ami rewrites), yes, but not her present. MULDER, HOWEVER, DOES. Mulder is yanked around and tossed about by the newest conspiracy, but seems to "happen" into each new revelation. Whereas in the old show he tracked down leads, interrogated, and put the pieces together in time to help others, or mitigate the Consortium's damage, here those traits are fleeting (at best) and come second to him shooting from the hip emotionally-- flying off the handle and driving down the road rather than making a plan, figuring out the facts, facing the danger with his head on straight.

In the original series, Mulder and Scully would keep each other grounded-- i.e. he pulling her back to earth in the Pilot, she keeping him honest in E.B.E. Here? They both become emotional wrecks unless directly in the line of fire: then they are detached sages spouting impossible-to-connect dots as facts. And at least Scully is the ultimate voice of "Yes" or "No"-- Mulder is just an agent of the plot.

...That felt good to get off my chest.

36:19 minutes in.

SKINNER, SKINNER reads Morse Code from Scully's brain... and Mulder immediately dismisses it.

Which... YES, THANK YOU. But unfortunately, that's the wrong move; and also... would Mulder in this strange Earth 2 ever reject a possible theory, even if the premise is wildly loony tunes? No.

Mulder: "I'm going to stay here [this is what she needs]."

Skinner: "Mulder?"

Mulder immediately follows him outside.

Just... the comedy writes itself.

WHY IS MULDER SO HOSTILE TOWARDS SKINNER. There is no reason for him to be this hostile, not unless Skinner is physically dragging him away from Scully. Even if, as we're left to infer, he's afraid Scully might be dying, that doesn't mean he'd be suspicious all-of-a-sudden of Skinner, or all people. The man who kept his basement together(ish) and helped both agents back on the files.

Mulder tells Skinner he can go look for answers because Scully needs her partner. Yep, I dig it.

Also: CC must have really gotten backlash for separating Mulder and Scully in the last episode.

33:46 left.

MORE MONOLOGUES, WHY.

Wait... wait, wait, wait. Why does Mulder think his actions have led to Scully's anomalous brain activity? ...Does he suspect it has to do with her former brain cancer, her abductions, her...?

WHERE'S THE SCENE THAT EXPLORES THOSE FEARS? DO WE JUST GET IT IN A RUSHED MONOLOGUE? WITHOUT ANY BUILDUP??????

Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh....

...

......

.......

So. Scully wakes up. Tells Mulder to find... the Smoking Man. And not William.

Even though her vision would show her CSM won't care to help them.

And that her DNA and William's can save people.

Despite all that... she wants her partner to find the man who always makes nefarious, dangerous deals... and plans to let said partner die before helping out mankind.

Genius.

Also, Scully sends Mulder away-- GET IT, GUYS, IT'S NOT CC KEEPING THEM APART, SCULLY WANTS THIS, TOO.

Also also: watching this on 2x shows how stilted, awkward, and non-human this interaction is. Ping pong plot points. Gillian's eyes and David's softer mannerisms are the only things that humanize this exchange. Frustrating.

"You're dying, Mulder." ...He's not dying YET, he has to be infected with the Spartan virus first.

I will say: Gillian seems pretty Scully here-- but that's a low bar because she's always been able to pull off Scully-in-the-midst-of-an-emotional-crisis. The voice, unfortunately, remains; but at least in MSII and III she's toned it down.

WHY DOES MULDER KEEP DOUBTING SCULLY (and Skinner)??? AFTER EVERYTHING??????? Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh. Get it, guys, he's the new depressed Mulder who doubts his place in everything... but that wasn't who he was in My Struggle I, NOW WAS HE.

JEFFREY SPENDER's back. Jeffrey. REALLY.

Guess we're here now with no explanation.

Guess Spender knew where William was this whole time?

WHY DO ASSASSINS KEEP TRYING TO KILL THE PEOPLE THEY'VE COME TO INTERROGATE, WHYYYYYYYYYYYY.

THE DOCTOR JUST COSIGNS THAT SCULLY HAD VISIONS. REALLY. REALLY??

Mulder's now on board because the doctor had patients who were part of experiments... and now Scully's saying she's "not part of any experiments" DESPITE HER ARC IN THE ORIGINAL SHOW BEING CAUGHT UP IN HAVING BEEN AN EXPERIMENT.

