2x07 "3"

[wendelah1]

Critical opinion is so divided on this episode, it's hard to know where to begin. Even the writers weren't exactly happy with how it turned out. Sarah Stegall gave it an A for no reason that I can see except David Duchovny is hot. The critic at The A.V. Club must feel differently about DD's sex appeal because he gave "3" a D+. My non-X-Phile spouse's verdict: "They really jumped the shark with that one." After this latest viewing, I stand somewhere in the middle. I give it a solid B-. With Scully missing, Mulder has hit bottom. It was good to see the emotional fallout from her kidnapping addressed, even if it was only briefly and in the middle of a mediocre vampire pastiche.

Everyone agreed on one thing: The Unheard Music by X was an excellent, atmospheric choice for the scene at Club Tepes.


Writer: Chris Ruppenthal, Glen Morgan, James Wong
Director: David Nutter
Originally aired: November 4, 1994

Synopsis:
After reopening the X-Files, Mulder heads to Los Angeles to investigate a series of ritualistic killings.

Most Memorable Quote:
Kristen Kilar: Are you about to ask what a normal person like me is doing in a place like this?
Mulder: How do you define normal?
Kristen Kilar: Misha, red wine... I don't. How do you?
Mulder: All I know is... normal is not what I feel.

Links:
Transcript
Musings of an X-Phile.
A Surreal X-File Captures Earthlings - LA Times article about filming the episode in Vancouver.

Fanfiction:
There should be more but I like this early season two story.
Under the Rose by bugsfic
Summary: The Christmas holidays are always so stressful. 1994 is even more so for Dana Scully, bringing painful memories, a perplexing Mulder, and vampires.

Comments

[mosinging1986.livejournal.com]

It's hard for me to even believe it now, but I came to XF pretty late. (About S6.) Maybe I'd seen bits here and there, but not regularly.

So this is an episode that I didn't get to see for the longest time. For whatever reasons, it didn't seem to come on reruns very often. And I didn't own the tapes/DVDs until way later.

Nitpick: Is it too much to ask that you get a reference correct? How in the world do you write John 52:54, when the correct reference is 6:54? I can see maybe putting the chapter or verse directly after or before... but 52? Errors like that make me cringe in embarrassment. And they did that sort of thing several times in this series!

In this post-Twilight world, it's good to have vampires portrayed as what they are - hideous monsters. I've never understood the "vampires are sexy" thing. Blood squicks me out in general, so I've never found anything remotely appealing about the genre. And this ep had needles too, which doubles the squick factor for me!

I'd almost forgotten how dark early episodes were. (Visually as well as thematically.)

The Son: Don't you want to live forever?
Mulder: Not if drawstring pants come back into style.

LOL! Oh, Mulder. We love you so.

It's been a long time since I'd seen this. So Mulder... for once in his life, DIDN'T believe someone? He didn't believe Son was a vampire? Hm. Isn't that completely unlike him? Do we just chalk it up to exhaustion and grief?

Tho' he can't be grieving too much since he's off chasing monsters instead of, y'know, looking for his partner.

THIS (http://www.chrisnu.com/s2/index.php?spgmGal=3&spgmPic=55#spgmPicture/)

reminded me so much of THIS (http://youtu.be/svpqmV1iY9g/)!


I'm not sure I ever fully understood this episode. I guess it's just what it is - creepy and dark.

[ruuger]

it's good to have vampires portrayed as what they are - hideous monsters

You know, now that I think about it, I wonder if the monstrous vampires in this episode were a deliberate backlash to Anne Rice's vampire novels, which were hugely popular in the early 90's.

(or alternatively an attempt to cash in on their popularity, since the Interview with the Vampire movie came out around the same time as this episode)

[wendelah1]

You know, now that I think about it, I wonder if the monstrous vampires in this episode were a deliberate backlash to Anne Rice's vampire novels, which were hugely popular in the early 90's.

(or alternatively an attempt to cash in on their popularity, since the Interview with the Vampire movie came out around the same time as this episode)

Or both?