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

[wendelah1]

Mulder obviously thought at this point that chances were slim that Scully would be found, or if found would be found alive. It's been three months, no information to speak of, he's getting on with his life as best he can and carrying an object that reminds him of a friend. I have no issue with that.

I have more head canon that contradicts that to some extent. See, I don't think he's given up, although he's hit bottom. He's in the Slough of Despond, okay? But he's never stopped searching for his sister or believing that he'll find Samantha alive. Why would it be any different for Scully? He tells her mother when she drags out the headstone that it's too soon, that they can't give up yet.

He's wearing the cross because Mrs. Scully gave it to him to keep until he can give it back to Scully himself. The cross may have conscious or unconscious symbolic meaning for him? I think it's a symbol of his quest to find her.

What's interesting to me is that Catholics usually wear a crucifix--Christ suffering on the cross. Protestants favor an empty cross--symbolizing Christ's death and resurrection. If I thought the 1013 writers knew the difference I could spin that but I know they don't know diddly squat about Christianity. John 52:54, my ass. John doesn't have 52 chapters!

I suppose In my head the issue appears when he has to give it back to her, it now belongs to her again and if I were Mulder I would feel uncomfortable knowing that I had worn it during that incident and that the object now had a history that she wasn't aware of. It could have been a ring on a chain round his neck or any object. I would just feel... wrong. Or I'm just a bit odd that way.

To me, in this case, it's the person who has acquired the history. The cross itself is an inanimate object, which was just along for the ride. *cough* It only has the meaning we (or perhaps Mulder) give to it.