THE GOLDBERG VARIATION

AIR DATE: December 12, 1999
Written by Jeffrey Bell
Directed by Thomas J. Wright

            "The Goldberg Variation" is going to have unwelcome comparisons to that long forgotten Fox TV show "Strange Luck". Henry Weems is the only survivor of a plane crash and has been incredibly lucky ever since just as D.B. Sweeney’s character was in "Strange Luck". To tell you the truth I never really liked "Strange Luck" and I can barely remember what it was about and I think 90% of X-Files watchers today are not even going to be aware that there was a show called "Strange Luck" with somewhat the same premise. So it makes any comparison moot and I don’t think the concept of someone being extremely lucky is a new idea anyway so in the end the only thing that matters is how an old concept is presented in a new way. This is why the mythology episodes on the X-Files have failed because it took an old idea (aliens invading earth and aliens coming out of people’s stomachs) and didn’t do anything new or original with it. Whereas in "The Goldberg Variation" we get a new idea of cause and effect and how one man’s luck is another’s bad luck just to balance things out and we see the lucky guy, Henry Weems, caring for those around him even though he knows he can hurt them with his good luck unless as Mulder said that once they have entered into his universe Weems’ luck had spread to them for some reason.

            As was the case with last week’s episode "Rush", this is another episode where all we got was potatoes and no meat. The episode was enjoyable as you watch it and Scully and Mulder worked well together and had good lines with each other, but it is instantly forgettable. I guess this is better than outright awful episodes such as "Hungry" and "Alpha". Here in "The Goldberg Variation" we have Scully and Mulder investigating a very lucky guy where it would have been better if he had been a little bit smarter or a better description would be that he acted too childlike which I found annoying in his character. Any episode when Scully and Mulder aren’t fighting like cats and dogs and are actually working together on the case automatically makes it a better episode. It really looks like Anderson and Duchovny are having fun with the whole idea. What would one do if suddenly they got lucky at everything, but people around them are getting her hurt. Somewhat of a paradox for Weems and he chooses to disappear and live on a meager existence as a janitor. In come Scully and Mulder to add all the luck they have had over 6 seasons with Weems to make "The Goldberg Variation" another decent episode.

            Now some various comments on "The Goldberg Variation:

- Where did Weems get the money to enter into such a high stakes game? I’m sure it wasn’t just $1000. Why would Joe Cutrona waste his time with a person like Weems? Oh well, I guess we aren’t supposed to be thinking about these things.

- Also, it is hard to believe Joe Cutrona could be so high in the organization considering how dumb he was in this episode. He must know the apartment building is being watched, but yet he has Weems thrown off the building in full view of the F.B.I. agents. Then after his first goon is killed and the cops are there investigating he sends in another one of his goons to kill Weems. The idea behind sending a second goon didn’t make sense because it is asking us to believe the cops wouldn’t still be at the crime scene or the media lurking outside. Didn’t Frank Pembleton say "Crime makes you dumb?"

- For the third episode in a row Scully comes to meet Mulder at the beginning of a case. What was so important with this case that Mulder couldn’t wait to get on a flight together with her? Let’s hope this isn’t going to be a trend this season because it is becoming annoying and too obvious that they are using it for jokes. Wasn’t it just so cute and funny how Mulder comes up on the shaft elevator with Scully’s back to him as he talks to her on his cell phone.

- Boy, those F.B.I. agents who were watching the building must not be in good shape since they couldn’t keep up with a guy who was just thrown out of a building and was walking on foot.

- Best line was Scully’s Wily E. Coyote line to Mulder after he explained to Scully his theory of why Weems survived the fall. I guess we can call what was happening to Weems the Wily E. Coyote theory where no matter what happens to you you will only get a few cuts and bruises.

- Psychic Mulder was present for this episode. Not only did he know right away what was happening to Weems, but he found Weems false eye the second he put his hand in the laundry basket.

- Now we know why Mulder went to the F.B.I. as a career since as we see in this episode that he can’t shut off a water valve.

- What exactly was Weems testifying against Cutrona? Cutrona had his goons throw him off a roof. What jury would believe that because nothing happened to Weems other than a little bruise on his arm.

- The Punk guy getting hit by a car was hilarious. It made me think "Meet Joe Black" where Brad Pitt was finally hit by a car after about 5 minutes of him and his girlfriend turning around to see if they were looking back at each other. Please note I didn’t spend $8 to see this in a movie theater, but flicked upon this scene on cable.

- Always good to see Mulder didn’t forget his flashlight when he packed his bags. It must be part of his standard equipment.

- Never a good sign when Mulder and Scully split and one of them goes to the basement as we see Mulder catch up with Weems only to have a gun pulled on him and have a bullet ricochet off his arm giving him a flesh wound.

- What kind of F.B.I. agents are Scully and Mulder that they let Weems walk outside the hospital without police protection after 3 attempts on his life. At least Scully started arguing with Mulder about it, but shouldn’t they have done that before Weems left.

- Took Scully and Mulder long enough to figure out why Weems was risking his life to get $100,000.

- What would these TV Mob guys do if they didn’t have a source in the Justice Department.

- The I wish they didn’t do that because it is so corny award goes to the scene in the hospital where certain lights go out in the sign to spell "Richie" instead of "R.I. Children"

            Another X-Files episode where nothing much happens, but was fun to watch for Scully and Mulder. It makes one wonder what is luck and is it a good thing to have good luck all the time. If Weems was better written it would make a better episode, but at least he was a likeable person. It is nice that X-Files have remember how to write Scully and Mulder, now if they could only remember how write interesting Monster of the Weeks it would make episodes such as "The Goldberg Variation" much more memorable.

Claudia

E-Mail: Claudia.Cauchon@unh.edu

12/15/99

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