The X-Files: Empedocles Rewatch

August 23, 2020 7:51 PM - Season 8, Episode 17

Reyes enlists Mulder's help in a case involving a series of killings that may be connected to the murder of Doggett's son years ago, and Scully is hospitalized due to pregnancy complications.
posted by orange swan (2 comments total)

Doggett worked on his missing son's case? Does that kind of thing actually happen in real life? Doggett can't be rational when it comes to his son or anything that reminds him too much of his son. I can't imagine him being able to control himself to behave appropriately when working that case. And what was with his need to stare at Scully in her hospital bed?

I don't recall minding Reyes much before this rewatch, but I'm getting really annoyed with her this time around. That whole "are you afraid to believe" thing was so obnoxious. Why don't you focus on solving the case rather than prying into your co-worker's feelings?

The actual supernatural element to this episode was silly and Jeb and Katha were very meh, though there were a few good special effects.

Poor little Mia Dukes. First her uncle turns into some sort of maniac and tries to hold her hostage, then he is shot in front of her, then taken to the hospital where he dies, then her mother won't be coming home because she has also turned into a maniac. And there doesn't seem to be a father on the scene. I hope she has extended family who can take care of her.

Mulder teasing the hugely pregnant Scully about the pizza guy was kind of cute. I bet that "What did you get on the $29 pizza, a tank of gas?" line was an adlib of Duchovny's because he likes to joke about how cheap he is. Did that doll belong to Samantha?
posted by orange swan at 6:09 PM on August 25, 2020

Scully: "Nice package!"
Mulder: ahem "Thank you."

I felt that Pizza Man teasing had some playful sexual tension going on. Scully knows that Mulder's going to be a gentleman and not creep over it and probably admits that it's kinda funny but is still annoyed by it.

Reyes has a bit of Melissa Scully-like energy, and yeah, not really in a good way.

But then she's an XPhile, so maybe chalk it up to giddy enthusiasm? It seems like she's spending energy to fronting innocent and earnest to hide something. Turns out she's no goody two shoes? Can't remember.

I'm sympathetic to Doggett's reaction. Fear of false hope. I think a little bit of Doggett's (poorly written) antipathy with Mulder might have to do Mulder (coming back to life) being evidence/ a reminder that he can't trust his own observations and start second guessing his ability to Decide and Act.
posted by porpoise at 7:40 PM on August 26, 2020