A very creepy but very episode.

so Garak is a changeling ... Interesting development.

With all the intelligence that dog had I can't beieve it fell for the old stand in frount of a chasm and let it jump you trick.

I just could not believe the mentality of the two guys at the begining , they might as well have had red shirts that said "I'm trying to get killed" on them!

oops, I mean to say A very creppy but very cool episode in the first sentence. Just proves the need for proof reading!

Wow, I'm the first. Which is a problem actually, since I was hoping someone would have already explained the plot. Why did Karen die? The wolf could've easily killed her and continued on his rampage; it's pure luck he impaled himself. And why not enlist Mulder's help to kill it? Suicide via dog? That's a new one.

And what's with those two shining stars in the beginning who opened the box after clearly establishing how dangerous it was beforehand?

And if you were an intelligent animal/whatever, would you draw that kind of attention to yourself? Kill anyone and everyone, even the vet who patched you up? I'm surprised the local Chinese villagers didn't hunt it down decades ago.

And speaking of Detweiler's remark about this dog being strictly a scavenger, no dog/wolf/fox/canid of any type is strictly a scavenger, at least not in any of the Discovery programs I've seen :)

And finally, is it just me or has XF gotten really, really dark? It's getting so you can't see the actors or the set anymore.

Oh, and it took me all of five words to recognize Garak :)

I agree about the two guys Chris, I turned to my wife and said "Look Honey, its the redshirt brothers." I also noticed a couple of 47s in this one.

Interesting to see Garak, er, Detweiler in this. I noticed I knew the voice but couldn't make the connection quickly but picked it up as soon he started bobbing his head when he spoke. :-)

Was thinking of a werewolf when I first saw those eyes staring back from the dark container. Glad it turns out that way.

I think Detweiler (as the wolf) was smart enough to know that Karen was luring him to his death. Maybe he did it intentionally 'coz Mulder got through to him and he regrets killing so committed suicide. But I don't know what his motivation is for killing Karen. Maybe he blames her for what he has become. She must've told him about the legend which started all this in the first place.

For someone who "trusted no one (except for Scully, of course)," Mulder sure is trusting nowadays. He "met" her online and he trusts her and didn't see her lie through her teeth. And he probably was testing Scully if she'd be affected when he dragged Karen's hand eh? Yup, if she flinches, she's definitely interested.

Funny how Scully had her umbrella open all the time when I could clearly see that it wasn't raining ... and everyone else didn't have umbrellas. But then later when she needed it (clearly it was raining), she doesn't have it. Dang, where's an umbrella when you need one. ;-)

Ok, that's all for tonight. C'yah guys.

I thought it was interesting that Mulder already had 8x10 glossies of the chinese crewmen that had only been found dead that SAME morning. Does the FBI normally have high quality film scanners and printers available for transmitting photos coast to coast for what looks like a simple wild animal attack.

It is bad luck to have Karin be your first name. Remember "Schizogeny" from the fifth season?

Interesting idea, making Karin be photosensitive. At first, since she seemed to have trouble looking at people in the face, she reminded me of Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man".

And of course in the scene at the end with Mulder and Scully in his office, it was blatantly KMYF. Normally, they aren't that easy to pick out... but that one stuck out like a sore thumb. I was kind of expecting them to.

This was an updating and inverting of the film, the Wolf Man. Dentwiler was the Wolf Man, Karin was the Gypsy Lady who knows the Wolf Man's pain and protects him, and the rest are all the idiots who blunder their way into the Wolf Man's path.

I didn't recognize the writer of this episode. If he was new, I'll have to say (bluntly) that it kind of felt like someone feeling their way through their first script, trying to hit all those "X-Files Moments".

I felt there was too much death. After a while it became laughingly predictable. Oh, a new character. He's alone. Look, a killer dog. Let's stare at it while it kills me...

They also made the "revelation" that Dentwiler is the killer too easy for us to spot. It makes you think Mulder got it by rewinding the show. Oh, yes, did anyone else think they made Scully like she was "Dumb Partner That Don't Understand" this week?

If Detweiler was the werewolf, and Detweiler was in America waiting for the box with the chinese werewolf, then what was in the box that killed the two Chinese idiots?

I was waiting for the story to reveal that Karen was also a werewolf.

