X-Files: S.R. 819

Written by John Shiban

Directed by Daniel Sackheim

In addition to the lighter tone that the series has been taking the last few weeks, we've also scarcely seen many of the regulars associated  with the conspiracy. To get a combination of the two is rather refreshing, and considering the source of this episode, kind of remarkable.

John Shiban has been a writer more comfortable with more traditional type dramas than the paranormal that we usually get. In last season's Pine Bluff Variant, we got an episode that would've more suited to the world of 24 than the traditional X-Files, and in S.R. 819, we get an episode with a similar vein -- a character whose life will be over within 24 hours if his killer is not stopped. This wouldn't work if the victim was Mulder or Scully, but by threatening Skinner, who has practically been an absentee so far this season, it reaches a level of genius -- after all, killing off a series semi-regular is something that the writers would do without a moments thought. It also has the habit of united Mulder and Scully in a way they truly haven't been for much of Season 6,  even if it does tend to separate them much the way that the mytharc episodes often did. Admittedly, we don't realize that its a mytharc episode until its almost over - but we'll get to that.

Even separated from Mulder and Scully,  Skinner has still been suffering as head of the X-Files. It's now clear that his marriage has ended, and he seems even more rudderless than he did throughout much of the last two years. It's something of a stretch to say that Skinner almost seems to welcome the threat on his life - the way he reacts by thinking that the death threat is somehow all about Mulder puts the agent in his place- but this episode does give Mitch Pileggi a chance to stretch his acting muscles in a way that he hasn't in nearly a year and a half. His determination to figure out why he has become a target for death is rather strong - and the way he tries to ignore his worsening condition is something that plays right out of Mulder's handbook - but it's still good to finally see an episode where he finds himself considering the end. It's not something he's unfamiliar with - he was in the hospital at the hands of the conspiracy back in Season 3 - but it seems to have brought him to a level of reflection that frankly, you'd think he'd have considered before this point. The scene where he confesses to Scully that he realizes that he could've been a better ally to them is by far the most poignant moment his character has had in nearly five years on the series. Which is one of the reasons, it seems like such a step backwards at the end of the episode when he eventually returns to the position he's held. He has a reason, but its not as satisfying.

The episode also gives both Duchovny and Anderson something else to act off other  than each other, which has been a habit of much of Season 6 so far. Duchovny is by far as his angriest when he pursues what is happened to Skinner -  when he refers to him as a friend, you get the feeling this may be the first time in his life that he's acknowledging as much. It no doubts hurts a lot more that in order to do this, he has to go after a man whose been one of his strongest allies - Senator Matheson, making his first appearance since Nisei. Unfortunately, this is actually one of the weaker moments of the episode. It's never made entirely clear why the bill that Skinner is part of moving forward is so important to the conspiracy, so much so that Matheson is willing to cut off his relationship with Mulder in order to stop it. This is actually one of the more painful parts of the episode. Matheson may not have been the most consistent ally Mulder had, but he was a far more interesting character who could've been used more effectively. Instead, this is his last appearance on the series, and the writers never feel like he has to be visited again

Anderson's work is much better. Having to work as a medical doctor to try and save a life for a change, as always, brings out the bets in her. And for once, her scientific approach is almost merited. She seems more determined to work in almost every capacity, and the scene where she becomes Skinner's confidant and reassures him that he's done everything he can do is almost as moving as Skinner's mea culpa.

This episode moves very effectively, and works visually and the dialogue is unusually crisps. (Event the voiceover from Skinner at the top of the episode seems a lot less purple than the kind of monologue we get, but that's what we've come to expect from Skinner by now) It only stumbles in the last couple of minutes, when Skinner considering all the threat to his lifer, turns his back on the two people who have been trying to help all episode. When we learn that the man who has been controlling the nanobots that effectively killed Skinner was in fact Alex Krycek, it's obviously meant to come as a shock, as once again, the producers kept his name off the guest star list/ And yes, Shiban has been clever at making it less than obvious that Krycek was the man behind the curtain. But since we no longer seem to know what side Krycek is really on, the moment loses a lot of oomph, considering that all of this was apparently a move to get him back in the Syndicate's pawn. (And considering what's about to happen, one wonders what the point was.) Regardless, Skinner will be in Krycek's thrall until the series is almost over, but one wonders why go through all these shenanigans in the first place?

Despite that, S.R. 819 is one of the more suspenseful bits in a season that will be remarkably free of them. If it does seem to be more of a step back when it comes to Skinner, one can only be relieved by the fact that Walter will get there eventually -- and those nanobots won't be a factor in his decision at all.

My score: 3.75 stars.