The X-Files 3x05: The List
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tori_reviewsThe X-Files 3x05: The List
Well, if ‘Clyde Bruckman’ shows the best of what stand-alone episodes can do, this stands in very stark contrast. At best it is a nothing episode that does nothing with the characters and has a plot that is barely held together with a shoelace, and is at worst kind of offensive and definitely doesn’t make much of a point with itself.
To tackle the last part first, and going against my usual stance not to get too political in these reviews, I’m sure there are people who would say this is pretty racist, and I wouldn’t exactly argue with that. However, where some will look at them having most of the inmates be black as a sign of racism, it is (maybe not equally but quite) possible to see it a commentary of how the justice system can be unfairly weighted against people of color, and they are in many places more likely to be given harsher punishments than white prisoners. I’m not exactly saying that was Carter’s intent, but it’s a possible reading...if this was a better written episode. We’re not given much insight into whether these inmates are in that position (and a conversation about the death penalty as a whole is past my political discussion here). There’s some implication with Neech (and you better believe I had to look that up and correct all my usage of Nietch) as it sounds like he was only the getaway driver in a robbery which absolutely does not translate to death penalty most places as far as I know; but it’s not really gone into. Also the fact that the predominately white guards are portrayed as the real villains while the inmates barely so much as catcall Scully (by virtue of them not having lines, admittedly).
But now back to the real problem, this story makes no sense. In the axiom to show not tell, tell is sort of the minimum way to establish character and we don’t even get that for 90% of these characters, and importantly for Neech. We don’t know anything about him or how he came up with this philosophy or ability. We don’t know the relationship between him and any of these people, not even his wife. We don’t know what he’s actually doing, they call it reincarnation but that’s not what we see unless he was reincarnated as a bug who can sometimes take human form.
We don’t even know if lawyer guy or Parm was the fourth name on the list. Lawyer guy’s death fits the MO, but I felt like that one was a red herring (also the guy with his head hacked off doesn’t fit the MO entirely, but lawyer guy does get bugs on him). That he had failed Neech both in the original trial and to help since then would seem to be a motive, but at that point I think the judge and jury are probably more responsible than the apparently just out of law school at the time public defender who didn’t do his job super well. The other people on the list were people who themselves harmed Neech (though I still don’t know how the executioner could have been on the list by name when it wasn’t known to anyone much before it happened), lawyer guy just seems like he maybe isn’t the best at his job, while it would be the judge who would symbolize what’s wrong with the judicial system.
This episode was just not very good and I’m probably going to forget all about in a couple days.
Previous status
Never seen before, I’m pretty sure of that, even if it was so nothing that I might have just forgotten it.
Vancouver spotting
I’m pretty sure the prison here was used in ‘Eve’ wasn’t it?
Are they in love?
Funny enough, about halfway through the episode I was thinking how we’d had basically nothing between them, then moments later we got the super eye-sexy scene discussing reincarnation. Also, there’s a couple times this episode where Scully says they should go home and it really sounds like they’re going home together. Probably not intended to be in love, but I’m inclined to think yes anyway.
How crazy does Mulder sound?
He does keep proposing that Neech is killing people, but nobody seem to find that weird. I think they all just assume that he means Neech orchestrated it before he died while Mulder actually means the ghost (or reincarnation if we misuse language).
Are we saying it’s aliens?
No aliens, but we are proposing another type of return from the dead. The show has already established that reincarnation where one is born as a human again exists and you’re born as a baby; so get you language sorted out.
Revolving door of death
Neech...maybe...kind of
Who’s driving?
Mulder seems to be driving
Pretentious voiceovers
Weirdly, this episode could have used some to actually establish a theme or conclusion but doesn’t have any, especially weird for a Carter episode.
Well, if ‘Clyde Bruckman’ shows the best of what stand-alone episodes can do, this stands in very stark contrast. At best it is a nothing episode that does nothing with the characters and has a plot that is barely held together with a shoelace, and is at worst kind of offensive and definitely doesn’t make much of a point with itself.
To tackle the last part first, and going against my usual stance not to get too political in these reviews, I’m sure there are people who would say this is pretty racist, and I wouldn’t exactly argue with that. However, where some will look at them having most of the inmates be black as a sign of racism, it is (maybe not equally but quite) possible to see it a commentary of how the justice system can be unfairly weighted against people of color, and they are in many places more likely to be given harsher punishments than white prisoners. I’m not exactly saying that was Carter’s intent, but it’s a possible reading...if this was a better written episode. We’re not given much insight into whether these inmates are in that position (and a conversation about the death penalty as a whole is past my political discussion here). There’s some implication with Neech (and you better believe I had to look that up and correct all my usage of Nietch) as it sounds like he was only the getaway driver in a robbery which absolutely does not translate to death penalty most places as far as I know; but it’s not really gone into. Also the fact that the predominately white guards are portrayed as the real villains while the inmates barely so much as catcall Scully (by virtue of them not having lines, admittedly).
But now back to the real problem, this story makes no sense. In the axiom to show not tell, tell is sort of the minimum way to establish character and we don’t even get that for 90% of these characters, and importantly for Neech. We don’t know anything about him or how he came up with this philosophy or ability. We don’t know the relationship between him and any of these people, not even his wife. We don’t know what he’s actually doing, they call it reincarnation but that’s not what we see unless he was reincarnated as a bug who can sometimes take human form.
We don’t even know if lawyer guy or Parm was the fourth name on the list. Lawyer guy’s death fits the MO, but I felt like that one was a red herring (also the guy with his head hacked off doesn’t fit the MO entirely, but lawyer guy does get bugs on him). That he had failed Neech both in the original trial and to help since then would seem to be a motive, but at that point I think the judge and jury are probably more responsible than the apparently just out of law school at the time public defender who didn’t do his job super well. The other people on the list were people who themselves harmed Neech (though I still don’t know how the executioner could have been on the list by name when it wasn’t known to anyone much before it happened), lawyer guy just seems like he maybe isn’t the best at his job, while it would be the judge who would symbolize what’s wrong with the judicial system.
This episode was just not very good and I’m probably going to forget all about in a couple days.
Previous status
Never seen before, I’m pretty sure of that, even if it was so nothing that I might have just forgotten it.
Vancouver spotting
I’m pretty sure the prison here was used in ‘Eve’ wasn’t it?
Are they in love?
Funny enough, about halfway through the episode I was thinking how we’d had basically nothing between them, then moments later we got the super eye-sexy scene discussing reincarnation. Also, there’s a couple times this episode where Scully says they should go home and it really sounds like they’re going home together. Probably not intended to be in love, but I’m inclined to think yes anyway.
How crazy does Mulder sound?
He does keep proposing that Neech is killing people, but nobody seem to find that weird. I think they all just assume that he means Neech orchestrated it before he died while Mulder actually means the ghost (or reincarnation if we misuse language).
Are we saying it’s aliens?
No aliens, but we are proposing another type of return from the dead. The show has already established that reincarnation where one is born as a human again exists and you’re born as a baby; so get you language sorted out.
Revolving door of death
Neech...maybe...kind of
Who’s driving?
Mulder seems to be driving
Pretentious voiceovers
Weirdly, this episode could have used some to actually establish a theme or conclusion but doesn’t have any, especially weird for a Carter episode.
