ESSENCE

AIR DATE: May 13, 2001
Written by Chris Carter
Directed by Kim Manners

        If Chris Carter had tried to pull in Season One what he is trying to pull in Season Eight the X-Files never would have made it past the mid-season point because this is how bad this season has been. I cannot describe how bad this episode was, but it symbolizes everything that has been wrong this season from everyone being a part of the alien conspiracy to the shell of what used to be Dana Scully and the partnership she had with Mulder. Do you know what bugs me the most is I don’t care if they kill Scully’s baby or even Scully herself because this isn’t the Scully I cared about in the early seasons. I’m rooting for them to get rid of the 2nd coming in Scully’s womb. Heck, I couldn’t care less if they did finally take over the Earth because they seem as big idiots as human beings are so they couldn’t do any worse. Why do I think there is something wrong with a show when I don’t care whether the "heroes" win or not. I’m just sick and tired of the whole conspiracy where there seems to be about 20 different aliens trying unsuccessfully to take over the Earth for the past 50 years and everyone Scully and Mulder come in contact with is part of the conspiracy. It is such a cliché now on the show that anyone Scully, Mulder, Skinner or Doggett come in contact with will be a part of the conspiracy. End it now boys, end it now.

        Now a few critical comments on "Essence":

• How did we know this was going to be a bad episode? It was the pretentious opening monologue being done by Mulder. Also, the monologue always gives a good clue this is going to be a Chris Carter script.

• It is amazing how all these places such as Zeus Industry, Dr. Parenti’s office and the F.B.I. building do not seem to have any security at all. How else to explain Billy Miles easy access into these buildings. It is ridiculous to think the F.B.I. building would be so easy for Miles to get into without being challenged. Just another problem with the episode where things are done to move the plot along without making any sense.

• I guess we know Doggett is a real man, he was watching NASCAR on FOX. Which timewise really screws up how long Scully has been pregnant because I believe FOX only started showing NASCAR this year so if this was January it sure didn’t seem like it during the outside scene where everyone is dressed and acting like it is Spring. They wonder why we think the quality of the show is down when they can’t keep the timeline correct.

• We had another one of those TV moments when Mulder is able to flick from NASCAR to the news broadcasting the story about Zeus Industry burning down. I would have loved Mulder flicking to the all news station and telling Doggett he would have to wait for them to report on the story.

• So no one decided to investigate Zeus Industry further to prove what they were doing is wrong. If they did that it would mean Scully and Doggett would have had to make an effort instead of having evidence fall into their laps.

• Who would not be surprised to find out Scully’s current doctor (Dr. Speake) is part of the conspiracy and those weren’t vitamin pills. Even if Dr. Speake isn’t a part of the conspiracy I wouldn’t want her as my doctor since we saw how much effort she didn’t put into saving that man’s life from an earlier episode this season.

• I see the front of Scully’s apartment building has changed again.

• Everytime they try to kill Scully or Mulder nowadays I can’t help thinking about the bit from the Austin Powers movie where Dr. Evil is going to have Austin and his partner killed by man eating bass and Dr. Evil’s son comes in and says he could kill them right now instead of the whole man eating fish where Austin could get away. It was kind of a joke for the first few seasons that they never killed Mulder and Carter tried to give an explanation of Mulder being too important to the overall plan to kill him. Right now it is ridiculous they didn’t try to kill Scully earlier or even know she was pregnant. Why send one alien to do the job when they could have sent a whole bunch to do it in one night.

• Favorite scene was seeing Mulder and Doggett drive up and enter Dr. Parenti building. Can we say time killer.

• Oh yeah, you’ve got to love how Billy Miles is killing everybody in sight, but not Doggett and Mulder. I esp. liked how Doggett just let Miles walk out the door after he shot him twice.

• Once again the aliens don’t act consistently. Why does Billy Miles burn down Zeus Industry’s building, but leaves Dr. Parenti office building alone and decides to put Dr. Parenti’s face in a jar. Let’s not forget leaving the cloning factory intact and Duffy Haskell’s decapitated body there to be found though I would like to know who found the body.

• Another plot convenience is having Scully finding Lizzy Gill trying to switch her medicine. She had all ready changed the pills earlier so why the hell was she changing them again and why do it at the time Scully is in the apartment and after Scully rushed out of the shower to answer the phone. Anyone with any common sense would know the first place Scully would go back to after answering the phone would be the bathroom. This only shows not only are the aliens stupid, but the people they have working for them are stupid.

• Why wasn’t I surprised they had Krycek come rescue Scully and Mulder because they had to get him in the show. Why would anyone with half a brain leave Krycek in the F.B.I. building by himself, not that Krycek had anything to worry about since there is no security in the building.

• It was nice of Billy Miles to clean himself up after getting hit by Krycek’s car. Even if you are busy trying to kill people it never is wrong to make sure you look good.

        Well, I think this episode might have just done it to me. Even the Scully and Mulder moments couldn’t rescue this episode as in the past few episodes. Boy, if I thought some of the episodes were bad this year then "Essence" topped them all. The not telling us who the father is was another one of those annoying moments though I have no doubt there is an office pool on who the father is. I just never imagined 8 years ago the X-Files would get this bad and it is one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen happen to a show I loved.

Claudia

E-Mail: Claudia.Cauchon@unh.edu

05/16/01

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