Review of Orison by Sue Brody

I'm glad I got to see it again, so I could ponder things a little more
thoroughly. That's what I *used* to do w/ X-Files eps, and I think this is
an ep that lends itself to multiple viewings.  I thought the teaser was
very effective in slo mo. Donnie looks a bit confused at first, but then he
gets the gleam in his eyes and off he walks. Its clear here that he is
*not* directing the actions of what's going on, though he is using them to
his advantage. It's not a coincidence that the corrections officer derides
him for cutting off women's pinkies, and then the prisoner's hands start
bleeding (presumably, b/c the fingertips *have* been cut off).

Mulder says: "Someone forgot to throw away the key."
The local agent says: "Yeah, but that's another story."

Clearly, that's indicated to imply Scully's role in NOT having Donnie
executed, and comes up a number of times in the ep. It's foreshadowing that
I didn't get the first time.

I love Mulder's look when the agent says, "I know you agents happen to have
a particular forte..a thing for......what's it called? The supernatural?"
He looks damn pleased. Scully, of course, immediately chimes in, "I promise
you there is nothing supernatural about this man. Donnie Phaster is just
plain evil." Well, she's right and wrong there... He is evil, but alas, the
circumstances of his release are not as straightforward. And therein lies
my basic problem with this episode, despite its richness, its creepiness,
its continuity: I am far more intrigued w/ Donnie Phaster as a
straightforward sick bastard, ala John Lee Roche in "Paper Hearts." Make
him an agent of the devil and he ceases to be as interesting. Granted, much
of this episode has to do w/ Scully's reaction toward Phaster and God and
faith, and her grappling w/ what she believes and doesn't want to believe,
but I liked Phaster's character when he was working from motivations that
we couldn't quite understand (remember, the end of "Irresistable" shows him
to have grown up w/ four sisters in a normal household). The story's
immpact lessened for me when it turned toward the religious (but that may
be my bias against religious eps). What I *really* would have loved to have
seen is a character study of who Phaster was and why he was so attracted to
Scully (besides the fact that she was the one who "got away" and helped get
him jailed for life, or so he thought). Why did Phaster go after these
women, anyway? If it's only because he was demonic, than I say, Been there,
done that. I want a mental probing of the character. The fact that Chip
Johnannsen wrote this ep doesn't surprise me, however, as he was one of
Millennium's chief writers, and that series often dealt w/ religious
themes. That said, the episode kept me glued to my seat, and I can't say
that about many other eps this season.

I loved Mulder's compassion toward Scully (his urging her to walk away) and
the need for her to stay (commitment toward others, which we certainly saw
during her battle w/ cancer).

I like the idea of post-hypnotic suggestion, but I don't think we needed
another scene in slo mo in the diner (and it reminded me of Kill Switch,
though I am sure this was unintentional). 

I think the playing of the song and the use of scout was effectively
integrated. I like that Scully was able to open up to Mulder about the
signs that she felt God had shown her (the playing of the song when the
Sunday school teacher died, Orison calling her "scout," the 6:06 on the
radio when the power came on, i.e., the same time that Phaster had
escaped). I wanted Mulder and Scully to have more conversations about their
differences in religion, or more to the point, WHY Mulder doesn't believe,
but maybe we'll get to hear this conversation later this season.

Cerebral endema. Again, the brain has to do w/ mental suggestion (ala Pusher).

I think Mulder was right on: Orison thought he was opening the gates of
perception but he was only opening the gates of hell. Again, I just wish we
had a better reason for Phaster's actions other than their being demonic.

The music was extremely creepy and effective, and the scene w/ the finger
tips were about as gross as you can get. Very well-done.

Phaster in his underwear...ewwww.

Is Phaster's preoccupation w/ red (fingernails, dress, lipstick, HAIR)
supposed to be associated w/ his demonic affiliation?

I still don't really get why that prostitute allowed herself to have a
bubblebath. Is that normal? Those candles would have creeped me out as
well. At least she had the sense to get out in time, and a candle came in
very handy.

When Donnie turns into the demon, that not only reminded me of Millennium
but of a Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode.

I love that Scully tells Scully tells Phaster he's alive b/c of her and he
claims that *she* is the one that got away. So in a way, the song makes
sense, with them both comig from different points of view, but both
believing *they* were in charge of the other's destiny.  The whole scene
was creepy as hell, and she also had a lot more to do w/ it than she had
the first time around.  (Liked her pjs, btw.) It was creepy as hell, and
Scully comltely kicked!ass, but it wasn't much different than the first
time (in Irresistable), except that maybe we (the viewer) knew (or thought
we knew) that Phaster *couldn't* be killed and that he felt *compelled* to
kill.  

Why the hell Mulder didn't check his messages is a total X-File. Isn't that
the first thing one does, especially someone in the FBI, knowing that
Phaster was still out there? Happily, the music played on Mulder's radio,
lending credence to the supernatural or religious overtones. And how did
Phaster manage to have that song available to play?

The last scene...I am one of those who is GLAD the Scully killed Phaster
and not Mulder.  She took matters into her own control and ended this for
good.  Mulder didn't have to come to her rescue; she saved herself and
perhaps countless others. Whether she did it b/c she *had* to (remember, we
are given the impression that no one *can* kill Donnie) or wanted to is
still not clear to me (or to her)...maybe it was a combination. She does
look like she is in shock, or hypnotized, b/f she "pulls the trigger," as
if she is being guided by a higher (or out-of-body) power. What resonated
w/ me was her fear that she had been motivated by a desire that was not
related to God but *was* one of vengeance, and yet, in my eyes, she was
completely justified in killing him (one could certainly make a case for
self-defense, battered woman syndrome or something similar to that, etc.)

So this episode was multi-layered and compelling on a number of levels,
although again I wish that we had gotten a Donnie Phaster that was not
motivated by demonic forces. I hope that future eps (unlike The Amazing
Maleeni, a followup that had, IMHO, no place following this ep) address her
trauma and her actions.