Within

Let's start at the beginning. The opening dream sequence is perfect imagery, using the appearance of fetal tissue in combination with the alien images from Fight the Future to illuminate Scully's mindset for the viewer. It is quite enough to set (or keep) the heart pounding through the opening.
     Next, we have Mark Snow's incredible score. The music is creepy, yet captures Scully's solitude in an empathetic way. I can't see the episode being the same without it.
     Moving on to John Doggett, I see a guy whom I immediately trust in an indirect way. I'm so very with Scully when she throws that water in his face, but I just have a feeling that, even though he's using nasty cop tricks on her right now, he will soon prove himself a man in search of at least justice, if not truth. It seems apparent to me that Kersh is setting him up for a fall. Kersh, who is almost immature in his pride and overdeveloped sense of self-worth, seems to be setting himself up for a steady climb up the blind, deaf, and mute ladder of success in the FBI.
     Gillian Anderson's portrayal of Scully's anguish is tangible. I can feel her aching in the pit of my stomach. There is so much in this character right now, and it is all emulated in such a real way.
     The biggest surprise to me is that Mulder is "dying" of a brain anomaly. I wonder how this will develop, although I have no fear of losing Mulder, thanks to Chris Carter's latest chat transcript! Still, it's choking to hear those words, and again, to feel Scully's pain via Anderson's performance.
     As the plot leads us to Gibson Praise (and let's not overlook just how we get there--through Scully's Mulder-ish thought process), I can't help but notice how comforting it is to have Skinner along for the ride. It helps my feelings immensely just to have him by Scully's side. He is a neccessary familiarity in such a strange and uncertain time, both within the story and for the show itself. I look forward to seeing more of him this season.
     To actually see "Mulder" in the final shots, it is strange that he even appears different. I'm not quite sure why this is... perhaps his face is still suffering from that nasty alien torture!
      (Continue with Without, episode 8x02)

A+