Written by Jeffrey Bell
Directed by Thomas J. Wright
Trying to work out the meanings of
titles of X-Files episodes can be tricky sometime, but few titles can be harder
to interpret than The Goldberg Variation. There are two possible meanings - the
J.S. Bach piece for organ and piano might be a
possibility, but even a classical music buff would have difficulty
figuring out. The other is based on the illustrations of the artistic genius
Rube Goldberg, the man who designed ridiculously elaborate contraptions to
perform the simplest tasks.
One gets a picture of that given
the devices that are designed by the central character in this piece Henry
Weems, a survivor of a plane crash now blessed (or in the more likely idea,
cursed) with great luck. As the episode unfolds, we see that Weems sees himself
caught in one of his own contraptions,
in which the world will crumble around him, and yet somehow he will
emerge unscathed, and somehow better off. It's an intriguing idea for an
episode, and one that would play a critical role in the character of Hurley on
'Lost' just a few years later. There are also some more interesting ideas in
play, as it gives the chance for the X-Files to, for a change, go all out, and
do some of the more outrageous set pieces than they've had a chance to for
awhile - the scene when a hitman tries to take out Weems, only to end up
dead, hanging from a ceiling fan is one
of the more amusing ones we've seen in awhile, and there are several other good
ones throughout the episode.
Where the episode falls down,
however, is trying to come up with a bigger point. As I said, there is an
interesting at the center of Goldberg, about whether or not there is some
driving force controlling everything, and whether or not, somebody can control
it. Henry Weems finds himself at the center of one such driving force, and it
has been so harsh to him that he has decided to disappear rather than risk
anyone's life. Only the idea of helping someone he cares about forces him into
the world, and the consequences are dire - but not for him. This subject could
be dealt with in a manner both humorously and with gravitas had Darin Morgan of
Vince Gilligan been at the helm. Unfortunately, the man driving the engine is
Jeffrey Bell, a writer who to this point in the X-Files seems utterly
unequipped to deal with a simple monster-of-the-week, much less the discussion
between free will and predetermination. This still wouldn't be a failing had he
been able to write a fairly good episode, and he manages to do so for most of
the way. Except he can't seem to come up with a definition as to why Henry's
luck, which seemed to be deteriorating, suddenly comes back with a vengeance in
the climax. We are left to have Mulder and Scully merely observe "Maybe
your luck is changing." For an episode with such a broad idea, to fall to
such narrow terms is a disappointment.
But for all of the problems with
bigger themes, the fact is Goldberg Variation remains a pretty enjoyable romp.
Most of this is due to the performances. Mulder and Scully may not have as much
to do in this episode, but for once that actually seems to work in the
episode's favor. If Mulder or Scully are no more than cogs in one of Henry's
contraptions, then for once their lack of power actually has a purpose to it, instead of just being
lazy writing. (Although considering it's Bell ,
one never knows.) Duchovny delivers some of the more memorable one-liners in
his repertoire, and Anderson gets
allowed to have a little more fun than she's had this season. (I particularly
like the bit when she tells Richie that she likes baseball, no doubt making
everybody in the audience remember the delightful conclusion to Unnatural) The
guest performances are actually much better than we've been getting as well.
Willie Garson does a much better job her than he did in 'The Walk' four years
earlier, capturing the haplessness and despair that Henry has had to go through
for the last decade. Ramy Zada also has some fairly meaty moments as the
mobster whose Henry's decision to play poker with ends in utter disaster. One
could also be a little astonished to see a very young Shia La Beouf as Richie,
the young man who basically inspires all of Henry's actions, and wonder what
the hell happened to make him grow into such a confused adult actor?
The Goldberg Variation is not a
perfect episode or even a great one, but compared to some of the comedies that
we've gotten over the last year, or some of the writing that Bell
would turn out later on, it's a pleasing episode nevertheless. If it's
ultimately unworthy of some of the greater questions it tries to ask, well, the
set pieces are ultimately so enjoyable, and the tone so pleasing, one can
forgive it for its imperfections. This one, anyway.
My score: 3.5 stars.
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