The X-Files Virgin’s Diary – From stigmata to cockroaches

(Season 3, Episodes 9-12)

From serious to surprisingly wacky, the middle of season three saw The X-Files continue a string of strong episodes. Methinks the show has definitely found its stride.

The dynamic between Mulder and Scully is so great to watch, especially when they’re separated from one another. Thank god for cell phones, or most of this wouldn’t work. In the first season, when they were trying to track one another down by pay phones and hotel room phones, it was much more complicated. Technology is The X-Files‘ friend.

3.9 – “Nisei (Part 1 of 2)” [MythArc]
(Original Air Date: November 24, 1995) If only Mulder’d had Bluetooth, he might not have lost his giant, bulky cell phone when he jumped on the train. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

I’m glad to see the show delving a little deeper into Scully’s abduction. It now definitely seems not extraterrestrial, but rather part of some secret government experiment. And the Japanese are involved, too.

Speaking of which, the alien hybrid theory Mulder is touting gained a little leverage, at least visually for the audience. This episode was very much a set-up to the payouts in the next one.

I did love the shout out about the horribly fake alien autopsy FOX had aired back in the ’90s. Way to dig at your network, Scully!

3.10 – “731 (Part 2 of 2)” [MythArc]
(Original Air Date: December 1, 1995) “Apology is Policy”

Ah, yes. The little alien hybrid looking people/creatures. What is their true story? Regardless of which conspiracy theory you believe, the wholesale slaughter of people like we saw her is deplorable.

The government, or at least the factions of it involved in the cover-ups this show is focused on, are truly cold and heartless bastards. I’d be scared to death to tackle them alone, or with a partner. But I guess that’s the point. Still, I’d expect to have my throat slit every night.

The sequences on the train were very cool. Suspenseful, like a summer blockbuster movie. Of course, it was all for naught. The journal Mulder confiscated was replaced with a dupe and the Cigarette Smoking Man gets away with it again. Whatever “it” is.

3.11 – “Revelations”
(Original Air Date: December 15, 1995) Throughout this episode, it was so interesting to see the dichotomy between Mulder and Scully completely flipped on its head. With the boy showing stigmata markings, Scully suddenly found herself believing miraculous occurrences based on her faith, while Mulder was completely skeptical.

I suspect it was intentional to really make us think. Here’s your scientific rational character completely abandoning those tenets when faced with the possibility of the divine.

On the other side, Mulder will believe almost any supernatural occurrence you throw at him without a second thought, and yet he vehemently balks at the possibility of that supernatural having a Christian basis. Interesting twists.

3.12 – “War of the Coprophages”
(Original Air Date: January 1, 1996) That may have been the most uniquely bizarre episode of The X-Files I’ve seen yet. For one thing, it has more genuinely humorous moments than the whole series combined so far.

I loved Mulder in the thick of this bizarre case while Scully is at home watching television, reading a book or eating ice cream. “Do you want me to come up there?” asked over and over again, but he kept denying it.

The whole concept of the cockroaches themselves was bizarre. People were dying, but there was a wackiness to the whole thing. And yet, Mulder and Scully were playing it straight throughout. Scully in the convenience store trying to calm the panic was brilliant.

17-year old Tyler Labine as a stoner was so perfect. I almost didn’t recognize him, he’s so young and a bit thinner. But that signature spiked hairdo was in full effect.Nice to see that fourteen years hasn’t changed him much.

My favorite scene though was when the cockroach crawled across my television screen. A little shout-out to the audience to get our own spook factor up. Brilliant! Bizarre, yes. But brilliant.

Clacked by Jason Hughes
on Sep 03, 2009 @ 17:36 EST5EDT