Scully was exceptionally possesive of Mulder this episode. She seemed almost jealous that Mulder dared have a relationship, professional or otherwise, with another woman.

Why was Scully blathering on about how you couldn't die from a dog bite, right after looking at the photos of the dead Chinese crewmen? Obviously they died after a dog bit out their throats. Mulder wasn't saying that one small dogbite did it, either.

I did like that the writer kept using animal metaphors throughout the show: Mulder feathering his nest, Karen using her animal instincts, even Scully's catty behaiviour:)

A poorly plotted episode, in my opinion. At least Mulder got a new "I Want To Believe" poster.

Yes, MikeC, I thought the writers had begun to move past Scully rolling her eyeballs throughout the whole show.

I also don't mind too much when Mulder does his Agatha Christie style of wrap-ups, but this one was a bit much.

And I do get that Karin probably now is the demon dog sprit (from the poster at the end), but wouldn't that then put Mulder at danger? Ah well, the dog probably wouldn't survive alien colonization anyway.

By the way, who is Garak? (I'm not a Trekkie if that's where it's from.) Thanks.

Garak is a rather unusual and very distinctive character from Deep Space Nine. Looks a lot like a reptilian human.

His speach mannerisms stand out a mile :)

Mike K, I think it was Detweiler in the box at the start. He was in China after all to track the elusive-n-extinct Chinese werewolf. I suppose Detweiler had some idea of what he's become and knew he had no way of returning stateside without turning into the werewolf during the trip so he got himself locked up in the strong metal box. Now if only those two red-shirts had left well enough alone, it probably wouldn't have cost them their lives.
As for Karen, I think she knew about the arrival and when she heard of the deaths, she knew that Detweiler has gone berserk. Maybe the plan was to get Detweiler safely into her kennel eh? Just a thought.
BTW, anyone know about this Wang-Shang-Dog? I'd be interested to know more about it. I'm afraid my knowledge of Chinese legends/myths is pretty slim compared to my knowledge of Greek/Roman and Norse. Shame on me eh? Any info would be appreciated.
C'yah

Hmm, is it possible that the Wang-Shang/Wo-Shung dog is the creation of the shows' writer? I've been reading up on Chinese literature -- everything from ancient poetry to the modern short-story writer Lu Shun -- and I haven't come across any references to lycantropes yet. Mostly ghosts and spirits, and the red-headed shuo-ren (sp?) a.k.a. wild man of China, an ape-like cousin of modern man.

Anyway, I agree with Mike that Scully was too possessive of Mulder in this episode. It was almost a caricature of Scully's usual self.

Also, if Detweiler/werewolf was so into protecting his territory, why didn't he attack Mulder?

>>Why was Scully blathering on about how you couldn't die from a dog bite, right after looking at the photos of the dead Chinese crewmen? Obviously they died after a dog bit out their throats.Mulder wasn't saying that one small dogbite did it, either.>>

A few explanations: Scully probably meant that the blood loss isn't normally what kills them, it's usually infection or rabies that does it.

I liked Garak, too.

I also liked the opening with Mulder being the sceptic ("It was just a dog attack") and Scully being kinda paranoid ("It wasn't a dog. I just know it.")

Karin likely had difficulty looking people straight in the eye (even in dark rooms) because in the dog world, direct eye contact is seen as a challenge.

Detweiler/Garak (Andrew Robinson) was also the father in "Hellraiser."

re: Scully's jealousy. I think it's summed up by something David Duchovny said once about Mulder that probably applies to both characters: (edited to replace bad words):

"Mulder doesn't want to [sleep with] Scully, but he also doesn't want anyone else [sleeping with] Scully."

I would like to note that I believe that a werewolf is what they show here, ie a man that turns into a wolf, as opposed to the idea that most people seem to have, ie a man that turns into a wolfman.

Also, Garak was cool.

Garak was indeed cool, if shocking. When he popped up in the beginning, I was like "I KNOW THIS GUY! WHO IS HE?", and then I saw--"And Andrew J. Robinson". I was like, oh--"Garak."

Wasn't the dog referred to as some kind of "dhole"? Kipling has a whole chapter devoted to the Indian dhole in The Jungle Books, Vol I.

-12-

This had all the makings of a good ’shipper episode: Mulder and a girl, Scully gets jealous, Mulder suffers some loss, lots of alone time....

