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tori_reviews2018-09-17 08:09 pm
jedi_of_urth) wrote in tori_reviews2018-09-17 08:09 pm
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The X-Files 2x19: Dod Kalm
The X-Files 2x19: Dod Kalm
I can’t say I liked that one very much, but I’m really not sure how I felt about it. It was a noble effort and I’m not sure it failed or if it just accumulated a few too many niggles for me to be all that into it.
It’s a familiar kind of episode, stuck someplace wild with death just outside the door and possibly inside with you, plus some compatriots of uncertain trustworthiness. I can name Ice, Darkness Falls, and Firewalker off the top of my head from the episodes we’ve had so far and I doubt this is the last time this show will go to this well. That it’s a familiar trope isn’t the problem, it’s not even that the other examples did it better, but this story created some issues for itself that others didn’t necessarily have.
Of those examples, I think this did the least with the guest cast. There’s no real attempt to make them characters, they feel like the plot tools they are rather than ever feeling like people. Sometimes they’re useful plot tools, mostly they’re antagonistic ones, and I don’t imagine too many people felt too bad when they died (what did happen to Norway-man? Did boat-man kill him?).
The steps needed to get Mulder and Scully into this point made me raise a lot of eyebrows, because they go into this with very little information and less reason to think it’s super time-sensitive. It starts right off the bat, I didn’t get ‘aged’ from the look of the survivors, they just looked cold and maybe also sick. Did Mulder actually get Scully clearance but they kicked her out anyway, or did he send her in there with bad clearance? It sure looked to me like there was some kind of disease or possibly radiation exposure at play and yet our leads take off for Norway with absolutely no data on what they’re walking in to. Mulder thinks it involves wormholes but doesn’t mention the events of just last episode. I’m 95% certain the FBI doesn’t have any jurisdiction in Norway (and that 5% is only because they might maybe have some when it comes to an American ship, not because they would have any in Norway) so how exactly are they going to justify this little trip?
On the other end, their rescue makes no sense. Did they leave word with anyone where they had gone and how long to wait before coming to find them? Sometimes the writing seems to say they’re continuing to drift, and there’s clearly no beacon on board sending out a signal, so how would they be found? Did they have a plan of how to get out of this if someone did find them since we were also shown that instruments don’t quite work correctly in this environment? Also, how much lab equipment was Scully able to come up with to run her experiments?
For all this episode basically doesn’t work for me in terms of plot, it did try harder as a character piece – at least for the leads – than the last episode did, and I do appreciate that. The guest cast may not have gotten any development, but this story did at least let Mulder and Scully talk to each other, and not just about the plot. In that regard it’s as good or better than the other wolf-at-the-door episodes we’ve seen so far.
However, I think Scully’s search for water took too long for the limited payoff we got. I do like that we got the debate between Mulder and Scully about what to do with her findings, but there’s no resolution and therefore no payoff or consequence for a decision made. These two are absolutely willing enough to sacrifice themselves for each other that they would have kept having this debate while they turned to husks, but it becomes a non-issue pretty quickly.
Previous status
Never seen before, don’t think I even knew anything about it.
Are we saying it’s aliens?
This episode doesn’t really provide any answers as to what’s happening, at any level really. The answers are treated as scientifically based, but what’s happening and the source of it isn’t really explained.
Can DD act?
He’s not great in the opening scenes, but he actually gets better as things get more intense, so that’s good.
Does GA deserve an Emmy?
Probably not, but she’s pretty good even through all the ‘age’ makeup.
Are they in love?
Not necessarily. They love each other, and are committed to each other, but this episode doesn’t read as particularly romantic; certainly not if you don’t enter into it assuming that that’s the way to read their relationship. Mulder’s kind of a dick in the beginning (it would help if we knew how much of a dick he was about sending Scully in to investigate this), but it’s clear that when the chips are down they’re loyal to each other to a fault.
How crazy does Mulder sound?
Since nobody but Scully survives, his reputation is only damaged by the fact that he went on this wild goose chase in the first place, but he does suggest to boat-guy that they’re at the mercy of wormholes.
What’s the FBI’s travel budget?
Two last minute flights to Norway, and some probably extortionist boat rental; then the government has to go and rescue them from this unapproved and ill-advised adventure.
