> "Drive"  A review by Caroline O'Connell
> 
> Warning:  Spoilers ahead!
> 
> "We'll be in and out in a day.  Nobody has to know."
>  Fox Mulder.
> 
> Famous Last Words, Mr. Mulder.  From the opening
> scenes, it looked like
> I had stumbled on to the wrong programme.  I'm sure
> American audiences
> must have been wondering if their favourite
> programme had been replaced
> by "Carnage 17 - The Cop Chases" (only on Fox!). Sky
> One spoiled it
> slightly by putting a small X-Files Logo on screen,
> just in case we
> didn't cop what  was going on.  I have to say this
> is the best teaser
> since Bad Blood.  Does it live up to it's
> expectations?  I personally
> think it did.
> 
> Stylishly filmed by the ever-impressive Rob Bowman,
> this Vince Gilligan
> scripted episode keeps us on track after last week's
> good start. 
> Mulder and Scully may have been kicked out of  the
> Batcave and off the
> X-Files (everyone seems to be going to great lengths
> to tell us that.)
> but the cases still manage to fall into their laps. 
> That could be an
> X-File in itself.
> 
> After "The Beginning", which had Mulder and Scully
> at odds in
> practically every scene, it was great to see them
> working as a team,
> despite being separated for most of the episode. 
> When they finally
> communicate, they pool resources and come to the
> same conclusion.  I
> liked the reference to Cell phone withdrawal, first
> mentioned in
> "Home".  Speaking of which, this is definitely the
> most unsettling
> episode since then.  There were a couple of moments
> that made me jump.
> 
> Drive was reminiscent of season 1 or 2 episodes
> where they didn't hold
> back on the gore. Season 6, in its first 2 episodes
> has had more
> reasons to avert your eyes than most of Season  5
> altogether and that
> can only be a good thing.  Poking around in Vicky
> Crump's ear was one
> of the grossest things I've seen ever in the entire
> series (And I
> include the whole El Mucho Sucko debacle in there.) 
> And thank you so
> much for sharing it with us, Messrs Bowman and
> Gilligan!  
> 
> This episode sees the welcome return of
> KickAss!Scully, shooing the
> poor hapless individual who wandered in to her
> quarantine, listing out
> what she wants done, not asking but telling them.
> And yet 5 minutes
> later she acts like she's been caught playing truant
> by the headmaster
> when Kersh calls her.  Kersh has obviously decided
> the way to control
> Mulder is to blame everything on Scully and hope
> that she'll guilt trip
> him into towing the line, or frustrate him to the
> point where he'll
> resign.  We don't like him!
> 
> But we like Mr Gilligan.  The script was funny and
> touching, which is
> what we've come to expect from the man who gave us
> "Paper Hearts" and
> "Bad Blood".  The one liners came thick and fast
> between Crump and
> Mulder.   From the first time Mulder slows down at
> the traffic lights,
> he knows he can get out and get away.  Crump is
> passing out, yet Mulder
> stays. Despite being held hostage, he takes control
> of the situation
> wanting to help.  Bryan Cranston's performance as
> Patrick Crump was a
> joy to watch.  He brought humanity to a character
> that could have been
> a one dimensional redneck.  You can see the pain
> etched into his face. 
> Like Mulder we empathise with him,  but just when
> you start to feel
> sorry for him, he starts to mouth off about the
> government and the
> Jewish conspiracy and you think Mulder - sorry -
> Mister Mulder should
> have just bailed at the traffic lights and let his
> captor's head pop!
> 
> When Scully comes up with a cure, I'm wondering do
> we get to see that
> too?  Will we see Crump get the needle stuck in his
> ear.  Just watching
> what they had shown us, I wouldn't put it past them.
>  I was actually
> quite shocked to see that Crump didn't survive. 
> Then again, convention
> was never high on their list of priorities at The
> X-Files and that's
> what makes consistently one of the best series on
> television.
> 
> 8 out of 10.
> 
> Random thoughts:
> 
> How many producers does it take to change a light
> bulb?  I have no
> idea, but it takes 9 of them to make an X-Files
> episode.  I'd love to
> know who's in charge of the tea club!
> 
> "I'm Agent Scully, this is Agent BoredtoTears."
> 
> "Pile of doodoo..."  Doodoo?  What aren't they
> allowed to say "Crap"
> anymore?
> 
> It's the return of the cool torches, but what's with
> the Battlestar
> Galactica helmets on the quarantine suits?
> 
> "What if we're looking for a sound?" And then the
> phone rings.  Oh ha
> ha ha!  You 1013 people! 
> 
> The Sound effects person, or persons, deserve an
> award for this
> episode!  When the ringing effect started in Mr
> Crump's cell, it felt
> like it was in my ear.  I pity those who were
> listening in
> Surroundsound or Dolby.  it must have been freaky! 
> Later on we had the
> low pitched hum that disappeared when Scully removed
> her helmet.  Nice
> and disconcerting...
> 
> Things I learned from the X-Files:  If I get a
> nosebleed, death is
> imminent.
> 
> "I saw this movie."  At least they acknowledge the
> homage to "Speed". 
> Starring Fox Mulder as Sandra Bullock.
> 
> Petulant!Mulder.  Seriously, would you want this man
> as a hostage?  He
> was practically daring Crump to shoot him.
> 
> Boo hiss, Kersh!  Did I say that I don't like him?
> You leave our Scully
> alone!  So what if it cost $87,000 to save Mulder. 
> I say he's worth
> it.
> 
> Cal
> 
> 
> "Big Piles of Manure!"