REVIEWED BY: Jennifer J. Chen ON: March 3, 1999
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: January 24, 1999
"You ready to quit?"
"No. That would make way too many people way too happy."
I loved how this episode alluded back to Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose, in which Bruckman tells Scully that she will never die. In Tithonus, Fellig was able to cheat death because someone else "took his place." Now that he's taken Scully's place, doesn't it also follow that she 
is immortal? The way Fellig did it was to close his eyes and not look upon Death's face--Scully does the same thing. Well, regardless of the logistics of it all (for instance, one could also argue that Fellig was simply making up an oversight, and so Scully would not receive the immortality bonus), it is still cool that the connection between the episodes is made. But, I can't get off this subject too quickly or easily, as I debate the fact that apparently Mulder does die, as Bruckman mentions something about "autoerotic asphixiation." The thing is, even though Scully ponders, "How can you have too much life?" I cannot imagine one of them dying without the other following at some point. For, how can they be separated like that? How can anyone imagine that one of them will live forever on this planet and not the other, that perhaps one day Scully will be 200 years old, Mulder long gone, that she has lived 150 years or so without him? And then we have to wonder if she would follow in Fellig's footsteps, and eventually forget Mulder's name, as Fellig forgot his wife's. It would reduce their relationship from something incredibly meaningful to a small *blip* in Scully's lifetime. But anyhow, onto better thoughts...
I never enjoy seeing Mulder and Scully apart, but then that's when the Cell Phone Olympics begin. They conduct a cell phone relationship like no one else, and it hardly seems like they are apart, since they're calling each other like, every 5 seconds. 
It's especially poignant because A.D. Kersh has Scully working with another partner--and even though it is only for this one case, and not of her choosing, it almost feels like a betrayal. Whatever you may think about Mulder and Scully's unresolved sexual tension, no one can deny that their closeness is ultimately a result of their partnership, and anything that jeopardizes that is the ultimate threat. It's particularly irking for Mulder as the case she is being assigned to is, in fact, an X-File (though she denies it for the better part of the ep). It is another betrayal of sorts--not only are the X-Files his life and his passion, but he shared them with one person, Scully, and now she is sharing one with someone else.
Scully is not thrilled, either--in fact, considering that her only other option is to turn it down and risk Kersh's scorn and spend the rest of her FBI days doing background checks, she should have jumped at the chance to be out in the field again. Instead, we get the distinct feeling that she would almost rather be doing background checks with Mulder than pursuing this case. She is very defensive of Mulder; when Kersh first gives her the assignment she responds pointedly, "Agent Mulder and I will begin immediately," a prospect which Kersh, of course, shoots down right away. Meanwhile, Mulder has already done some snooping around about her case, and tells her that he is "eating" his "heart out." No doubt for any number of reasons--he's doing boring background checks while she gets a real case, and not only is it a case but it's what he believes to be an X-File, etc. But perhaps he also feels threatened because his partner, his Scully, will be working with someone else. 
He doesn't even attempt to hide his unhappiness when he talks to Scully about it. His sad, "So they're splitting us up, huh?" was so sweet. Scully doesn't want to make too big a deal of it because she refuses to allow any notion of she and Mulder to be split up to have any credibility, and replies firmly, "This is a one-time thing." Mulder is more insecure, being in the untenable position of having nothing more attractive to offer her as a reason why she should be with him (the biggest attraction, of course, is himself, but he wouldn't be as cute if he realized that) rather than do field work without him. He doesn't hide his consternation as he sulks, "Who told you that? Obviously, if you do a good job they're not going to stick you back here." Scully, ever protective, sees Agent Ritter coming and quickly clicks Mulder's computer out of the screen that is showing pictures of Scully's case.
Ooh, I love that initial meeting between Mulder and Peyton (I can't call him Ritter--he just looks so young). It's subtle, but Mulder is markedly less enthusiastic than Peyton, and I can only imagine the tension that must have existed as Peyton walked off with Mulder's partner, the woman whom he has risked life and limb for, the person whom he is closer to than anyone else he has known in his life.
Scully isn't exactly bowled over by the prospect of pursuing this case, and obviously sees it as something she has to do because it relates to her occupation--there is no personal interest in it for her. She is skeptical about the conclusions that Peyton draws, and though she never says it, you know that the only thing keeping her interested is that Mulder is interested in it too, and keeps her informed about what he finds. He abandons any pretense about doing what he's supposed to be doing, and actively helps Scully out with her case.
Their by-play is even more meaningful than usual, what with Scully on an X-File and Mulder not with her. As for Mulder, it is almost as if he is helping her out because he is insecure about "losing" her, and less because of the actual case. As usual, he hides his real feelings behind humor, and in this case, he does his best Thurston Howell impression: "Hi, my name is Fox Mulder. We used to sit next to each other at the FBI?" 
