"Talitha cumi" means "Little girl - arise".
Mark 5:41
Presumably, the little girl is Samantha Mulder, and she will arise from her missing status as the A/GC storyline takes a more tangible shape in the fourth season premiere next September. But this is speculation, which should not be used to begin a review. :-) Instead, since this is another setup episode for an Alien/Government Conspiracy arc, we'll talk about questions and answers.
This episode takes two peripheral characters and uses their dialogue as a forum to debate the state of American society today. In the show's most telling moment, Cancer Man and a sympathetic alien discuss the lamentable state of America with respect to apathy, politics and religious beliefs. It is another version of the age-old antithetic views of cynicism versus hope. As it relates to the A/GC storyline, this discussion provides some insight into the (in)human nature of Cancer Man, the ultimate mission of the Consortium and yes, even Mulder. It feeds any latent paranoia a viewer may have while making you question your own belief system. And it was disconcerting for me when I discovered what lay inside.
The episode also ties together some of the loose threads from the "Colony"/"End Game" arc and builds from there. We are re-introduced to the morphing Alien Bounty Hunter (ABH from here on) as he attempts to track down and kill another alien who sympathizes with us pathetic humans. We learn that Cancer Man and Mrs. Mulder knew each other well from Bill Mulder's early days as a member of the inner circle, and the inferences are enough to fuel speculation for months. Is one of the Mulder children the illegitimate offspring of Cancer Man? Did Mrs. Mulder prefer "the better water skier?" Did Bill Mulder know that one of his children wasn't really his, and so he chose that child to be abducted by the aliens/Consortium? Was his choice Fox and was this selection overridden by Cancer Man, who wanted to keep his love-child among humans? The mind reels with the possibilities.
Mrs. Mulder suffers a stroke and ends up hospitalized. In one of the most ludicrous scenes in The X-Files' three seasons, she awakens from her stroke. When Mulder asks her what CM was looking for, she writes on a pad, in perfect block script letters, P A L M. Yeh, right. I know hundreds of people who, when they first recover consciousness from a stroke, not only can print with no apparent ill effects to their motor skills, but who are also so sharp that they can immediately think of an anagram for the word they want to write. Don't you? Puh-leeze!
The X-Files continues its regularly scheduled homage to great films with a scene straight out of The Silence of the Lambs. Sympathetic alien Jeremiah Smith is captured by CM's flunkies and is brought to his cell muzzled and bound to a body-length board. There, after carefully removing his muzzle, Cancer Man does an imitation of Jody Foster's Clarisse questioning Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lecter.
The ensuing dialogue between Cancer Man and the alien (the original alien-hunter, played by Roy Thinnes, from the 1967 series, The Invaders) is a philosophical discussion worthy of a Ph.D. oral examination. Cancer Man espouses his cynicism and utter contempt for US citizens in general, and the alien counters with his views of the better side of humanity. The morphing sequences where Jeremiah turns into Bill Mulder and Deep Throat (it's always great to see Jerry Hardin again!) penetrate Cancer Man's smooth veneer and touch him at his very core.
William B. Davis is wonderfully effective, displaying the aloof coldness of one of the charmed inner circle and then as the affected man who is visibly shaken when confronted with the image of his deceased colleagues. He apparently is reminded of his role in the death of both of these men and is only now disturbed by it. As a final shot, the alien tells Cancer Man that he indeed does have lung cancer and will not live long enough to become a "commandant" in the new order. This serves as a plot device to set the alien free so that Cancer Man will live on and so that the "good" alien can catch up with Mulder and Scully. This sets up the final confrontation among Mulder, Scully, Jeremiah, and ABH as the scene fades to black and those dreaded words, "To Be Continued," appear on our screens.
But for all the excellent work by the stellar supporting cast, this was David Duchovny's story to carry, and his broad shoulders were up to the task. DD co-wrote the story with Chris Carter, although Carter got the sole screenplay credit. The fight scene between Mulder and Mr. X was one of the best on-screen fights I have ever seen. I was amazed that Mulder could manage a draw in that encounter, yet it was believable. However, it is Duchovny's wide-ranging performance, from curious FBI agent to the grieving son, to the single-minded seeker of the truth about his sister, and finally to the outraged that makes this story move.
Gillian Anderson makes the most of her screen time to depict a caring partner with a wonderful bedside manner when Mrs. Mulder is hospitalized. Mitch Pileggi as AD Skinner tries to no avail to convince Mulder that he (Skinner) is really on Mulder's side. "I can't contact him (Cancer Man) any time I want any more, because of the choices I've made." This was an obvious reference to "Paper Clip," wherein Skinner tells Cancer Man to "Pucker up . . ." and demonstrates to CM that the tape has been successfully "copied" by Albert and other Navaho tribe members. I thought Pileggi was quite good in his brief appearance on screen.
Special Guest Star Roy Thinnes was superb in his portrayal of Jeremiah Smith. His sympathetic alien character's insights into the human psyche and weaknesses were a masterful touch, and his sense of urgency was all too real. Thinnes also appeared as David Vincent, his character from The Invaders in the recent mini-series of the same name which starred Scott Bakula. His work in a series about an alien invasion is both ironic and appropriate. Thirty years later, he still displays the same intensity.
Director R. W. Goodwin moves the story along expertly. There were multiple scene changes in this episode, and Goodwin made the hour fly by with his deft direction. Editor Jim Gross did a wonderful job, especially with the morphing sequences. And once again, Mark Snow's score set the mood for the story like a finely crafted introduction.
As is the case with almost every set-up episode in the Alien/Government Conspiracy storyline, every question that is answered raises two more. When we find out that Ma Mulder and CM were more than just acquaintances, we wonder if one or both of the Mulder children are half carcinogenic. ;-) When we hear talk about "the date being set," we wonder if they're talking about a full-scale invasion that has the sanction of the Consortium and, by inference, our own government. Alternatively, maybe something less sinister is going on. Perhaps the Consortium has evaluated the various species of aliens that have been visiting Earth for years and has decided to cooperate with one of those species by allowing them to use Earth as a base of operations from which to wage war on or destroy the other species in exchange for alien technology. Was part of that technology the mind control imagery which we saw last week in "Wet Wired?"
I could go on and on about the questions and answers, but this is an exercise better left to the student. :-) Suffice it to say that "Talitha Cumi" did what it was supposed to do, which was to whet my appetite for next season's premiere. Consider my appetite whetted. :-)
Outside of the glaring gaffe with Ma Mulder's handwriting and the anagram, this was an exceptional episode. But perfect scores are for perfect episodes, and this one was not perfect. Let's say .1 off for each mistake.
My Score: 9.8 out of 10