The X-Files: Existence (Part 2/2) Rewatch
August 27, 2020 7:27 PM - Season 8, Episode 21 - Subscribe
Alien super soldiers pursue Scully and Reyes to their hiding place in northern Georgia as Scully prepares to give birth, while at FBI headquarters Mulder, Doggett, and Skinner try to figure out how high up in the FBI hierarchy the conspiracy goes.
The metal vertebra was a cool effect. I swear I've seen it elsewhere also, but I'm probably thinking of this scene. But, it kind of doesn't makes sense - aside from spinning matter out of nothing - like, why not start with an all-metal skeleton/ neural-cord armour?
Scully wearing pretty toweringly high heeled boots this far along is... some dedication.
Dale Dickey (the game warden), another prolific and fantastic character actor, would go on to play a werewolf on 'True Blood' like Robert Patrick.
Those old cell phones were certainly easier to crush than the modern slab phones.
Amazing Krycek resolution. Shouldn't have tried to leave Skinner behind, Ratboy.
Pretty good horror usage of the super soldiers.
posted by porpoise at 7:14 PM on August 28, 2020
Scully wearing pretty toweringly high heeled boots this far along is... some dedication.
Dale Dickey (the game warden), another prolific and fantastic character actor, would go on to play a werewolf on 'True Blood' like Robert Patrick.
Those old cell phones were certainly easier to crush than the modern slab phones.
Amazing Krycek resolution. Shouldn't have tried to leave Skinner behind, Ratboy.
Pretty good horror usage of the super soldiers.
posted by porpoise at 7:14 PM on August 28, 2020
You seem to have a bit of a shoe fetish, porpoise. I hardly ever even notice Scully's footwear, yet you comment on her shoes/boots often.:D
There was a LOT going on in this one, and again it ultimately didn't make any sense.
The metal vertabra thing was definitely cool -- one of the best effects of its kind that the show has come up with. The hand coming through the elevator door was also good.
How does Skinner get away with shooting Krycek? He disabled him so that he was no longer a threat, then deliberately killed him. That's not reasonable force. I'm speaking purely in terms of abstract justic/legalities, of course. Personally speaking, I think it was good riddance.
Apparently Reyes was supposed to have worked as a cleaner before joining the FBI, and therefore was able to do an amazing job of making that terrible place look almost homey and pleasant. The two of them do have a cute relationship -- like sisters. Reyes is basically an FBI-trained version of Melissa, so that's not surprising.
Scully's very, very lucky that her baby's birth was an uncomplicated and speedy one. It's not that hard to attend a routine delivery, but if things go wrong.... Of course, she did have a dozen or so people walking into the room and staring directly at her vagina as the baby came out of it. I'd like to be more like Scully, but I can't say I envy her her life.
The allusion of the three Lone Gunmen as the Three Wise Men bearing their gifts to baby William (with Scully in a Madonna-like pale blue and white) always makes me giggle.
I've always found it odd that Mulder and Scully don't make mention of all the other Williams in their families when they talk about their baby's name. Both their fathers were named William, Mulder's middle name is William (and, fun fact, David Duchovny's middle name is also William), and that's not even mentioning Big Brother Bill. You'd think Mulder would have said something like, "And after your father too, Scully." And what's the baby's last name going to be?
That kiss at the end, and Scully cupping Mulder's elbow... le sigh!
posted by orange swan at 3:08 PM on August 29, 2020 [1 favorite]
There was a LOT going on in this one, and again it ultimately didn't make any sense.
The metal vertabra thing was definitely cool -- one of the best effects of its kind that the show has come up with. The hand coming through the elevator door was also good.
How does Skinner get away with shooting Krycek? He disabled him so that he was no longer a threat, then deliberately killed him. That's not reasonable force. I'm speaking purely in terms of abstract justic/legalities, of course. Personally speaking, I think it was good riddance.
Apparently Reyes was supposed to have worked as a cleaner before joining the FBI, and therefore was able to do an amazing job of making that terrible place look almost homey and pleasant. The two of them do have a cute relationship -- like sisters. Reyes is basically an FBI-trained version of Melissa, so that's not surprising.
Scully's very, very lucky that her baby's birth was an uncomplicated and speedy one. It's not that hard to attend a routine delivery, but if things go wrong.... Of course, she did have a dozen or so people walking into the room and staring directly at her vagina as the baby came out of it. I'd like to be more like Scully, but I can't say I envy her her life.
The allusion of the three Lone Gunmen as the Three Wise Men bearing their gifts to baby William (with Scully in a Madonna-like pale blue and white) always makes me giggle.
I've always found it odd that Mulder and Scully don't make mention of all the other Williams in their families when they talk about their baby's name. Both their fathers were named William, Mulder's middle name is William (and, fun fact, David Duchovny's middle name is also William), and that's not even mentioning Big Brother Bill. You'd think Mulder would have said something like, "And after your father too, Scully." And what's the baby's last name going to be?
