And so we have reached the conclusion of this three-part mythology arc. And also (spoilers but also probably not since you know there’s another 7 seasons to go) the end of Scully’s cancer journey.
I think I feel differently than most critics (and fans?) regarding “Redux” and “Redux II” and which episode I think told a better overall story. I had remembered liking “Redux II” more, but now that I’ve watched this whole arc…I actually think that story-wise, last week’s episode was more complete and satisfying. Sure, it wasn’t particularly exciting (a lot of long voice-over monologues…), and I do understand why some critics and fans will never enjoy the “Mulder doubts everything he ever thought he knew” plot. But at least we got a full explanation of what was happening?
I admit I’m also probably biased by enjoying the scenes of Scully doing science, which will always push an episode towards the top for me. I could watch a full 45 minutes of Scully doing the whole DNA extraction, southern blot procedure. 😂
And while last week’s episode had the plot hole regarding the extremely lax security at the DoD/Pentagon, allowing Mulder to sneak into some secret back rooms holding files…I honestly find the return of Mulder’s selective paranoia in this episode much more frustrating than that security plot hole. Maybe especially because I don’t necessarily think the lax security is unrealistic (unfortunately). 🙃 Mulder’s selective paranoia, the random things he chooses to believe vs. not believe in this episode on the other hand…that is infinitely more frustrating and confusing to me than Mulder suddenly doubting what he thought he knew. Especially, as I said in the previous two episode recaps, because given the progression of season 4, it actually makes perfect sense to me that at this point in time, Mulder would doubt what he thought was true. It doesn’t feel so out of place to me, personally.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I do still enjoy this episode!!! But I largely enjoy the parts that are kind of…secondary to the main “conspiracy” plot. We get some of our best Mulder-Scully interactions, showing how important their trust and faith in each other is. The “conspiracy” plot, as confusing as it is, also does tell a very poignant and important story about sacrifice, and the loss of faith, and the importance of believing in what you can trust above all. The value of partnership and love.
The “conspiracy” plot overall isn’t awful, but it’s not exactly a satisfying ending, in my opinion, to the questions brought up by “Gethsemane” and “Redux”. We are going to get an answer to who the mole inside the FBI is, but that’s really the only answer we get. I guess we also get the possible cure to Scully’s cancer, but the exact explanation for who was behind her disease, whether this is all a hoax or a mix between a hoax and The Syndicate also working with aliens/alien technology, that is still all left open. Which by itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing (we need the conspiracy to continue, and we’ll get some answers in the future!) but…I dunno, the ending we get here didn’t really feel satisfying, in my opinion, to the questions brought up by Kritschgau and that chimera “alien” corpse back in “Gethsemane”.
Overall, this is still a good episode and an enjoyable watch. I still think that as far as my favourite mytharcs go, it’s close between “Anasazi”/“Paper Clip”/“The Blessing Way” and this one. I think the former does win out just based on how the story was told and the fewer plot holes within that arc but. This is a fundamental, overall beautifully written, mythology arc within the show. Definite room for improvement, but an enjoyable watch and a very fundamental part of the overall plot of The X-Files.
Let’s go ahead and dive into it!
Scully’s Cancer Grows Dire
OK, a warning here that of all of my reviews, this is definitely one that is really probably not going to follow the sequence of events as they occur in the episode. We have several different storylines here, and I’d rather do my best to discuss each one in its own little section rather than trying to weave them together messily as the episode does. I mean, it mostly works within the episode, and towards the end of the episode I’ll get closer to recapping the events as they occur, but definitely at the start here I’m going to mix it up a bit and try to address each little question in its own section. We won’t jump around too much, but there is for example a continuing question throughout the episode of Skinner’s intentions and where his loyalty lies. And I’m going to address that all at once rather than each little scene as it pops up.
We will go ahead and begin where the episode itself begins, picking up right where the cliffhanger last week left off. Scully, before she could name Skinner as the man she suspected was working against them in the FBI, was suddenly overwhelmed by her cancer symptoms. Fainting into the arms of the man she, in that moment, trusted the least. It will be revealed here that Scully lost a lot of blood during that medical event, I guess we can assume with maybe her nosebleed taking a lot of time and effort to stop by a medical team. She has gone into hypovolemic shock, and when the episode opens, is in the ICU hooked up to a lot of machines being monitored.
This is where Mulder rushes in, having somehow heard about Scully’s increasingly dire situation. And while this isn’t really relevant to the rest of the story, I do have questions regarding how Mulder heard about this. Neither Skinner nor anyone else at the FBI called him, since they all assumed he was indeed dead. I mean, I’m pretty sure Skinner had his doubts from the moment he met Scully in Mulder’s building, but I don’t think he would’ve voiced those doubts or put any real “evidence” toward them by calling Mulder himself. Possible, I guess, but not really likely. Other than Mulder, I think we can safely assume that Margaret is Scully’s emergency contact, and someone at the FBI thus would’ve called Scully’s mother. Given how quickly the events were happening last episode, and how busy Scully was trying to find her own evidence, I do doubt that Scully had enough time to tell her mother the lie of Mulder’s death. So I definitely can imagine then that Margaret, knowing very well how close her daughter and Mulder are, would’ve taken the time to call Mulder. Maybe even assuming that he would’ve already known, or being dismayed at being told something like “no, Fox isn’t with your daughter, Mrs. Scully”. I’m sure she would’ve demanded an explanation from Mulder, or at least asked that he go demand some answers, if she (likely?) wasn’t allowed into the ICU herself yet. Especially at that late hour.
