Commentary on "Monday"
Doug Bailey
Rating : ** ½
This episode had an interesting, if unoriginal, concept.
Basically it was X-Files meets "Groundhog Day". Like the characters in the
Bill Murray movie, our heroes are fated to repeat the same really bad day
over and over and over again. Mulder and Scully don't realize what is
happening at first, though Mulder slowly begins to understand that the day
is repeating.
The basic scenario is as follows.
Mulder wakes up late because the waterbed that Morris Fletcher got for
him in Dreamland II sprung a leak shorting out his alarm clock. The water
flooded Mulder's bedroom and the apartment downstairs. He gets a call from
the landlord and writes a check for the damages. Knowing the check will
bounce, if he doesn't deposit his paycheck immediately, Mulder goes to the
bank after arriving at work.
Meanwhile a man named Bernard (played by Darren Burrow) leaves his
apartment and goes to rob the bank Mulder is going to. His girlfriend Pam
(Carrie Hamilton) begs him not to do it. She is the only person who knows
that the day is repeating. Bernard goes to the bank and robs it. Scully
goes to the bank to get Mulder (he is late for a meeting). There is a
confrontation between the agents and Bernard, resulting in Mulder being
shot. The SWAT team shows up and Bernard detonates the bomb he was wearing,
killing everyone in the bank. This happens repeatedly and only Pam knows
this.
This was another episode where the central figure was not Mulder or
Scully. This time it was Pam. She desperately tried to end the cycle.
She determined that Mulder and Scully were important elements in the
scenario. Carrie Hamilton did a fine job as Pam. She was horrified at
what happened and that she had to live through what would have to be the
worst day of her life over and over again. Mulder is slowly realizing that
something is not right. He begins experiencing déjà vu. He talks with Pam,
who tries to convince him not to go into the bank.
Eventually Mulder realizes that the day is repeating. Just before Bernard
blows the bank for the umpteenth time, Mulder repeats to himself that
Bernard has a bomb. Apparently, this was enough for Mulder to remember that
Bernard had a bomb the next time the day repeated. On the final day,
Mulder goes to the bank a little early. He calls Scully and tells her to
bring Pam into the bank. The three of them try to convince Bernard to
surrender. Bernard shoots at Mulder the way he did every other time, but
Pam stepped in the path of the bullet, killing her. Bernard was arrested
and the day didn't repeat
Questions:
* How many times did this scenario happen? We saw the newspaper hit
Mulder's door seven times, but Pam said she contacted Mulder over 50 times.
* Was it the explosion or the fact that Pam lived that caused the day
to repeat? (Probably the explosion)
Observations
* An episode like this is probably easier to make as there is less
footage
* It seemed that the FBI meeting was depicted as deliberately boring
and no different from any other. It would seem that a day was repeating if
you had meetings like that on a regular basis
* It would have to be a Monday that was repeating, the very day that
most everybody dislikes
* The plot device of a day repeating is not unique. There was the
movie "Groundhog day", there was a TV movie called "12:01" and there was an
episode of "Star Trek-The Next Generation" named "Cause and Effect"
Next week we are back to new episodes with "Orison". The episode will
feature the return of death fetishist Donnie Pfaster (from "Irresistible")
Have a good new Millennium (yes I know the real new millennium isn't till
next year)
Doug R Bailey
Come visit my X-files site at
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/drbailey/x-files.htm
Deborah
Doug Bailey <drba...@mediaone.net> wrote in message
news:fLQ94.196$wG6....@ndnws01.ne.mediaone.net...
> Monday
> This episode had an interesting, if unoriginal, concept.
I don't understand why unoriginal is used as an accusation so often. What's
wrong with taking a familiar concept and tweaking it in your own creative
way. Sometimes original just means it's a mess. Look at Star Trek -- I've
heard it compared to Kabuki theatre where the stories are all well known,
it's the execution that is admired. Is that concept too subtle? (I don't
mean that in an insulting way, but am asking).
There isn't much new under the sun when it comes to fiction and stories.
Even ones that have all kinds of new trappings often when distilled down to
their essence are familiar stories. The best part of story telling to me is
when the telling makes you see something different or reconsider your
position. Look at the way Romeo and Juliet or Richard the III have been
changed in historical settings. What Shakespeare wrote is still as vital and
meaningful as the day it was written, but sometimes modern minds need a few
contemporary clues. I loved the Richard III that was done in the WWII
setting and loved Al Pacino's "Looking for Richard" even more.
