The X Files / Space / Notes

 To be honest, not much to add to what I've said in the past on this episode on the blog. I didn't like the "alien ghost" that possesses Lauter, though I appreciated the treatment of NASA, considering I'm in awe of the space program, ever since I was a kid watching "For All Mankind" over and over. Mulder and Scully at Houston, getting to be involved in helping to bring a shuttle back to earth safely, was fun. Seeing Mulder geek out, schooling Scully on the technobabble shared among Mission Control and Lauter's Lieutenant Colonel Marcus Belt, as Susanna Thompson's Michelle Generoo hopes to guide the astronauts (one of whom is her fiance) through a payload delivery and re-entry despite signs of sabotage that might cause a terrible disaster, is fun. Scully remarking she's surprised Mulder didn't ask for Belt's autograph after so much hero worship and signs of respect cracked me up. But, honestly, I understand why "Space" isn't well favored and often very low down the rankings of X Files episodes in the series. The "face of Mars" interest at the time really dates the episode badly as does the rather insignificant ghost face that torments Lauter. I know Lauter tries to get this possession across, but the alien entity is just not very well designed or impressive. I am not sure including the Challenger disaster in this fictional story was a good idea...in fact, I cringed at its use. Still, the cast is sincere and tries to really make the NASA backdrop and shuttle situation feel important and a big deal. Mulder's starry eyed enthusiasm and excitement to just be there and involved helped me enjoy this episode more than I might have otherwise. Scully, hilarious to me, didn't want to be an astronaut so her enthusiasm isn't quite as substantial as Mulder's.

***I decided to skip "Ice" tonight because I really want to give that episode a lot of attention and proper review time. I have never written a review for it and "Ice" is considered a hallmark for the series. I'm also a big "The Thing" fan, so there's extra incentive to give the episode a proper respect and time it deserves.***