I don’t have any trouble believing that scenario, and it probably is the most likely explanation of how Mulder found out. But I do enjoy a possible alternate explanation, that Scully had included The Lone Gunmen on her list of emergency contacts, and that’s how Mulder found out. Or that The Lone Gunmen monitor communications, or have some sort of “alert” when Mulder or Scully’s name is mentioned on like…I dunno, a police/ambulance blotter sort of thing? That really is probably the less probable scenario, but I enjoy thinking that Scully and The Lone Gunmen care that deeply about each other. 😉
Anyway, back to Scully in the ICU. 😢 Mulder is absolutely devastated by what he sees, at facing the increasingly likely scenario that all the work he has done was not enough to save his partner.
I’m sure it doesn’t help that the very last thing he asked her to do was betray her integrity to protect him, to tell a lie that went against her very nature. (This almost certainly factors into his refusal to hear Scully’s pleas or possible ideas of how to save him later in the episode.)
Skinner not so kindly tells Mulder that Scully is dying, prompting Mulder to almost punch Skinner right there in the ICU. Credit to Skinner for not actually arresting Mulder here, because he does understand the heightened emotional state Mulder is in. But he also knows very well that there’s nothing Mulder can actually do to help Scully in the hospital. Either she will get better on her own, or she won’t. Right now, Mulder can best help Scully by saving himself. And maybe, just maybe, finding some justice for Scully before the end.
As another side note here, I did enjoy this little throwaway line when Skinner first encounters “dead Mulder” in the hospital hallway:
Within the script, this was probably just meant as a small little joke. But I prefer the idea that Mulder was actually serious, in a way, when he said this. He’s half dead because he’s losing half of himself as Scully dies in that hospital room. Mulder is losing half of his soul, the rational voice who completes him, bringing meaning and a better sense of reality to his life. 🥺🥺🥺
The Question of Scott Ostelhoff’s Death
I’ll admit that probably part of the reason I don’t like this episode quite as much as some other critics is that I had my own theory regarding how Ostelhoff died, and the “explanation” we get here mostly goes against that theory. It’s not necessarily a bad explanation, and the story we are told does explain why Ostelhoff’s death (once the body’s true ID was discovered) was so quickly treated as a murder investigation. But I liked my theory that either Ostelhoff shot himself, knowing full well that he would be killed by the people he worked for, for allowing himself to be discovered. Or that maybe Mulder grabbed the shotgun at the last second in self-defense and thus Ostelhoff was shot in the face.
I had those theories because last episode we were conveniently only told about the shotgun blast to the face. The writers left out the second bullet wound, a shot to the temple from a handgun. This second shot essentially entirely changes the story of Ostelhoff’s death, and, yes, definitely does point the blame much more firmly at Mulder. I understand that this change in the story was necessary to put Mulder in much more dire straits, to really need help in order to escape almost certain prosecution. While it could still be argued that Mulder shot in self-defense, especially if Ostelhoff was pointing the shotgun at Mulder, it would be a much tougher argument to make. But I do prefer my alternate theories from last week. I know that Ostelhoff clearly isn’t the brightest spy in the box, given the obvious placement of his pin camera, but I still have a hard time believing that Ostelhoff would truly be so stupid as to aim his weapon at Mulder in attempt to kill him. I guess I’ll grant here that Ostelhoff seemed to be either working directly for the FBI mole (to be revealed) or the Syndicate outside of CSM, but I still have a hard time believing that either person/group would want Mulder dead right then. As far as we know, the goal was to have Mulder discover the “alien body”, reveal its authenticity, have the truth be revealed, and then have Mulder discredited. Maybe Ostelhoff was pointing his shotgun at Mulder in a panic, and Mulder still acted in self-defense with his own shotgun. It’s not an absurd scenario.
But…I dunno, I do have trouble believing that it took that long for investigators to discover the second bullet wound. And that Skinner was the only one who had the forensic results showing the second wound. I mean, I know it’s been like…24 hours or so since the body was discovered and identified as “Mulder”, but the shotgun wound was to his face. It shouldn’t have been that hard to find the second wound! And we’re really supposed to believe that forensics only gave this evidence to Skinner?
Also given now the “full story” that we have (we still don’t know the sequence of events regarding Ostelhoff grabbing his shotgun vs. Mulder shooting him), I still have so many questions about how Mulder dragged Ostelhoff down to his apartment. And how apparently there were no immediate witnesses who heard anything? Sure, it really hasn’t been all that long, so maybe Alexandria PD didn’t have enough time to question Mulder’s neighbors yet about what they heard. But I’m still baffled at how Mulder somehow managed to drag Ostelhoff’s body down to his own apartment without anyone noticing. And how none of the initial investigators seemed to question the lack of blood splatter inside Mulder’s apartment?
I probably shouldn’t be surprised, given all the real-world evidence we have showing the extent to which the police actually suck at their jobs. By and large, the police are not good at investigating murders or gathering evidence or actually finding justice. They’d rather go with the easiest answer, even when they don’t have evidence to support it and even when that means they convict the wrong man (I highly recommend Framed, though with a fair warning that it will infuriate you). So, sure, if they have the person closest to Mulder telling them, “Yeah, that’s him, he must’ve shot himself” and that means they don’t need to do any investigating, Woohoo!!!! An easy closed case for the Alexandria PD!!!
