AIR DATE:  November 29, 1998
Written by Vince Gilligan, John Shiban and Frank Spotnitz
Directed by Kim Manners

	I knew I was in trouble with "Dreamland" when halfway through it I
kept wishing for Al to pop up to jazz up the episode and move the plot
along.  Needless to say this Quantum Leap rip off was a bit underwhelming
in that it was boring, not funny when it thought it was being funny, some
of the worse music Mark Snow has ever put to a X-Files episode and once
again Scully and Mulder were not working together on a case.  This is the
fourth episode this season in which Scully and Mulder have hardly been
together in an episode.  Am I asking a lot for at least one episode to
have Scully and Mulder actually work together on a case for a full
episode? Wasn't this the biggest complaint about the 4th season that they
hardly worked together in most of the episodes?  I hate to write this, but
I would like to see an old fashioned X-Files episode where Scully and
Mulder are called to investigate a weird case, have some of that Scully
and Mulder banter we love to see about the case then only somewhat solve
it, and as an added bonus bring some part of themselves into the case so
we get that emotional toll on them.  I'm going to complain about this lack
of Scully and Mulder working together until I get an episode where it
actually happens. 

	I have no problem with writers Vince Gilligan, John Shiban and
Frank Spotnitz ripping off Quantum Leap because I'm sure Quantum Leap most
likely ripped off someone else.  It just seemed like the episode was going
more for laughs instead of a drama which is what it should be.  This
episode had such possibilities of Mulder being in the body of one of the
black ops people to see what it is like to be one of them and give him a
chance to gather some of that proof he always keeps touching, but losing. 
Also, it could have been a way to show Mulder that normal life Scully was
talking about in the car.  Here comes Mulder into a wrecked marriage with
two kids who have no respect for him being played for laughs.  We could
have had some insight into Mulder about his view on marriage, his own
childhood and the disaster that was his parents marriage.  Oh, why do that
when we can have fun with Mulder saying the teenage daugher can't have
plastic surgery on her nose when she wanted a nose ring or have him act
like an idiot in front of the mirror.  Oh boy, that was so funny and not
predictable.

	Now some miscellaneous comments on "Dreamland":

- There isn't much security around Area 51 is there if the Air Force only
puts up a sign that says "don't enter" instead of a gate.  I guess that's
X-Files Air Force security. 

- How long does it take to get to Area 51? It seems it takes forever as
Scully seemed to indicate they have been in that car for days?  Maybe she
was being metaphoric about all their traveling they have done over the
years as a way to get Mulder to think about his life.  Nah, they just
wanted to be funny. 

- Let's have Fletcher have a picture with every conservative Republican to
imply that he is well-connected and to top it off let's show what a weasal
he is by having him proudly displaying a picture of him with Saddam
Hussein.  I'm surprise he even had a picture of his wife and kids
considering his attitude towards them. 

- The second Fletcher as Mulder called Scully "Dana" and asked for a pack
of Morley's she should have been a little bit suspicious that something
was up with Mulder.  I could see why she would have doubts, but after a
shape shifting alien in "Colony" and Eddie Van Blundht in "Small Potatoes"
she should have given Mulder as Fletcher the benefit of the doubt
especially considering how Fletcher was acting as Mulder.  Oh well, at
least she went out to investigate Mulder's phone call to her though I
don't know where she gets the time to do all this and not expect to be
caught by Kersh.  Of course, if she wasn't caught by Kersh then we
wouldn't have had the ending of Scully helping out the Air Force security
in capturing Mulder and having him yell at her that Fletcher is not him. 
This was the best scene in the whole episode.  It actually was exciting
and dramatic, if not predictable, with Mulder desperately yelling at
Scully to believe who he says he is. 

- I have to admit the way Anderson has Scully act everytime Kersh talks to
her is great.  She has Scully act as if she is a teenager being reined in
by her parents and hating every minute of it.

- Oh yeah, we couldn't forget to put in an obligatory porn reference in
this episode could we? 

