Episode type: monster of the week.
Favourite character: Scully.
Favourite quote: “maybe because I run into so many people, who are hostile, just because they can’t open their minds to the possibilities…”- mulder.
[“Look Dana, whose side are you on?”]“The victims.”- scully.
I do really enjoy this episode. It’s interesting seeing how they’re viewed by other departments in the FBI. Mulder is some weird troll in the basement who’s kidnapped scully and it’s up to the other men to “save” her from him when in reality Scully doesn’t want to be anywhere else. It’s sad watching her become more distanced from everyone else but clearly they don’t match her ideals and what she cares about. She isn’t interested in climbing an imagery ladder that was never made for her in the first place, not if it means only thinking about yourself.
Colton is pretty one dimensional and is just used in juxtaposition to mulder but when he began projecting his anger onto scully when she started showing him up was telling. He doesn’t want to do the work so he gets scully (and mulder) to do it for him but then gets mad when she starts having results and make him look as incompetent as he is. The micro sexism that Scully encounters is crazy.
The interactions between mulder and scully versus mulder and the vsc unit. How scully approaches their differences in a respectful way, not letting Mulder run away with his ideas but allowing him a safe space to present them. Compare that with the vsc unit’s belittling comments and refusal to listen to what Mulder is saying. As much as Mulder might not care on the surface it’s gotta be frustrating encountering that all the time that the only outlet he does have (or did) was to play along and fuck with them. I think just having someone there who’ll listen to him means a lot to him.
Favourite scenes/moments/other thoughts:
* I really like The reddish-orange hue they have over the opening scene. I think it’s only for that scene they use it but I wish it’d been present across the entire episode.
* Was it ever explained how tooms could unscrew the screw? I know he was squeeze and contort but I don’t think he can go through solid objects 😂.
* Scullys sad salad 😂. Colton’s is no better tho.
* Mulders having so much fun fucking with them all 😂.
* The office scene were they’re discussing the fingerprint is so fun. This is their back and forth/differing opinions done right.
* I don’t hate profiler!scully, the scene does a good job of highlighting her intelligence and explaining why Colton sought her out specifically. It just doesn’t make sense contextually. Her speciality is autopsies and science, Mulder is the profiler, it should have been Mulder speaking to this group not Scully.
* “Mulder, you are jeopardising my stakeout.” “Seeds?” He’s so unserious.
* This guy in charge is a real unprofessional dickhead.
* People always complain like mulder holds scully hostage in the basement or something but even from ep 3 he gives her an out. Scully chooses to stay with the xfiles and with Mulder.
* The slow mo shots really aren’t it.
* Colton is so painfully incompetent. He doesn’t want to admit it so he belittles mulder but hides behind him/uses him (and scully) to hide his own incompetence.
* “And you’re gonna be head of the bureau by then.” Mulder really believed that.
* I really enjoy Mulder sitting on the pouffe. He wanted to sit there.
* “Of course this was him 30 years ago” and proceeds to show a photo of present day tooms. It’s so well done with the music change as well.
* You know when something has scullys attention when she offers to go first.
* The hand appearing out of th shadows with her necklace as they walk away? Creepy. He’s just been up there listening to them and waiting for the right moment. Tooms is definitely one of the scariest monsters they’ve encountered.
* “Is this what it takes to climb the ladder, Colton?” “All the way to the top.” “Then I can’t wait till you fall off and land on your ass.” I love how scully doesn’t put her ambition above the welfare of anyone else- victims or colleagues. She’ll make her own way up without stepping on people in the process. It’s insane to me that someone like Chris carter created one of the greatest female characters.
* If I could choose to live anywhere it’d be scully’s apartment.
* The way he just goes for ripping out a liver without simply killing them first is interesting. He really believes he didn’t “kill” those people, they were simply his prey and they provided what he needed.
* Scully coming back to work like almost having your liver ripped out is no biggy 😂.
* The staring and the smile is really creepy.