So TXF took the concept of being trapped in a time loop and played it out
with their take, their settings, their characters. Did the fact that the
concept has been written about before really spoil it? I'm suspicious that
folks just want to trot out all the references they can make to show they
have good memories. Monday wasn't just like Groundhog's Day. The essential
plot was the same but the way the story was told, the emphasis, the
performances, the expanding of the M&S encyclopedia of their
relationship--all these things were different.
I for one don't mind classic plots being used. And no--it's not stealing.
Authors, all creative artists do it all the time. So instead of just using a
dismissive "unoriginal" why not go ahead and mention the precursor and tell
us why the TXF story is different. It would be much more interesting to me
if you wrote about why you think the way they handled the story or the
concept was more effective or less, if their retelling added anything for
you.
Originality does not have intrinsic value. We like it when it works, but
come one, why do you think so many genres keep telling the same stories. Why
are their sequels and remakes? Someone thinks they have something new to
add.
Deborah
Adora
>
<snip everything except what I want to respond to>
>
> Questions:
> * Was it the explosion or the fact that Pam lived that caused the
day
> to repeat? (Probably the explosion)
I think Pam was causing the day to repeat. It was her time to
die, but by some fluke she stayed in the car and lived. Since
this wasn't possible (it was her time), the day repeated and
tried to correct itself. Once Pam died, the loop was ended.
--
Adora
Cherry Sundae
FEB
"Screw you guys. I'm goin' home."
Teddi Litman
only more convinced about it now. The "fluke" was the waterbed.
Fairly recently, the "ripple effect" was mentioned on this Ng.
The waterbed is a *perfect* example of the ripple effect.
Mulder having a waterbed is a very seemingly small change
in the timeline. The fact remains though, he was never
supposed to have a waterbed and it doesn't take very long
before that one piece of furniture wrecks havoc on
the space/time continuum. Yes, it took a major change for
time to get stuck ... that was Pam not dying; but she
wasn't far off base thinking the problem centered on Mulder.
What I believe was *supposed* to happen was Bernard
would go into the bank to rob it, Pam after a point was
supposed to decide to go after him. She was supposed to
startle him while he had the gun out; and he was supposed
to shoot her accidentally. Shooting his own girlfriend would stun
him enough that he would have been easily subdued.
There were never supposed to be any FBI agents in or near
the bank to intercede in Bernard's robbery attempt. What
happened though was Mulder was in the bank *because
of the waterbed* and being the good FBI agent he is, he intercedes
causing someone other than Pam (usually him) being shot and the bank
blowing up. Pam's living is the cause of the loop; and that's the reason
she's fully conscious of it. She never enters the bank in any
of the repeats because she knows it is going to blow up. She tries
to make changes other ways. The only times when she's able to make
any change at all, is when she tries to affect the FBI agents because
they aren't supposed to be involved at all. That's also why Mulder,
Scully, and Skinner are *partially* aware of the loop. (In varying degrees,
depending on their ability to believe.) Only when Pam enters the bank
to get shot by Bernard are the events close enough to what was supposed
to happen to stop the loop.
Again, Pam's not dying directly caused the loop; but Mulder's
waterbed (that he was never supposed to have) leaking ultimately
resulted in Pam not dying.
Teddi
JanVA2755
>Next week we are back to new episodes with "Orison".
I thought that next week's episode was a repeat of 6th season's "Field Trip".
Type to you later! God Bless!
Jan in VA.
amy
batty trying to figure it out.
thanks.
amy
:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+
he always knew my faith was a house of cards;
his only way of showing me was to knock it down.
cs lewis
:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+:+
Donna
Teddi Litman wrote:
>
<Sorry, had to snip the explanation. See original post>
>
> Again, Pam's not dying directly caused the loop; but Mulder's
> waterbed (that he was never supposed to have) leaking ultimately
> resulted in Pam not dying.
>
> Teddi
You know, <imo> I think you hit the nail on the head! FWIW ... I
totally agree with this analogy. I have been sitting here trying to add
to this post to further your point but you said it so eloquently, I have
nothing more to add. Great job!
--Donna
Donna
--Donna <--who loved that show also!
Boondoggler
> Observations
> * An episode like this is probably easier to make as there is less
> footage
The only scene I recall that repeated exactly was the explosion from
Skinner's view. The others had slight differences or camera angles in
them. Unless you're talking about Mulder's right foot that got blown
off in the explosion. Scully's did too. And their left feet too for
that matter. You're right there *was* less footage.
> * It seemed that the FBI meeting was depicted as deliberately boring
> and no different from any other. It would seem that a day was repeating if
> you had meetings like that on a regular basis
Has anyone ever seen the Bullshit Bingo game that you can play during
these meetings? Your card is filled up with all sorts of Dilbertian
type sayings. Once you get five in a row you get to yell out BullShit
at the meeting. The satisfied user testimonies are the best.
