AIR DATE:  October 21, 1994
Written by Paul Brown
Directed by Michael Lange

	"Ascension" continues the fast pace and intense feel of "Duane
Barry".  The only difference is in "Ascension" Scully's life is in the
balance along with Mulder's mental well-being.  We all know how Samantha's
disappearance affected Mulder, and in "Ascension" we see the rage and
frustration in Mulder when Scully is kidnapped by Duane Barry.  It is the
Mulder we always knew was underneath the cool exterior, one who was always
on the edge.  In the preceding episodes they showed how much Mulder has
become dependent on Scully's always being there for him.  She is truly the
only person he completely trusts which isn't something he gives easily. 

	The episode starts with Mulder rushing to Scully's apartment after
hearing her phone message which had to be one of the most hellish rides
for Mulder.  The killer scene of the episode was Mulder almost killing
himself when he climbs out of the tram car.  If this doesn't show Mulder's
devotion to Scully I don't what does.  I think even Krycek was surprised
by his audacity to keep on going in the face of impossible odds. Mulder
was so focused on getting to the top of the mountain to save Scully he
would go so far as to do something this dangerous.  It shows why Mulder is
such a danger to the Consortium because he will never give up since he
feels he has so much to lose if he ever does give up.  He would be giving
up on Samantha and now Scully and he wasn't going to let Scully go if he
could help it.  The best scene came with Mulder sitting in the chair with
the look of complete shock and dispair that he failed Scully liked he
failed his sister.  It isn't any wonder he went nuts and almost choked
Barry to death when he saw Scully's hair stuck to Barry's bloody hospital
bracelet.  This is definitely a side we never saw in Mulder before, and a
side Mulder didn't like in himself either.  It is side we will see again
in "One Breath" when Mulder feels a sense of helplessness to help Scully. 

	"Ascension" isn't as good as "Duane Barry", but it's still a knock
out episode.  Steve Railsback is just as good as he was in "Duane Barry",
as a crazy man who is afraid of being abducted again by aliens and who
believes he can trade Scully for him.  Who knows what is really
controlling Barry which is always a good thing about the X-Files because
we have doubts about whether Barry is just a plain psycho or being
controlled by an outside force.  Mulder even admits to Krycek that his
theory that Barry found her because she had Barry's implant is very
unlikely.  He has a good idea who is behind it and why, so it pushes him
even more to find her.  What makes this episode good is we all know Mulder
isn't going to rescue Scully, but it doesn't ruin the suspense of the
episode since the suspense comes in how Mulder will react to the
kidnapping and how it will happen.  Nothing must have been scarier and a
relief to Mulder at the same time than when he saw Scully's head pop up
from the trunk of the car. It gave him hope that he would find Scully in
time.  It is an episode that sets up "One Breath" perfectly because it
showed the determined Mulder who never gives up on finding Scully and how
over the edge Mulder can get when it comes to someone close to him. 

	Some miscellaneous comments on "Ascension":

- Mulder doesn't live too far from Scully since it only took him about 20
minutes to get there.  But it shouldn't really surprise us since the
X-Files express can get you anywhere in a matter of minutes.

- I think this is the first time the X-Files ever used a rock song as part
of the soundtrack like in Miami Vice and it worked well.  It was an
appropriate song to play over the action that was happening, and this
isn't always easy to do.  I am glad though that the X-Files doesn't do
this all the time as other shows do to show their hipness.

- Does Mulder own a car or was it in the shop?  Why did he have to borrow
Krycek's car?  I doubt that was even his own car he drove to Scully's
house. I did like how Krycek started to tell Mulder about how a lot of car
accidents happen because of sleep deprivation.  Krycek should have known
that neither he or sleep was going to get into Mulder's way finding
Scully.

- If Mulder hadn't been so distracted by Scully's kidnapping he might have
thought to ask Krycek what happened down there with the tram operator when
the tram stopped.  Instead it doesn't click to Mulder that something was
up until he finds the Morley cigaratte butts in Krycek car.  One of the
things that I keep going back and forth on is why Krycek restarted the
tram car.  Sometimes I think he is trying to kill Mulder by starting it
hoping he would fall or he thinks Mulder will fall off it if he doesn't
restart it.  I have to go with the latter since it appears Krycek is under
strict orders not to kill Mulder.  Even though I have a good idea that
Krycek doesn't like Mulder at all and wouldn't have any trouble killing
him.  Well, at least he got to kill Mulder's father as a consolation.

- Mulder must not have really liked Krycek at all since he called him
"Alex".  If anything is a sure warning Mulder doesn't like or trust you he
calls you by your first name except for those few times he's called Scully
Dana. 

- Boy, the consortium really works fast.  It took them no time to get
Krycek's home phone disconnected.  Now why can't I get them to work for
Bell Atlantic when I need things done quickly by the phone company. 

- It was good to hear a television crew speaking in the backround as
Mulder is entering Scully's house.  It would be hard to believe the media
wouldn't be there for the kidnapping of an F.B.I. agent by a man who was
involved in a hostage situation a few days earlier. 

	When Mulder is being questioned about how Barry died he responds
to a comment on why he is so paranoid by saying, "Maybe its because I have
a hard time trusting anybody."  This sums up the episode because the one
person Mulder ever trusted has been taken away from him and he doesn't
know what to do about it.  "Ascension" is a good conclusion to a two
parter that brought into it a lot of things that will be brought up in
future episodes.

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

9/20/97

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