These idiots on Earth 2 aren't my Mulder and Scully.

29:04 left....

Scully was going to leave because she didn't want to face what she's been through THAT SHE'S ALREADY FACED BEFORE and only then does Mulder hop on the investigation....

Y'know, usually I'm mad because Revival Mulder leaps to conclusions that are insubstantial... and now CC's making me mad over the exact opposite. A talent, truly, for never letting the viewers win.

Can this end now. Jeffrey calls Mulder-- HOW DID HE, never mind-- and Mulder doesn't even shrug or blink? And CSM's already tapped Mulder's phone?? And Mulder, PARANOID POST-COLONIZATION DEPRESSED AND TECH-PHOBIC MULDER didn't even notice???? Or did CSM tap Jeffrey's phone????

(**Note from the future**: That was actually Syndicate Man 2 doing the tracing... so, NOT CSM's goons that were chasing Jeffrey; and NOT CSM's goons that chase Mulder's car.... No, this does not make sense-- have fun watching my brain melt live as I try to figure everything out.)

"They'll be coming for me." CSM says, getting another smoke (remember all the smokes My Struggle II wasted time on here?)

Cut, pause.

"Mulder will be coming for me." Thanks, Captain Obvious.

"If he finds me, he'll kill me." UGH, no he won't. We already saw he'll just lay over and die in MSII. Also, that's just not in Mulder's character-- he hasn't killed CSM how many times?

"We're not to be found."

...None of these statements hang together. If you're ever wondering if something does, just imagine a character facing a wall talking to nobody: does his question/answer/soliloquy/monologue make sense devoid of context? And if you imagine the wall engaging back, does the exchange between them make logical sense?

Why did someone direct David Duchovny to monologue in short, snappy, quick tones? Y'know, in a very-not-Mulder way? In a "new, snappy, updated dialogue to fit our new, snappy car chases and modern camera angles" way?

This has turned into Speed Racer. Fun movie, but not the X-Files.

Also: WHY are the assassins showing their hand when they want to interrogate Jeffrey Spender, who Mulder is leading them towards?

Jeffrey calls Mulder.

CSM listens in the entire time.

...So, CSM's guys would know where Mulder's going.

...So, CSM's guys could beat him wherever he's going.

...So, CSM's guys could have traced Jeffrey's call and located Jeff.

...So, CSM's guys could have followed Mulder discreetly.

...So, CSM's guys don't even need to follow Mulder, at all, unless Jeffrey passed along a coded message... which Mulder wouldn't inherently know what that message means because his context to Jeffrey is the same (perhaps less than) than CSM's knowledge of his son's history and movements.

So... none of this makes sense. Again.

Is Reyes trying to talk CSM down or just saying words at him so we can hear CSM talk some more?

I'm skipping the car scenes, btw. I don't care. You made a lover of the faulty Speed Racer movie bored.

The assassins continue to be idiots. How did Mulder just... sneak an entire car around a wall without the men behind noticing (even if one got in a car wreck)?

JEFFREY dropped by Scully's hospital. So, Mulder's not going to Jeffrey, he's going to.... Draw the men off of Jeffrey so Jeff can speak to Scully? Or? Is he going to meet CSM, or?

If he's going to meet CSM...

The above list still applies... and more.

I'm. I'm.

The doctor didn't even notice that a strange man was talking to Scully in her room? Spender literally could not have left the room before the doctor and nurse came in.

UGH.

Prediction: ARE THEY GOING TO MAKE ME WATCH ANOTHER CSM V. MULDER SCENE?

Of course, all these CSM and Monica scenes won't stop her from being evil, of course not.

"Dismissed as Fake News" oh no, OHHHHHHH NO, you can't try to be sneaky you weasley little egotist.

I've broken down CC's attempt to subvert the subversion and integrate modern day politics (disastrously) into the Revival, post here. His method was cheap and lazy while trying to prop itself up as the "decoder" of the modern conspiracy mind while also reminding us, the audience, that the writers (read: Carter) can see the humanity in unexpected places.

