Review, part two of Arcadia by Sue Brody

Disclaimer: I still didn't like the ep very much, though perhaps a tad
better than I had last week. You might not want to bother w/ this post if
you did like it. I am sure I won't change your mind, and you prob. won't
change mine (believe me, people have tried!).

1) Liked Scully's hair *before* this ep. (I had known this was coming, as I
had seen GA prior to filming this ep...I think she was on Leno. Or maybe
The Daily Show. Whatever.) Very glad that Mulder's hair is growing out,
however.

2) Humbug is now on xf2. Humbug so RULES over Arcadia. Come back, Darin!

3) I think it's true that Scully was initially pissed at Mulder b/c he
*didn't* seem to be taking the assignment seriously. However, she didn't
seem too comfortable w/ him--maybe she *was* setting up boundaries--and I
don't think this bodes well for future eps. Well, actually, I don't think
this ep will have *anything* to do w/ anything else 1013 offers us in the
future, so never mind.

4) Have I mentioned that I want Darin to come back?!

5) After a second viewing, this ep *still* seemed way too Kaddish/Our Town.
Gogolak's dialogue made me gag (One bad apple...one weak link...blech). And
I have trouble thinking of this ep as DETOUR II, which has been suggested
by more than one Phile, despite some similarity in the monsters (which was
really more Schizogeny), b/c I thought M&S had some real bonding moments in
that ep, and I didn't see them here. Is Scully *that* afraid of showing
Mulder affection? Is she not *feeling* any affection for him at this point?
Can't she be quippy back, as she was in DETOUR? She initiated the "pah-tay"
in his hotel room, after all (before he ditched her), and she was very cosy
w/ him after he was wounded in the forest. This all leads me to believe,
more firmly than ever, that it takes an angst-filled event (like in the
bank in MONDAY) to bring the two of them together. It doesn't seem to
happen of its own accord. Or it takes Vince. <G> And forcing the two of
them into close quarters *really* doesn't help matters (remember, she was
very territorial in BAD BLOOD as well...but *that* ep was funny!).

6) How the *hell* did Big Mike survive, anyway? And why bring him back just
to kill him again??? I don't think I've read a good explanation of this
(sure, he hid in the sewer, but how did he manage *not* to die?).

7) I *did* think that Mulder was very funny in the "Bring me a sandwich,
woman" scene and when he teased Scully about how they met and how new age
she was. I liked Quippy!Mulder in the ep, to be honest (yes, I *did* laugh
a few times), but then I *always* like Quippy!Mulder. I wish Scully had
more fun w/ Quippy!Mulder, or at least addressed his attitude in a
substantive way (example: Quagmire). Would have *loved* to have heard their
conversation on the way home...like *that* would ever happen.

8) How stooopid was this creature, anyway? Let's keep it dark, b/c the
special effects are sooo bad. Okay.

9) One nice thing: Scully seemed to believe Mulder, and the idea of the
creature's existence (at least by the end, despite the fact that, of
course, she was in the closet and never had the chance to see the
UberMonster).

10) Izod: Very ugly on Mulder. Yes, that was the point...More grey
t-shirted-Mulder, please. And let's see some Mulder!Glasses...

11) Scully looked pretty good in her outfits, however (except that awful
sweater in the first scene, and I have to say the pearl earrings were
off-putting).

12) Product placement does *not* belong on The X-Files. And real errors
like Mulder's watch reading 7, then 9 when the date is Feb 24th and then
25th (which I wouldn't have known had Scully not made a point of *telling*
us in the video) are just annoying. Doesn't CC *pay* someone to take care
of stuff like this?

13) Once again, Mulder accuses Scully of wanting a homelife (DREAMLAND I),
i.e., of her "fitting in here." You could take that as insulting or simply
baffling, considering how much more Mulder enjoyed the role of house
husband than Scully did of suburban wife.

14) Mulder's knowledge of little known facts (the Tupula) continues to
astound me.

15) Favorite line, voiced by Cami to her husband, as noted on the close
captioning: Win, Win, Win, No, No. That was pretty much the way I felt
about the ep.

Hey, I tried. This is just one of those eps that goes down in the better
luck next time, fellows book. Whose brilliant idea was it to have them go
undercover as a *couple*, anyway?  Maybe next season they will go
undercover as aliens...or monsters...or not.