"All you want is to be part of it - is to be one of the commandants
when the process begins."

Well, there we have it. Season 3 has officially come to a close, 
and as usual we are given an episode full of questions meant to 
make us suffer until September and season 4 comes around. 
Frankly, I for one will not be suffering all that much. Sure, 
I'll miss the new episodes, and yes, I enjoyed the finale, but 
this time it did not ruin my summer. I'm interested. I'm not 
riveted. That's O.K., I'm sure these finale cliffhangers are 
difficult to come up with. I don't need to be wrecked by a season 
ender to enjoy the show, but this one just didn't have the same 
impact. I was a little disappointed. 

We did get a lot of information this time around - which naturally 
causes a lot of questions - imagine that. The "Colony/EndGame" 
episodes are among my favorites and it is nice to see that 
storyline picked up again. Roy Thinnes did a great job as the 
benevolent alien - he came across as calm and true from the 
teaser on. Who knew that these aliens were healers too? They 
could be handy folks to have around for the next time Mulder 
picks a fight or Scully hits her head. If anything this was, 
oddly enough, a CancerMan episode (I think William B. Davis got 
more screen time than Gillian). We learned *way* more than we 
ever wanted to know about this man. I'm not even going to go into 
the waterskiing mental picture and Mulder's Mom and CancerMan ICK 
ICK ICK. Well, at least we saw in "Apocrypha" that he was handsome 
at a younger age. I sincerely hope that we don't find out that 
CancerMan is Mulder's dad - a bitto cliche' if you ask me. However, 
I am willing to believe and accept that Samantha might be a Morley 
love-child. 

Excuse me, but *why* in the world would an alien ice pick be hanging 
out in a Mulder "PALM" for all these years? Please don't let this 
be one of those cliffhanger plot points that are quickly dropped 
like who shot Scully in "Anasazi". At least that scene did give 
Mulder the chance to ransack the house (he was apparently jealous 
of Scully's hotel room trashing last week). 

As far as nice character moments I adored the first 11:21PM Mrs. 
Mulder in the hospital scene. Not only does Scully make the trek 
to Rhode Island with Mulder, but she lets her bedside manner shine. 
(Why did she choose a medical profession of the dead when she 
connects so well with the living?) It is risky business being a 
family member to these two, and we see by Mulder's grimace as he 
enters his mother's room that he doesn't have many loved ones left. 
One of the warmest moments this season was in the simple exchange of 
"Thanks" and "You O.K.?" between the friends. Even in the ensuing
disagreement where Mulder pulls a "do you think it's a leap?" silly 
theory out of his hat, Scully tempers her argument because of his 
emotional state - she refutes quietly and calmly. A great moment for 
both actors. 

Steven Williams has a nice part in this one - I find I like him more 
when he is featured in an extended role rather than just thrown into 
the mix. The first quiet scene between X and Mulder was a odd 
juxtaposition from the last time they met with Mulder threatening 
to kill him. I'm glad they could finally work out their frustrations 
complete with the requisite head butts in the rough and tumble at 
the "no smoking" parking garage. I had to laugh as this time it was 
X who dropped his gun. 

Duchovny had a number of big scenes, and I was moved by his weepy 
bedside moment where he brought his mother's hand to his face. Pity 
Scully wasn't there this time to comfort him. The CancerMan 
confrontation was also well done, but frankly Mulder has no follow 
through when confronting his demons. This is the second time he's 
had him at gunpoint and he walks away after losing only a cigarette. 
Meanwhile back at the ranch, Scully is, as usual, doing all the 
legwork (working well past 11:21) and comes up with all the clone 
pictures - now where has she seen this before? At least those 
Gregor clones had the common sense to use different names. *And* 
for some really unexplainable reason their cell phones suddenly 
fail them. So, Scully gets another alien visit at her house, gets 
into a who's news is more important phone conversation with Mulder, 
and heads off to meet him alien in tow with supposed information 
about his sister. Morphin shows and we are done for the season. 
Of all thethings I am curious about for next year I really can't 
wait to hear what denial they have Scully go through to explain 
away these morphing aliens. They never really dealt with it after 
"Endgame" so now is the time to come clean. 

Now time for my take on what is going on. Pure speculation that I 
hope you all feel is backed by what we saw. Apparently Jeremiah was 
one of the original aliens and has spawned a lot of clones, who, 
for some odd reason, all like working for social security. The Might 
Morphin Bounty Hunter is still miffed about the whole clone thing - 
taking away from the race purification and all that - and is out 
for green blood. X is in it all for the power and is doing what he 
can to usurp CancerMan via polaroids or alien weapons or whatever. 
CancerMan has some connection to Might Morphin and can call him in to 
impersonate Jeremiah - why Morphin agrees to this is a mystery tome. 
CancerMan is haunted a bit by his past but only cracks when he 
finds out he has cancer - duh. Love his denial - "That's a lie" - 
yeah right - you smoke what - 9 packs a day - and expect those lungs 
tobe pink? So he makes a deal and sets Jeremiah free in exchange for 
a roto-rooter job on his lungs. I guess he can now safely smoke 10 
packs a day. We also learn that there is some sort of big 
"colonization day" festivity planned and that the date has been set. 
What happens on that date is yet to be determined, but I think it is
 probably more than a bank holiday.

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

-Retread report: The young man who was shot in the teaser was the 
gas station attendant from "F. Emasculata" and Mulder's mother's 
doctor was George Kerns from "Out Town".

-Scully apparently somehow had a childhood trauma involving where 
people are. Her big questions to Mulder are *always* "Where have 
you been?", "Where are you", and "Where are you going?" Mulder is 
one tough dude to keep track of. The exchange "Where are you going?", 
"If I told you, you'd never let me go" is unfortunately typical of 
their relationship. That's his polite way of ditching her.

-So were Mulder and Scully just driving around Arlington in search 
of lunch or scooby snacks when they happened upon this burger place 
mystery? 

-No wonder Mulder loves his trenchcoats - he got it from his mom. 
I have a little theory that when they shot the scenes involving DD 
at the summer home they had just repainted the doors. When Mulder 
goes outside before meeting X he gets paint all over him from 
brushing against the door. 

-For me, the scariest thing I saw in this episode was the discovery 
as Mulder searched the vacation home that the Mulders collected 
SPOONS. They even had little spoon holders. How frightening. I'm 
sure Ma Mulder was a favorite at Stuckeys and airport gift shops 
everywhere. Ugg.

-This may sound silly, but the FBI floors threw me for a loop. 
I remember a similar scene from the flag focussing on Scully in 
"The Blessing Way" and this hall in no way resembled it. 

-Fashion report: What is this boot thing that Scully's got going on 
these days? While she looks very hip in them and that new tailored 
coat she just doesn't look as professional when out interviewing 
suspects.

-Quonochontaug, Rhode Island - Gesundheit!

-In the for what it's worth department Skinner is definitely wearing 
the wedding ring these days. Sorry girls. 

Autumn
"I've repressed it all"