The X-Files - Nothing Important Happened Today
I have to admit after watching the first episode of the 9th
season of The X Files that I sadly felt nothing. There was no real connection,
no investment in the stories of the characters. I guess Mulder’s absence completely
did make a difference. I LOVE Scully and if she wasn’t part of this season I’m
just not sure Skinner alone could draw my interest. That is nothing against
Patrick or Gish. Their story just isn’t what brought me to the dance and got me
to stay. A mermaid like killer introduced in the episode played by the
seductive Lucy Lawless, who has always been sexy as long as I can remember (she
never went unemployed or without work after her Xena days, that’s for sure) and
never ages, drowns an EPA suit who hopes to score with her once he eyes her in
a bar. She later drowns a hardhat at a water plant in D.C. Why are these deaths
so important to Doggett’s own ongoing investigation of Deputy Director Hersh,
avoiding the whole brunt of the FBI coming after him, and the loss of Mulder?
Previously in the last season, Skinner shoots Krycek right in the head and is
nearly killed, along with Doggett by others including Doggett’s own fellow Bravo
soldier, Knowle Rohrer (Adam Baldwin). So Mulder is gone, Scully just wants to
spend all her time with her son, William, Gish’s Monica Reyes dreads leaving DC
(and the X files, her “dream job”) back to the Nawlins office, Cary Elwe’s
Assistant Director, Brad Folmer (former lover of Reyes’, even romantically
embracing her when the two meet in his office, later meeting for a drink after
he introduces a tape that undermines the car explosions and deaths that
happened in the parking garage two days earlier) appears to be a direct
opponent of Doggett, Skinner fears for Mulder and Scully with requests to
Doggett to “drop it”, and Kersh gnaws away with serious irritation that the
agent he assigned to the X files is now investigating him. Doggett refuses to
just quit when he knows that there are many out there unpunished for their
crimes, including his own near-death. The first victim of the episode doesn’t
show much in the way of evidence that would encourage Doggett or Reyes that he
did anything more than drown but he feels the obituary of Carl Wormus (Nicholas
Walker) was left for Reyes to find for some reason. The Lone Gunman involved
just feels weird to me without the presence of Mulder, helping Doggett gather
information on Wormus and a second victim in the water reclamation plant. So
you might say, “there’s something in the water.” Later Lawless is identified as
a former Marine. This might explain why, when Brad arrives at the autopsy room
to secure the body of Wormus, Lawless’ McMahon had taken it. This autopsy,
authorized by Doggett which stirs the ire of Brad (who reports to Hersh about
it), does allow Scully to study Wormus’ body and uncover fingerprint marks
(where she held his ankle so he couldn’t escape from his car while underwater
from the wrecked car she caused). Hersh wants Doggett to bugger off and Brad
knows it. Brad doesn’t necessarily want to disrupt any further relations with Monica,
though, hoping Hersh will thwart Doggett’s efforts to pursue any investigation
much less remain active on the X files. Hersh doesn’t want to remove Doggett
and curry the notoriety considering he’s being investigated. Carter and Spotnitz
have definitely loaded a lot of plot, perhaps keeping us busy with a sleight of
hand due to Mulder’s (Duchovny having had enough of the role and show)
disappearance. Considering Mulder was always one of two characters that was the
lifeblood of the show, hoping to try and divert our attention (during a ninth
season when television series begin to lose their audience) away from that is
what you get here with this first of a two-part start to the ninth season.
Doggett is essentially Mulder’s substitute, the new target by those in the FBI
who want to see him silenced and the X files once and for all closed. Scully
and her son, a product of the SuperSoldiers program, introduces the baby, in
his crib, “influencing” the movement of his dangling mobile overhead to spin
about untouched. Scully’s mom appears, at her apartment with William when
McMahon shows up knocking. McMahon is presented as a threat but the episode
does seem to indicate she might actually be on Doggett’s side. The water supply
and the mention of a chemical by Wormus to McMahon does seem to tie into
everything…perhaps the second part will fill some fresh details.
Part 2 just goes as expected. Doggett can’t find evidence of
Hersh’ involvement in any wrongdoing, SuperSoldier McMahon halts the efforts of
Supersoldier Rohrer during the near skull-crushing of Doggett by decapitating
him (the fist of Rohrer, absent head, actually goes completely through McMahon
and dumps her in the water, where, at the end, her eyes open while on the ocean
floor), Scully can’t help but want to know if her son is a product of the
SuperSoldier project, the ship the project’s doctors were at work eventually is
boarded by Doggett, Scully, and Reyes but (as expected) Rohrer had a bomb set
to detonate on timer, the chloramine threat is elaborated by McMahon (who hates
being superhuman, practically incapable of being killed, and able to swim
underwater without coming up for air), McMahon’s motives and purpose are
questioned by Reyes and Scully (ultimately proving herself to Doggett by saving
his life…twice, after the first time when pulling him underwater to avoid Brad
in the water plant by giving him oxygen), Brad shows his affection for Reyes by
agreeing to get her files on McMahon (working for the Department of Justice in
an unexpected twist) but also seeing fit to coordinate a suspension on Doggett
(again, no surprise, as Hersh feels uncomfortable with it). And Doggett will
continue the X files with Gish and Scully will be nearby her son as the baby
reaches upward and his mobile turns. Mulder gets some mention throughout in
dialogue to let us know he might no longer be in the cast but he’s not totally
ignored or written out. No Cigarette-Smoking Man involved makes this whole major SuperSoldiers plot a bit less significant although his return in later seasons sort of concludes this with more punch...even if the final season sure didn't leave fans with a good taste.
The Lone Gunmen's involvement in part two helps Reyes locate a ship Naval commander hoping to tell Wormus to go to the FBI about the water supply plot, thanks to hacking abilities undermined by internet "cutoff". They sort of also sub for Mulder as government conspiracy "good-doers", continuing to "fight the good fight". Skinner, on the other hand, continues to forewarn against pushing where you shouldn't, his role in the FBI reduced.
The Lone Gunmen's involvement in part two helps Reyes locate a ship Naval commander hoping to tell Wormus to go to the FBI about the water supply plot, thanks to hacking abilities undermined by internet "cutoff". They sort of also sub for Mulder as government conspiracy "good-doers", continuing to "fight the good fight". Skinner, on the other hand, continues to forewarn against pushing where you shouldn't, his role in the FBI reduced.
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