Synopsis: An old flame of Mulders asks for his assistance in apprehending a psychopathic pyro-maniac
Another
Strong MOW (monster of the week) offering that offers a little more. On top of the
Pyro maniac with a demonic ability that is matched only by his demonic view on
the world, we have the first exaggerated nod towards Dana’s secret affection
towards Fox and Mulders clumsy affection towards Dana. A term X-Philes
coined as ‘ship’, Short for relationship. The shippers had X-Philes around the
world speculating heavily on forums, blogs and chat rooms and
caused a phenomenon in itself possibly the biggest, away from any story arch
the series had to offer. It is safe to say that this subject remains the
strongest of all topics of conversations on any thing X-Files. Kept stronger by
stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson real life will they won’t they relationship.
Well, let the shipping continues.
Scully’s instant
distain for Mulder’s college year love interest Phoebe Green is instantly recognisable.
Phoebe whispers in Mulders ear ‘She hates me’ somewhat blatantly to show of her
dominance over Scully for Mulders instant affection. Mulder seems aware of
this and immediately deflects the unwanted tension by questioning Phoebe of the reason to her visit.
Phoebe asks
Mulder to help in catching a narcissistic pyro maniac who kills members of the upper
classes by burning his victims alive. The only lead is a potential target of
the attacker, Sir Malcolm. Mulder agrees to assist, upon leaving his office Phoebe turns
to Scully rather nonchalantly and says ‘Oh, good bye’ as if she forgot of her
presence in the room.
Scully is
wary of Phoebes control and possible manipulation over Mulder. She remarks to
Mulder how she had just witnessed him drop everything to help Mulder who
defends himself by stating ‘I was merely extending her a professional courtesy’
to which Scully quips ‘Oh was that what you were extending?’ A funny line that
is rife with jealous undertones. Scully displays further acquisitive emotion as,
against Mulders wishes she goes to the hotel to where he and Phoebe are
staying.
The role of Phoebe
was originally designed to be a recurring role with a view to replacing the
enigmatic Dana Scully. Luckily for us this wasn’t the case. I found her simply irritating
and I would just like to say we don’t all talk like that!
Our MOW Cecil
L’lvely’s awaits the visit of Sir Malcome Marsden and family to the vacation
home. He poses as the grounds man for the estate having killed and buried the
real one in a shallow grave. Cecil kicks the Marsden’s family dog and threatens
to skin it alive. Cecil is not joking he would skin the dog alive he feels no
remorse for his actions he is a loaner cold and callous. He is intelligent and
has a confident demeanour; he is a psychopath in every sense. He is a psychopath
with the penchant for murdering aristocrats, not for political or financial
gain. He kills these powerful men to validate his own beliefs that he is all
powerful. Cecil is a man that really is geared towards world domination.
He is also a
voyeur that spies on the wife of his targets. He watches Mrs Marsden through a
window his attention drawn primarily to her body. His affection towards these
women is most probably perverse although it is not explored in too finer detail.
His malevolent
behaviour is explored brilliantly in one scene where he befriends the two young
Marsden boys with magic using cigarettes which he then uses to tempt the boys
to smoke as if he were the Devil himself. He also tricks the Marsden’s driver
into drinking rocket fuel and sets him alight, so he could assist the Marsden’s
more closely. Personally I think this MOW is far too easily
overlooked he holds many of the cards over some better established MoW in terms of his evilness, maliciousness, intelligence and all over anti-hero vibe over .
Other
noteworthy points to take from this episode are Mulder admitting to having a
photographic memory and pyro-phobia. The pyrotechnics used I find impressive to
this day. The X-File case number Scully retorts at the end of the show, 11214893
includes the number 1121 the birthday of X-Files creator Chris Carters wife. This
number along with 1013, Carters birthday and name of his production company are
used with regularity throughout the show. The original script of this episode
includes a conversation near the end in which Scully comments, ‘Well, never let
it be said that you wouldn't walk through fire for a woman, Mulder’, to which
he answers, ‘And never let it be said that I wouldn't do it for you again,
Scully’.
I think this
episode is overlooked by some and for me I think 7/10 does it justice.
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