Speaking of her: did anyone else think (at first) that she was a little autistic? I have a couple cousins like that, and they tend not to look people in the eyes like that; plus she slurred her speech a little... OK, maybe it was just me.

I thought Karen was blind, the way she squinted up her eyes and didn't look at anything in particular. They she used the computer screen, so there went that idea.

They did the werewolf ("There wolf. There castle") thing better in season 1 with "Shapes"

-12-

For those of you unfamiliar with great parody, that parenthetical was from "Young Frankenstein".

-12-

Mulder's wrong in saying that cryptozoology is strictly the study of animals which shouldn't exist. Crytozoologists study "cryptids", which are any animal not recognized by science. That includes things like the recently-discovered Vu Quang ox of Vietnam, the largest land mammal discovered in more than 50 years.

So why exactly didn't Garak kill Kahn? Was it part of his devious plot to... er... do what he was planning to do?

>So why exactly didn't Garak kill Kahn?

because Kirk beat him to it 80 years ago.

Get it? HA HA

"Shapes": I kept waiting for Scully to say "Didn't we already have our one werewolf case?" Between this one, and the "everyone trapped with the monster" in Agua Mala, I'm a little concerned that Carter is running out of plots. Hope not.

Hey, after 7 years, shouldn't Scully be feathering her part of the nest, too? Dagnabit, she's kept the X-Files going as much as he has, hasn't she?

I wonder what Scully and Mulder told the local cops at the end: "Hey, we know you think there's a vicious animal still on the loose, but we don't, so we're leaving. Have fun." Leaving the search in the middle would *not* endear them to the local P.D.

I hope we get at least *some* Conspiracy episodes before the end of the season. And, what, are they going to just alternate new and old from now on? I know, I know, recovering from the February sweeps.

Detweiller was a shapeshifter. When he shapeshifted from a clothed human to an unclothed dog, the clothes went away. Therefore they're part of him, a la Odo. So why, in the death scene, was he suddenly naked? (Not that I'm complaining, I quite enjoyed seeing him naked and impaled on a big spike. I kept trying to see around Scully where she was so conveniently blocking the crucial areas.)

Mark the lecherous

Didja notice? Didja? In this episode, Mulder and Scully traded in their usual Ford Taurus for a Chrysler! Perhaps because in L.A., Chryslers are more hip?

I noticed M&S's new car---it was hard not to since the camera lingered on it so much. A little bit of shameless promotion, perhaps?

And speaking of lingering, they gave us quite a bit of naked-dead-impaled Garak at the end. I'm used to the X-files being morbid, but that was over the top.

Did anyone notice the shaggy black and white dog that was shown a few times? It looked alot like the dog from "Ice," which was a puppy of Blue, Duchovny's dog. I wonder if there's any relation.

>And speaking of lingering, they gave us quite a bit of naked-dead-impaled Garak
at the end. I'm used to the X-files being morbid, but that was over the top. >

Actually, I thought that was a very well done death scene. (Not that I'm a biased Andy fan or anything!) As for it being over the top... well, there have been much more disgusting episodes. I can't watch the Flukeman ep without gagging. This scene was much more moody than morbid, IMHO. I don't think it went too far.

Mark

I was wondering about the "now he's naked, now he's not" ability of Dr. Det,
I was annoyed at how patronizing Scully was after Karen died; "She found in you a kindred spirit, blah blah," etc-it's amazing how complimentary and full of sentiment she was, once Karen was out of the picture.... Why was she so concerned about wether or not Karen had any sort of interest in Mulder? Or wether or not Mulder chose to "play into" or "along with" her supposed feminine wiles?
Is Scully his mom? Maybe she's worried the wolf woman is the new accessory he wants for his new waterbed. (which also gave her pause, no pun intended)
Poor Mulder hasn't seen this much action since "Dreamland", and then he wasn't even in his own body to enjoy the experience! Everyone is always remarking
what a hottie Scully is, why not let Mulder have the attention of a woman or two? The weirder, the better. It shows just how deep his own weirdness gets.

The "I want to believe" poster? What happened to the one Mulder used to have?

Kellkan, his poster is either burned to ashes during the fire that CSM started in his office or destroyed by the water to stop the fire in last season's final episode

I agree, Mark S. The death scene _was_ well done. It was unexpected and looked very realistic. Just a bit *too* realistic for my tastes; Flukman doesn't bother me, but I'm a little squeamish about impalment.

