Friday, October 21, 2016

X-Files Episode Guide: Unruhe

Written by Vince Gilligan
Directed by Rob Bowman

The first episode of the series to air on Sunday night is also the first episode aired out of order (it was the second episode of Season 4) Made to air after Millennium took its time slot,  it plays as one of the darker and more unsettling episodes of the series. It also plays remarkably like one of the more 'straight' X-Files and highlights one of the more obvious discords.
For once, the element of the supernatural seems almost incidental to the nature of the story. Indeed, Mulder's obsessive nature over the finding these 'thoughtographs' seems almost trivial in comparison with the hideousness of the crimes that are being committed. It ends up making Mulder, for the first half of the story, someone who is more obsessed with the paranormal then with the body count that is piling up. Scully, by contrast, seems more repulsed by the nature of the crime than in any episode since Irresistible (and that's not the only echo of  that were going to have). The crimes do seem to warrant it. The murders of these young women that the killer is trying to 'save' are some of the more unsettling ones we've seen the show do in awhile, partly because they seem more monstrous in nature.
Throughout his career,  writer Gilligan will demonstrate a remarkable ability to make the inhuman seem human, making us see the man behind the monster. Gerry Schnauz (named, as we will find out, in honor of a friend and future colleague of Gilligan's)  is made out to be clearly disturbed, the victim of some kind of horrible abuse from his father that led to his sister's suicide. Unable to deal with these horrors, his personality has become so warped that it seems to have the power to do so to photographs. Yet there is an element of humanity to Schnauz despite all this--- after all, there is the fact that he genuinely believes he's helping his victims--- and in the final minutes of his interaction with Scully, he seems to realize there is some element of the devil in him after all. In what will become a recurring theme of Gilligan throughout his Season 4 scripts, the monstrous elements of the man don't make him seem like less of a human being. Full credit, too, should be given to veteran character actor Pruitt Taylor Vince, early enough in a long and successful career to seem equal parts victim and perpetrator.
 In part because of Mulder's obsessive nature involving these photographs, he looks a bit flakier than he normally does. It therefore falls to Gillian Anderson to do the leg work. She figures out how the killer chooses his victims and her instant leap when Mulder tells her about a certain element in the photograph to connect with who the killer is spot on  One therefore chafes a little to learn that, yes, this is another episode where Scully gets abducted. (Admittedly, its the first time in a year, but still, it's getting a little trite by now.) What makes this abduction different than the others is that Scully actively takes a part in trying to save herself, and trying to convince Schnauz of his madness. (Unfortunately for her, it works a little too well)  It's a startling scene that makes us realize just how strong Scully is. What we don't understand is why Schnauz sees 'unrest' in her, anymore then the other victims. (Then again, perhaps as with Clyde Bruckman a year ago, maybe he knows somehow what's coming for Scully.)  At the end of the episode, when Scully is like always writing the end of case notes, she seems more disgusted and revolted than usual. (Anyone doubt me, just look at the end of last week's episode and contrast) It's as if the horrors of the event have risen up through her gorge more than usual.
Unruhe is not quite a perfect episode. I'm still not sure how Mulder figured out where Schnauz was keeping Scully, or what exactly the 'sixth finger' is supposed to represent. And considering that the episode ends with no clearer reason as to why these women were being tormented by 'the howlers' , seems to be a gulf that the series should have tried to clear up. But by and large this episode is one of the show's underrated gems. Like Oubilette last year, its difficult to watch and difficult  to like, but its one of the series more restrained looks into the mouth of madness.

My score: 4.5 stars.

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