The X-Files - Nothing Important Happened Today

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I have to admit after watching the first episode of the 9^th 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.