The X-Files: Via Negativa Rewatch
August 13, 2020 8:40 PM - Season 8, Episode 7 - Subscribe
While Scully takes time off to deal with a medical issue relating to her pregnancy, Doggett and Skinner investigate a religious cult leader who kills his followers in their sleep.
It's established in TLG s01e01 that their offices are in Takoma Park, MD - a ~20 minute drive to FBI headquarters.
posted by porpoise at 11:51 AM on August 16, 2020
posted by porpoise at 11:51 AM on August 16, 2020
I wish they'd been clearer about what Tipet's powers are and why he's killing all those people, but the episode really worked on an atmospheric level. It felt dark and menacing and crazy, and the idea of being murdered in your dream while you sleep is pretty terrifying.
I liked that Doggett actually gave the Lone Gunmen a chance to explain themselves and then worked with them instead of getting hostile and ordering them out of the X-files office.
Doggett introduced Skinner as "Agent Skinner". Is that just a "out in the field" thing?
I found it interesting that Doggett's worst fear is that Scully will die and/or he'll kill her. Is that a sign of his burgeoning attachment to her (i.e., after the death of his son and the end of his marriage, the idea of caring deeply makes him fear future loss), or something else? And yes, good acting from Robert Patrick. A man with his self-controlled nature and linear kind of intelligence is not going to handle the idea that he can't trust his senses well.
Had Doggett been to Scully's apartment prior to this? I don't remember that he has, but his dream vision of it was accurate, so either he has, or that was a goof.
Why did Scully come to Doggett's house? Couldn't she have phoned him? That seemed contrived to me.
posted by orange swan at 2:04 PM on August 16, 2020
I liked that Doggett actually gave the Lone Gunmen a chance to explain themselves and then worked with them instead of getting hostile and ordering them out of the X-files office.
Doggett introduced Skinner as "Agent Skinner". Is that just a "out in the field" thing?
I found it interesting that Doggett's worst fear is that Scully will die and/or he'll kill her. Is that a sign of his burgeoning attachment to her (i.e., after the death of his son and the end of his marriage, the idea of caring deeply makes him fear future loss), or something else? And yes, good acting from Robert Patrick. A man with his self-controlled nature and linear kind of intelligence is not going to handle the idea that he can't trust his senses well.
Had Doggett been to Scully's apartment prior to this? I don't remember that he has, but his dream vision of it was accurate, so either he has, or that was a goof.
Why did Scully come to Doggett's house? Couldn't she have phoned him? That seemed contrived to me.
posted by orange swan at 2:04 PM on August 16, 2020
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Hah! Langly replenishing the ceiling pencils. Of course Doggett would have poor first impressions of them, but I kind of adore how Byers code switches for TLG.
BTW, shouldn't they be wearing FBI visitor tags?
Doggett once again playing fast and loose with 'confidential' info - I'm not sure if its standard practice to handle the admissions list so loosey goosey?
Patrick does an amazing job of Doggett progressively losing it.
posted by porpoise at 3:24 PM on August 15, 2020