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FIGHT THE FUTURE

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Cut to Mulder and Scull on the parking lot, entering the RV but obviously not finding Max. Alien has apparently turned on the audio tracker. Scully notices the blood on the bed and they listen to the radio and hear “patrol report unidentified trespass at the waterfront. This is Henderson. Move on target.” They stare at each other.

Mulder wants to go there while Scully tries to get him into the car to go to the airport. I don’t understand how Mulder thinks this has anything to do with Max. He thinks it’s more than a coincidence that Max was in Townsend the night of the crash. I’m still not sure what Mulder is getting at. That the UFO crashed while attempting to abduct Max? A botched abduction? Well, it’s good to know that even aliens make mistakes when kidnapping, I’m sorry, abducting people. Mulder thinks Henderson knows that too, which, again, I don’t know about. Henderson knows nothing about Max as an abductee as far as we know. Or does he?

We cut to Lake Michigan Waterfront Dock 7 and watch Max walking towards us holding his right ear. He seems disoriented and in pain. A jeep with 2 soldiers drives up to him. He implores them to stay away. Henderson thinks Max is dangerous, so maybe there is something to what Mulder was saying earlier or it’s just Henderson being his Henderson self. We see another car driving up to the jeep and it’s Mulder and Scully, for once being quick at a scene. The 2 solders are lying on the ground, and I’m sorry but I can’t watch this scene without thinking of the gag reel where Gillian Anderson says instead of “they’re dead”, “they’re done.” Toast, I’m telling you.

We hear Max screaming from inside a warehouse and our agents run towards it. They find him slouched against a barrel muttering “it hurts, stop it.” It’s terrible to watch. Scully runs out to hold Henderson off. Good luck with that one. The soldiers stick explosives to the door. Hm. Scully just walked out that door. Why would they need to explode that door? Henderson needs more action again, no doubt. A guy on the roof reports three blobs on his heat seeker camera. Obviously, Alien has left Max’s body.

Mulder is still with Max, trying to reassure him. Max can somehow see or sense Alien coming towards them and screams while Alien catapults Mulder away. Mulder gets up (with his gun in his hand; where did that gun come from?) and finds Max just hanging in the air surrounded by some bright light. Which becomes very bright and then the heat seeker camera only finds one blob. Henderson orders to blow up the door.

We cut to Mulder picking up Max’s hat. Henderson asks him where he is and Mulder yells that he’s gone, that they got to him first. Henderson awesomely: “Arrest him. Keep looking!” You’ll never make that hearing now, Mulder.

Apparently, they postponed. We cut to a close-up of Section Chief McGrath and the Office of Responsibility Hearing. 10:17 a.m. Day 4. Mulder is lucky to have Skinner later, otherwise, there would have been a hearing like this every time Mulder runs off to investigate something. That would end every episode like this.

Scully sits at the other end of a very long table. She looks very alone at the table in front of an empty wall with an ashtray in front of her. She tries to argue that Mulder requires special criteria, but gets shot down and is dismissed. She wears a nice suit, but I hate her shoes. Mulder actually has crutches from his somersault in the warehouse. She gives him an envelope and wishes him good luck.

She picks up a newspaper that reports that the toxic cleanup in Townsend was a success and she looks pensive and curls her lips ever so slightly in sarcasm. I sense the beginning of the loss of innocence for our young agent.

Mulder is being annoyed that he is asked about issues of protocol while over a dozen men lost their lives. McGrath adds the charges of violating federal quarantine (oh, he must have been so happy to hear about those!). They start a yelling match that Mulder wins.

McGrath reports that Henderson found Fenig’s body 2 hours later in a cargo container. I have no idea whether that disproves anything Mulder or McGrath says. Apart from the fact that we all know that Max didn’t die that day how would that make Mulder back off?

Mulder gets up and is being very broken hearted but again I’m smiling. I’m outing myself here as one who never thought Duchovny is a very engaging actor and that goes beyond the infamous hypnosis scene and the hand/sheet-chewing scene. He’s very young here so that might add to the giggling but Gillian Anderson never makes me giggle when she has a heartfelt scene.

Outside, McGrath is purposefully walking towards Deep Throat, who apparently countermanded McGrath’s decision. McGrath is very upset about this. Deep Throat just quotes the Godfather: “Keep your friends close but keep your enemies closer.” And who can argue with Marlon Bando. Deep Throat knows the difference a badge can make.