NOW-- probably because he'd gotten so much push-back-- CC's taken all that back and said the opposite message: that the truth will be dismissed as "fake news" because that's the world we live in. MEANWHILE, he propped up those "fake news" websites in the previous Struggle because he wanted to prove how magnanimous and "love conquers all" his vision is-- and that the government is the big bad and the crazies, while off, are doing their best to expose it. NOW that Trump got inaugurated, Carter's message was now opposite to mainstream political sentiment and I'll BET he pivoted because he got caught in a raging war that pointed fingers at him.

In short: Carter was trying to promote "love and unity against the big bad government"-- which, fine, write that message well and do it justice-- but immediately pivoted to "the big bad government exists but REALLY it's not the Democrats or Republicans because the crazies call them the Deep State while we, the Syndicate, are the REAL Deep State and the crazies won't figure it out because they'll brand the truth with 'fake news'."

...Do you see how slimy that is? CC backed away from the heat when he could have stuck to his vision and fleshed it out properly. Instead, he buckled under pressure and flipped on a dime to a completely opposite narrative perspective. AND HE DID BOTH SO BADLY that it's infuriating whether we watch him sloppily justify Tad O'Malley or anti-Trumpian government rhetoric. It's....

Word of the day: Poser.

I don't care about your monologue, CSM.

I don't care about your monologue, Mulder.

WAIT.

Mulder was going to CSM's this whole time, not to meet up with Jeffrey.

Because the writing was so unclear (because it's SO BAD), we were led to believe he was meeting up with Jeffy boy.

But because the writing was, again, unclear, we're then given whiplash when he keeps driving to CSM's....

So... CSM's guys were trying to kill Mulder, got it.

That's still bad and dumb and stupid and reckless.

JUST WAIT FOR HIM ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SOMEWHERE WITH A REALLY SICK RIFLE AND SNIPE HIM AS HE DRIVES BY.

OR HAVE CSM CALL A MILITIA TO GUARD HIM SO WHEN MULDER SHOWS UP THE LATTER'S PLUGGED FULL OF HOLES.

Does NO ONE think???????

For a SPLIT second there, Mulder sounded out-of-control when Scully called, as if his emotions were spilling into insecurity and fear and tears. For a SPLIT second, Mulder being pushed into old patterns that would explain his depression-- helplessness-- surfaced.

AND THEN IT WAS GONE.

Also, it wouldn't have made sense because that's not how he acted in My Struggle I or My Struggle II when situations became out of his control, but oh WELL.

Scully collapsed again. Great.

I don't care about Monica trying to talk CSM down-ish.

STOP WITH THE MONOLOGUES.

Wait. WAIT. WAIT.

OKAY, HOLD UP.

Scully collapsed the first time: Skinner couldn't drag Mulder away, Scully couldn't send him away.

Doctor confirms she believes the visions are real, Mulder leaves.

To kill CSM?

So he follows Scully's vision directives to Spartanburg.

...BUT DOESN'T BELIEVE IN HER VISIONS.

OR BELIEVES THEM BUT DOESN'T WANT HER INVOLVED??

And when she collapses AGAIN, OVER THE PHONE, LIKE DUANE BARRY BUT IN REAL TIME, he--

Likely calls Skinner and just keeps driving to a place she dreamed up that he does or doesn't believe in to kill or not kill a man that may or may not even be alive.

What sense does this make?

None.

"I was running on only adrenaline and Scully's premonitions." SO YOU DO BELIEVE HER BUT KEEP TRYING TO TALK HER DOWN BUT KEEP DRIVING BUT WON'T RETURN TO HER NOW THAT SHE'S COLLAPSED AGAIN.

If My Struggle I thoroughly butchered Scully, then My Struggle III thoroughly butchers Mulder. This is just as bad as MSI. (MSII is somehow a distant second to both, wow.)

It's confirmed CSM is "in love" with Scully. Yeah, we been knew, thanks for rechewing that cud, Monica Reyes (read: CC.)

So, CSM IS at another location.

This is not clever, by the way, because CSM and Monica both tremble over Mulder finding them, which means they were worried he was coming to their location, which MEANS that the actors were directed to act a certain way JUST to keep the "surprise" in tact.

Stupid.

Skinner just walks down to the office. DID MULDER TELL HIM SCULLY COLLAPSED AND SKINNER JUST TOOK HIS SWEET TIME, OR DID MULDER NOT TELL ANYONE AND KEPT DRIVING???????

