Theatre of the Mind ~ Medusa
1. 1013 in progress - is that the code for Mulderless episodes?
2. The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) boasts the fourth largest mass transit system in the country, serving more than 700,000 people a day. The subway system is affectionately known as the "T" in Boston, but was temporarily renamed the "M" for this episode.
3. Seems an odd time to set traps for fare jumpers.
4. Ewww. Are there tobacco beetles on this train?
5. TWC1: The FBI badge from hell is gone again; Falling!Mulder only. Holy Flaming Cow.
6. Deputy Chief Karras is a man who's got schedules to keep.
7. I daresay 100,000 commuters would be *more* pissed if their faces fell off during the trip home. Given the options, I'd say they would be happy to find alternate transportation.
8. TWC2: The long trenches remind me of days gone by. And Scully is back to the turtlenecks. Lovely.
9. There is no such thing as a robotic sniffer, but within the Center for Disease Control (CDC) there is a specialized subdivision called the "Meningitis and Special Pathogens Branch," a group of scientists well known for their special expertise in dealing with dangerous bacterial infections that pose a threat to public health, especially those bacteria and pathogens which cause unexplained deaths.
10. DVAOA (Déjà Vu All Over Again): The introductions scene reminds me of "Ice," except that no one is listening to an old Chargers game on tape (the Morgan/Wong influence).
11. Hellura Lyle and Kai Bowie are named after two Writers Guild trainees on The X-Files staff during the first part of Season 8. Steven Melnick is named for the Vice President of Media Relations at Twentieth Century Fox Television. He was formerly the publicist for The X-Files.
12. Unequivocal Deaths.
13. Manly Quote of the Day: "I'm just a good shot."
14. MSRM: We all know why she's not going into the tunnel. :::sniff:::
15. Kudos to usually bad liar Scully for coming up with that "I'll be more effective analyzing the situation from up here" scenario pretty quickly and pretty convincingly.
16. DVAOA: "Eyes and ears" reminds me of "Pusher." And before you ask, Agent Doggett, no, you can't get the NASCAR channel.
17. TWC3: Keep in mind that my heart belongs to only one man in kevlar; but Agent Dogget, I think it's remotely plausible that someone might think you're hot.
18. PSC1: Thanks to two timeline references in the course of a minute (middle of winter and Survivor II, which started in February 2001) we're able to ascertain that Scully is at least 10 months pregnant and still not showing at all. I'm beginning to be less concerned about an alien baby and more concerned about an elephant baby.
19. Puddles of green goo.
20. "Like a songbird"? Doggett has obviously never been treated to a chorus of "Joy to the World." (Thank God.)
21. DVAOA: Neck check! Neck check! Not quite the same as "Ice" but it's the thought that counts.
22. A chemical analyzer with a built-in modem. Very cool.
23. Seawater is a solution derived from the erosion of rocks and minerals. Its chemical composition is approximately 96.5 percent water, 2.5 percent sodium chloride (salt), and one percent magnesium, calcium, potassium, and various other trace elements. While the actual salinity of the oceans averages out to 35 parts per 1000, the most brackish body of water, the Dead Sea, averages out to 300 parts per 1000.
24. DVAOA: Karras reminds Scully they're on the clock, but I only hear Mulder in "731": "Tick, tick, Scully."
25. Great lighting work with the Big Ass Flashlights. Takes me back to the days of Vancouver.
26. Doggett explores the tunnel not taken.
27. Oooh! That's one knockdown! Three in one episode and there's a man-datory manly man point deduction.
28. But a nice recovery - refusing a hand up.
29. "Would you call that equivocal?" ROTF.
30. Look at that digital camera. These virus hunters have some nifty equipment.
31. DVAOA: "Oh my God." Pick an episode, any episode.
32. DVAOA: Considering what happened when she cut through the plastic bag in "F. Emasculata," Scully should have known better than to ask Doggett to unwrap those bodies. I'll contage you, baby.
33. You go, girl!
34. Even though he's deaf now from that outburst in his ear, Doggett still defers to Scully as the boss of this operation.
35. PSC2: "Nine months" a short time? Apparently not in this pregnancy.
36. DVAOA: Outsiders plant the seeds of doubt about the partnership ("Ice," "Dod Kalm," etc.).
37. Doggett gets extra credit for defending Scully's decision even though we know he doesn't understand it.
38. Pissing Contest!
39. Melnick has a short in his shorts!!
40. DVAOA: The green menace, "Darkness Falls," of course.
41. The Testosterone Brigade stays on to search the tunnel.
42. DVAOA: Scully assails law enforcement for endangering her partner ("The Pine Bluff Variant").
43. PSC3: Her "partner"? Did she really call him that? Blech!
44. Oh oh! Testosterone showdown! This tunnel ain't big enough for the both of us, pilgrim.
45. *Two* knockdowns! You're treading on dangerous ground, Manly Man!
