In The Basement: "Quagmire" 5/3 Episode Review
rhoni_&_kl
In The Basement: "Quagmire" 5/3 Episode Review
by Rhoni & KL
(rh...@microserve.net and kli...@pt8000.pto.ford.com)
E-mail us and let us know what you think!!!!! We love mail.
First let's dispense with some business.
All opinions stated herein are our own. At least we think they are, but
let's not rule out brainwashing or subversive microwave transmissions, all
right? (In Rhoni's case, it might be the personalities taking over, we
aren't sure yet.) If we happen to step on someone's toesies during our
review, well, sorry, but we guess your feet are too big. Some stuff is
solely TIC intended (tongue in cheek, where ELSE would it be?) so just go
with it. (Um... Rhoni had some suggestion about the former remark and DD but
I think I'll have to edit that out.) We love the 'Files, but a RL is a nice
place to visit sometimes. (Rhoni: You have a real life KL? I'm jealous!)
(KL: Only during the summer months - like some twisted theme park ride.)
The Rating System:
X = Don't bother. Go to ATXC and write your own episode. Post it and hope
you don't get flamed by some Star Trek fan. (Rhoni & KL: Been there. Done
it. Bought the t-shirt.)
XX = Not bad, but we're glad we didn't waste any VCR tape on this one!
(read: KL couldn't quite figure out how to program the settings on her
VCR again. Rhoni on the other hand, tapes em all, even the Killer Kitty
Litter episode. She's hopeless!)
XXX = Pretty Good. We laughed, We cried, We shrieked in girlie terror. (KL:
Hey, was that you Rhoni? Rhoni: No it was my brother-in-law.)
XXXX = Great Episode. We are rewinding our tapes as we speak so we can note
all the "Isms" and other interesting stuff (hopefully some hidden 1013 signs)
so we can go out to ATX and post them first, thus proving the intelligence
of our species. (KL gets there first, but only by sabotaging Rhoni's hard drive
with a virus created in her spare time. Rhoni swears vengeance and KL is
forced to submerge her incoming snail mail. Too bad all of her X-File cards
are soggy now.)
XXXXX = Excellent. Was this a Darin Morgan script? (Rhoni and KL bow in
humble reverence)
Episode: "Quagmire" (or Oh, where, oh where has my little dog gone?) Rhoni
sniffles, KL laughes in girly delight.
Writer: Kim Newton (KL: Please don't go away!)
Director: Kim Manners
Guests: Chris Ellis (Sheriff Hindt), Timothy Webber (Dr. Farraday), R.
Nelson Brown (Ansel Bray)
Monster of the Week (type/species/quirks/sexual charisma): A Plesiosaur
named Big Blue. (A cousin of Nessie no doubt.)
Conspiracy: None really. But an ecological message was thrust at us.
Did Mulder Get His Ass Kicked and/or Lose His Gun Again?: Does tripping on a
dead tree count? He didn't drop his gun in this episode either. (Rhoni
notices that is two episodes in a row. Are we seeing a trend to more
competent Mulder? KL: Perhaps. Seemed like Scully had the slippery fingers
this episode when she lost QQ's leash several times.)
How Many Times Did Scully Roll Her Eyes?: Rhoni caught one, but it may have been
a pointed look at Mulder out of the corner of her eye when Dr. Farraday was
lecturing them on pseudo science.
2.) Episode Rating: Rhoni: I'd give it four Xs. KL: I would concurr with the XXXX
rating. Close to a DM episode, but no cigar. I am sure Kim Newton will end up with
a five X rating sometime in the future.
3.) Summary: Mulder drags Scully out to Georgia to investigate the missing
persons case of a park ranger. HE thinks the ranger, and a previous Boy
Scout leader were the victims of a Nessie like creature named Big Blue.
Scully sees him as Ahab chasing the elusive White Whale. Their quarry turns
out to be a big alligator... or was it?
4.) Not To Be Missed Scenes:
Rhoni: Dr. Farraday's speech on psudo science and such. The looks Scully
threw Mulder were amusing.
Rhoni & KL: Scully's face when her beloved Queequeg turns into an hours devours.
KL: The reciting of the "hell quote" from Moby Dick. A CLASSIC!
Rhoni & KL: The entire "Conversation On The Rock".
//Mulder: "Scully, do you think you could ever cannibalize someone? I
mean if you really had to."
Scully: "Well, as much as the very idea is abhorrent to me, I
suppose, under certain conditions a living entity is basically conditioned
to perform whatever exstreme measures are necessary to ensure it's survival.
I suppose I'm no different."
Mulder: "You've lost some weight recently haven't you?"//
5.) Hidden Agendas and Obscure References (aka: The Reason We Live For
This Show or Just How Obsessive Are We?): OK, how about the name of the Lake
monster? Big "BLUE". (Rhoni points out to the less obsessive that Dave
Duchovny's constant companion is his dog named Blue. KL: There is the IBM
hoopla too, but I don't think that was the point. I agree with DD's dog.
How many discussions were going on about the name of Scully's Pom? How
many Fan Fics has it turned up in? CC decided to throw us a name no one
thought of, yet made perfect sense. Queequeg. (We'll miss you little guy.)
KL: Don't forget the Toad Licking Hippies from WOTC. Great to see em back!
8.) The X-Factor: (gross out, conspiracy, MOTW; how did it scare you in
that Filey kinda way?) Half a body. We got the idea with the jeans only, was
it necessary to show us how it was bitten?
7.) Pretty Boy/Brainy Beauty Factor: Rhoni: Mmmmm, mmmm, mmmm Mulder in
jeans and hiking boots. I love that look on him. (KL reaches over to wipe the drool
from Rhoni's chin before it hits the keyboard.)
Thank goodness they finally got Scully out of those suits and into something so
very flattering. That leather jacket (and nice flat boots) really showed her off quite
nicely.
8.) Parting Shots: Rhoni: Why did they have to kill the dog? It was rather
pointless other then to upset the fans. I mean hasn't Scully suffered
enough? She's lost her father and her sister, why did she have to loose a
pet she obviously cared so much about? (Rhoni points out this is why she
hates shows with dogs in them. She's a dog lover.)
KL: Bye bye doggie! He was a cute little bugger, but I find it hilarious that as
Darin Morgan announces he is leaving the show, they kill off the dog he created.
I think it was his big send off (remember the message they left for Morgan and Wong
when they left for S:AAB?). A sick bit of black comedy, but one I enjoyed.
Rhoni: I must say having Big Blue swim by after Mulder left was perfect, and
absolutely CUTE. I just hope it wasn't meant to scare. (Rhoni's reaction was
to giggle and say :'Awwww.' Even though she fully expected it.)
KL: HATED IT! That was a pretty pathetic attempt. I thought for a second it
was a cartoon or something. A few bubbles and a black mysterious shape would
have been much more suggestive and fitting to the overall composition of that
particular episode.
Rhoni and KL have left the studio to go back to their computers and
crank out some FanFic for ATXC. Go out and visit the Gossamer site
where the stories are archived at http://gossamer.eng.ohio-state.edu/x-files.
Check out Rhoni's "Cassandra Series", KL's "April Fool's Day Series" or the
"Listening In" series - at least two of which were written by Rhoni *and* KL.
Next week: "Wetwired"