(Also, she's gone to find William?)

Monica has a gun to Skinner's head. Always thought that was in MSiV.

Reyes is delusional, by the way, because she's doing all this dirty work (and potentially plotting Mulder and Skinner's murders) to protect Scully. That's... just....

CSM just hops into Skinner's car like no big deal.

Kill him right now Skinner. Monica's not armed. And even if she is, you've killed Krycek before-- this would be, per your OWN personality, a fitting end. There is no excuse after this.

Scully's driving while having a seizure. No wonder Mulder doesn't fully trust a word she says right now.

Goofy, predictable car crash. So she, too, accomplished nothing. Fantastic.

New bad guy I don't care about who worked in the Syndicate is here with info, yaddayaddayadda.

Skinner does NOT kill CSM. Great.

Global warming made the aliens disinterested. Sure, Jan.

Mulder has to kill CSM or he'll never see his son again. ...stupid.

12:37 left.

We already knew the CSM was megalomaniacal, but this new dude's series of events is so old news it's pathetic. Also, the Consortium already ostracized and cut CSM out, multiple times, when he kept them in the dark or did something Idiot Carl-adjacent (post here.)

Seeds are being planted that Mulder will distrust Skinner (who is being sent to find William) but that doesn't explain WHY HE WAS ALREADY HOSTILE TOWARDS HIM IN THE BEGINNING OF THE EPISODE!!!!!!!!!!!

11:51 left.

CSM tries to say he played god with alien life forms to prevent a virus he knew would come... and YET that doesn't add up because his own flashbacks (which might be canonically false, who cares) in Musings shows him and Deep Throat carrying out the world-wide mandate to kill all alien life forms they find. Not to mention the entire globe trying to find a cure for THE ALIEN VIRUS THAT WOULD BE USED IN COLONIZATION.

Spartan virus: alien in origin but from our planet, get real. The writers copied their own alien virus homework.

11:20 to go.

They're doubling down on the faked moon landing. At least Cassandra Spender got a stupid cameo as a 1950s-in-the-60s housewife stereotype. Probably exactly how CSM saw her. Also, mind-numbingly, embarrassingly stupid to pretend CSM faked the moon landing WHEN JIMMY CARTER SENT A MESSAGE FOR THE ALIENS INTO SPACE AND CSM'S CRONIES KEPT AN EYE OUT FOR ANY SIGNAL THAT MIGHT RETURN (Little Green Men.) NONE OF IT ADDS UP.

Can I skip? Please, can I skip through?

A secret space program... via these new Syndicate cronies... to save the chosen elites....? You know, I'll bet Carter will rebrand this moment into a 20/20, third-eye-opened, saw-the-future dig at Elon Musk someday. Watch out for it.

Syndicate dude: "No one can save us."

Mulder: "I'm someone who can save us."

...Sssssssssomething feels off here, but at least Mulder FINALLY called out the liars and hypocrites two seconds ago. Small wins?

Agents Miller and Einstein JUST HAPPENED to be there when Scully got in a car accident, and Scully just HAPPENED to still be wearing her hospital bracelet so she could be brought RIGHT BACK to the same hospital.

This.

Episode.

Achieved.

Nothing.

It's worse than My Struggle II because that episode, at the very least, attempted to set up something. At least Scully was accomplishing something, at least Mulder was going in one direction with one goal. At least Scully figured everything out and was doing her best to save the world.

Now? Both are idiotic losers who drive while suffering from seizures and don't listen to then disregard then believe without any connective tissue. And Mulder now might distrust Skinner but he already did for no reason, so literally nothing was accomplished.

I'm....

7:57 left.

Mulder now knows Scully's hospitalized-- via the most unprofessional phone call from the same doctor earlier ("Just wanted to let you know she's here"??)-- and will now probably believe Scully is just suffering from a compound issue that is making her behave irrationally.

Oh, great. NO ONE is watching Scully and someone just brushes past Miller and Einstein and now Scully's gonna be killed in her room.

Look, before it even happens, let's break this down:

Miller and Scully and Einstein and MULDER can't even sense when someone's being suspicious (Babylon and here, for example.)

Assassins just walk in and start killing people in hospitals, despite Scully being hooked up to monitors and likely given an even more watchful eye given her medical regression.

