The X-Files: The Blessing Way (Part 2/3) Rewatch

April 16, 2020 7:39 PM - Season 3, Episode 1

Mulder is nursed back to health by Albert Hosteen's tribe. Scully uncovers evidence that someone in the FBI is working with the conspiracy, and suspects Skinner.
posted by orange swan (4 comments total)

Episodes before this one, both MotW and Mytharc, were overall better at doing what they were doing. But for me, the build-up of events culminating with Skinner and Scully pointing their weapons at each other in Mulder's apartment and someone outside the door is the single best example of The X-Files' ability to create a sense of paranoid tension.
posted by Fukiyama at 8:44 PM on April 16, 2020 [2 favorites]

Is there's any significance to Scully not wearing her necklace?
posted by porpoise at 9:10 PM on April 16, 2020

I think Scully just doesn't wear her cross all the time, though she does wear it a lot.

I enjoyed Scully's "I have no time for this bullshit" expression when Skinner tells her Mulder's supposed death "has been hard on all of us", and when she's looking at the hypnotherapist's sign.

Alas for Melissa. According to the X-Files Wikia, "This episode includes the only encounter between Krycek and Melissa Scully in the series. The actors of both characters – Nicholas Lea and Melinda McGraw, respectively – were dating, at the time this episode was produced."

Mulder's baaack. And he has sunflower seeds. Though he might not have had a shower yet.
posted by orange swan at 7:38 PM on April 17, 2020 [1 favorite]

And he has sunflower seeds

Heh. I loved when the kids got him some. I also really liked showing that there were children who were interested in the old ways, regardless of how realistic that is.

I want to believe that the healing ceremony was real.

Frohike kind of shows that he isn't a total creep, but still, asking for a bunch of emotional labour after polishing off most of a twixer of Jamiesons is still really lame. I feel bad for his actions because I've done similar in my youth.

While I have zero time irl with people like Melissa with their "new agey" or "pre-goop" woo mentality, it served a role to contrast Dana's grounding in science and medicine. My own sister eventually rejected my mom's woo, but there was definitely a conflict in belief even though I still deeply cared for and loved my sister (and mom, still, but... it's hard - and it's a different dynamic when it comes to parents).

Scully's "I have no time for this bullshit" expression

Thought that was great storytelling - we're starting to realize that Skinner has fallen/ started falling into "true believer" but that Skinner can't let on; he still has his mask on and himself, as a supervisor, is in much more conflict than he (can) let on to his reports.

During this rewatch, I'm really appreciating much more the difficulty - and the nuance that Pileggi brings - since experiencing that kind of power/ responsibility conflict of being caught in the middle but believing more in the mission of the front liners over than what I can glean from those who hold my own strings although I've been fast forwarded to the point where Kersh takes over.
posted by porpoise at 8:07 PM on April 17, 2020