Theatre of the Mind ~ XF Season 1

Good afternoon, all! I intended to post this last night, but time just slipped away from me. I had been thinking about writing this for a while, and since we have a hiatus in the CTP due to Amy's much-deserved vacation, I thought this was as good a time as any. Seems to me since we have TOTMs for each episode, we should have a TOTM for the entire season. So I hope you enjoy!

1. Pilot - M&S meet, fall in love, and decide to have a baby in six or seven years. (Okay, so that was a *slight* exaggeration.) But as a first step toward that end, Mulder sees Scully in her underwear, Scully sees Mulder with his cap on backwards (woo hoo). "Nobody down here but the FBI's most unwanted." The first slide show! They bond during hotel room storytelling and while gravedigging in the rain. Scully giggles. "That's why they put the 'I' in FBI."

2. Deep Throat - Mulder cooks for first and last time (unless you count popcorn in Season 7) and plays air guitar. First Mulder Ditch. Scully saves Mulder's butt but not before he gets his brain wiped and forgets everything except Scully in her underwear.

3. Squeeze - Scully decides she'd rather be Mrs. Spooky and finds out why she's better off wearing necklaces with shorter chains. Mulder sticks his fingers in things, including Scully's necklace. We learn Scully will be FBI Director in 2033, Reticulans are gray, and Mulder gets seasick. "Do you think I'm spooky?"

4. Conduit - Mulder & Scully see the big picture. Mulder fires his gun and doesn't drop it! First Danny sighting! Scully listens to Mulder's regression audio tapes; takes her six more years to find the videos. Mulder is half nekkid and has bed head! Woo hoo! Mulder cries in church while Mark Snow's beautiful music plays. "I want to believe."

5. The Jersey Devil - Mulder likes porn, gets thrown in jail, and hurt by the beastwoman. He asks Scully out on a date (sort of), but she says no. Instead, Scully goes to a birthday party and out on a date (with someone other than Mulder :::gasp!:::), but discovers that she likes Mulder best. Then she holds the door.

6. Shadows - Mulder does a neat trick with his glasses just so he can put his arm around Scully. "I willingly participated in a campaign of disinformation." Tom Braidwood gets a parking space. First Elvis reference! Scully has trouble getting out of the car, and thus misses all the good stuff. Mulder asks Scully out on another date to see the Liberty Bell. She doesn't say no! Ring-a-ding-ding!

7. Ghost in the Machine - Just one more reminder not to go to the bathroom on the X-Files. Mulder thinks he might be a pain in the a** to work with, but Scully neither confirms nor denies. Moose & Squirrel get stuck in an elevator and let another perfect opportunity go by the wayside. Mulder in shades! Woo-hoo! Scully nearly gets pulled into a big fan but recovers in time to save Mulder's floppy disk.

8. Ice - We are not who we are. Bring your mittens! Blue's Daddy gets worms but gets cured. Strip search! We are in the Arctic-please allow for shrinkage. Mulder gets put in solitary confinement. Neck check, Neck Check, NECK CHECK!!!!!!!!!

9. Space - Good Mulder Hair (pre-Flowbie). Mulder does some serious butt-kissing while Scully looks disgusted. Thrusters are at full throttle (on the space shuttle). M&S sit on the floor and look at stuff. Concensus about this episode: "Ranks right up there with getting a pony and learning to braid my own hair."

10. Fallen Angel - "The enigmatic Dr. Scully" and Mission Impossible Mulder in his sexy black leather jacket. We love Max. Mulder in his sexy glasses and polo shirt. "The Last Detail, starring Dana Katherine Scully." This episode makes me want an Apollo 11 key chain. Break a leg, Mulder. Mulder has friends in high places. "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."

11. Eve - "She is me and I am her and we are all together." First time I ever heard the word "exsanguinate." Po-TAY-to, Po-TAH-to. "What's a girl?" (No *wonder* these two can't seem to get together!) Cherish those Mulder Glasses moments in Season 1, cause he barely wears them again. (Notable exception: "Paper Hearts." :::sigh:::). Somebody calls Mulder "Dad." "We just knew."

12. Fire - Mulder's old flame comes to town with a three-pipe problem, but she's just blowing smoke. Sorry, Phoebes, there's only one girl who lights his fire now. Mulder just keeps unfolding like a flower. Mulder in a tux, black silk boxers, and half-nekkid. Woo-hoo! And who do you think undressed him? Lots of "sparks" in this episode, but only between Sherlock and Watson. Think they'll ever "ignite" a romance? I believe the game is afoot in Season 7.

13. Beyond the Sea - Scully likes to decorate for Christmas, but this will be the first of many unhappy holidays for her. First time Scully and/or Mulder appear in the teaser. Scully's Dad dies, but she needs to work. First Moby Dick reference: Starbuck and Ahab. Mulder calls her Dana a lot, a lot, a lot. Bobby Darin sings; so does Luther Boggs. Mulder's the skeptic, Scully the believer. NY Knicks tee-shirt. FBI raid-wear! Woo-hoo! Mulder gets shot and we get the first of many bedside vigils/conversations. GA deserves Emmy but doesn't get it. "He was my father."