Ah. Yes, I admit I was too busy trying to see around Scully to really let that sink in. I've watched Hellraiser for Andy, and *that* was gross! This was a bit less extreme than that.

You are right, though, it was realistic. I've seen screen captures since, and have totally forgotten that it was applied makeup. I actually found myself thinking, "God, it would be really uncomfortable to lie there with a big spike through your chest for all those takes." (Mark needs a reality check!)

The fact that I wasn't bothered by it was probably purely because I was busy thinking about the fact that he has a really great body for a man of 57. I've never seen him unclothed before, even just shirtless. I was drooling!

Mark

He's 57?! Wow!!

-drooler #2-

Yeah, he really is quite ravishing, isn't he? :0)

If you want to see what he looked like as a young man, rent Dirty Harry. He's the killer. Long, wavy blond hair and all. (I think I like him better now.)

He screams very well, though! :0)

To give this a semblance of relevance to the stated topic... A friend of mine who managed to tape this episode says that they forgot to airbrush out his briefs during the aformentioned 'naked' and impaled death scene. Oops!

Mark Stanley

Why doesn't Mulder and Scully's car have a licence plate in this episode? There's at least one definite clear shot of the front of the car and there is no plate.

Maybe there is only one of the back.

In California, both front AND back plates are required. Other states (such as Florida) only require the back plate.

So do we know which State this one was in then and whether a plate at the front is a requirement?

I think it takes place in California... IIRC, the opening scenes in the freighter take place in the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro. Therefore the missing front plate on the rental is a nit. Rental agencies would have a front plate. Ordinary people have been known to lose their plates, have them stolen, or just not have them there (mostly on Corvettes for the latter, of course -- the 'Vette logo is much cooler than a plate :-P), but a rental agency would be sure to be in compliance with state law.

-12-

I feel validated now.

This episode was very disappointing. "Shapes", with Kid from "The Young Riders" (excellent show!), was so much better, and I didn't even like that one very much. Maybe it's just that I don't like werewolves. They freak me out. More than vampires, or the flukeman, or even Tooms! I'm not sure why, exactly. But I blame "Teenwolf".

Okay, maybe not a nit, exactly, but this season has not helped rid Southern california of its reputaiton as some kind of *wierdness nexus*. Almost every ep so far has taken place in either Cali or Nevada. Yeah, I know about the move, but they could try a *little* harder to diversify their locations.

Actually, I figured that Garak was the dog right from the start -- the guy's name was *Detweiler* for pete's sake. Change the first two letters and -- ta da! you get *Rotweiler* a kind of *dog*! One that has been known to attack people.

Oh, and as far as the Scully being out of character issue -- frankly, I think she's been out of character more or less all season long -- can't help wondering if maybe they got new writers along with a new location.

Actually you have to change three letters to get Rottweiler - it has two Ts. And I think you mean "weirdness".

Going back to the license plate thing... Since the show is filmed in California now, it makes absolutely no sense for a car - especially a car that is supposed to be a California car - not to have a front plate.

And yes, the cops do pull you over for not having a front plate - it happened to my sister (The Eleventh Woman?) while I was in the car with her.

-12-

Not in Louisiana. Cars in Louisiana are not required to have front license plates. Completely ludicrous. And the state charges you 4% of the value of the car just for one license plate, meaning that if you move from another state, you have to pay ridiculous amounts of money to get the plates changed. (This is why, after eight months of living here, we still have not gotten our Texas license plates changed.)

Some states require front plates and others don't. California requies front and back licence plates but a lot of smaller states don't. (The only examples of front plates I can think of are CA, NY, IL, and PA.)

Texas requires them too. Which is actually good becasue now I can always recognize my car in the parking lot.

Mpatterson, your clone is getting loose again...

The nit was that the episode is supposed to take place in Los Angeles, the episode is FILMED in Los Angeles (season 6!) and therefore the nit of the rental car not having a front plate is even more egregious (do you like my big vocabulary)!

-12-

Who sent the "I want to believe" poster to Mulder? Had Karin bequeathed it to him in her will? Or had she told her assistant to do so if anything ever happened to her?

Fox's female wolf consultant portrayed the female Biology teacher in Teen Wolf Too. How coincidental.

PA does not require a front plate. New Jersey does.