Until Skinner makes them investigate the scene and the body, and the truth is actually quickly revealed with the slightest bit of investigating… 🙃
Now, Skinner is currently withholding the evidence he has that implicates Mulder. The fact that he seemingly has something he could use against Mulder will open further questions regarding Skinner’s loyalty, which I’ll get into later. But as hard as Skinner tries to withhold that evidence, either to protect Mulder or hang it over his head (whichever you want to believe right now), it won’t be long before the truth gets out. Before the police or FBI forensics or whoever passes off their conclusions to someone else high up at the FBI. It will look like Ostelhoff was murdered in cold blood, and that both Mulder and Scully worked very hard to cover up that murder.
Still not thinking particularly clearly, Scully tells Mulder that she can still save him. She could still be the person that fired Mulder’s gun. With no witnesses (as far as we know), and Scully very much implicated in the lie regarding the murder, Mulder could be saved and allowed to continue his work. Scully can make that happen.
Mulder immediately dismisses this possibility. Because, yes, he cares too deeply for Scully to allow her to do that. But I think he particularly dismisses it so quickly here because he realizes he almost let Scully take the fall for him, let the lie she told be the last legacy she would have before her death. He can’t let Scully lose her integrity, can’t let a possible murder charge be the last thing she is remembered for at the FBI. The job she loves so much.
Scully wants to give some meaning to her impending death, by allowing Mulder further avenues to reveal and investigate the truth. This is a sort of justice, to her, in that moment. She doesn’t care if she loses herself as long as she can save Mulder. 🥺
Now, I really don’t think either of them have thought this through. Mulder is only thinking that he can’t let Scully lie for him again, Scully is only desperately trying to find one last way to save Mulder before she’s gone. But, uh, are Scully’s fingerprints even on Mulder’s weapon? Any evidence of her in either Mulder’s apartment, or the (probably soon to be discovered) apartment where Ostelhoff actually died? I know y’all just want to protect each other, but a second lie by Scully would fall apart just as quickly as the one she told about Mulder’s apparent suicide.
I don’t fault Scully for this, given that she is extremely sick and (yes) dying. Not thinking clearly. It’s not necessarily a goof within the episode, especially since the lie never ends up being told and falling apart. But I do have to chuckle at it. Scully. No. That lie is definitely not going to work.
Mulder will have to find a way to save himself. And he’s going to find a way to save you, too!!!!
A Cure for Scully’s Cancer?
Remember now that last week’s episode also ended with the apparent reveal that the cure for Scully’s cancer that Mulder discovered in the Pentagon was nothing more than deionized water in a small tube. I don’t fault Mulder for not questioning this further, given that he heard soon after about Scully’s dire situation in the hospital. And the fact that he had spent the past couple of days doubting everything he knew; of course he would believe that the supposed cure for Scully’s caner was also a lie.
I do kind of feel like The Lone Gunmen should’ve investigated that small metal tube further. Especially Frohike, who is not so secretly in love with Scully! But at least credit to Byers for chastising himself “It never occurred to me what the deionized water might be for”. Yeah!!!! You should’ve looked!!!!
Fortunate that CSM still has some weird secret motives regarding Mulder and Scully’s survival (more on that in the next section). That he seemingly very much wants Scully to recover, and comes to the hospital himself to congratulate Mulder for making it out with what is very much a cure for Scully’s particular cancer. Oh, you mean you didn’t find it yet? Well, CSM assures Mulder that tube does hold the cure. He just needs to look closer!!!!
It did also make me chuckle slightly that apparently The Lone Gunmen put deionized water back into that tube? I guess maybe there was a plan to try to sneak the tube back into The Pentagon (how?) so Mulder wouldn’t be discovered, but lol. They just discovered that tube is apparently useless, but ah, well, we’d still better put the water back inside of it.
Good thing they did, as that made it slightly easier for Mulder to tap out the real cure for Scully’s cancer. And, maybe, having the water in there once again helped to preserve the real important thing held within the little tube:
A tiny computer chip.
The possible cure!!!!
I did appreciate The Lone Gunmen’s questions about how a microchip could possibly be useful, and the explanation they got from Mulder. Scully, and all of those women in Allentown, had small chips in their necks following their abductions. And all of them had the chips removed before developing cancer. I take some slight issue with Mulder saying “it was a short time after she had it removed” that Scully’s cancer developed, as I don’t really consider the (approximate) year and a half between “Paper Clip” and “Memento Mori” to be “a short time”. Overall, the computer chip acting as some sort of way to control the rapid cell growth that was maybe induced during the experiments, so the women’s ova could be removed quickly, does make sense! But it really wasn’t all that soon after, Mulder. Maybe that was just easier to say to The Lone Gunmen in a quick moment as Mulder rushed to get the microchip to the hospital.
Where, naturally, the utility of the microchip as a treatment for cancer comes into question. By Scully’s doctor, by her mother, by her (ugh) brother. No one has even had time to examine this microchip to see what sort of data might be on it. That original microchip had been recording all sorts of physiological data on Scully.
I do think it’s interesting that, really, the only person who is vehemently against using the microchip is Bill Scully. It’s clear within the scene that Margaret and Scully’s doctor also have their doubts about it. But particularly in the case of the doctor, he also doesn’t really see a problem with trying this extremely unconventional treatment. He admits that there is really no other conventional treatment he can try right now. This probably means chemo and radiation; we will later see the doctor attempting some sort of new immunotherapy, trying to get Scully’s own immune cells to recognize the cancer cells as something to attack. Given that immunotherapy still isn’t a possible avenue for many cancers today, I have no problem believing this was a very unconventional, experimental avenue back in 1997.