--
Boondoggler
XFW1114, ggg, MBC
MiGiS7 - wire rims or bust!
Mopsee
> who is Darren Burrow (Bernard) and what else has he been in? it's
driving me
> batty trying to figure it out.
> thanks.
> amy
>
Wow... I just got a really strong feeling of deja vu.
Mopsee~~
--
We should consider every day lost on which we
have not danced at least once.----->Nietzsche
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Phil R.
>Wow... I just got a really strong feeling of
>deja vu.
It might just be a glitch in the matrix.
--Phil
----------------------------------------
"PLEASE Can we stop the stupid quotes at the end of every message. No
one cares."
--SIRPAUL10
----------------------------------------
XHALE3FOX
Jen (is not a potato)
xhal...@aol.com (XHALE3FOX) opined pensively:
>"NORTHERN EXPOSURE"
Quoting is good. Quoting is your friend. Putting text in quotation
marks is NOT quoting.
Please learn to quote.
Jen
--
XFW1 FEB ggg
www.geocities.com/Wellesley/Atrium/2116
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One never really learns how the witch
became wicked or whether it was the right
choice for her-- is it ever the right
choice? ~Gregory Maguire~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Adhokk7
>On 31 Dec 1999 07:43:27 GMT, in alt.tv.x-files the esteemed
>xhal...@aol.com (XHALE3FOX) opined pensively:
>
>>"NORTHERN EXPOSURE"
>
>Quoting is good. Quoting is your friend. Putting text in quotation
>marks is NOT quoting.
>
>Please learn to quote.
Dammit! I had a rather nasty response to this prepared and you have go be all
friendly. What's happening to this newsgroup???????????
-ad, it's already starting
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
NRMTPB *yang* I Wooly Mammoth Boy
I'm not just a member. I alt.fan.adhokk
I'm the president. I Good-bye FOX.
Jen (is not a potato)
adh...@aol.coma (Adhokk7) opined pensively:
>"Jen (is not a potato)" <jenn...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>Quoting is good. Quoting is your friend. Putting text in quotation
>>marks is NOT quoting.
>>
>>Please learn to quote.
>
>Dammit! I had a rather nasty response to this prepared and you have go be all
>friendly. What's happening to this newsgroup???????????
That was friendly? Damn! Don't tell me I'm becoming one of the shiny
happy people.... Oh No!!!!!!!!!
-J
SHP (shiny happy personality)
>-ad, it's already starting
I'm melting... what a world, what a world...
Ed
Little Bonnie FuFu hoppin' through the forest. Scoopin' up
the fieldmice and bonkin' them on the head.
* Sent from AltaVista http://www.altavista.com Where you can also find related Web Pages, Images, Audios, Videos, News, and Shopping. Smart is Beautiful
Miss Moo
>Quoting is your friend.
Is that the sequel to tSKiyF?
Marita
***
Betty, go to Snarles the Painter, and tell him to paint me a sign, with--'no
suicides permitted here, and no smoking in the parlor;'--might as well kill
both birds at once.
XFW/W #23 OBSSE *I* NRMTPB-RMD-PotC&tSK members.xoom.com/Marita1121
Meg, the pasty paste eating diva
marit...@aol.comehither (Miss Moo) went forth and said:
>Jen (is not a potato) wrote:
>>Quoting is your friend.
>
>Is that the sequel to tSKiyF?
G'bless you.
Meg
--
"He thought Archie Bunker was a flaming liberal." -'Flawless'
http://www.fisticuffs.org thinks you have great abs.
lynx
Teddi! What a completely convincing and wonderful explanation!!!
(Guess I missed your posting the first time around)
> Again, Pam's not dying directly caused the loop; but Mulder's
> waterbed (that he was never supposed to have) leaking ultimately
> resulted in Pam not dying.
>
> Teddi
>
>
>
>
> Adora wrote:
>
> > "Doug Bailey" <drba...@mediaone.net> wrote:
> > >
> > <snip everything except what I want to respond to>
> > >
> > > Questions:
> > > * Was it the explosion or the fact that Pam lived that caused the
> > day
> > > to repeat? (Probably the explosion)
> >
> > I think Pam was causing the day to repeat. It was her time to
> > die, but by some fluke she stayed in the car and lived. Since
> > this wasn't possible (it was her time), the day repeated and
> > tried to correct itself. Once Pam died, the loop was ended.
> >
> > --
> > Adora
> > Cherry Sundae
> > FEB
> >
> > "Screw you guys. I'm goin' home."
--
lynx
mulderite HPotMMs
"But you *believed* me..."
Goo Bee Goo Bee Do