10. Sein Und Zeit
11. Closure
It snuck up on us, didn't it? I think that many Philes were half-expecting Carter to pull another fast one on us. Find out what really happened to Samantha? Nah. He'll rip us off again. From what I could tell from some of the message boards, many felt ripped off anyway. But not me.
These two episodes are so emotionally charged (kudos to both stars for their performances in these episodes, by the way); it's almost difficult to withstand. From the very beginning, Mulder knows that Amber Lynn's disappearance is related to Samantha's, and you can just feel the unsettled Mulder's anxiety in watching him plead for the case. In the middle of this comes his mother's phone call, which re-enforces his notion that he is on the right path, followed by her suicide. This is Duchovny's best effort at emotional acting, as he's usually very transparent. He got it right this time--got me right in the gut when he finally lost it in Scully's arms.
As for the final explanation of Samantha's "death", I don't think it could have worked any other way. If she had been found alive, we would have speculated about whether or not she were "real" or a clone. This way, Mulder is able to piece together her last earthly whereabouts and activities (thanks to the diary), and that she died without suffering a tortured death. And Mulder receives the closure he deserves.
A+
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Copyright 2000 Lori Burton