46. PSC4: Now, I could be upset that Scully is getting all concerned and throwing things because the Manly Man is in danger. But I'm not. Why? First, because the amount of worry she's displaying is directly proportionate to the amount of guilt she's feeling that she's not watching her "partner's" back and that she was not honest with him about why. (Mulder didn't corner the market on guilt, you know.) Secondly, I firmly believe that baby or no baby, if it was Mulder down in that tunnel, Scully would be strapping on the kevlar outfit (a la "First Person Shooter" - DVAOA) for the rescue so fast it would make your head spin. Doggett may be her "partner," but he's not her *partner* - if you get my drift.
47. Killer glowing jellyfish? You find the strangest things in seawater! (DVAOA: Agua Mala.)
48. A medusa is the tentacled, usually bell-shaped, free-swimming sexual stage in the life cycle of a coelenterate, such as a jellyfish. It takes its name from Medusa of Greek mythology, the Gorgon with the hairdo of snakes who was killed by Perseus.
49. PSC5: See, she called him her "partner" again when feeling guilty about not being in the tunnel.
50. No fair! Scully should be the one glowing now!
51. DVAOA Big Time: "You had me." ("Fight the Future").
52. Gotta do the Manly thing and skip the quarantine.
53. I'm sure if the passengers on the platform saw a few glowing people go by, they wouldn't mind waiting.
54. No throwing things now, but I'm actually enjoying Doggett in this episode. He's finally showing me some character, and I give kudos to RP for doing a good job here as the Manly Man who is baffled by the circumstances but is still trying to use every avenue to find the answers. He's looking to his partner for help, but also decides he'd better try to figure some things out for himself just in case. I also think it's no coincidence that part of the reason I'm liking Doggett better here is because he and Scully are separated.
55. "An idea, a notion, a wild guess." ROTFLMAO.
56. I wonder if the Doggett Action Figure will glow in the dark?
57. PSC6: I know why the little boy is there! So that Scully can make her huge Mulder-like leap and solve the mystery! That's the *only* purpose of the kid's sudden appearance. Well, that and to lead Doggett out of the tunnel.
58. Everything You Wanted to Know About Sweat But Were Afraid to Ask: Human beings and other fellow mammals use perspiration, or sweat, as the body's way of temperature control. Sweat is mainly composed of water, sodium chloride, and other electrolytes, and when it evaporates from the skin surface it removes the excess heat, thus cooling the body. The average person has about 2.6 million sweat glands distributed within their skin - of which there are two types: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. While the eccrine glands secrete a more fluid sweat, the apocrine glands excrete a fattier sweat that breaks down and causes a distinct, pungent odor. These glands are only located in the armpits, nipples, navel, and anogenital region and become more active in humans with the onset of puberty.
59. I'm guessing the Manly Man's deodorant is Brute or Old Spice ... not the deodorant that's made for a woman but strong enough for a man (DVAOA: "Shapes.")
60. It ain't easy bein' green.
61. I hear the train a'comin'. It's rollin' round the bend ...
62. MMM: I have to admit that this episode was such a cornucopia of Manliness that it was tough to pick just one Manly Moment. I mean getting knocked down, but getting up again (twice); defending the honor of the "boss" - a woman - several times; and sticking it out in the tunnel even after he knew he was infected. But playing chicken with a speeding commuter train while doing the thing with the gun to save the day? That's gotta be it! And he learned a big lesson in this one: Never let 'em see ya sweat.
63. Manly Men always make the worst patients.
64. TWC4: The return of the just a tad too tight leather coat.
65. DVAOA: Doggett's modesty reminds me of Mulder's lack thereof in "Max."
66. DVAOA: And just like "Ice," "Darkness Falls," and "Dod Kalm," all proof is destroyed.
67. Still feeling guilty for sending her partner into the lion's den, Scully doesn't want credit for solving the case; and as usual, she doesn't want to talk about it (DVAOA - you pick).
68. ACM: That clever Chris Carter! Nary a Mulder Mention in the whole darn episode, but because I've had so many reminders of episodes past, Fox Mulder is on my mind more than ever. He's a crafty son of a gun, isn't he?
"Medusa" was basically a composite of many episodes that preceded it. Put the agents in a remote location with a ragtag group of strangers, introduce the "x" factor such as wiggly worms, green glowing insects, rapid aging contagion, asparagus shaped parasites, wooden mothmen, etc., etc., and let the fun begin. The plot was basically the same, only the location was changed. I thought we were supposed to be telling new stories this year? Seems like we're telling the same stories, just in a different venue. Well, I know what Chris would say: "I hope you're enjoying the ride." Some are, Chris. And that's good. And some are not. And that's okay too. And me? Where do I stand? "Well, I guess I'm just here for the moral support."
Apologies to each of you, to glowing jellyfish, commuters, and all the episodes I *didn't* think of while watching "Medusa." I'm sure if you gave me enough time, I would think of each and every one. But I can't dilly-dally now; I've got to go on cause there's nine episodes left in Season 8 and ten days before the big finale. Do you think I'll get them all done before May 19 rolls around? Just remember -
"I'm moving as fast as I can."
Polly