And given that the doctor’s only other option is this experimental immunotherapy, he can’t really fault Scully for wanting to try a different unknown method to possibly cure her disease. There’s no immediate reason he can see to not attempt this. Scully’s body is already failing increasingly rapidly, and reimplanting the chip doesn’t require some huge surgery that would further tax her already fragile body. It’s worth a try, if someone thinks this might work.
Plus, ultimately the doctor needs to listen to his patient’s wishes. He has likely at this point that their only option is to try any treatments that might work. So, Scully listens to her doctor. This might work. It’s possibly an absurd, science fiction idea. But it might work. And Scully wants to try. What does she have to lose by trying this?
Bill Scully is an Ass (Again)
Brief interlude here to address Bill Scully being an asshole once again. This time toward Mulder. Although he was also kind of an asshole toward Scully in that previous scene where everyone questioned the chip’s utility as a treatment. Shouting at her and basically telling her she was an idiot for wanting to try something this unconventional. It kind of seems in that scene like Bill would rather Scully just “die with dignity” as he said to Mulder earlier, and put an end to his mother’s immediate suffering without dragging this out. So, yeah, he also continues to be the worst older brother.
Bill then confronts Mulder, blaming him for everything that has happened to his sisters. In both this confrontation, and the one he had with Scully back in “Gethsemane”, I think Bill is so particularly awful because he’s so good at poking exactly where people’s anxieties lie. He previously essentially told Scully that she was causing her family to suffer, that her choices directly caused Melissa’s death and her own cancer. Fears that Scully already held herself, and had put words to, and also worked so hard to push away, by telling herself that the fight for justice was still worth it.
Here, when he tells Mulder that this whole family tragedy is his fault, Bill again is exactly voicing what Mulder himself already feels. Mulder blames himself. Especially now that he has the information that apparently Scully was given her disease as part of this game to make Mulder believe the lies above the supposed “real truth”. Mulder very much doesn’t need Bill telling him what he already believes about himself. Not when Mulder is already questioning whether his past sacrifices, the loss of his sister and his father, have been worth it, or were part of the bigger lie. If his entire life has been a lie. If all of this suffering, in his life and that of the people around him, was manipulated and caused by others in order to play Mulder like a convenient puppet.
But at least Mulder is trying something, Bill!!!! He’s not going to sit back and let the family tragedy unfold. He’s holding onto Scully with everything he can. And he’s also trying to bring the men ultimately responsible for her suffering to justice. It’s not an easy fight, and perhaps the losses haven’t been worth it. But Mulder isn’t giving up. Unlike the worst brother in the world, who would rather (apparently) his sister die quickly, to end his mother’s suffering. 🙄
CSM’s Motives Regarding Mulder
Now that we have CSM having told Mulder where to look for Scully’s cure, let’s get back to questioning what exactly his motives are. And how his motives regarding Mulder seem to be so different compared to the rest of The Syndicate.
There will remain some question about what role exactly Mulder plays in this possible “game”, and to what extent the rest of the people in charge of the conspiracy see Mulder as an asset vs. a threat. But remember the general theory we got from Kritschgau’s story in the previous two episodes was that Mulder has been a key part of furthering the lie, of keeping the public believing in alien abductions and UFOs rather than the reality of experimental aircraft and horrific experiments on people to further biological warfare and…even more nefarious things. Most recently, the plan was to have Mulder be a convenient “fall guy”, having him reveal the apparent truth of the alien corpse before being discredited. So, with that, it seems that the plan had changed as Mulder got too close to the truth. The Syndicate now needed Mulder to appear a fool, so no one would believe him. Perhaps he would even be fired, or the “X-files” unit closed, or he would basically remove himself from the search for truth after losing Scully and his desire to keep going.
Because another key aspect of the plan was that the alien corpse wouldn’t be “discovered” until after Scully was dead.
That whole plan fell apart when the alien corpse was discovered too early. Seemingly randomly by a Canadian land survey team. Though I do have questions now regarding whether CSM assisted with that particular discovery somehow.
CSM’s motives regarding Mulder appear to be very different from the rest of The Syndicate. And honestly, the rest of The Syndicate really seems to hate CSM. He does make his fair share of mistakes, allowing Mulder to get much closer to the truth than they would like him to be. Dangerously close to the real truth. Not just a pawn in their game, furthering the “lie” of alien abductions. CSM has said from the start that Mulder is much more useful to them alive. And, as long as they do feed Mulder just enough information, small bits of the truth, then, yes, I can see how Mulder remains a useful puppet. He tells the lies that covers the truth.
But Mulder has increasingly come dangerously close to the real truth. Close to revealing the grander conspiracy to the public. He’s certainly no longer going to play the game, and he’s going to keep investigating. There could be some argument made that “killing one man turns him into a crusade”, to paraphrase CSM from earlier in the series. But, if there was ever a time to take Mulder down, this would be the time. When he’s under investigation for murder, and losing the person who holds him together, and already doubts everything he thought he knew.
So why is CSM fighting so hard? Why did he not only allow Mulder to escape from the Pentagon, but then tell him where to find the cure for Scully’s cancer? Why does he later offer answer to the only other thing Mulder wants above all?
MULDER: You give me these things, the only things I ever wanted and I can't think of any reason for you to do so.
