The Grand X-Periment Day 27

10/27/11

I know, what happened to Day 26? I skipped yesterday but doubled up on episodes the day before. I am in the home stretch and I can taste my freedom.

71) Three Words- Season 8, Episode 16. Hint: the three words aren't "I love you." Doggett finally meets Mulder in this one. Unlike Scully, Mulder immediately assumes that Doggett is working to screw over the X-Files (much as he assumed Scully was trying to do but, to be fair, she was). Through a series of carefully leaked clues, Mulder is lured into the Census database to find out why certain citizens with certain DNA profiles are being tracked (if you guessed it was because of the alien invasion you are right). Doggett realizes it was all a setup and saves Mulder from being killed. Mulder still doesn't care for him much.

If the census thing seems familiar it is because we learned that Jeremiah Smith was tracking certain citizens using the Social Security database way back in season 3. The whole plot hinges on a password ("Fight The Future") that happened to be the tagline of their movie. It all plays a little hokey and is sort of devoid of tension since we know Doggett is not evil. Mulder just comes off more hard-headed and dangerous than usual.

72) Vienen- Season 8. Episode 18- This had all the earmarks of a classic X-Files episode...a remote location, a "who is the real enemy" premise and a new character dynamic between Mulder and Doggett. After the black oil infects everyone on board an oil platform in gulf of Mexico except for two Mestizos, Mulder (unofficially) and Doggett (officially) go to investigate. Not a lot happens as our two heroes are even more passive than usual. A lot of the action seems to take place in the radio room with various parties destroying and repairing the radio for the oil platform.

I understand why there is only one real set, the budget is kind of blown on the entire platform going up in flames. By the end, this little stunt is the thing that finally gets Mulder fired from the FBI. At least he trusts Doggett not to screw the pooch anymore. I liked this one ok. They didn't do much with the premise. There is apparently a whole breed of Indian who are resistant to the black oil (good for them). Mr. Friendly from Lost is one of the chief black oil guys here (good to see him). I was also glad they remembered that black oil guys can irradiate people (a thing they seem to have forgotten since the first appearance).

With only three days to go, I have no idea how all this is going to get to the ending I remember from watching it the first time but I really hope they wrap things up well.