14. Gender Bender - "Hold onto your hat, Scully, cause you're going to loooooove this." First ep directed by Rob Bowman. "Radar love" and a slide show to boot! Mulder won't ask for directions. "The Addams Family finds religion." Scully almost does the naked pretzel with a complete stranger (no, this isn't "Milagro"). Scully tosses her cookies (to practice for Season 8). Krycek appears for the first time, but he may not be who he are.

15. Lazarus - Scully had a life before Mulder? Say it ain't so! Scully gets abducted/kidnapped/held hostage for the first time. Unfortunately this could become a trend. Scully's birthday is February 23. He calls her Dana again. "For those of you who don't know already, this one's important to me, so let's do it right." Raid wear again-woo hoo! "It means whatever you want it to mean."

16. Young at Heart - Reg-gie, Reg-gie! Mulder *was* full of it. Bad guy with bad accent is out to get Mulder. Scully had a social life! She becomes a human target to catch the bad guy, but Mulder winks at her so it's all worthwhile. Mulder practices for same dialogue in "Kitsunegari."

17. E.B.E. - Conceivable. Possibly. Feasible. Swamp Gas. Dodger Dogs. The Lone Gunmen are born! Scully loses 20 bucks. "I think it's remotely plausible that someone might think you're hot." Mulder sleeps on the couch (well, maybe he's sorta napping). "The truth is out there, but so are lies." Mulder's door grows a doorbell, after he redecorates his apartment. "A lie is most convincingly hidden between two truths." Mulder has very good hair. "Mulder, you're the only one I trust."

18. Miracle Man -- "Come as you are, leave as you always wanted to be." First clue that the X-Files will be a show of Biblical proportions. Elvis lives. Mulder sees his sister. "God never lets the devil steal the show." A plague of locusts, but no girly scream. Scully likes scary movies. "Imagine the miracle and you're halfway there."

19. Shapes - American Werewolf in Montana. Scully might get the creeps and she might not. Mulder is looking good throughout; much better than the episode itself. "They told me that even though my deodorant's made for a woman it's strong enough for a man." Wish they'd left in the scene on the bridge where Mulder says the devil just touched his spine. "Just as long as it's not Spooky Fox."

20. Darkness Falls - "Ice" revisited. A nice trip to the forest. "Rugged, manly men in the full bloom of their manhood." Good Mulder footwear! Everybody sticks their fingers in things. Mulder has gas, gives it away. Scully gets mad, then freaks out. No neck check, but there should have been.

21. Tooms - XF villain makes a comeback. M&S have a boss--AD Walter Skinner. Mulder searches for his Norwegian Elkhound. THE CONVERSATION IN THE CAR! She calls him Fox for the first and last time. He even made his parents call him Mulder--not. "I wouldn't put myself on the line for anybody but you." :::sigh::: Darn, it's root beer and not iced tea! "Wouldn't miss it for the world." Mulder *really* sleeps on his couch! Scully tells a little white lie for her man. Yuck! Death by escalator. The Smoking Man speaks! The times, they are a-changing.

22. Born Again - The One With Janice from "Friends." New Krycek action figure unveiled to lukewarm reception. You can tell a lot about a man by the size of his aquarium. It's all about reincarnation, not telekinesis (that's already been done this season). Mulder has aquarium envy. The little diver guy solves the case! Could this episode BE any more fishy?

23. Roland - Good Mark Snow music. Scully goes to a wedding but doesn't say if she caught the bouquet. Scully is gaining weight - what's up with that? Some folks lose their heads in this episode, but that makes for interesting chalk outlines. Mulder picks out stylin' clothes! Mulder dreams about his father underwater - what's up with that? Scully confirms she has two brothers, though you couldn't prove it by us. She wants to call one (please pick Charlie!), but wants to hear about lowering her long-distance rates first.

24. The Erlenmeyer Flask - First tag-line change. Scully wants to know why Mulder lets Deep Throat yank his chain. M--"Do you think he does it because he gets off on it?" S--"No. I think he does it because you do." Cut the Obi-Wan Kenobi crap. Monkey Pee. Secret Code to contact Danny is "Mary Had a Little Lamb." And Danny speaks! Full-grown human fetuses in green goo? Mulder gets first exposure to toxic green blood; he's a popular guy. Scully steals the alien fetus; has scientific proof in her hands, but trades for Mulder (told ya it was love). Deep Throat dies. "Trust No One." X-Files are closed partly because of word from the executive branch, partly because of Scully's unexplained weight gain. M&S to be split up, reassigned (if they're renewed, that is). The Pentagon has lots of storage space . . . lots and lots of storage space. Can't give up; not as long as the truth is out there.


Apologies, as usual; but for those who enjoy the TOTMs, I hope that helps fill the void till we start Season 3 upon Amy's return. I am in the process of writing the Season 2 TOTM and will post either Monday or Tuesday.

Hope everyone has a great Sunday!

Polly