I think it could partially be because CSM knows or at least strongly suspects that Mulder is his son. And CSM is an extremely evil person, but I think he would very much prefer to manipulate his son onto his side rather than kill him. And he thinks that in this very desperate situation, after being handed the two things he wants most in the world, maybe Mulder will come to his side.
CSM is delusional if he thinks that, but. He also knows how useful Mulder would be to their side…
Mulder’s Selective Paranoia Strikes Again
CSM’s various efforts to help Mulder, giving him the things he wants above all, once again highlights Mulder’s infuriating selective paranoia. The first instance, when Mulder walks off with CSM outside the hospital, apparently being promised (again) the cure to Scully’s cancer, that one I could maybe forgive or understand. Mulder was considering making a deal with the devil back in “Memento Mori” before Skinner stopped him (and made that deal himself). Mulder is desperate to save Scully at this point; he very much wants to believe that he found the truth within the Pentagon. So, sure, if CSM promises to explain what Mulder found…it’s not unthinkable that Mulder would walk off alone with him.
But then what the fuck is the random Samantha storyline that we get in this episode? I had remembered this as playing a more important role in this three-part arc, but it’s in fact just a random 5 minutes or so. A random scene which directly contradicts that Mulder had been doubting everything he knew, and once again highlights Mulder’s selective paranoia and what he chooses to believe vs. not believe.
With the utility of the chip still in question, CSM offers a second meeting with Mulder. The only thing he says about this meeting (to our knowledge at least) is that it’s a meeting that Mulder will “very much want to attend”. So Mulder decides, yeah, sure, I’ll go to this random diner late at night to meet with my worst enemy.
And then when CSM shows up with some random curly-haired brunette woman, Mulder immediately assumes this must be his sister, all grown up.
What. Whyyyyyyyyyyyy?!?! Why, when Mulder spent the last couple of episodes doubting everything he ever knew about his life, would he immediately accept that CSM brought him his sister?! He assumes it’s Samantha even before the woman introduces herself!!!! And then continues to believe that this woman is Samantha despite the fact that she calls CSM her father, and claims to remember very little about her life. Except she apparently did remember CSM from “before” the abduction. Despite the fact that Mulder, who was older than Samantha, had seemingly forgotten that young CSM used to come to their Rhode Island summer house.
I just…of all the Samantha storylines, this one is the most frustrating to me. Mulder barely questions this woman. Despite the fact that the story she is telling is simultaneously a bit too perfect and has too many holes matching “adult” Samantha with the sister he knew and loved.
Now, I guess I’ll grant that there is some question regarding to what extent Mulder believes the story “Samantha” tells. He certainly very much wants to believe he has finally found his sister. But he does seem to have enough doubt to insist that Samantha come back with him to see their mother. This could be either a desperate attempt to please his mother, or a test of sorts for “Samantha”. Or a mixture of both. The fact that Samantha doesn’t want to go see their mother does seem to bring up further doubts for Mulder regarding the truth of her story. Perhaps Mulder is choosing to kind of play along with this game, and has more internal doubts than he expresses out loud to the woman who is possibly Samantha. And I suppose that given the flashbacks (which may or may not be real) from “Demons”, it’s not unimaginable to Mulder that CSM has been holding onto Samantha all this time.
But overall, I just find this plot extremely frustrating and a very random thing to toss into this episode. Sure, it plays into CSM’s game, giving Mulder everything he wants in order to get him on their side. I just have a lot of problems with Mulder at least appearing to accept adult Samantha at face value, at the same time he’s questioning everything he knew about his life.
I don’t quite remember, but I’m pretty sure this particular Samantha storyline isn’t addressed again. This isn’t the end of Samantha’s story (*sigh*), but I’m pretty sure the show never again addresses the adult “Samantha” that CSM supposedly brought to see Mulder in this episode.
Mulder’s Choices
In a third meeting alone with CSM that Mulder agrees to, CSM admits that he hasn’t been doing this all as a selfless act. He’s trying to protect Mulder, giving him all these things that he wants, so that Mulder owes The Syndicate. And will come over to their side. Use his skills to work for them, covering up the truth rather than trying to expose it.
Props to Mulder for calling out CSM here though! This was an excellent speech. Yeah, Cigarette Smoking asshole! You haven’t given Mulder anything yet, you’re just playing him as the fool once again!
A bit later in the episode, Mulder will claim that he had originally made up his mind to take CSM’s deal, despite his initial refusal. And I guess I don’t doubt that Mulder had become so overcome with grief at the thought of losing Scully that he would consider the deal with the devil, if CSM really could promise a cure. But I do prefer to believe myself that Mulder would’ve woken up the next morning regardless of the next deal he is offered with a clearer mind, and a staunch refusal again to ever even consider working for The Syndicate, against the truth.
That’s right, Mulder has one option: Go work for The Syndicate, and CSM promises that Scully will be saved.
Mulder will then be offered a second deal, this time by Section Chief Blevins. Blevins has now been shown the forensic evidence showing that Mulder’s FBI weapon shot Ostelhoff. He has evidence he could use to directly take Mulder down. But Blevins has an offer for Mulder, too. A promise that Mulder will be protected, that this murder investigation will go away, if Blevins will help him.