- I guess it is the old military in me, but I was really bothered by that
General not wearing a hat when he was investigating the airplane crash
site. 

- One of the creepest things I ever saw on Star Trek:  The Next Generation
was in an episode (whose name I can't recall) where they are investigating
some weird occurance on the Enterprise (what a surprise) of things fading
in and out.  There is one scene where La Forge sends a crew member down a
hall and the next thing we hear is a scream.  La Forge runs around a
corner to see the crew member stuck halfway thru the floor, dead.  This is
what came to my mind when we see the co-pilot and the gas station
attendant stuck in solid objects though I think they should have been dead
too and the effect wasn't as creepy.  I was disturbed at how uncaring
everyone seemed to be to their plight.  Just for a change it would have
been nice if someone did care, such as having a doctor or someone with the
co-pilot.  It would be nice to know these people are humans instead of the
typical cold hearted ones we always see in these shows.  Oh yeah, how was
that lizard breathing if its head was stuck in a rock?

- I have to say this, no one plays a slick sleazeball better than Michael
McKean though I think he does it better in a British accent.  He was the
best thing in this episode because he seemed to be the only person
enjoying himself.  His kissing-up to Kersh was McKean at his best.  Its no
wonder his character has made it so far in the organization.  Hopefully,
we will find out in the second part how much of this he planned out
because I can't believe he would be able to plan all this to the last
detail of meeting them at that exact moment when the ship went by.  I
rather believe he saw this as a way to get out of his life once he
realized what happened and went with it. 

- Someone needs to have a talk with Mark Snow about toning down his music. 
As I stated earlier this had to be the worse music he has ever written for
an episode.  The scene that sticks out the most is the one with Mulder in
front of the mirror as he dances in front of it.  Not only was the scene
an embassassment for Mark Snow, but for Duchovny too.  It had to be one of
the most painful things I have ever had to watch on the X-Files. 

- I don't know what it says about Mulder that he didn't think it was odd
that he was going out in clothes that he wore the day before and slept in. 

- I have to admit I did enjoy the old woman acting like an Air Force
Captain. 

- Shouldn't they have been a little bit more careful around the gas
station before setting it on fire such as moving their cars.  How does
burning the gas station cover up the fact the gas station attendant is
stuck halfway through the floor with a bullet in him.  Oh I get it no one
is going to care that the gas station has burned down or where the gas
station attendant disappeared to. 

- I wish they had put a whole bunch of sunflower seeds around the
dime/penny combo that Scully found near the gas station since Mulder
spilled a bunch as he was getting into his car.  This could have been used
as a subliminal message to Scully that all is not right with the Mulder
she is a partner with.

- Okay, the look of absolute relief and happiness on Mulder's face when he
sees Scully standing in Fletcher's doorway was my second favorite scene.
Unfortunately, it was partly ruined by the writers setting it up as joke
by having the wife answer the door and slapping Mulder as he approaches
the door after she learns it is Scully at the door.  The person's name who
Mulder had been saying in his sleep.  Hmm, I wonder what that means.  Oh
wait, it means nothing because it was all a setup for that one joke. 

- You would think Mulder could have come up with better things to convince
Scully he is who he says he is, but I guess he can't think under pressure. 


	"Dreamland" would have been better if they hadn't made it into a
two parter because this felt like a story that could have been told in one
hour instead of two.  What I'm hoping is the second part is better than
the first which would be a rarity in tv where the second part never
fulfills the excitement of the first part.  If "Dreamland" had gone for
fewer obvious laughs and concentrated on Mulder's predicament then it
could have been a fascinating epiosde.  It is funny that earlier today I
was thinking about the first season's episode "Conduit" and what a great
episode it was because it had everything I liked about the X-Files, Scully
and Mulder working together, the case only somewhat solved and it
personally touched Mulder in it reminding him of Samantha's abduction. But
that was a long time ago and I don't think I'm ever going to see an
episode that touches me in that way again on the X-Files. 


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

11/30/98

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