That kiss at the end, and Scully cupping Mulder's elbow... le sigh!
posted by orange swan at 3:08 PM on August 29, 2020 [1 favorite]
I'm always curious how they fit the 5'3" Anderson into the same frame as her co-actors. Gish is 5'8" and was wearing very low heeled boots. And yeah, I like shoes =)
Reyes' homemaking skills are paranormal.
I totally didn't clue in on the three wise men thing.
Depending on the placement of the security cameras (they're probably not wired for sound back then), it's Skinner's word - "I shot three times and oops, the last shot got him in the face."
He actually said, "I got this." I think it's almost even possible that Skinner finds a tarp and visits the incinerator. No one will miss him and security tapes have been replaced before.
While Mulder has a better claim to off Krycek, Skinner's a combat veteran and I think his calculus was that he wouldn't lose any sleep over killing another person (especially this one) and would save Mulder from being a killer (or moreso of a killer). The ethical bar to "disappearing" Krycek after the fact has already been left in the dust.
posted by porpoise at 4:22 PM on August 29, 2020
Reyes' homemaking skills are paranormal.
I totally didn't clue in on the three wise men thing.
Depending on the placement of the security cameras (they're probably not wired for sound back then), it's Skinner's word - "I shot three times and oops, the last shot got him in the face."
He actually said, "I got this." I think it's almost even possible that Skinner finds a tarp and visits the incinerator. No one will miss him and security tapes have been replaced before.
While Mulder has a better claim to off Krycek, Skinner's a combat veteran and I think his calculus was that he wouldn't lose any sleep over killing another person (especially this one) and would save Mulder from being a killer (or moreso of a killer). The ethical bar to "disappearing" Krycek after the fact has already been left in the dust.
posted by porpoise at 4:22 PM on August 29, 2020
while at FBI headquarters Mulder, Doggett, and Skinner try to figure out how high up in the FBI hierarchy the conspiracy goes.
I feel like this phrase could apply to roughly 20% of the late-season episodes. Not coincidentally, this is around the time I ceased watching regularly. I trust somewhere on YouTube there is a fifteen-minute supercut of Mulder saying, “Scully, what if we have been lied to this whole time?”
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:59 PM on August 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
I feel like this phrase could apply to roughly 20% of the late-season episodes. Not coincidentally, this is around the time I ceased watching regularly. I trust somewhere on YouTube there is a fifteen-minute supercut of Mulder saying, “Scully, what if we have been lied to this whole time?”
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:59 PM on August 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
I'm always curious how they fit the 5'3" Anderson into the same frame as her co-actors.
I've read that when she was doing close ups with David Duchovny, she used to have to stand on a box. Chris Carter dubbed the boxes used for this purpose "Gilly boxes".
posted by orange swan at 7:17 PM on August 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
I've read that when she was doing close ups with David Duchovny, she used to have to stand on a box. Chris Carter dubbed the boxes used for this purpose "Gilly boxes".
posted by orange swan at 7:17 PM on August 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
I'm rewatching 'Fringe' (2008-2013) and a protagonist Olivia Dunham is also an FBI agent (with a background in the US marines, albeit as an investigator as opposed to combat) who through at least the first two seasons makes a point of wearing "sensible" and functional (comfortable but ugly - functional doesn't need to be ugly!) shoes.
Anna Torv (who played Dunham) is 5'8" to Anderson's 5'2", though (and her character is one who wouldn't/ couldn't care about fashion). Joshua Jackson (Peter Bishop), her protagonist counterpart is 6'2" to Duchovny's 6'.
*Spoiler* iirc, alternate Dunham also doesn't care for heels, but prefers shit-kicker combat boots for preference.
--
To clarify my comment from last August - it's likely that the Skinner/ Mulder/ Krycek encounter was deliberately in a part of theparkade underground garage that didn't have surveillance coverage. So the only evidence, if any, may be that the principles were known to have entered, but the actual event was not recorded.
posted by porpoise at 12:10 AM on March 7, 2021
Anna Torv (who played Dunham) is 5'8" to Anderson's 5'2", though (and her character is one who wouldn't/ couldn't care about fashion). Joshua Jackson (Peter Bishop), her protagonist counterpart is 6'2" to Duchovny's 6'.
*Spoiler* iirc, alternate Dunham also doesn't care for heels, but prefers shit-kicker combat boots for preference.
--
To clarify my comment from last August - it's likely that the Skinner/ Mulder/ Krycek encounter was deliberately in a part of the
posted by porpoise at 12:10 AM on March 7, 2021
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"'X-Files' Animated Comedy Series in Development at Fox" (Variety)
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 2:12 PM on August 28, 2020