Somehow, Blevins believes he knows that Scully was ready to name Skinner as the man working inside the FBI. How exactly he “knows” this is rather suspicious in itself. Scully really didn’t give any indication, unless Blevins or someone else heard her very quietly whisper “you” as Skinner caught her in his arms and she passed out. Blevins will further claim that they have “evidence” that Skinner has been working on a secret agenda. The only real evidence they could have (I think) would be Skinner’s work on the smallpox bees coverup, and the only people Blevins could’ve heard that from would be people inside The Syndicate… 🤔🤔
There are certainly plenty of reasons here to be suspicious of Blevins, and what he’s offering, and why. All Mulder has to do is name Skinner as the mole inside the FBI, and he’s promised all of his troubles will go away. But why would Blevins be so desperate to get rid of Skinner? What evidence, truly, does Blevins have? And why would he be so desperate as to cover up an (apparent) murder by Mulder?
Those are the two options Mulder has right now. He could go work for CSM, and is promised that Scully will live. He could name Skinner as the man in the FBI, and is promised he won’t face prosecution. He could, I suppose, do both, honestly.
But Mulder’s not going to take any deal. He’s also not going to let Scully sacrifice herself, having a murder charge as her last legacy within the FBI. He desperately doesn’t want to lose Scully, but nothing is worth giving up the search for truth. Certainly, he can’t betray Scully after saving her. And he can’t betray himself by telling a story he doesn’t believe.
To live the lie, you have to believe it.
And Mulder doesn’t. He believes in faith, and justice, and the search for truth. For now, that will have to be enough. He will do what he can to at least expose some truth before the end, for both of them.
Exploring Skinner’s Loyalty
There is a lot more than I thought (as always) to unpack in this episode. 😂
The question of Skinner’s loyalty continues throughout the episode. Scully does in fact name Skinner as the man working against them when talking to Mulder. But Mulder refuses to believe it. Sure, yes, he is holding onto the evidence that could be used against Mulder. But, unlike CSM or Blevins, Skinner doesn’t threaten Mulder with that evidence or try to hold it over his head. He demands to know the truth, but he genuinely does seem to be trying to protect his troublesome agents rather than throw them under the bus.
It helps that, unlike Scully, Mulder knows for a fact that Skinner has already made the worst imaginable deal in an attempt to save Scully’s life. The story he told back in “Zero Sum” could be a lie, but Mulder believes Skinner’s desperation matches his own. He understands Skinner’s desperation to save Scully.
As a small aside here highlighting how much Skinner cares about his problem children agents, I do want to include the scene where Skinner tells the other FBI agents to wait behind and not crowd Mulder as he discovers Scully’s dire state at the start of the episode.
(It doesn’t seem like those agents take their orders super seriously, as they do later barge in and try to arrest Mulder, but there again Skinner stops Mulder all on his own and ensures he comes to an initial meeting with Blevins rather than arresting him.)
As the audience, some other small moments throughout the episode will show us where Skinner’s loyalty lies, offering evidence that he almost certainly isn’t the man inside the FBI for The Syndicate:
This was actually last episode, but the First Elder saying that their “man in the FBI” confirmed Mulder’s apparent death first brought up a question (for me at least). Skinner very much seemed to doubt the truth of Mulder’s death from the first moment; the mole in the FBI appeared confident it was fact
Skinner, again, seems to be the only one doing any real investigation. When Kritschgau reveals that part of his DoD salary came from a firm called “Roush”, he is the only one who questions this
He takes the time to walk down to the Senate and listen in on a hearing about human cloning, something Roush is (maybe) involved in
When the First Elder sees that Skinner has walked in on this hearing, he is furious to see him. He says that “our colleague” was supposed to have fixed the FBI problem. Suggesting that Skinner is part of the problem, not their colleague within the FBI…
Revealing the FBI Mole
Ah, and who is it now who does seem to want so badly to solve the “Skinner problem”? Section Chief Blevins! He’s offering a frankly ridiculous deal, telling Mulder he will cover up what at least looks like cold-blooded murder, as long as Mulder names Skinner as the man who had been working against them for the past four years.
So with all of these suspicions swirling in his mind, recognizing that it was Blevins, not Skinner, who put Scully in as a “spy” inside the “X-files” unit, Mulder realizes that Blevins has been the one who was in a position to know everything from the beginning. The very beginning, from before (again, as usual, as far as we know) Skinner was placed in direct charge of the agents. So if there’s one person inside the FBI who could be working to manipulate Mulder and Scully in this game, keeping them close to but just far enough away from the truth, it’s Blevins.
Mic drop here by Mulder in the final FBI hearing:
I’ll grant here that it’s not all that much to go on, and in a way, Mulder is making a very lucky guess when he names Section Chief Blevins as the man in the FBI. He doesn’t have any evidence or any way to know that Blevins is this man. But Mulder is also fairly certain Skinner’s not the man, either. And he doesn’t really have anything else to lose at this point. If he names Blevins, and Blevins can be connected maybe to putting Ostelhoff in as a spy, then Mulder could be cleared, with the self-defense argument. Or he’ll end up being prosecuted, but that seems almost certain anyway, unless Mulder takes one of the two deals he’s been offered.
And Mulder, thankfully, is correct! Blevins is connected to the “Roush” company that Kritschgau mentioned earlier. Supposedly some biotech company involved in human cloning and other slightly ethically dubious experiments, connected to the various work The Syndicate has been doing. That really is the only answer we get to the larger question regarding this particular conspiracy. Blevins was working with The Syndicate. There is likely some truth to the abductions and UFOs being a convenient coverup for the much more nefarious truth. But we are left with many more questions regarding how deep the conspiracy goes, whether there is any truth regarding extraterrestrial life, and finally, the question of:
CSM’s Demise (???)