Noteworthy injuries
This seems like it might have done some significant internal damage even if the external faded as they were cured.
I can’t say I liked that one very much, but I’m really not sure how I felt about it. It was a noble effort and I’m not sure it failed or if it just accumulated a few too many niggles for me to be all that into it.
It’s a familiar kind of episode, stuck someplace wild with death just outside the door and possibly inside with you, plus some compatriots of uncertain trustworthiness. I can name Ice, Darkness Falls, and Firewalker off the top of my head from the episodes we’ve had so far and I doubt this is the last time this show will go to this well. That it’s a familiar trope isn’t the problem, it’s not even that the other examples did it better, but this story created some issues for itself that others didn’t necessarily have.
Of those examples, I think this did the least with the guest cast. There’s no real attempt to make them characters, they feel like the plot tools they are rather than ever feeling like people. Sometimes they’re useful plot tools, mostly they’re antagonistic ones, and I don’t imagine too many people felt too bad when they died (what did happen to Norway-man? Did boat-man kill him?).
The steps needed to get Mulder and Scully into this point made me raise a lot of eyebrows, because they go into this with very little information and less reason to think it’s super time-sensitive. It starts right off the bat, I didn’t get ‘aged’ from the look of the survivors, they just looked cold and maybe also sick. Did Mulder actually get Scully clearance but they kicked her out anyway, or did he send her in there with bad clearance? It sure looked to me like there was some kind of disease or possibly radiation exposure at play and yet our leads take off for Norway with absolutely no data on what they’re walking in to. Mulder thinks it involves wormholes but doesn’t mention the events of just last episode. I’m 95% certain the FBI doesn’t have any jurisdiction in Norway (and that 5% is only because they might maybe have some when it comes to an American ship, not because they would have any in Norway) so how exactly are they going to justify this little trip?
On the other end, their rescue makes no sense. Did they leave word with anyone where they had gone and how long to wait before coming to find them? Sometimes the writing seems to say they’re continuing to drift, and there’s clearly no beacon on board sending out a signal, so how would they be found? Did they have a plan of how to get out of this if someone did find them since we were also shown that instruments don’t quite work correctly in this environment? Also, how much lab equipment was Scully able to come up with to run her experiments?
For all this episode basically doesn’t work for me in terms of plot, it did try harder as a character piece – at least for the leads – than the last episode did, and I do appreciate that. The guest cast may not have gotten any development, but this story did at least let Mulder and Scully talk to each other, and not just about the plot. In that regard it’s as good or better than the other wolf-at-the-door episodes we’ve seen so far.
However, I think Scully’s search for water took too long for the limited payoff we got. I do like that we got the debate between Mulder and Scully about what to do with her findings, but there’s no resolution and therefore no payoff or consequence for a decision made. These two are absolutely willing enough to sacrifice themselves for each other that they would have kept having this debate while they turned to husks, but it becomes a non-issue pretty quickly.
Previous status
Never seen before, don’t think I even knew anything about it.
Are we saying it’s aliens?
This episode doesn’t really provide any answers as to what’s happening, at any level really. The answers are treated as scientifically based, but what’s happening and the source of it isn’t really explained.
Can DD act?
He’s not great in the opening scenes, but he actually gets better as things get more intense, so that’s good.
Does GA deserve an Emmy?
Probably not, but she’s pretty good even through all the ‘age’ makeup.
Are they in love?
Not necessarily. They love each other, and are committed to each other, but this episode doesn’t read as particularly romantic; certainly not if you don’t enter into it assuming that that’s the way to read their relationship. Mulder’s kind of a dick in the beginning (it would help if we knew how much of a dick he was about sending Scully in to investigate this), but it’s clear that when the chips are down they’re loyal to each other to a fault.
How crazy does Mulder sound?
Since nobody but Scully survives, his reputation is only damaged by the fact that he went on this wild goose chase in the first place, but he does suggest to boat-guy that they’re at the mercy of wormholes.
What’s the FBI’s travel budget?
Two last minute flights to Norway, and some probably extortionist boat rental; then the government has to go and rescue them from this unapproved and ill-advised adventure.
Noteworthy injuries
This seems like it might have done some significant internal damage even if the external faded as they were cured.