SEASON 1

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SEASON 3

SEASON 4

SEASON 5

FIGHT THE FUTURE

SEASON 6

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And next we see Mulder cranking it up to 20 mph already. The cables are whining and squeaking, making Bob nervous. Duane, meanwhile, is speeding up the back road. Mulder cranks the tram up past 25, and in the tram control booth Bob watches as the speed indicator passes 26. Bob calls Mulder's tram car, and tells Krycek that at that speed the cable won't hold. Um, just a question: if the cable can't handle that speed, regardless of whether or not it's been refitted, why in the hell can the car be driven that fast anyway? Why not just have the maximum speed be 15? Why am I worrying about this when the writers obviously didn't? The cables are grinding and squeaking, and Krycek looks sort of like he's enjoying this because he's still pissed Mulder wouldn't take him for a ride. Okay, no, that's not true, he just kind of stands there watching all this happen, but he starts to look concerned when Mulder gets the tram close to 30 mph. Bob wants to shut the tram down. He radios the car again and finally gets Mulder to pick up, and warns him that if he doesn't slow it down the car will jump the cable when it passes the tower.

Mulder wisely slows the car down a bit and it makes it over the tower with just some [clattering]. Then we switch to Duane and see that he's made it to the mountain's summit. Isn't there a main override switch that Bob can use in the control center? I mean, if the guy that threatened you with the gun is stuck up on a tram car, just shut it down and call the cops. Maybe he's worried about what Krycek might do, which in the coming moments is probably a good fear to have, considering what happens.

Mulder slows it down again, but only for a moment so that he can pass the next tower. Krycek then shows some interest in Mulder's progress, because he asks Bob how close he is. Hee, that sounded dirty. Bob tells Krycek that Mulder should be at the summit in a minute. And right after Bob says that, we see Krycek pull back his suit jacket, exposing his gun. Ruh roh, Rorge! Bob is focused on watching Mulder on the monitor as the tram nears the top, so he doesn't notice when Krycek unsnaps his holster and bonks Bob over the head with his gun. Poor, trusting Bob. I bet he really files a complaint against the FBI now. First he's threatened by Mulder, then he's brained by his partner.

By the way, Krycek looks really, really scary when he hits Bob. His face is all snarly and mean. After Bob falls out of his chair, Krycek composes himself and smoothes his hair back into place. Nick talked about this scene at a convention in Secaucus, NJ over the Thanksgiving weekend of 1995, which I attended. That little hair thing wasn't in the script, he said. He thought that Krycek would do that, because he was this really straight-laced guy. That just goes to show Nick's attention to detail with this character. It's a great moment.

Krycek then turns off the tram, causing Mulder to radio down and ask Bob (who's unconscious at the moment obviously) to turn it back on. Mulder asks Krycek what's happening, and to tell the operator to restart the tram. But Krycek is busy; he's on his cell phone, telling whoever it is on the other end that he has Mulder stalled up there and that he'll hold until he's advised what to do. He follows orders so well. As this is occurring, Duane pulls up near buildings that have been shuttered for the summer at the mountain summit. Mulder radios to ask if there's an emergency system on board the tram car, and sifts through a box of emergency evacuation items. He passes up the "screamer suit," which I guess is what you do when you put it on and plunge to your death, and he also passes up what looks like a rappelling harness. He throws two more items to the side -- a parachute? -- and decides to pull down the ladder that leads to the top of the car. He gets out through the hatch, and is now walking around *on top of the tram car*, and then begins to *climb up toward the cable*. What does he plan to do, shimmy his way to the summit on the cable? This guy is nuts! Alex seems to think so too, because he sees this on the monitor, and has this "Oh, shit, they don't pay me enough to put up with this crazy idiot" look on his face. He's honestly amazed at either Mulder's bravery, or stupidity. I think it's the latter. Krycek kinda shakes his head a little at this development, and turns the car back on.

When the tram starts back up it flings Mulder from where he was climbing onto the top of the car, and he slides to the edge. And we all know that DD actually did his own stunt in this scene, hooked to a safety wire that was hidden under his suit. It's still pretty damn scary-looking; you can see mountains in the distance. He's really high up there. Mulder finally gets a foothold and is able to regain his footing; Krycek's reaction to this is definitely relief. He closes his eyes and sighs deeply, and then puts his hand to his mouth. Some may think that Krycek was thwarted in his attempt to kill Mulder, but don't forget Krycek is working for the CSM. The CSM protected Mulder time and again, and not just because Mulder was his son. And let's assume that the CSM knew all along that Mulder was his son. Can you imagine what would have happened to Krycek if he allowed the son of an evil man like the CSM to fall off the side of the tram? Krycek would have been a pretty, pretty corpse, that's for damn sure.