Throughout the episode, it was also becoming increasingly clear that The Syndicate was fed up with CSM. He keeps going against their direct orders, offering Mulder a way out when The Syndicate desperately needs Mulder gone and out of their way. The First Elder telling his assassin goon “you can proceed now” immediately after that brief conversation with CSM on the racetrack certainly suggests that the assassin was being ordered to take out this real leak within their group once and for all.
But, there was some question until the very end of whether that order was for the assassin to take out CSM, or to take out Mulder. We see the assassin tracking both Mulder and CSM as they are talking on the street, but it was notable that the assassin stops pointing his gun once Mulder shows up.
And then, we finally have the apparent assassination of CSM in his apartment (or office? IDK). Shot through the window. Given that the shot landed just below CSM’s heart, it’s for sure a fair assumption to make that CSM is dead, especially if we are also assuming that it’s his apartment or office.
However. Another bizarre assumption is made here, given the lack of evidence they actually find. By the time the cops arrive, CSM’s body is no longer at the scene. Just a lot of blood, apparently more than should be possible if anyone survived. I suppose we could also presume that if The Syndicate murdered CSM, they would take care of the body themselves, although…I dunno, I’d also think they’d clean up the whole crime scene if that was the case? It just feels like a wild conclusion to take as fact, especially given that we just went through the lie of Mulder’s apparent death, and that’s when there was a body at the scene.
But CSM is dead. Maybe. Blevins has been outed as the connection at the FBI. One man—maybe two men were brought to justice. The rest of the conspiracy group will be working hard to erase any evidence and connections, to ensure they can continue their work. The search for the truth isn’t over. But some justice was found. And more than that…
Scully’s Remission!!! ❤
Scully’s cancer has gone into remission!!! I actually also really appreciated that we are never given the answer as to what caused this miracle. Mulder, Scully, and her doctor all tried different avenues, and any one of those, or a combination, could’ve done the trick. Perhaps it was reinserting that chip into Scully’s neck, emitting some sort of “signal” to her cells to stop dividing uncontrollably. Maybe it was Scully finally returning to her faith as she faced the end, looking for hope in what she believed. Or maybe it was that immunotherapy the doctor attempted as the last medical avenue he had, kickstarting her immune system into recognizing and attacking the cancerous cells now spread throughout her body. Or a combination: the immunotherapy attacking the existing cancer cells, the chip preventing more from developing, and a return to her faith—coupled with Mulder’s refusal to give up—finally bringing to Scully the full strength she needed to fight back.
It’s quite nice, really, that a discrete answer isn’t given. I like that that particular mystery remains open to interpretation.
Finally, just because I don’t really know where else to put this sweet little moment, I enjoyed that we got a very brief interaction between Skinner and Scully at the end. Skinner relieved to see that his efforts were not in vain, and Scully apologizing, with a single look, for doubting his loyalty and dedication to her.
More on our Agents’ Crises of Faith
Now that I’ve (almost) fully recapped the episode, I want to take a couple brief sections to explore the deeper themes within the episode.
Starting with their crises of faith, which had been a recurring theme throughout season 4. And focusing on Scully first, as there’s actually still one minor plot within the episode I haven’t addressed yet: Scully finally giving in to her faith and trying the last thing she hoped might be able to save her. When science seemed to have failed Scully, and when she wasn’t certain she could be saved either by the possible truth of what caused her cancer, Scully returned to the being she thought had let her down. Returned to God, and her faith, accepting Father McCue’s offer from “Gethsemane” of turning to a higher power to find one last source of strength. I don’t know that Scully really believes here, either, that her prayers will save her. It might more be that she is terrified, in this moment, of having no other options. That she needs to bare her soul, her deepest fears and uncertainties, to someone before the end.
It was a small moment, but I continue to appreciate that the writers don’t shy away from Scully’s Catholicism and the faith that drives her. Yes, she is the rational scientist, always needing to find evidence and something tangible to hold onto. But I don’t think that contradicts her faith. She’s searching for an answer to be given to her, perhaps, but an answer that is still supported by evidence. She’s looking for strength, and a last possible place to turn when there’s no reason for hope, when her cancer isn’t showing any improvement. Prayer as a cry for help, as a last place to find the determination to keep fighting and to believe there’s still hope of survival.
Mulder’s crisis of faith remains a bit more subtle. His is more of a continuing crisis of faith regarding everything he thought he believed, and thought he knew. There isn’t as much time spent directly addressing Mulder’s doubts regarding the conspiracy vs. the truth vs. the lies within this episode, but he continues to grapple with what to believe. The most poignant moment for him is when he apparently seriously considered, briefly, taking CSM up on his deal. He’s lost faith that anything in his life, his journey, has done any good. So maybe, he briefly considers, he can finally make a difference by ensuring Scully’s survival? Even if that means making the ultimate deal with the devil.
Sacrifices on the Search for Truth
That, then, brings up the question of what sacrifices are worth it on the search for truth. Both Mulder and Scully have lost so much already, and here, they face the possible reality of losing each other as well. With Mulder remaining behind, grappling with the consequences of this “game” he’s been a part of, along with the possibility that he directly caused every single tragedy in his life.
Is another sacrifice worth it?
For Mulder, is it worth giving up himself, the very values and fundamental beliefs he holds onto, if it means he could save Scully? And if he could be offered the answers to his bigger questions, about what happened to his sister, and regarding any truth of extraterrestrial life?
