AIR DATE:   February 16, 1996
Written by Frank Spotnitz & Chris Carter
Directed by Kim Manners

	The first question we want to ask of "Apocrypha" is did we learn
anything more than what we already knew from previous episodes.  The
answer has to be "not really."  Well, at least it didn't leave as many
questions as previous episodes, as a matter fact I don't think really much
happened in this two parter except Scully found her sister's killer, but
not the one's truly responsible.  So where does this leave us;  right
where we were before "Piper Maru" which is what Carter and gang are good
at doing.  Telling us things, but not really telling us anything at all. 
You know Carter would have made a good politician since he tells us a lot
of things without telling us much at all. 

	"Apocrypha" has an alien entity or as I like to call it "the Blob" 
wanting to get back to its ship for whatever reason which was the most
frustrating thing about the episode, not fully understanding the motives
behind the Blob.  So it made its way back to the ship and now is stuck in
a missile silo in the middle of North Dakota.  I don't mind being
confused, but this seemed so illogical to want to return to its ship since
it didn't want to use the ship it in order to get back home, and it had to
know it couldn't get back home with its ship trapped in the missile silo. 
Let's see, the Blob was stuck down in the ocean for about 50 years and all
it wanted to do was get back inside the ship.  It had to want more, but
nothing was ever indicated which made the Blob seem stupid for wanting to
get itself trapped inside a missile silo. 

	Other than the above mentioned problem with "Apocrypha", it was a
fairly good episode.  Actually, it really was a Scully episode with Mulder
in the backround providing support in his own way.  Scully just wouldn't
take no for an answer from anyone.  It was Scully's persistence that
scared the other agents into not doing anything, such as when the hair
samples hadn't been taken yet she just gave them a look that said that
wasn't good enough and don't try any of this cover up bullshit with me
around.  I think we all learned an important lesson from this episode when
its personnel doesn't mess with the Scully. 

	The scene at Scully's sister's grave site was excellent in showing
how Scully will never get over her sister's death, or as she put it the
closure she has been seeking since Melissa's death, she knows it is more
than just the Hispanic Man who is responsible for her death.  From the
music, to the acting, from Anderson and Duchovny, to having Scully repeat
the words of Col. Johansen on how we bury our dead alive expresses how
Melissa's death will continue to haunt Scully for the rest of her life.
Also, the scene was great because we got to see some of that closeness
between Scully and Mulder that has been missing from previous episodes.

	It looks like Cigarette-Smoking Man messed up quite a bit in this
episode even though he does prevent Scully and Mulder from finding the
UFO.  How did he mess up?  Well, this is going all the way back to "Paper
Clip" when he lied to the Consortium about having the digital tape. CSM
seemed to be surprised at how much his fellow conspirators knew of his
actions down in D.C. and it appears they do not approve of his methods. Of
course, the man who hates him the most is Well-Manicured Man who I think
believes the actions of CSM is going to expose them.  The thing that has
clinched it for WMM on CSM's incompetence was his talk with Mulder when he
realized that Krycek had the digital tape and that was how the information
was being leaked out.  I got the feeling it is a major no-go if you are a
member of the Consortium to lie to it.  I think maybe at the end of this
season things might finally come to a head for CSM. 


	A few general comments about "Apocrypha":

- The car rental agency at Dulles airport must feel their cars are safe in
the airport parking lot since they don't even lock the car doors.  Also,
next time Mulder should really make sure the car he rents has dual airbags
so he doesn't end getting his head whacked again.

- Would Mulder really have rented a car in NYC?  Where did he park the 
damn thing?

- Having Mulder laugh at his own wacky theory about how the Blob leaves
behind an oily residue when it jumps from one person to another.  Good to
see he is self aware of his own far out theories. 

- I have to admit it would have been nice if just for once Scully and
Mulder actually did make it to the end before the soldiers in black come
in and chased them away.  Let's see it happen in "Little Green Men",
"Paper Clip", "Nisei" and now "Apocrypha".  It is just getting a bit old
having them almost at the prize then being prevented from getting it.  I
think it would have worked to have them find Ratboy after the Blob thing
had left him though maybe not the UFO.

- Oh brother, they brought back that Italian Consortium bad guy again.  I
don't know what it is, but I just don't think the actor is very good in
this role.  At least we had John Neville back as the Well-Manicured Man. 
Nothing like a Brit to exude evil as an Englishman can do with their
refined accent and manner of dress.

- Now if I'm to get this straight the Blob went back to the ship the boat
from "Nisei" had gotten from the sea, and the French govt. thinking it was
still in the ocean from the information Krycek gave them went after it. Do
we get the feeling the French weren't included in the Consortium and want
a piece of the action and figure the only way to get in is to get their
own UFO?

- Did the movie "Get Shorty" come into anyone's mind as Frohike went up to
the locker? 

- The music while Scully was at her sister's gravestone reminded me of the
music from the mini-series "The Stand".  

- Scully's infatuated fellow agent helps her out once again, and he comes
back with a great line after Scully tells the two other agents she's seen
stranger things and he goes "I'm sure she has".

- Loved the opening with the sailor telling his story to who turned out to
be Mulder's father and CSM.  We can only guess the third person is Deep
Throat.  It was interesting to show us that Mulder's father was involved
from the very beginning and was a part of the cover-up before Mulder was
even born. 

	"Piper Maru/Apocrypha" didn't give the rush or excitement that
"Nisei/731"  did or produce the reaction of "what the hell just happened" 
as in the ABC trilogy.  It just didn't tell us anything more than what we
already knew from early episodes, but it did give us more of the inner
feelings and motives of Scully.  Overall it was a very fine two parter. 

Claudia
E-Mail:  Claudia.Cauchon@unh.edu

2/18/96

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