Written & Directed by Chris Carter
There are X-Files episodes that are
odd beasts, and that really don't fit into the canon. And while in the early
seasons most of them were property of writers who were still trying to figure
out their places in the lexicon (and many didn't), quite a few were the property
of Chris Carter. Which is strange considering the series is his creation. Then
again, considering that many of those episodes were mytharcs filled with prose
so purple, you could see the actors struggling to say it, and the other half
were bizarre experimentations that would've been odd fits in any series, maybe
it's not such a surprise.
But the move to Hollywood
seems to have unleashed a playful streak in Carter, and How the Ghosts Stole
Christmas is another such joyous byproduct. Triangle was experimental and
delightful because it unleashed the abilities of Carter doing camerawork. This
episode is a bit more restrained, but no less different. Here we have an
episode, that for all intents in purpose, is as close to a play as the X-Files
will ever do. Almost all the episode is set in a single location, it takes
place in almost real time, and only four actors appear in the entire piece. And
while we've dealt with all kinds of supernatural events in the five plus years
on the show, this is the first one to really take a shot at the ghost story.
And in what is rapidly becoming a
common theme of Season 6, the ghosts in this story are no less concerned with
human affairs even after shuffling off the mortal coil. They seem to have gone from a blissful young
couple on the cusp of World War I to a bitter elderly pair concerned with the
mundane affairs of the living. Yes, they do seem determined to make Mulder and
Scully die tonight, they don't seem much concerned with doing this for some
great paranormal reason, but rather so they won't get left off the tourist
literature.
This already has the material of
what could be a delightful comedy. What makes this such an enjoyable episode is
the fact that Mulder and Scully are right at the center of this. Maurice and Lydia
are trying their damnedest to make them embrace the two have a lover's pact -
and, as we can see, they just aren't up for it. So they try a more
psychological approach, Maurice going after Mulder by profiling him as a
deluded man determined to make everybody believe him, and Scully as a
ridiculous harpy whose only joy in life comes in proving him wrong. In essence,
they have tapped into the psyche of many of the viewers, but its far more
enjoyable hearing it come from the source. It doesn't hurt matters that the
ghost are played by legends Ed Asner and Lily Tomlin, both of whom deliver some
of the more glorious acting moments in the entire X-Files guest actor canon.
Together, they help create the episode from ever crossing the boundary into too
pedantic, and so it plays delightfully. And this is an episode, mind you, that
has our two heroes pulling their bleeding, dying bodies across the decrepit
floors of a haunted house while "Have Yourself a Merry Little
Christmas" plays out.
Duchovny and Anderson have to carry the first
act of this story with nobody but themselves to play off, and in many ways,
that adds to part of the joy of the moment. There's a bit too much of the
purple even here - Mulder's monologue where he relays the story of the ghosts
he hopes to find, Scully and her long speech on how ghosts say more about the
living then they do about the dead. But the way the two manage to undercut each
other at just the right moments help to puncture any balloons that we might
think when the episode seems to be getting too overblown. What is more
concerning is how Mulder and Scully's relationship is being put at the central
of the story, and much like the mythology, seems unable to be leading anywhere
conclusive. It's done so gently here that one doesn't object, but its going to
become an issue in later episodes.
It's not altogether a perfect
episode - Mark Snow's score can add a layer of interference the longer it goes
- but by and large, Ghosts is one of the most enjoyable comedies the X-Files
would put together. One would not consider this to be a series to do Christmas
episodes well at all - and considering what we got last year, maybe that's a
good thing - but it stands tall as one of the better holiday themed episodes
I've ever seen. It even has what comes as close to a happy ending as the series
gets, with Mulder and Scully gleefully unwrapping the presents they promised
not to get each other for Christmas. There could be no clearer sign as to the
direction that our heroes are heading in, even if they themselves haven't
realized it yet.
My score: 5 stars.
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