The X-Files Episode Guide: Paper Clip

Written by Chris Carter

Directed by Rob Bowman

A lot of good things, even spectacular ones, happen in the conclusion to the season opener.  Unfortunately, we get the first increments of what will eventually turn out to be the seeds of The X-Files downfall. Of course, nobody could've known that at the time, except maybe Chris Carter, who should've known better.

Part of the problem comes in the resolution of the cliffhanger of Blessing Way, which turns the standoff between Scully and Skinner, with the sudden appearance of Mulder. He draws on Skinner, and forces him to lower his weapon, but not to hand over the digital hardcopy of the files that everybody has been looking for in the last episode. Scully then leaves with Mulder. Here comes the real problem. Everyone has presumed Mulder dead; Scully has no reason to expect otherwise. Now he's back, and they don't even spend a minute dwelling on it before off to the chase. The increasing decision never to take a breath before moving on to the next set piece is something that will start straining incredulity very soon, in fact, it does so in this episode.

We then spent the next hour basically leaping between long periods of exposition and heartfelt moments of emotion. Of course, because this is The X-Files¸ all of the exposition can never be trusted as it starts to very quickly contradict itself. The photo that Mulder was trying to get his mother to identify last episode (and which does contain some familiar faces if you look at it closely) turns out to have one of the most notorious Nazi scientists in it. When they manage to track him down (a little too conveniently, even for this series) he gives them just enough information to get to the Strughold Mining company. (Remember the name) They get there, and they are treated to what appears to be a filing system in a space that would rival the Pentagon, filled with what appears to be vast amounts of genetic data for millions of people. And horror of horrors, not only is Scully listed there, but so is Samantha Mulder. It says something that perhaps the biggest revelation comes when we learn that her file was originally Fox's. Even the sight of aliens running through the dark, and what seems to be another UFO (and seriously what are they all doing there? Seems like the Syndicate's putting all their eggs in one basket). And just make sure we get the point, Mulder and Scully return to the Nazi War criminal and get what appears to be a complete explanation from the Well-Manicured Man. It's so much information that even Scully doesn't seem willing to take it seriously, and she could be speaking for the audience.

If they had stuck with this information (and the fact that there is Nazi involvement in genetic experiment on U.S soil is chilling enough), we might--- might--- have been able to keep this all straight. Certainly subsequent episodes in Season 3 would keep to this darker material. What makes the episode stronger---- makes it work far better the majority of the mythology--- is the vast range of emotional energy that's being expounded.  Scully is reluctantly pulled away from the hospital bed of Melissa in a desperate search for the truth, but eventually is willing to sign all that away in exchange for being able to return to be with her mother. It's such a neat reversal of their situations at the end of One Breath that many probably didn't notice---- most likely because this episode doesn't end with recovery but rather with Melissa's death.

Then there is the confrontation with Skinner. If the showdown between the three of them represents the nadir of their relationship, his actions throughout the episode--- willing to negotiate a deal with the devil himself in order to guarantee their safety is a turning point. Near the end of Season Two, Skinner said that he drew the line that Mulder kept stepping over; from this point on begin stepping over on the side of his agents. He also finally turns on the Smoking Man himself in the penultimate scene, after the CSM threatens his life, he turns on the bastard, and with a great deal of relish tells him "This is where you pucker up and kiss my ass!"  (Best line ever.) From this point on, the Smoking Man will never darken Skinner's door, though he'll find many other ways to make his and his agents lives miserable. One wonders if Smoking Man knew there was that big a bluff, considering there's just no way, Albert Hosteen could've memorized the files that quickly, but it clearly scares the crap out of him

The Smoking Man goes through some major beatings himself. He's openly lying to his colleagues in the Syndicate, and it's clearly making him nervous; when he talks to Skinner about the digital tapes, there's a franticness to his anger that we rarely see. He's no longer being trusted by his colleagues, and his own flunkies call him to tell him that his assassination attempts have failed. One wishes they could find a better way to use Krycek, in the three episodes, he undergoes a major character and storyline shift, and he barely has five lines of dialogue in the entire three episodes.

But the most personal decisions come between our heroes. On the digital tape are secrets that can reveal the truth, and as badly as Scully wants to find the answers, she wants to be with he family more. It is telling that Scully leaves the decision up to Mulder, and just as telling that Mulder leaves the decision to go back to work back to Scully, rather than being selfish. It's a very moving scene considering all of the immense revelation and high blown moments, and it's critical that its kept at such a low key.

Whether or not you believe in the quickly spiraling mythology, it doesn't change the fact that Paper Clip is still one of the most astounding pieces of work the series did. It is far better than Blessing Way for the general lack of purple prose (except for Albert's monologues on the white buffalo, but since the episode just lets that go, I think we can let it pass too.) But the reasons for its power and success are for the lower key emotional moments we get, not for all the new 'facts' we seem to learn about the conspiracy. Unfortunately, Carter wouldn't remember for many of the future episodes, a decision that undercut the series immensely later on. For that reason, the trilogy that concludes here may be the high point of the mytharc.

My Score: 4.5 stars