"Doesn't look like your arsonist is going to make an appearance."
"That doesn't mean there won't be any fires to put out."

I'm sort of ambivalent about this first season outing because despite 
all the fire there really wasn't much of a spark. If this was an attempt 
on behalf of the show to find out if Duchovny could generate the same 
heat he does with Anderson given any other actress to work off of - in 
this case Amanda Pays - this chemistry experiment certainly yielded 
obvious results -it blows up with a resounding no. The old flame game 
script penned by Chris Carter, despite a few moments, is mostly smoke. 
Mulder is given a plot device handicap in his incredible fear of fire 
(despite the fact that this is never, ever touched on again in the series) 
in order to work up to a "dramatic" conclusion where the hero must face 
his fire demons.

While the script attempts at some dynamic between Phoebe and Mulder, 
on screen it is Scully that is sending subtle flames her way. From the 
moment she emerges from the car none too thrilled with the little tape 
game - barely managing to put on a phoney smile at the mention of her 
name - and meows "Hello" we know Phoebe's "she hates me" assessment is 
not too far off. The cattiness continues with Phoebe clearly on the 
prowl, pretty much ignoring or dismissing Scully every chance she gets. 
Though you've got to love that "Oh, goodbye" and falsely sweet wave in 
response from Scully. It's always a delight to see Jealous!Scully in 
action as she combats her adversaries by attacking her job with a 
vengeance. Anderson, once again, gives us great face work as she paces 
restlessly in the hallway while Mulder and Phoebe engage in a listless 
kiss. One has to enjoy the moment when she literally bounds out of 
nowhere as soon as she has sufficient reason to break up Tuxedo!Mulder's
little party.

So, while the game may be afoot for Sherlock, it is Watson that quietly
observes and does all the work here. While Mulder muses about youthful
indiscretions he lets Phoebe distract him from properly doing his job.
Duchovny's Mulder just seems adrift here, unable to make a stand of any 
kind and more interested in bouncing on a bed than solving a case, and, 
as he's unable to generate any excitement with co-star Pays, the audience 
is left to wonder why. While Mulder's off proclaiming how he's "just not 
used to someone so quick to agree" with him, Scully, despite his waving 
her help off, starts snooping around and does all the necessary leg work 
to solve the case by tracking down Cecil L'ively. It has a lot more to 
do with proving a point than her own edification as she claims. She 
certainly enjoys slowly dragging out the information with "You at all 
interested in what I came all the way up here to show you?" when she 
finally gets a chance to tell him.

The actual fire moments themselves varied in success. I've always liked
L'ively's finger snap lighting of the hall and the bar burning, but I 
think that has a lot to do with Mark Sheppard's jazzed performance - he 
was able to move from false almost childlike kindness to looney tunes 
fireboy with a delightful flair. The other flame ups didn't always 
work - seemingly inserted just to make Mulder struggle - especially 
that scene in the bedroom where everyone stands huddled in a burning 
room and expects Mulder to somehow put out the fires with a towel.

This episode just never seemed to live up to it's promise. It started 
with a bang, giving us an enjoyable moment as Mulder and Scully engage 
in friendly banter and chuckle over the benefits of monster hunting 
before turning tense with growing unease as they fret about the possible 
bomb - Scully even gasping with fear when the door is opened. Despite 
her marvelous entrance, this episode fizzled for me as it and Phoebe 
became more and more predictable.

Random Musings
-------------------------

-Scully's got an odd sense of timing in this one always arriving at 
just the right moment - maybe it has something to do with her watch 
that has it's digital display set to 4:22 while the hands read 5:05. 
If it were 9 minutes difference it would make sense in a twisted way ...

-Well, not to be ones to waste perfectly good old footage of Scully 
typing, the editors introduce the same scene for the third time in 
the season at the episode's end. Initially seen in "Squeeze" and 
shamelessly reused in "Shadows" it appears here again - this time 
with a new exciting twist - they run it backwards. 
Sure. Fine. Whatever.

-L'ively really did get burned but good in the end - and just to prove 
how bad his burns were Chris Carter made up a whole new classification 
for burns - fifth and sixth degree.

-You know, it's not often that Scully gets to be the one to make any 
sexual innuendo, and for that reason her sly "Oh, is that what you 
were extending?" response to Mulder's "I was merely extending her a 
professional courtesy." remains one of my favorite Scullyisms.

-Speaking of sexual innuendo, Agent Beatty needs to get out of the arson 
lab more often as he was practically drooling over his version of "hot" 
photos as well as any woman who walked in. I thought the mention of 
spontaneous combustion was a little too exciting for him.

-Frank's Fashion Spot: This episode is notable for introducing into 
X-Files mythology the famous Mulder black boxers.

-Here they have rented this lovely home with all the modern kitchen
appliances (I even spotted one of those scalding water taps you usually 
only see in hotels) and yet the stove requires a lighter? Right.

-It seems the bartender must've confused EverClear with some sort of 
cleaner and mopped the bar down with it because that thing went up in 
flames instantly.

-Well, as Mulder is "cursed with a photographic memory" one thing is 
certain - it didn't come from his mother's side of the family.

-It cracks me up when Phoebe tells Mulder "we must be careful and 
discreet". Yeah right, she's the poster child for discretion and they 
do a bang-up job of keeping the family safe as they waltz around making 
goo-goo eyes as the hotel burns.

-Boy for a fancy hotel the bell staff there sucks. All the bellman does 
is hand him his bag - what about hanging it up or setting it on the bed? 
I even usually get asked if I want a bucket of ice.

-That phone call from Scully sure did straighten Mulder right up out of 
his bed bouncing ways - there's your bucket of ice pal.

-I guess that old rule about never taking the elevator in a fire doesn't
apply to you if you're the one who starts it.

-It cracks me up when the firemen unceremoniously dump Mulder and take off 
yelling to Scully "Miss, can you take over?" Maybe that's the X-File -
psychic firemen who know Scully's a doctor just by looking at her - not 
this whole fire thing. It's a good thing she rushes right over to him 
because no one else cares.

-I know it kills some people that Scully always seems to be undressing 
Mulder off screen. This time Mulder wakes up half naked and prances 
around in front of Scully until Phoebe gets there - then he cinches his 
robe up.

-Just how long was Mulder out anyway? He wakes up the next day and by 
the time he gets just down the cape it's almost night again.

-No cell service on the cape? Yeah right.

-This time we get Mulder's version of "I'm fine" as he mopes about after
catching Phoebe in a clinch and answers Scully's queries as to what is 
the matter with "nothing". It's a good thing these kids trust each other 
or they'd do nothing but lie to one another.

Autumn
"Mulder, you just keep unfolding like a flower."