"SKumm’s Thoughts"
X-FILES - Week VII
“The X Files” (FOX, 1993, 9 Seasons)
Season 7 marks the beginning of the end; continuing the
storyline from last season’s end, there is an obvious shift in focus. Mulder no longer seems to be THE main
character on the show. While there are
a few great episodes, the season, as a whole, feels much different than the
prior ones. And more confusion;
sometimes, Scully is a believer; other times, she isn’t. It’s almost as if someone is being written
out of the show…
SEASON 7
Episodes 1 & 2: The Sixth Extinction
This two-part wrap-up to last season gives us a psychic
Mulder, a true believer in Scully, and a nefarious smoking man. Also included is a major surgery, that you
will have forgotten about after the third episode starts... because everyone
else seems to have forgotten about it, too.
Episode 3: Hungry
Unique in that this episode focuses entirely on the MOTW,
the shift in perspective continues.
Both of the agents seem minor players in this gory morality tale of a
burger flipper with a rather suspicious eating habit. Greatly drawn characters and performances to match make this one
of the better episodes of the season.
Episodes 6: The Goldberg Variation
The guy with the best luck on the planet runs afoul with the
mob and Mulder falls through a floor.
MOTW, but fun. It seems that
some of the best episodes now are the ones with no ties to the alien
conspiracy.
Episode 7: Orison
In this episode, Scully kicks some ass. Seriously.
This MOTW episode is important as it lays the foundation for Anderson to
be the front-runner of the show, an unsubtle hint at the future of “The X
Files”. Bringing back a weirdo from a
previous episode, a serial killer is back on the loose, and he has Scully in
his sights. Poor bastard.
Episode 9: Signs & Wonders
"Snakes... why’d it have to be snakes?" In this season’s requisite religious
episode, the agents are pitted against a backwoods preacher that plays with
reptiles. Cool ending, poor
execution. No pun. (Digital Drawback: An older woman... with a
bouffant hairdo?!? Also: the world’s
worst staple remover. Also, that
ending...)
Episode 10 & 11: Sein und Zeit/Closure
The death of another minor character (aren’t they running
low by now?) and the kidnapping of a little girl keep the agents busy flying
coast to coast, and Mulder almost has a breakdown. Also, another unsubtle hint at things to come: Mulder gets some closure pertaining to his
sister. And the journey to said
resolution goes totally against some of the prior conspiracy points established
as cannon. Not the only example of
questionable writing this season…
Episode 12: X-Cops
Enjoyable MOTW shot by the cameramen of the “Cops” TV
show. Mulder and Scully chase a
shapeshifting entity around a neighborhood in Los Angeles. I honestly believe they were chasing Gozer,
but nobody ever listens to me.... Also,
the absolute worst ending to an episode EVER.
It feels like more and more often, Carter doesn’t know how to end some
of these shows.
Episode 17: All Things
Written and directed by Gillian Anderson, Scully is at the
forefront. And the way this one starts
will leave you guessing for the entire episode. Shows you just how talented Anderson is, both in front of and
behind the camera. A former
professor/lover is on his death bed, and Scully runs around town suffering from
the worst case of ennui in X Files history.
Episode 19: Hollywood A.D. (The One With Gary Shandling and
Duchovony’s Wife Tea Leoni)
A screenwriter follows the agents around as they try to
solve the mystery of a bomb going off in the catacombs of a big church. An atypical MOTW, as the only real
supernatural bent comes at the very end.
And it is kind of a “did you really just do THAT, Chris Carter?!?” sort
of moment. Yet still a nice deviation
from how serious most of the other episodes of this season were. Look for the scene in which Scully teaches
Leoni how to run in heels... funniest moment of the series, period. (Digital Drawback: that ending...)
Episode 21: Je Souhaite
A genie grants three wishes to two morons, and craziness
ensues. A fun episode, especially
seeing Scully having fun with an invisible corpse. Yep. I said it.
Episode 22: Requiem
The season finale, after a season that seemed to stay far
away from the alien conspiracy at all costs, slaps us in the face with a
questionable future. Krycek and the Hot
Blonde are back, the Cancer Man is still dying, there is a UFO in the woods of
Oregon, and then there is all the green alien blood and the alien bounty
hunter. Mulder takes a trip, and Scully
trips out. (Digital Drawback: wavy
lasers, and I SAW THE DEAD GUY BLINK.)
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