The X-Files is back this week. Here's Matt's review!
In yet another “of its time” move,
The X-Files has returned from a three-week hiatus with an
episode that is likely to make you think twice about how you use
technology in your own life. “Rm9sbG93ZXJz” is a mostly
dialogue-free outing that sees Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully
(Gillian Anderson) on the run from artificial intelligence that wants
to learn from humans and will do anything it can to get what it
wants.
I tend to enjoy more silent episodes of
TV shows, which I think happened around the time that Vince Gilligan
(another X-Files alum) was perfecting the art of wordless
scenes on Breaking Bad. We often take for granted the idea
that film and television are meant to be a visual language, so when a
show does it in a clever manner, we appreciate it that much more.
“Rm9sbG93ZXJz” mostly succeeds on the clever scale, thanks
largely to the writers, Shannon Hamblin & Kristen Cloke, and
director Glen Morgan’s clever use of camera angles. I say mostly,
because not all of the scenes make total sense for Mulder and Scully
to not be speaking to one another. I was actually hoping it was part
of some relationship therapy that they were trying to have a wordless
meal in the beginning. Alas, they’re just not speaking because the
script demands it. Other scenes however, like when Mulder and Scully
are alone in their homes, play a lot better.
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| I'd like an order of fries with a side of conspiracy! |
Like Morgan’s previous outing this
season – “This” – “Rm9sbG93ZXJz” is a fun,
Mulder-and-Scully-on-the-run episode as well as another story that
focuses on man’s reach exceeding his grasp when it comes to
technology. This episode makes a strong argument for the analog
approach when it comes to communication forms. It Is also worth
mentioning that a recurring joke about Scully’s vibrator occurs
throughout the episode, with the final button to a scene being
Mulder’s perfect-reaction to seeing said object. It’s a bit of
visual comedy that goes a long way in an episode that requires the
actors’ physical strengths as well as their ability to express and
emote without the use of words.
With each new episode, I’m sad that
this season is nearing its end. Even in its original run, the show
managed to fall out of relevancy because of the shifting political
climate, and an admittedly tired writing staff and crew. As I have
written before, The X-Files is more relevant than ever, and
episodes like “Rm9sbG93ZXJz” prove why we need it on the air. The
truth is still out there, and for three more weeks, at least, we can
watch Mulder and Scully in the dogged pursuit of it.
Score
