The X Files - Scary Monsters
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Continuing the ninth season of The X-Files, “Scary Monsters” follows the “what you see isn’t necessarily what it (they) may appear” route with the creepy kid and his macabre drawings with results of grisly self-mutilation and wacky nonsensical occurrences resulting. Scully tries to eat her tuna fish sandwich when an agent from Accounting, Leylah Harrison (Jolie Jenkins; with a youthful exuberance and enthusiasm, stick-to-it-ivness that is admirable), arrives in her office between Quantico lectures, proposing an unsettling case about a mother who stabbed herself 16 times, also detailing a cat tearing into its stomach until death. Eventually this leads Doggett and Reyes (they are convinced by Leylah to investigate; to her credit, Leylah is dogged), with Leylah in tow, to the Pennsylvania home of a father, Jeffrey Conlon (Scott Paulin) and son, Tommy (Gavin Fink). On first appearance, Jeffrey seems to be a terrible father, locking his son in his room with creepy-crawly bug-monsters while Tommy begs to be let out. Then Tommy shows Reyes a nasty picture of her with a creature inside her stomach. And, as you might expect, not long after she’s on the floor as something crawls about just inside her stomach (the flesh moving as it moves underneath the surface!). Soon Gabe Rotter (Brian Poth) arrives at Scully’s home, handing over the body of Tommy’s dead cat, eventually coercing her into examining it. This does inspire her curiosity. Eventually Scully and Gabe are at the sheriff’s, needing a trip to the Conlons because Doggett and Reyes aren’t responding to her calls. With Doggett falling into a dark void as roach-like insects crawl over him and Leylah bleeding from the eyes, eventually the agents realize Tommy is the one responsible. I was surprised to see that Dwight Little (“Halloween IV”/”Phantom of the Opera” with Robert Englund) directed this one episode for The X-Files. The creatures aren’t the real story here, ultimately, as Reyes figures it out that Tommy is the true killer. Doggett, because, as Leylah mentions (not in an ill-intentioned way), he’s “not that imaginative” realizes that if you don’t believe in the terrors Tommy produces they go away. And, in turn, Doggett uses Tommy’s own methods to frighten him into collapse by using water in a jug as fake gasoline, capitalizing on the kid’s fears to full effect. Meh, I thought the episode was okay, mostly thanks to Jenkins as the cute Harrison, an avid Mulder/Scully mark, much to her pootential beau’s dismay. She kneels at the Conlon home, when a mock sheriff arrives with no internal organs, dropping instantly when Doggett punches a hole in his stomach, pondering what Mulder and Scully would do in their situation. As the snow falls outside and ice takes to the roads, Sheriff Coogan (Steve Ryan) tells Scully and Gabe that driving would be dangerous. I found Jenkins infectious and a breath of fresh air, perhaps very Mulder like before so much government alien conspiracy and cover-up sullied him. I read that her line at the end towards Doggett was an intentioned funny towards series fans griping about Mulder’s absence. I am one of those, unfortunately, although I have stuck with the season even as I’ve been a bit mixed about the content so far.
Continuing the ninth season of The X-Files, “Scary Monsters” follows the “what you see isn’t necessarily what it (they) may appear” route with the creepy kid and his macabre drawings with results of grisly self-mutilation and wacky nonsensical occurrences resulting. Scully tries to eat her tuna fish sandwich when an agent from Accounting, Leylah Harrison (Jolie Jenkins; with a youthful exuberance and enthusiasm, stick-to-it-ivness that is admirable), arrives in her office between Quantico lectures, proposing an unsettling case about a mother who stabbed herself 16 times, also detailing a cat tearing into its stomach until death. Eventually this leads Doggett and Reyes (they are convinced by Leylah to investigate; to her credit, Leylah is dogged), with Leylah in tow, to the Pennsylvania home of a father, Jeffrey Conlon (Scott Paulin) and son, Tommy (Gavin Fink). On first appearance, Jeffrey seems to be a terrible father, locking his son in his room with creepy-crawly bug-monsters while Tommy begs to be let out. Then Tommy shows Reyes a nasty picture of her with a creature inside her stomach. And, as you might expect, not long after she’s on the floor as something crawls about just inside her stomach (the flesh moving as it moves underneath the surface!). Soon Gabe Rotter (Brian Poth) arrives at Scully’s home, handing over the body of Tommy’s dead cat, eventually coercing her into examining it. This does inspire her curiosity. Eventually Scully and Gabe are at the sheriff’s, needing a trip to the Conlons because Doggett and Reyes aren’t responding to her calls. With Doggett falling into a dark void as roach-like insects crawl over him and Leylah bleeding from the eyes, eventually the agents realize Tommy is the one responsible. I was surprised to see that Dwight Little (“Halloween IV”/”Phantom of the Opera” with Robert Englund) directed this one episode for The X-Files. The creatures aren’t the real story here, ultimately, as Reyes figures it out that Tommy is the true killer. Doggett, because, as Leylah mentions (not in an ill-intentioned way), he’s “not that imaginative” realizes that if you don’t believe in the terrors Tommy produces they go away. And, in turn, Doggett uses Tommy’s own methods to frighten him into collapse by using water in a jug as fake gasoline, capitalizing on the kid’s fears to full effect. Meh, I thought the episode was okay, mostly thanks to Jenkins as the cute Harrison, an avid Mulder/Scully mark, much to her pootential beau’s dismay. She kneels at the Conlon home, when a mock sheriff arrives with no internal organs, dropping instantly when Doggett punches a hole in his stomach, pondering what Mulder and Scully would do in their situation. As the snow falls outside and ice takes to the roads, Sheriff Coogan (Steve Ryan) tells Scully and Gabe that driving would be dangerous. I found Jenkins infectious and a breath of fresh air, perhaps very Mulder like before so much government alien conspiracy and cover-up sullied him. I read that her line at the end towards Doggett was an intentioned funny towards series fans griping about Mulder’s absence. I am one of those, unfortunately, although I have stuck with the season even as I’ve been a bit mixed about the content so far.
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