Mulder is going to kill this man with a medical tool instead of, I don't know, INTERROGATING HIM FOR ANSWERS.

WHY DOES EVERYONE BEGIN BY TRYING TO KILL SOMEONE THEY NEED TO ESCORT OR GET INFORMATION FROM.

This is edgy, middle-school boy's first rough draft. You know this boy was soooooooo popular during lunch time.

...Isn't this the guy from the second Syndicate groupies' room? So, WAIT.

Either that was a CSM goon (who took his sweet time killing Scully????? and was doing this on CSM's ORDERS????)--

Y'know, CSM who WANTED TO SAVE SCULLY

BUT DECIDED TO KILL HER, I GUESS, IF SHE WAS GOING TO FIND WILLIAM FIRST????????????????--

Or: this is Second Syndicate cronies' goon

Who drove ahead to beat Mulder here but only BARELY??

And who wasn't stopped because of the monitors or other security personnel

BUT BECAUSE MULDER, who was how many miles behind him, MADE IT THERE IN TIME TO SAVE HER.

I'M SO TAPPED OUT I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. Scully, exchange places with me, please:

I will say:

I can see how Mulder would be in this position, ironically. NO, he would not kill a man like he did, but he would absolutely inflict permanent injury.

He's been pushed to the brink this entire episode; and if that had been done more naturally, more realistically, then it, perhaps, could have even justified this death.

BUT IT DIDN'T, because that would be hard.

Because Mulder doesn't have a bloodthirsty, reactionary nature even when high on adrenaline, even when pushed to his lowest point (One Breath, Pusher, Talitha Cumi, Kitsunegari, etc.)

Lastly, NONE OF THIS MADE SENSE LOGISTICALLY; and therefore it makes even less sense personally.

Mulder's pouting ('pouting'... wow, I'm really disconnected) in the hallway while he muses that there isn't just ONE conspiracy but TWO... WHO WOULD HAVE EVER KNOWN, WHAT A MYSTERY.

The fans got a thigh squeeze in a Chris Carter episode. The sky must be falling.

Scully says the Smoking Man didn't send the assassin because the Smoking Man won't harm her. ...Then the man was a lone psychotic or acting on the orders of the other Syndicate team. Which STILL doesn't make sense.

THE PLAYBACK FROZE AND I'M ON LOW BATTERY WITH FIVE MINUTES LEFT, WHY.

"The Smoking Man won't harm me."

"How do you know that?"

"He's held my life in his hands."

WUT.

Scully, he did something to you in En Ami; and even if your fertility was already healed in Amor Fati, you STILL tampered with you medically and claimed William as a miracle via his hands.

I am Mulder:

I will say: that was the most in-character beat between them I've seen in this show, other than the dark wizard exchange (maybe) and one other time or two--

WAIT.

So, the goons following Mulder in his car weren't CSM's??? They were the Second Syndicate man's goons???

Second Syndicate Man sent goons to collect Mulder.

Those goons try to KILL Mulder.

Has this show learned nothing concerning assassins using brute, maim-able force on someone they just want to escort elsewhere?

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH.

"My visions are from William."

Mulder is given two seconds to react before the plot moves them forward.

"He's guiding me," insists Scully, "and you." (She said it differently, but I refuse to rewind and get the correct quotes.)

That's be something nifty to dig into--

"They're looking for him," says Mulder.

--THAT WE WON'T DIG INTO, I GUESS.

William already knows they need him to end the world...?

"They won't find him," says Scully. ...WON'T THEY, NOW.

HOLD UP.

William learned these things... how? From reading CSM's mind...?

And downloaded that info into Scully's brain.

Scully knows he won't be found and believes he is guiding her and Mulder.

...And then he's found and doesn't form a connection with her and doesn't even know WHY he's connected to her and goes on the run because he doesn't trust anyone.

And yes: CC and Morgan would have had to work on both scripts together and didn't BOTHER to iron out this important detail.

UGH.

"But he will find us."

"So we just... wait? Do nothing?"

THAT'S ALL, FOLKS, TUNE INTO SEASON 50 FOR WILLIAM'S BRIEF APPEARANCE, *cue closing ditty*.

You contradict yourselves FOUR EPISODES LATER.

"We do our work," shrugs Scully.

