Hidden Truth/Hidden Truth.iso/data/xfiles/x-files3/die_hand.rvw

Text File | 1996-09-22 | 5.9 KB | 95 lines

              Farewell to the Lords of Darkness

                      by Sarah Stegall
                     [e-mail]
               copyright 1995 by Sarah Stegall

     The flip side of paranoia is humor.  In Friday's episode of "The
X-Files", departing staff writers James Wong and Glen Morgan steep a
rather mundane tale of demon worship in a New England town in their own
unique blend of sly wit and sudden terror.  From the opening scene, where
a bourgeois school board ends a rather prosaic meeting with an invocation
to the Lords of Darkness, through giveaways like "Crowley High School", to
a rain of frogs that strains even Mulder's composure, Morgan and Wong are
teasing us.  We are not really meant to take this episode seriously, I
think. It's hard to imagine an out-and-out self-parody coming from "The
X-Files", but "Die Hand Die Verletzt" comes close.
     Some of the humor in "Die Hand" was directed squarely at the 'Net:
references to the Internet, character names that echo the X-Philes
themselves.  Other instances were purest slapstick:  Mulder and Scully
being dragged feet- first across a gymnasium floor was one of the funniest
things I've seen in a long while.  One deliciously ironic inversion was
the recitation of every jingoistic buzzword of the religious right--by the
demon worshippers.  We discover that the acolytes of Hell are real
bluenoses when it comes to profanity and heavy metal music!  But just when
we are taken with a fit of giggles, Morgan and Wong throw us one of their
trademark curve balls:  a wriggling fetal pig dissection, eyeballs in a
glass jar used as a paperweight in the Principal's office, a man-eating
python.  Everything is just a little exaggerated, though, just a little
over the top.  The patented dark and gloomy atmosphere of "The X- Files"
is taken to such extremes that Mulder's interview with Shannon's father in
the basement puts his face in half- shadow.  The teen-age Shannon's
outpouring tale of ritual abuse piles on every tabloid tale ever invented
by a feverish imagination.  Mulder and Scully's aloofness and objectivity
are so far beyond the norm that they approach catatonia.  And why not?
They spend most of the episode listening to expositions:  the sheriff in
the forest scene, Shannon's hysterical "confession", her father's
long-winded disquisition on the practices of demon worshippers.
     It was inevitable that sooner or later we would see an X-Files story
dealing with "the occult".  I am grateful that Morgan, Wong, and Ten
Thirteen Productions bent over backwards to afford fair treatment to a
minority religion which has often been a convenient target for hatred and
fear.  It was made clear to this viewer, at least, that what was going on
in that town had nothing to do with paganism or Wicca.  However, I am
afraid that in this laudable effort to clear up a massive misconception,
the story and pacing suffered a great deal.  As gratifying as it was to
hear Mulder championing a controversial religion, his oration sounded more
than a little stilted.  In fact, the pair's constant chiming in with
arguments in defense of Wicca and paganism in general came across as
contrived and politically correct.  I am reluctant to criticize a good-
faith effort to counteract misunderstanding about "witchcraft"; the
alternative, one supposes, would be the usual cult-du-jour handling in
which a counterculture faith is blamed for everything from teen suicides
to global warming.  But when the message overshadows the story to this
extent, we are looking at propaganda.
     David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson sleepwalked through this one.
Again, the Spooky Patrol wasn't called upon to do much more than observe
and record events as they unfolded. The only time Mulder appeared to be
awake at all were his comments on the rain of frogs ("Maybe their
parachutes didn't open") and his interview with Shannon's grieving father.
I wish, just once in a while, we could see a little more of Scully
physically defending herself with some effectiveness, and a little less of
Mulder getting hit on the head.  I'm taking up a collection to buy Mulder
a hard hat.
     I note once again a sea-change in the second season's treatment of
the paranormal.  It was clear to anyone that an actual supernatural force
was at work in Crowley High, in the person of Mrs. Paddock, who gave new
meaning to the phrase, "substitute teacher from hell".] But whereas in the
first year we were usually left uncertain as to whether or not what Mulder
was chasing was "real", in the second season we are definitely seeing
extraordinary phenomena presented as genuine.  Which is fine, but it makes
Dana Scully look increasingly obtuse, as she flounders for explanations
which deny the evidence before her.  Carter is going to have to either
re-introduce the ambiguity of Year One, or allow Dana Scully to believe
what she sees.
     For their last episode, I had hoped for a real blowout from Morgan
and Wong.  This wasn't it, but then it would be hard to top such
masterpieces as "Squeeze", "Tooms", "Blood", and "One Breath".  This team
has left an indelible mark on "The X-Files", and their influence will be
felt throughout the run of the series.  It's hard to imagine anyone could
surpass the creation of Eugene Tooms or Luther Lee Boggs.  In the last
scene of "Die Hand Die Verletzt", Mulder and Scully stand in darkness.
Suddenly the lights go on and they see a message in flowing script on the
blackboard:  "Good-bye.  It's been nice working with you." A message from
the departing Mrs. Paddock?  Or a farewell from the Lords of Darkness,
Glen and Jim?
     Merry part, guys.
     This one gets two sunflower seeds out of five.

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Sarah Stegall * David Duchovny Estrogen Brigade * [e-mail]
                     We are not who we are....

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