They both smile, but anyone with a pulse can identify the insecurity and yearning that is lurking just below the surface of Mulder's quip. Scully is amazed by all the information Mulder finds about the case (he is determined to be a part of it every step of the way), and it must warm her heart to see how much he cares, though she probably thinks it is more interest in the case than her involvement in it.
As Scully starts getting more involved, Fellig shows her "proof" of his abilities to know when someone is going to die. Meanwhile, Scully gets really fed up with Peyton, who is determined to push the conclusions he drew long ago, even before Fellig is detained and questioned. But the last straw is when he brings Mulder into it and implies that Mulder is a nutcase, or some other such insulting thing, and that's when Scully breaks out a can of whoop ass. 
Peyton calls her Dana and makes laughable threats about what he will do if she mucks up his case. She replies icily, "Scully. And we're done with this conversation." GO SCULLY!! Doesn't Peyton know that if he knows what's good for him, he should never slander Mulder's character? At least, not in front of Scully--you just don't do that. A phone call from Mulder follows the exchange immediately, and his presence (even if it's just on the phone) after an exchange laced with such animosity and venom is a welcome salve, as we cannot help but look on Mulder as the sweet, adorable, hard-working good guy that he is.
Scully goes to confront Fellig again, and they have a riveting conversation about the prospect of living forever. I can't help but see Scully's point--how can you have too much life? Most people aren't able to grasp such a concept because we aren't really given an opportunity like Fellig, to get tired of it. You don't know something's too much until you've gone over that line. The way I think about it is to consider cake. How do I truly know that one piece is enough, that two is too much, until I've had two?
Earlier, Mulder tells Scully that he has found evidence proving that Fellig is 149 years old. She puts up some resistance at this idea, but she goes through Fellig's old folio and discovers an interesting notation that she calls Mulder to have him check out. She is no where near as skeptical about Mulder's conclusion as she would have been even two years ago. Fellig overhears their conversation, and he turns off her cell phone. As has been postulated in other reviews, I firmly believe that their cell phones are their symbolic connections with each other, and that without them, they cannot be there for each other immediately, and trouble will ensue. Fittingly, after Fellig turns it off we suddenly see Scully's figure in black and white, indicating that she is about to die. Oh HORROR! We worry about her, but we also worry because if anything happens to her, Mulder will be traumatized.
Mulder finds out that Fellig really is a murderer and calls Peyton, who is on his way to Fellig's to arrest him. Mulder himself is halfway into his coat, a load of files under his arm, getting ready to get to Scully (who, of course, is not answering her phone), because he can't not be there when anything involves Scully.
An over-eager Peyton arrives at Fellig's apartment, armed with his gun and the knowledge that he is right, Fellig is a murderer. He goes into the dark room where Scully and Fellig are, and fires his gun. The bullet passes through Fellig and hits Scully, who slumps to the wall and then to the floor, leaving a trail of blood on the wall. It was a surprisingly tense moment, considering that I knew there was no way Scully was going to die. I kept imagining Mulder arriving at the scene, where a beautiful shipper moment awaited, but we never get to see him arrive. Instead, we see Peyton rush to Scully, saying frantically, "No, no, no..." and he sounds so horrified that I actually don't completely hate him for what he's done. He's just young and stupid. But when he places his hand over Scully's wound and blood gushes out, I then wanted to cry. If Scully was going to die, it seemed so wrong that Mulder was not there with her, that it was not for Mulder, and that it was a result of this awful case that had separated them. But luckily, Fellig is there to look on Death for her and the wound is kept from being fatal.
Now, onto the very shippy and sweet last scenes of the episode: Mulder encounters Peyton outside Scully's hospital room, where Peyton has just been, I assume, to apologize. Mulder says just four words--"You're a lucky man," but they are so loaded with depth of meaning and emotional resonance. Coming from anyone else, it means Peyton's lucky in that he was saved from the agony of having to live with the knowledge that he had killed a fellow federal agent--his own partner at the time. However, coming from 
Mulder, it means that Peyton is very lucky Scully didn't die, for the sake of Peyton's own preservation on this planet. Mulder then goes into Scully's room, where they engage in some intimate hand-love (how can such a simple touch between the two of them be so incredibly sweet and romantic, and also be enough to set the room aflame?) and tell each other in not so many words how much they care. It is truly amazing how the smallest gesture, the barest flicker of a look, any word or touch, can have such meaning and significance between the two of them. A truly riveting and well-written episode.
"I'm thinking murder by
telekinesis. I'm thinking maybe a shamanistic death touch.
I'm thinking about the Muslim superstition that to photograph
someone is to steal their soul."
Please feel free to
"Thank you. All very helpful."
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me at jenu1bruin@centropolis.org
1999 by Jennifer J. Chen