REVIEW: Autumn's "Small Potatoes" Review - SPOILERS
Autumn T
"Small Potatoes" Review
By Autumn Tysko
"How would this happen?"
"Birds and the bees and the monkey babies, Mulder."
I don't care how the hell it happened, but I wish it would happen a whole
lot more often. Deep in the dreary and dire tail end of this season of
bees, brain cancer, and bleeding tattoos we have been given a gift sorely
missed this season by writer Vince Gilligan - a Darin Morgan episode.
Darin may have left us this year, but Vince figured out a way to bring him
back as an actor (and he does a great job of playing this loser with the
ability to "make faces") in this wickedly funny classic episode of The
X-Files. A true gem on the show's writing staff with a knack for knowing
just how to involve Mulder & Scully in the story, Vince has proven himself
as adept at writing a story that has us rolling in laughter as those that
tear at your heart. I also have to thank Mr. Gilligan for once again
giving a nod to continuity and actually having Mulder and Scully
acknowledge that they have seen this morphing ability before instead of
just ignoring that fact as they so often do.
I'm glad that Vince remembered that Mulder isn't the only funny one too -
one of the things I always enjoy is the opportunity for Scully to show a
sense of humor. Her chiding of Mulder (starting in the car with "So, uh,
so what else about this interests you? Could it be .. uhhhh... visitors
from space?") and her ability to rattle off a Mulder theory as good as he
can ("Scully, should we be picking out china patterns or what?") were a
welcome treat. However, this show is clearly Duchovny's and boy does he
run with it. From the moment Faux Mulder stuck his head out of the
bathroom and said "It's a clear" what was clear is that we were in for a
treat.
Given only a tie to tell them apart, Duchovny expertly creates Eddie as
Faux Mulder. It is a delightful discovery when the audience first realizes
what is going on (though on second viewing it is clear from the moment
"Mulder" enters the girl's room that it is indeed Eddie). So while the
real Mulder is busy breaking the tail off of Scully's little science
experiment and planning a quick exit before she can notice, Faux Mulder is
running around with a truly dorky picture of himself hoping his high
school sweetheart would admit he wasn't a total dweeb. As Faux Mulder
leaves Real Mulder locked in a hole with a Perk Cola, sandwich, and an
apple the real fun begins. He whines "I'm sorry", closes the case, and
tries his best to impersonate an FBI agent (even if he can't spell it). In
Skinner's office you see him trying to mimic Scully's posture and then he
awkwardly taps her on the shoulder as he begins his plan.
The office scene and the scene at Mulder's apartment were truly something.
There were fish in the fish tank for a change and even Faux Mulder
wondered "Where the hell do I sleep?" From bad basketball batting to
cheese steak loving geeks for friends and a porno hot line that calls him
(more continuity using the Marty Mulder alias he used in "3" - thanks
again Vince) I was laughing all the way. Scully's not the only one with no
life in this duo, and Eddie is right - they both need to live a little.
Director Cliff Bole had a successful outing for his first episode with the
show, and the supporting performances were just plain fun. I especially
enjoyed Christine Cavenaugh's whacked out Star Wars groupie, Amanda
Nelligan - her scenes were laughing out loud funny. Though she is famous
for her voice work I think this shows that she ought to get time in front
of the camera more often. The initial interview with her was hilarious as
Mulder bails right after she started singing and Scully can barely contain
herself at the ludicrous nature of the case.
Okay, sports fans time to talk about "The Scene". I've got to admit,
though I found it quite entertaining to watch I was left with feeling
"Poor Scully" at the end. I think the question of whether or not Scully
has ever entertained unpartnerlike thoughts about Mulder has been pretty
much answered. Kudos to Gillian Anderson for playing this all so very
believably. Our girl Scully has yet another exciting Friday night planned
for herself -now that she no longer has a dog to wash she is torn between
the thrill of finishing her monograph for "Penology Review" on that
riveting topic of "Diminished Acetylcholine Production in Recidivist
Offenders" or pouring over autopsy results of a quicklimed monkey man. So
Casual!Scully sits alone when Faux Mulder shows up bottle of wine in hand
sporting a goofy grin. Scully is immediately wary,sure something is wrong,
but goes with it giving Mulder curious sidelong glances as she opens the
wine. Eddie Van Blundht was right when he said "maybe I got personality" -
what he has figured out is how to master these situations and give women
what they want. I bet Scully has wanted to "really talk" to Mulder for a
long long time, so a bottle of wine, firelight, romantic music, a little
bonding with a pumper-truck prom story, and three shakes of a monkey-man's
tail later Scully is perhaps thinking that she's only had two bad dates in
four years and she's only got so long to live, so what the hell - why not.