How. CONVENIENT. for the writers.

"The truth still lies in the X-Files, Mulder."

I'm about to go off.

No. The truth is a concept you cannot get. It is a LIE. The real truth was the love between you two. The real truth was the closure you both had in the original show-- coming into your own, finding your sister, making peace with your inner lives. Becoming whole people. The truth was that you could overcome Fate, conquer all through teamwork-- that no one gets there alone. That together you can forge a new and better future. That you could hold a miracle in your hands and that he be the every day, ordinary kind-- the kind neither of you had for a long, long time. The truth was each other, and the life you could build embracing that truth together.

INSTEAD, the writers still have them chasing lies on the files while sitting around miserably waiting for their son for an end game that might or might not happen, depending on Chris Carter's mood.

THAT is not the truth. THAT is not even the truth Carter originally meant. THAT is a lie that has sold itself as the ultimate lure so they and we and he can forever and ever amble down this road and into nothingness.

The truth is, Mulder and Scully are seekers and searchers and investigators-- and would be, forever. The truth is, they should be wiser now to know that "the Truth" with a capital 'T' is a lie and that their search must have reasonable and healthy personal boundaries and expectations. Instead, they treat it as an inevitability they have to sacrifice themselves for and never gain anything from. Instead, they muck about doing more "will-they-won't-they"s and dragging their feet on their cases and repeating idiotic rookie mistakes and forgetting the wisdom of experience and doubting their allies and not trusting the truths in themselves and each other. Instead, the truth has become "what current ideology can I capitalize on to keep this franchise afloat?" Instead, the truth of "Mulder and Scully will always be searching" has been mired with the lie of "the X-Files was always meant to be this way."

Get wrekt, writers. Get wrekt, show. Get wrekt what little expectations I still had.

Mulder immediately starts picking a fight with Skinner (who just arrived); and Skinner makes himself look so unnecessarily guilty by not saying, " I didn't get your call because I was looking for Scully. Her phone was on the ground in the basement and she was nowhere to be seen."

INSTEAD, he says, "Leave it alone."

I'm. Sooooooooooooooooooooooo. Done.

Mulder smells smoke on Skinner and Skinner won't answer so he shoves him-- not unlike an alpha chimp shoving the other alpha outside the monkey circle-- AND SKINNER LOOKS AROUND AND SHOVES MULDER BACK??????????????

WHYYYYYYYYYYYY??????????? TO MAKE MULDER KEEP HIS DISTANCE BECAUSE HE'S COMPROMISED AGAIN (which he isn't, as we learn in Kitten)???????????????????

Shut UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP.

At least in the flashback Skinner keeps calling CSM out on his self-delusions-- "Scully will take me"/"No, she won't-- not without Mulder"; "Either kill Mulder or her son"/"So this is just vengeance."

ALSO: not to be that nit picky fan that the writers hate, Skinner already faced this quandary in Deadalive and SHOULD REALIZE that the options presented are no longer binary. He can refuse to kill Mulder AND William; and work with his agents to keep their trust and take down the CSM.

Or, y'know, HE COULD SHOOT THE CSM RIGHT HERE AND NOW.

How is this episode still going?

OH, thanks, we're planting the En Ami suggestions here. THAT'S WONDERFUL.

Also, not to be that fan again, but just sharing a son with someone did not make you, CSM, particularly loyal to them (*ahem* abandoning Cassandra Spender, *ahem*.)

We're doing the "Who's the father?" again? And Skinner just... bought it? And is being all poopy towards Mulder so Mulder'll hate him and not look into it? And Mulder's buying it, hook line and sinker, despite seeing through Skinner's lies and bravado decades earlier?

SKINNER, of all people, IS BUYING WHAT THE CSM IS SELLING, WITH NO PROOF.

How did you philes stand to watch this episode?

Oh, look, William. I don't care.

CONCLUSION

This episode really was a creative exercise in responsive pivoting due to unhappy backlash, huh?

Last-second thought: I guess Mulder owns a muscle car now.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

#txf #x files #xf meta #My Struggle III #React #Revival Reviler's first-time watch through #A Late-Canon Reviler Gives the Revival a Try #MSIII #x-files #xfiles #the x files #mine #thoughts #CC #Mulder #Scully #Part IX

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