Great Episode.

Amos

Wonderful Cliffhanger...

I thought the tablets ending up a Ship? at the end was brilliant.

Also Scully's Voice Overs were quite nice. Especially the opening...

Amos

Wow, that sure was a cliffhanger.

Man, I was waiting for Scully to flinch when Mulder said "this is my office." No wonder we haven't seen Scully's name on the door. Ok, after all these years, where is Scully's office ... she deserves one don't you think?

The minute I saw Mimi Rogers' name in the credits I knew she was up to no good.

So, Skinner is now a puppet of Krycek for his saving him several episodes ago. Dang, how is he ever going to be in the good graces of M&S after all this.

Did CSM create a new Consortium or is this what remains of it?

I guess Mulder didn't get his waterbed fixed so he now has a regular bed.

I agree with Amos, the scene of the tablet and the portal submerged in the sand was great. The reason I say it's a portal was 'coz it didn't look to me like a ship but I could be mistaken. Now we're hooked and will have to wait 'til next season to know for sure.

Loved it when Scully called both Skinner and Fowley liars. :-)

Ok, that's it for tonight. C'yah.

Great episode! I especially liked the beginning and the ending. Biology classes would have been a LOT more interesting in school if I had Gillian Anderson doing the voice-overs, that's for sure.
I did think it was strange that when Fowler answered when Scully called Mulder, Scully didn't say "who in the &%$@ is this? And what in the &@%$ are you doing with Mulder?"
Was it supposed to have been CSM that Fowler called? The only shot of him was in the conference room and he wasn't doing much but smoking.
Scully did what Mulder would have done at the end: instead of stay by his side, she went to go look for the truth. But with CSM still alive, wouldn't the coast of the Ivory Coast be swarming with men in little biohazard suits? You mean Scully is the FIRST one to rock on up to the place where the tablet was found?
And, once again, I would LOVE to have their expense account for MY job! : ) Working for a federal organization but getting to travel to Africa on a moment's notice to investigate....sigh.
(True cliffhanger of the episode: with Scully calling Skinner out for lying, will he sign her expense reimbursement form?!?!)
Can't wait for this fall!!!!

Interesting. Very interesting.

I think the sequence where we're shown CSM was definitely not edited right - it didn't connect him to the episode at all!

Uh--- so why were we shown Fowley undressing?

Maybe that is why Mulder went insane, he saw Fowley naked.

I don't think it was the original ship that brought the orignal life to Earth, and the opening on top was where the organisms were stored.

But then again, I just guessing based on the one time I got to see it last night.

Amos

Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

The verse Alfred translated came from the King James Verson of the Bible. Were the aliens time travellers who came to the future and picked a likely document or was one on King James' translators an alien?

Wasn't it Fowley & CSM who ran when the aliens attacked in a previous episode? So did she take her cell phone with her or does she just call in for messages:)OK, Mulder's delirious, and maybe doesn't remember but why aren't Scully & Skinner surprised to see her?

Kudos to CC for remembering that Ratboy owns Skinner. Those (Borg) nanoprobes from SR 819 are still present in his body, just dormant!

-12-

Nit:

Sandoz has just heard Scully tell Skinner that she's with Sandoz in Gallup NM, and then he says "Don't tell anyone where I am". Uh, I think that's a little late, Dr. Sandoz, but then, you paid for it, didn't you?

-12-

>The verse Alfred translated came from the King James Verson of the Bible. Were the aliens time travellers who came to the future and picked a likely document or was one on King James' translators an alien?>

I don't know if they were from the future, but the artifact looks like it was shaped like Kentucky. I spotted what appears to be the bend of the Ohio R. that corisponds to Owensboro and Meade County. Also, the split in the aritfact appears just like the division of the 502 and 616 (or 606) area codes. The 3rd artifact looks like the 812 area code of southern Indiana. Perhaps the are from the future?

I'm sorry, but even though this had very interesting and surprising revelations, it had too much of "been there, done that". What's that? Scully doesn't like Fowley? Kind of like "The End". Scully doesn't trust Skinner? Kind of like "The Blessing Way". Mulder going nuts? Kind of like "Anasazi". Silly voice-overs? Kind of like "Redux".

What was interesting in this episode were the little backplots, involving the side characters. Skinner, Krycek, and the CSM are always interesting. However, I didn't feel very much for the leads, and wasn't very concerned when Mulder seemed to go insane.

It seems that Krola from planet Malcor has traveled back in time, and is posing as a human, apparently to undermine the Federation by destroying any type of alien contact.

A wild episode! And I appreciate everyone's comments.

First, I didn't understand Scully's questioning Mulder what he was still looking for. The consortium may be mostly gone, but the aliens are still out there with whatever agenda for invasion/colonization. Aren't they? And of course, his sister. Were we supposed to think that the rebels won the war and so the other aliens all went home? After all these years, they're giving up that easily? I'm confused.

Also, this aliens quoting/writing Genesis thing doesn't fit for me. Back in the wonderful conversation between Jeremiah Smith and CSM (in Talitha Cumi I think), it's implied that the Humans' belief in God and ability to love were antagonistic to the aliens' colonization plans. Or at least the consortium's power. So I don't see where TPTB are going with this, or if this is just an inconsistency.

And lastly, of course, Mulder had to get a regular bed, since his lease forbade water beds and the leak brought it to his landlord's attention.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL FALL TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I CAN'T WAIT THAT LONG!