For Scully, too, is it worth giving up her integrity, her honesty, as the last act she does, if it means she can save Mulder? Would she give up the legacy her family holds her to, as long as that means Mulder can continue the good fight?
Ultimately, the answer for both of them is no. There have been so many sacrifices, and likely many more to come. But they can, and they need to, hold onto themselves. Onto each other. Maybe the truth doesn’t lie in science, or up in the skies looking for UFOs. Perhaps the truth can be found in each other, in holding onto what you know and can trust above all else. The one thing that can never be sacrificed on the journey towards justice.
Our “Completely Platonic Coworkers”
There have already been several incredibly sweet moments, starting with Mulder’s near panic attack when he saw her in the hospital and continuing through her offers to take the fall for him.
Then we have Mulder’s pure joy upon seeing Scully awake and out of the ICU:
Let’s also enjoy the several extremely sweet kisses Mulder gives Scully:
Immediately kissing her cheek when he sees her awake
(credit) Unabashedly kissing their clasped hands as her mother and asshole brother watch on
(credit) Also unabashedly kissing her cheek as Father McCue watches on
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With the above, we also have the prolonged handholding, Scully not wanting to let Mulder go as she faces her confessions and prayers with her priest 🥺
Actually possibly my favourite of all, because kissing someone’s hand or cheek when they’re sick might feel more natural or the obvious thing to do. But Mulder gently brushing back Scully’s hair in her hospital bed honestly feels more intimate to me.
And then of course we have Mulder collapsing sobbing at Scully’s bedside, trying desperately to hold onto her and himself as they face the most impossible choices. 🥺
The 90s™
Before we all carried around smartphones and could stream live news wherever we were, I guess there were portable radio/television things that The Syndicate could bring to the racetrack to watch Congressional hearings while remaining…hidden in plain sight
The X-Files is a Comedy
Blessedly, we have two brilliantly comedic moments throughout this otherwise heart-wrenching episode
Mulder wishing for CSM’s impending death, and actually voicing that out loud to his face
(credit) Bill is an asshole to Mulder and his sister, but at least the confrontation did give us one of the most hilarious moments in the show, Mulder answering his cell phone with:
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Goofs/Bloopers/Fun Facts
Plenty of rather large goofs that I’ve already mentions. Still so many questions regarding Ostelhoff’s death and the body making it into Mulder’s apartment. My main issue with the episode though is honestly how easily everyone accepts CSM’s death as fact despite having even less evidence than when Mulder was supposedly dead in his apartment. Is no one going to bother testing that blood? See if there’s some sort of blood trail out of the apartment that could show either CSM (miraculously) leaving of his own accord, or someone else taking the body away?
Secondary goof to that is Skinner handling the blood-stained photo of Mulder and Samantha from the scene without gloves, and giving it to Mulder to keep. That…piece of evidence wasn’t needed for the investigation? I guess not, since it seems like there’s no real investigation even happening!
Not too many fun facts here either, honestly, but a couple:
Chris Carter named the fictional biotech company after USA Today TV critic Matt Roush, who was an influential early champion of The X-Files.
I think this might be the first time Skinner refers to CSM as “The Smoking Man” rather than Cancer Man. Mulder had adopted that nickname back in “Zero Sum” but I think Skinner hadn’t used it before.
Overall Thoughts/Summary
Episode rating: 8/10. I know I said at the start that I liked last week’s episode slightly more than this one overall, and now I’m giving them the same rating. Perhaps in retrospect last week’s episode should’ve been slightly higher, but honestly, I think they are about on par with each other. “Redux” had, in my eyes, a more cohesive storyline, which kind of…fizzles out into a conclusion outing Section Chief Blevins as the mole working against our agents in this episode. But this episode did profit from the many intimate interactions between Mulder and Scully, as well as the underlying themes of faith and sacrifice and the importance of love.
I still have a few too many plot holes within this episode to give it a much higher rating than 8/10. It’s fine—good!!!—that we are left with open-ended questions regarding what the “real truth” is. But I still have too many doubts about Ostelhoff’s death, frustrations regarding Mulder’s selective paranoia and apparent belief that CSM has his sister, and everyone accepting CSM’s death at face value.
This has been a very enjoyable three-episode arc, and definitely a satisfying conclusion to Scully’s cancer arc. I think I mostly could’ve done without the random Samantha storyline inserted in here. Perhaps this would’ve elevated the conclusion to this particular mytharc.
X-Files cases “solved” to date: I’m still not really sure what exactly to call the “case” of this episode. Is it Scott Ostelhoff’s death? The cure for Scully’s cancer? Outing the mole within the FBI? Any of the above, given that technically none were “assigned” cases our agents should have been working on?
Overall, I think I do want to consider the discovery of Chief Blevins as a success, even as far as the FBI is concerned. He probably wasn’t the last man working inside the FBI on this conspiracy (someone shoots Blevins in his office and makes it look like suicide after all), but it’s a satisfying answer to have in this case file. Even a satisfying enough answer to explain Ostelhoff’s death, and why that man was spying on Mulder in the first place.
So, I’ll leave us at 1 case for this season so far. Then bringing us to 1/1 for the season, and 67/90 overall. 🙂
Next week we get an entertaining break with “Unusual Suspects”, which will feature The Lone Gunmen and bring us back to baby FBI Agent Mulder on the start of this journey. No Scully, sadly, but it’s not as much of a loss here as it was in “Zero Sum”.