"In all things there are three choices: Yes, No & no choice, except
in this -- I either choose the truth or I am deceit."
-- Sovereign
From the opening strains of Mark Snow's insistent melody to the final fade-out, Fox Mulder is caught in a situation where he has no choice. "Pine Bluff Variant," a solo writing effort from the oft-maligned John Shiban, crackles with suspense from start to finish. As with last season's surprise Shiban offering, "Elegy," "Pine Bluff Variant" reconfirms that somewhere among all the Chupacabras and Killer Pussy Cats, Shiban actually has some credible stories for The X-Files.
The taut opening, in which an arms dealer meets with a horrible death by exposure to a virulent bio-toxin, lays a solid foundation for this thriller, which is reminiscent of many previous works based on the Cold War. But as with so many episodes over the past five years, "Pine Bluff Variant" ties back to the underlying government conspiracy. As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that all is not as it seems, and the final payoff is worthy of our appreciation.
It is an interesting paradox that Mulder and Scully work pretty well together in "Pine Bluff Variant," for they don't spend a lot of time together on screen. But when they are together, that old magic, so often MIA in Season Five comes roaring back to life. It's gratifying and satisfying, and it serves to remind us that the real reason we watch is to see our two heroes working together to overcome the lies and deceit.
David Duchovny's performance has to rank among his best dramatic efforts. Duchovny's performance had a range and scope that should quiet his detractors for some time. His denial of his involvement with the escape of the second-in-command of terrorist group in the park was just as believable as his excruciating Mulder!Torture scenes. Mulder even undergoes a crisis of principles when ordered to kill the wounded teller. You could see the agony in his eyes through his Dracula mask as he struggled with whether it would come down to his life or the teller's. In this no choice scenario, he reaches a point where he is ready to shoot, but is spared that choice. I flashed back to many similar scenes from the late, lamented series Wiseguy, where Vinny Terranova (Ken Wahl) faced many such agonizing situations while he was an undercover FBI agent.
Duchovny then displays that cornered animal look when Bremmer plays the tape of Mulder & Scully talking, and his lurch when the shot rang out looked as if he had been shot. Finally, his confrontation with US Attorney Leamus in the climactic scene was righteous indignation mixed with the right amount of contempt.
Not to be outdone by Duchovny's performance, Gillian Anderson once again rises to the occasion with a strong performance as Agent Dana Scully. Her relentless questioning of how Haley escaped Mulder in the park and her dogged determination at finding out what was going on with her partner led her to the truth. She was appropriately hostile when she followed Mulder to the motel, and then tender and caring as she set his mangled fingers after her briefing by Skinner and Leamus. Anderson was a wonderfully adept scientist at the movie theater and the concerned partner on the phone with Skinner about her discovery of the origin of the bio-toxin. Her joining in with Mulder in the confrontation with Leamus was proof positive that the partnership is as strong as ever.
Guest star performances in "Pine Bluff Variant" were first-rate. Daniel Van Bergen played the determined, committed terrorist to the hilt. His low-key interpretation added to the subtle menace of his character. He constantly tested Mulder, and each test led to more implied threats to Mulder's life. He looked genuinely surprised and betrayed when Bremmer played the tape of Mulder & Scully, and his look of resignation as he was kneeling next to Mulder was genuine. Van Bergen also had the definitive line in the episode as he looked at the surveillance reports Mulder gave him: "Lies within lies." That's what "Pine Bluff Variant" was all about.
Sam Anderson did a nice turn as US Attorney Leamus. Anderson is one of those character actors who was just born to play a bureaucrat, and he plays it wonderfully well. Anderson shows just how deeply committed the players in the government conspiracy are, when he spouts the party line, "Sometimes, it's our job to protect the American public from knowing the truth."
Michael MacRae's August Bremmer was a classic performance. Deceitful, cunning and never betraying his underlying motives until the very end, MacRae was the very essence of cold, calculating duplicity.
Mark Snow's haunting score was an integral part of the narrative. The prevalent theme reminded me of a ticking clock, a bomb on a timer counting down to the final deadly explosion. Snow also used bass lines and strings to great effect in other scenes, such as when Scully was telling Skinner about the bio-toxin's domestic origins. Snow's music was omnipresent, without being distracting, silent when it should have been, and it greatly enhanced the mood of the episode.
This was another visually appealing episode to watch. Joel Ransom used contrasting shadows and light in many scenes to capture the feeling of dark desperation. The Mulder!Torture scene was a prime example of this, as Mulder was bathed in light while his inquisitors sat in the darkness. The theater scenes were nicely shot, as were the scenes in the motel rooms. Adding to the visual treats was Lynn Willingham's deft editing. She spliced together several shifting perspectives, such as the Scully/Skinner phone call, with seamless precision. The same could be said about the frequent camera shifts in the Mulder!Torture scenes, too. I hope that Ms. Willingham and Heather MacDougall will be making the trip to LA. Their work in the editing room helps make the show the smoothly produced product that it is.
Director Rob Bowman shows me once again why he's my personal favorite. Bowman's direction always produces multiple perspectives from various angles that help surround the action and place the viewer in the middle of it. The pacing for "Pine Bluff Variant" was perfect. It never dragged and I never felt like reaching for the Fast Forward button on my VCR's remote. Shots such as following the electronic eavesdropper's red light back to its source, with Bremmer lying there, comfortable and secure in his stealth, linger on in my memory. That tight shot of Mulder trying vainly to keep his fingers together was another example of Bowman's understanding of how something seemingly trite can be shot in such a way as to elicit an emotional response from the viewer. Can you ever recall seeing a close-up of someone's hand clenched tightly and being moved? And let us not forget that all those acting performances I praised were at least partially the result of Bowman's vision of how the characters translate from the script to film.
"Pine Bluff Variant" was not without its flaws. I know I keep coming back to the Scully/Skinner phone call, but that was a pivotal point in the episode. Skinner tells Scully that the US had abandoned its biochemical warfare program in 1969. Scully then asks if he's alone. After Skinner picks up and Scully tells him about Pine Bluff, when Skinner hangs up, he tells Leamus that she's just concerned for her partner. Huh? Leamus is supposed to believe that after Skinner just got finished talking about the government sponsoring a bio-weapons program?
My other big problem was the test in the theater (a screen test, perhaps? ;). If the toxin wasn't airborne and it wasn't on the ticket stubs, then just how did the victims get exposed to it? The only thing I can think of is that maybe Bremmer sprayed the glass top of the concession counter, since he took out the spray can while the usherette was making his "Fresh" popcorn. But then, that would mean that everyone in the theater, including the projectionist, would have had to come in contact with the top of the concession counter. There was nothing to indicate that the projectionist left their station, since the movie was still running when the two boys sneaked in. Shiban made a big point of saying how there were no airborne traces nor traces on the stubs. I would have liked a satisfactory answer to exactly how the toxin was spread.
But I can overlook these flaws because they couldn't detract from a tight script, superior acting performances, the superb score and the topnotch technical presentation. "Pine Bluff Variant" is a reminder of how good the show can be when all the key players and elements are in place, and the right director is barking the orders.
My Score: 9.5 out of 10