CTP Episode of the Day - 06.06.06

Today's Cherished Episode: Provenance (9x10)
Original Air Date: March 3, 2002
Written By: Chris Carter & Frank Spotnitz
Directed By: Kim Manners

When pieces of the spaceship beached in Africa resurface, the conspiracy within the FBI attempts to hide the information from the X-Files, especially the one person for whom the pieces have a special significance - Scully. When Doggett and Reyes discover that Scully and her child have been put in great danger, they race to protect her and William from the evil forces pursuing him, and Scully is forced to take drastic measures to protect her child.

(Thanks to chrisnu for today's episode pics.)

MRS. SCULLY: And you have to love him and raise him in spite of everything. Dana, God has given you a miracle. A child that wasn't supposed to be. Maybe it's not to question ... just to be taken as a matter of faith.

SCULLY: Mom, I can't take this on faith. I need to know. I need to know if it's really God I have to thank.

Some "Provenance" Tidbits & Musings:

-- "Provenance" means place of derivation; origin.

-- Overcoat Woman and Toothpick Man? TPTB were definitely running out of creative monikers.

-- This episode tried to float the idea that Mulder was dead, which was kind of silly since it had already been announced that Duchovny/Mulder would return for the series finale. (And it was also kind of silly for Skinner to try and protect Scully by not telling her about Mulder's supposed demise. It would take more than unsubstantiated reports of Mulder's death to break Scully; the man's been dead six or seven times already!)

-- Actor Alan Dale (Toothpick Man) might look familiar for other reasons. He has had recurring roles on several other popular series including: Vice President Jim Prescott on Day 2/3 of 24, Caleb Nichol on The O.C.,, NCIS Director Tom Morrow on NCIS,, and was most recently seen as Charles Widmore in the season finale of Lost.

-- Laura Leigh Hughes makes her third and final appearance as Kersh's Assistant With No Name in this episode. She previously appeared in "Triangle" and "Dreamland."

-- Neal McDonough (Agent Comer) appeared as Buck Compton in the critically acclaimed miniseries Band of Brothers. He also starred in the highly regarded but short-lived Boomtown and the also short-lived procedural drama Medical Investigation. McDonough also appeared as one of the ballplayers in the 1994 Disney remake of Angels in the Outfield which starred Danny Glover and Tony Danza, and featured two other then-unknowns as members of the California Angels: Matthew McConaughey and Adrian Brody.

Please share your first impressions, favorite (or cringe-worthy!) moments, classic lines, favorite fanfic, nagging questions, repeated viewing observations, etc., as today we celebrate "Provenance"!

Polly