"Sixth Extinction" Commentary
By: Bridget
11.8.99
Well, oh well, oh well! Now, we can all breathe again. Yet, now begins another week of waiting....While in the back of our heads looms the ambivalence of knowing that this is the beginning of the end. But for now, my little brain is in the usual Sunday night daze. So forgive me if I make little or no sense. ;-)
Chris Carter said in like a 2-second interview segment on our local news that always airs after The X-Files, "We're always trying to push the limits of storytelling." "Sixth Extinction" has done what only X-Files can get away with- to suggest that "There is no God," or at least not in the sense that most of us see Her. (Hey, I can refer to God as a woman, can't I?)
During the summer of '98, right before the XF movie came out, I wrote a big, long essay- which some of you will, no doubt, remember....but not without laughing- about....Well, I don't know what it was about, but in it I discussed an idea that "Jesus was an alien," and that that's what The X-Files mythology was, in a sense, in the proccess of suggesting. And look at this- though I was probably on the wrong track with some of that stuff in there- the nature of which those of you who read it know need not be discussed, lol- I was right about my "Jesus was an alien" dealie!
Now, don't let your imaginations go to far here. What I said was simply this: If an alien is defined as something that is not of Earthly origin, and certainly Christians believe that Jesus was not, then that makes Jesus an alien.
I'm not saying I believe this or that or you should or whatever. What I'm saying is that the simplicity of the "Jesus was an alien" idea is an interesting thought to entertain. Think about how Mulder and Scully's theories have always worked out. They argue and argue, and most of the time, you don't know who to believe, because they each have made very good points. And more often than not, it comes to a happy medium where they're each partially right. Therefore it comes as no suprise that the big question they've been playing with on the show has also come to a marriage of both of their standpoints.
For those of you who read Contact, by Carl Sagan (the BOOK), you'll remember the part where Ellie thinks about how the chances are greater than not that alien beings are not something that we'd be capable of understanding, let alone communicating with. Now, I was raised a Catholic, (which is a sub....category, I guess is the term, of Christian) as was Scully, and we have been taught that full knowledge and understanding of God is impossible for us mortal human beings. That we must accept and believe without proof- that that is the challenge. That has been Scully's challenge. On the other hand, Mulder has believed in aliens without proof. Both initially leaned toward believing what they wanted to believe. What's easiest and most confortable for them. I think we all do.
Yet both of their faiths have been shaken at some point during their quest, and they seem to have come out of it with stronger faith than ever before. Ask someone who's been through a major ordeal. The same thing often happens to them. For instance, an oncologist may be able to tell a patient how their disease came about, or how to treat it, but they can't answer the question that wracks the patient's mind: "Why me?" Scully's cancer brought about the same struggle for her. "Science," she observed. "Only tells us how, not why." Her faith, and her love for Mulder, is the "why"- the reason she has the strength to go on, even now, when she has no allies.
Mulder wasn't brought up under a faith, or at least a very active one, so his was created when his sister was abducted. And his faith- his reason to go on- grew out of the need to fill the void left by Samantha's dissappearance, and the dysfunctional home he grew up in. Mulder, disturbingly, has been "created" by the forces around him. To "fill" his void, he became obsessive, parenoid, and malgomaniacal. Aliens and the paranormal serve his need (one we all have) for a driving force greater than himself. It is something which, in most schools of thought is unattainable within our world. As is God. So, essentially, he is really no different than Scully.
So, anyway, the point is that the culmination of Mulder and Scully's struggles has now lead to a marriage of science and religion- wholeness- illustrated by likening aliens to God. And, allow me to indulge- the metaphoric "marriage" of Mulder and Scully.
(Note to newer members: You'll soon learn that I have a wonderful imagination and a knack for connecting ideas in weird wass to fabricate these totally wild and crazy, whacked-out theories. But hey- it's all pretend! Unless we go into how The X-Files mirrors real life....But we'll save that for later.)
...Now, it's only a crazy metaphor, but you have to admit that it makes sense.
And as Phillip Padgett's "evil twin" would put it: "There can only be one ending to your story...See? It almost writes itself."
General comments on "Sixth Extinction" itself:
Who else here busted out laughing when that one guy lifted the hatchet, like a psychomaniac, and said "Sorry about this!" then proceeded to hack the African dude to death....Well, sort of....And they actually SHOWED it!! And there was NO warning before the episode. WHAT is the world coming to?! Or more specifically, WHAT happened to Chris Carter as a child to make him imagine these things? I guess we'll never know....I don't think we want to...
....And for that matter, I couldn't help but snicker a little when Scully was walking around with the hatchet as well. Okay, lets have a vote. Raise your hand if you think she actually woulda done it. That brutal woman. Has anyone kept a running total of how many people she's killed or beat up? No wonder she's seing things...
Poor Mulder. The whole episode, he was sitting there all zoned out with his mouth (and hospital gown) hanging open....Lying in a hospital bed in a waking coma for most of the episode...Lingering to life...His partner coming to his bedside to try and instill in him the strength of her beliefs that he can hold on....Wait a minute! Where have we seen THIS before??!! Oh no, it's the role reversal again!! (Another topic of discussion to save for a rainy day.)
The glasses are back!! And her hair is pulled back for the first time since like, season 3!! That's almost four years ago....Gosh, has it REALLY been this long?
::In a whiny, Fowley-mocking voice:: "I love you, Fox. I always have. Nee-nee, nee-nee, nee-nee, nee-nee!! And soon we can me together." Together my butt. In my nightmares. And she kissed him! Ewwww, gag me. And we STILL have to see more of it! (I'm referring to the JUST-a-dream Mulder is going to have in the next episode...) On the lips! Excuse me while I puke up my dinner....Then we can send Chris Carter a computer virus! Or we can abduct Mimi Rodgers and hold her captive for a ransom of....One MILLION dollars!! ::Dr. Evil laugh:: HA! HA-AHA!! HA! HAAAAA!!!
Okay, I think I'll hit the sack, now....If only Mulder and Fowley wouldn't...::sniff, sniff::: What about Scully??!! Well, we'll see...
Cut and print.