(We apoligize for the above post. The person posting was in a state of mental disturbance. He has been rushed to a mental hospital and is feeling much better now. We are keeping him just as a precaution until the Season Premiere of "The X-Files". He will return as himself then and hopefully he will not destroy anymore televisions containing this particular episode of "The X-Files", having seen the conclusion. Thank you for your time.)

Charles: Maybe the shapes of the artifacts were a hidden joke by TPTB (doncha love those?!)

Also, this aliens quoting/writing Genesis thing doesn't fit for me. Back in the wonderful conversation between Jeremiah Smith and CSM (in Talitha Cumi I think), it's implied that the Humans' belief in God and ability to love were antagonistic to the aliens' colonization plans. Or at least the consortium's power. So I don't see where TPTB are going with this, or if this is just an inconsistency.
Well, I don't think we're supposed to know where they are going with this, like we ever are :-).

Man, what a great episode. I loved every minute of it. Right after it got over, I wanted to rewind my tape and watch it again. I really took notice when the piece flew and hit the Bible, I thought that it probably had some signifigance. Of course, in our favorite show, what doesn't? I think that the last shot was meant to show that good ol' C.G.B. Spender started a new Syndicate. And Skinner working for Krycek? Deliciously devious. Oh, how I love this show!

My "nit-picks" are as numerically proceeds:
1) The quality of the camera recording is conspicuously different as Special Agent Dana Scully approaches and briefly enters the Navaho Indian's room in the hospital.
2) What is the significance of the scene in which Special Agent Dana Scully's face has a close-up shot of it and with half of it displayed?
3) Dr. Sandoz requests not to have his location divulged, yet Special Agent Dana Scully just got done indicating herself to be in New Mexico. Furthermore, she announced this right in front of Dr. Sandoz! (You posted this before I, Twelfth Man)
4) Is it my imagination or does Special Agent Fox Mulder's new office look identical to his previous one? Nice reconstruction job, nonetheless.
5) Why would Dr. Sandoz contact Special Agent Fox Mulder's office if he sought to communicate with Special Agent Dana Scully? How convenient she just happens to be there, too.
6) The metallic item with the symbols inscribed on it Special Agent Dana Scully reaches for at the conclusion is being deluged by the oncoming tide. In the next aerially acquired scene, however, you can clearly see the tide is now quite a distance away from the item.

I find it hard to believe that no aerial or satellite survey of this area was ever done. Aren't there lots of natural resource (read petroleum) in that area? How could they miss the spaceship?

-12-

In one of her voice-overs, Scully goes on about everything in the universe coming from "matter and gas", and how life may merely be fater to return to "matter and gas". Uh, sorry to bring actual science into this show ;-), but gas *is* matter.

Off of the topic, but does anyone know where you can find recent frame-grabs from the X-Files? I want to compare the artifact to a map of Kentucky to see how close they are.

Why do Americans always say "off of"? For example: "Get off of me!" Why not just say "Get off me!" The of is completely redundant.
And Lauryn Hill doesn't need to add an of in her cover version of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You". When she's singing she says "can't take my eyes off of you". And to think she won all those Grammys.

Hmmm....yeah. Ok.

Anyway, D. Stuart, I'm glad you mentioned the camera shots in your nit #1. I don't know much about camera work, but it looked more "live action," as if it were filmed through a handheld camera or done live. I remember the "live ER episode" looking a lot like that scene. Does anyone know what causes that?

Has anyone else noticed how often Special Agent Dana Scully is donning an all-black attire? Either she has joined a cult or she is convinced it augments her complexion.

I certainly hope that Scully is wearing some sunscreen in Africa, when she finds the ship! Aren't redheads usually very fair?

I'm just bugged by Scully's attire, I mean she's
in a fairly remote place in the Ivory Coast. I'm
no African expert but in all of those National
Geographic specials people seemed to have to
travel on poor, dusty, roads for many hours in
extreme heat. Unless I am harboring huge
misconceptions about the Ivory Coast's
infrastructure (which, I concede is a distinct
possibility, if so I'm sorry) there is NO way that
that cute suit would have a) been appropriate b)
been comfortable or c) looked that neat by the
time she got there

Dark clothes absorb more heat than light colored clothes. Of course, a slightly dusty off-white suit might have been more believable that that neatly tailored ensemble, but BILC. Or CBS.

Just saw it in rerun for the first time yesterday.
I thought that Gillian Anderson's reading of the
opening litany was marvelous.:)

Also the ending when Scully's standing near the
object was cool.

Actually after six seasons it is a wonder that
it took Mulder this LONG to check into looneyville.I'm sure Scully and the rest of his
friends and co-workers were probably wondering WHY he hadn't cracked before.

Aliens who read the KJV(King James Version)interesting,do you think they might be
Klingon?:)
(Remember the line about Shakespeare in Star Trek
VI:The Undiscovered Country?)

Off the beaten track here but:Dontcha think that
they ought to do a crossover with the WB series
ROSWELL as it certainly be a natural.

I agree with MikeC on this one, it was good but it seemed like this ep was all for shock value. That monolog/voice over was to kill time, Krychek and Skinner wasn't news, and everything else just seemed so lazy and matter-of-factly. I also agree that Scully's attire in Cote de Ivore was not appropriate.

If this was not mentioned by Phil or anybody else before I would be surprised but the cell phone use in this show, being in the middle of nowhere and still chatting without issue, is quite surprising. I admit I haven't seen many episodes but out of those I have I don't recall a single bad call, except one that Mulder faked.