The vulnerable way she quietly says "I like it" and that beautiful moment
of realization Gillian gives us as Scully watches the Mighty Morphin Panty
Raider * move in for the kiss complete with a soft nervous sigh was
wonderfully done. Like I said, poor Scully. Oh well, Action!Mulder is
there to break up the party and the door (does he not have a key?) so all
that is sacred is safe in X-Files land. No kiss, but UST for miles. Mulder
and Scully are back to not "really" talking until Mulder, while not a
loser according to Scully, can perhaps find a little bit of Eddie in
himself.
*As much as I'd like to take credit for Mighty Morphin Panty Raider, I
must thank Sister Nina the Remotely Plausible for coining that one.
Random Musings
-------------------------
-Retreads (and there were lots): The black nurse was the maid in "Our
Town" and a train clerk in "Nisei". The Doctor with the PCRs was one of
the evil PTA members in "Die Hand" and also in "Born Again" as the little
girl's doctor. The security guard wearing his pants around his ankles
could be seen in "Blessing Way", and of course, not that you'd recognize
him, but Darin Morgan was the flukeman from "The Host" under all that
latex.
-X-Files once again concocts its favorite tabloid "The World Weekly
Informer" - and in addition to that great "Monkey Babies Invade Small Town
... Did West Virginia Women Mate With Visitors From Space?" headline and
classic photo we had "Michael Jackson Held Captive By Exotic Pets", "ETAP
Bigshot Busted" (which I would assume was a joke at one of the show's
cameramen or cinematographers), and last but not least an exclusive by the
Stupendous Yappi.
-Hmmm. So just what was about to happen on good little catholic girl
Scully's prom date when the sirens started going off? After all Marcus was
the 12th grade love of her life...
-So how does one become impregnated by Luke Skywalker? "He dropped by my
apartment one day and one thing sort of lead to another..." - Sounds like
standard moves for Eddie. Could've been Scully saying this.
-Nice to have an episode chock full of *plausible* Scully Rational
Explanations (SREs) - she was doing all the medical grunt work to solve
this right along with Mulder, and her explanations of events were logical
and possible. The Rohypnol rape and the medial reasons for the tails were
both quite good.
-I don't know if Scully's wearing shorter heels these days, or if it was
just all the walking shots, but the height difference was really apparent
this episode - perhaps highlighted by Duchovny having to bend himself
awkwardly to even fit under that umbrella.
-Speaking of the umbrella, the weather sure did change from the rainy car
to the porch where the sun shines brightly.
-I loved the way the silent "H" fell off the side of the house when Mulder
& Scully were at the door.
-Yet another great moment. Mulder opening a door to large crashing and
clanging then yelling "I'm alright". Scully: "What?"
-That was a heck of a flying tackle and a great slide attached to snag the
perp by Action!Mulder.
-So did this thing get a TV-14 just for a few swear words and a plumber's
butt scene? That's pretty mystifying to me.
-It's funny the games they play to amuse themselves, but really... Eleanor
Roosevelt? Mulder was right to amend the rules after that one.
-It's no wonder Eddie turned out so strange - just look at his house. Dad
the Monkey Man on the wall. Old copies of Glimpse magazine with "The Tale
of a Tail" stacked around, TVs on top of TVs, and velour lamp shades for
crying out loud.
-Ah, a pathologist and her power tools - plus yet another entry in the
Scully fashion headgear for autopsies.
-A headline from Mulder's wall: "Dead Horse Riddle Sparks UFO Buffs".
-We finally have an address for Mulder: 42-2630 Hegal Place, Alexandria,
VA 23242. And we know his driver's license will expire 3-31-99.
-The last shot shows someone swabbing the floors wearing the same outfit
we just saw Eddie in... hmmm...
Autumn
"Did he have a light saber?"
Autumn Tysko
"Mulder, they're worms" / Sister of OBSSE
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