Tuesday, December 15, 2015

The X-Files - S8:E9 "Salvage"

[ S8:E8 "Surekill" <<< Season 8 >>> S8:E10 "Badlaa" ]

Salvage is another solid-but-not-spectacular episode, comparable to the last one. It also opens with some minor misdirection, with what looks to be a tale of revenge from beyond the grave involving a man who allegedly died of Gulf War Syndrome - kind of like a more personal version of Unrequited. Except, what the episode really turns out to be (which becomes increasingly apparent as what at first appears to be an apparition turns out to have a corporeal essence that bleeds, and is stronger than steel) is more akin to a superhero (or supervillain) origin story, when a man is imbued with the power of regenerative "smart metals", a kind of indestructible junkyard golem, that totally plays on the audience's awareness of Robert Patrick's role in Terminator 2, (while also precognitively anticipating the villain in this year's Terminator Genisys) , without going overboard with self-conscious references. I have to say, this series is doing a good job of coming up with new ideas this late in the game, and this string of traditional freak-of-the-week episodes so fresh on the introduction of a new character and a new era of the show has all the feeling of a new season 1. And while that wasn't the best season in the show's run, after all the experimentation of the sixth season, and the ennui of the seventh season, it's a refreshing - and much appreciated - change of pace.


Memorable quotes:

Doggett: What are you saying, Ray Pearce has become some kind of metal man? Because that only happens in the movies, Agent Scully.
Scully: Does it, Agent Doggett?

(Well, Robert Patrick would know better than anybody -_^).

Scully: Agent Doggett, the man that we're speaking about withstood impact from a speeding car, and two shotgun blasts at short range. Even if we can find him, who's to say we can stop him?

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