Another Look at Field Trip by Sue Brody (7/1/99)

I rewatched Field Trip during Muy Agua Mala on Sunday night, 6/27/99
(sorry, just can't watch that ep, despite the last five minutes of it), and
was so very pleasantly surprised at how much more I liked FT this time!
Mind you, I never *hated* it or anything, but at the time it originally
aired in the states, my first impression was, Geez, ANOTHER EP THAT DIDN'T
HAPPEN?! ENOUGH ALREADY! Couple that w/ TOAK (which happens but was so
disappointing to me compared to Unusual Suspects) and I was one unhappy Phile.

However, on this viewing, I discovered the following:

--This is a very cleverly written ep, much like Bad Blood in the continuity
(gads, CONTINUITY) of both the scenes *and* the dialogue. Very nicely done.
I love the way Scully's words become the doctor's, then the LGM's, and
finally Skinner's. Splendidly done. Bravo!

--It is fun to try to understand who is having the hallucination(s).
Honestly, one needs a road map to keep up <G>, and I am not sure I still
get it at all times. Clearly, if Mulder is having the yellow goo meltdown
<G>, then it's Scully's hallucination, but sometimes it is *not* as clear.
I will need to see it again to try to pinpoint when one's begins and
another's ends, and yes, I realize there are also moments of shared
hallucinations. Interesting.

--I love the moments of joy Mulder experiences when he thinks he has
definitive proof of the alien's existence (though I thought we had already
established this in Two Fathers/One Son, but I guess it's different in that
he *could* communicate w/ a gray), and it is joyous to see Scully's look
when she realizes (or Mulder dreams that she realizes) that he has been
right all along. That is to say, it is done in a touching manner, rather
than a spiteful way (as in, rather than Mulder saying, Nyah, nyah, told you
so, and Scully being bitter, it is the two of them sharing in the joy of
the moment).

--I also was so contented, albeit saddened, at the way Scully feels when
she believes Mulder is dead. She is standing by her partner, come hell or
high water, and this was very reminiscent of Triangle. Now I would like to
see her do this when others can see it as well (perhaps Biogenesis is the
beginning of this...we'll have to see).

--Although I *knew* Mulder and Scully had not yet survived (after
supposedly getting above ground), it was cool to see them in Skinner's
office, to then see the scene basically being repeated, and this time,
surprisingly, having Skinner be the hero. :) You go, Skinner! Glad Krycek
wasn't around for this one...

--Finally, the hand hold. Of course. The way the held out for one another
instinctively, w/out looking (prob. b/c they couldn't open their eyes at
that point, but then again, they didn't *need* to). The camera spent a
great deal of time on this, and then there was that extra squeeze. UST,
perhaps, but MEANINGFUL AS HELL. And this ep plays very nicely in relation
to The Unnatural, I think.

At any rate, I would categorize this ep much more as a Monday-like ep than
a Dreamlands ep, b/c much *was* remembered, and yes indeed, the
hallucinations *were* real (as were all the experiences in Monday, even if
Mulder could barely remember them).

So, there may have only been around 8 or 9 eps this year that I really,
really liked, but I liked them alot, and I can live w/ quality over
quanitity at this point, although I would prefer to like, say, 2/3 of the eps.

Season seven should be an interesting one, that's a given.