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[medusa 8x12]
Well, despite some pretty apparent flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed this week's episode. Medusa had a weak x-file (a calcium-based organism called a medusa, which when mixed with perspiration undergoes an electro-chemical reaction that eats away human flesh) and periodically cliched dialogue, but the combination of the performance of the actors, the solid direction by Richard Compton and a claustrophobic atmosphere, had me on the edge of my seat for the entire episode. Frank Spotnitz must have been charged with the task of bringing to life the new guy this season - he has the sole writing credit on Via Negativa, The Gift and this week's Medusa, all episodes that prominently feature Agent Doggett. And boy does he have Doggett nailed. He expertly combines his street-cop toughness with an honest and vulnerable child-like quality. Oh, and it helps that he has Robert Patrick to say the words for him. This episode really solidified the partnership for me - Doggett accepts the dangerous job of acting as Scully's "eyes and ears" because he respects her judgment and her expertise in 'equivocal death'. And although Doggett says that she "made the right call", why did Scully really stay above ground? She clearly feels uncomfortable sending him down there while she stays above. I think it had nothing to do with where she thought she would be more useful - I think it was because she didn't want to endanger her unborn child, and her reticent, disturbed manner at the end of the episode is a result of feeling guilty about that. In the end, it was better that Scully stayed above ground - she was the person needed to direct the investigation in the correct manner (with regard to the CDC, sending the sample to the marine biologist, etc.), and she did eventually figger out what was going on. But I think she thinks she failed on this one. GA did a fantastic job of conveying Scully's sense of helplessness - every time a new development appeared before her on the DoggettCam, she seemed at her wit's end, wondering what the hell was going on. It's funny, at the very end they were trying to give each other credit for the outcome of the case, but when all was said and done, the crisis was averted accidentally, when Doggett tried to interfere with the electrical current on the train's third rail; and even though Scully discovered that it was sweat that triggered the bio-chemical reaction that was killing people, there was no need to use that information, since the creature was destroyed shortly thereafter. Am I the only one who noticed, or was there a connection made between the 2 of them in that last scene, a new sense of trust between them ? No, I'm not talking about the flirty johnny-coat stuff (although that was good). They seemed to have gone to a new level in their relationship. Just in time for you-know-who to return. I really wish we could have seen more of Scully and Doggett together this season. GA and RP definitely have a chemistry, and I just love seeing them interact. Doggett was sexy as hell in Medusa, I thought. The voice, those steel blue eyes, the tight shirt, even his manly hands - they all had me going. All considered, though, the sexiest thing about him was the way in which he defended his partner and treated her with the respect she deserved. She could have a good friend in this guy if she plays her cards right. And she could start off by telling him the truth - about her pregnancy, Mulder's disappearance, everything. But I guess we're going to be heading into that territory soon. Bring it on, I say. A couple random things: In this topsy-turvy X-Files world, where we don't seem to be able to count on anything anymore, it is so comforting to hear things like the transit cop saying "a possible 10-13" into his hidden microphone, and especially to get a lovely "oh my God" from the best "oh-my-Godder" in TV Land. There is one thing that really annoyed me in Medusa - the insistence on the part of both agents, but especially Scully, on calling each other "Agent Doggett" and "Agent Scully". When Doggett was unconscious (and later, when his electrical surge caused the video to go out) and Scully was calling out to him, I swear I thought I would scream if she said Agent Doggett one more time. I wanted her to yell "Doggett!" at least. Even during that great end scene, when it was just the 2 of them, she not only called him Agent Doggett twice, but with such emphasis that it almost seems as though there may be some meaning in how she says his name. |
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