> "Rain King" by Caroline O'Connell
> 
> "The blind leading the blind."  - Dana Scully
> 
> Okay, from the outset I'm nailing my noromo colours
> boldly to the mast.  This was a Shipperfest and no
> mistake, but that's not why I have problems with
> Rain King.
> 
> So Dorothy, we're back in Kansas again (The mytharc
> now replaced by the Wizard of Oz arc) on the trail
> of a man who can control the weather, who's inlove
> with a woman who believes she does, dumped by the
> man who thinks he does and is making a lot of money
> out of it.  In to this bizarre love triangle come
> Mulder and Scully as the besuited FBI City Slickers.
> The continued portrayal of small town America as
> dumbass rednecks is not only insulting to small town
> America, it's also not funny.
> 
> After last week's return to classic X-Files
> territory with Terms of Endearment, we've now veered
> off again into what's known as X-Files Lite.  It
> used to be that we would have week after week of
> dark (metaphorically speaking), scary, sometimes
> harrowing episodes and then to lighten the mood we'd
> have a gem of a comedy usually supplied by the
> sublime Darin Morgan.  Now this trend has been
> reversed
> and - in my opinion - the series is suffering as a
> result.
> Why, in its penultimate season, is the effort being
> made to make The X-Files more accessible to a
> mainstream audience?  Its selling point has always
> been its unwillingness to be a mainstream drama.
>  The X-Files was nothing we had seen before and now
> it could be any prime time series - its only
> distinguishing feature the solid central
> performances of its lead actors.  Lately the saving
> grace of an episode has been the interaction of
> Anderson and Duchovny  managing to raise a mediocre
> episode a notch or two.
> 
> Oh dear.  I seem to start my reviews with a negative
> slant lately, but Rain King had some screamingly
> funny moments and that's why I keep tuning in week
> after week.  Sometimes in the midst of the
> mediocrity comes a scene like the Kamikaze Cow.
>  That's one I won't forget for a long time!  Clayton
> Rhoner's lovelorn Holman was a
> standout.  His gentleness and unrequited love
> towards Sheila contrasting with the havoc his
> emotions unwittingly played on the weather.  Writer
> Jeffrey Bell uses the Holman/Sheila romance as a
> paradox of the Mulder/Scully relationship.  It seems
> everyone sees Mulder and Scully as a couple except
> the couple themselves.  I liked
> the use of the phrase "my partner" as opposed to
> their names throughout the episode. Staking their
> territory?  The concept of 2 people with such
> unwillingness to fall in love with each other - or
> anyone else for that matter - giving advice on
> matters of the heart
> was nicely done.
> 
> Once it hit its stride, Rain King was a very sweet
> Valentine's episode.  LIke a heart shaped box of
> chocolates.  But sometimes you want to leave the
> dessert an stick with the main course.
> 
> 6/10
> 
> 
> Random Stuff
> 
> Cute special effects- heart shaped hailstones.
> 
> My Irish Aunt Olive is more Cherokee." Ah but does
> she dance like that?
> 
> "I'm perfectly happy with my relationship with Agent
> Scully."  Can you say Denial?  And bear in mind, I
> am a noromo!  I've long held the opinion that Scully
> loves Mulder but Mulder is in love with Scully.  And
> he does gaze at her!
> 
> Another SNL Alumnus!  If we have to have any more
> can we hope for Mike Myers, Dana Carvey or at a push
> Rob Shneider (making copies!).  Knowing our luck
> we'll get Norm McDonnell.
> 
> For once, no bad things happen in a bathroom - Now
> *that's* an X-File!
> 
> Cal
> 
> Won't blame it on myself.  Blame it on the
> Weatherman." - B*witched.