Fic Recs: 3x07 "The Walk"
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xfilesficrecs"The Walk" marks the beginning of the third season plot/relationship arc long referred to as "The Rift," or if you're British, "The Tiff." Opinions vary about where (or why?) the rift begins but everyone agrees it ends with "Pusher." After re-watching "The Walk," I can't say I noticed any signs of a rift between Mulder and Scully. What I saw was a well-done classic horror episode, directed by Rob Bowman from John Shiban's first script for the series.
This is the first time I recall The X-Files depicting the military as anything other than a tool of the Consortium. The parallel being drawn between the irrational violence of Leonard "Rappo" Trimble and the Gulf War that resulted in his injuries works, mostly. Rappo is a monster, who is killing innocent people to avenge the deaths of his fellow soldiers, but he's our monster. Rappo's astral body does his dirty work, just as the military does ours.
Scully was fierce in this episode, strong in her belief that General was hiding something, unwilling to back down when Captain Draper tries to get them to leave. As soon as Scully heard about the deaths of the two officers' families, she was all over that case. Mulder was there to look into reports about phantom soldiers, but Scully was ready to take on the entire chain of command to get justice for those victims.
The scene that provides the episode's title is short but moving. It ties beautifully into the theme of the casualties of war.
MAN: I keep having the same dream almost every night. I know a lot of crips have the same dream. "The Walk". In my dream, I rise up out of my chair, and I can stand. I look down the hallway, I'm not in the ward anymore, I'm home. With my baby girl.
There was a lot of righteous anger in Shiban's script, more even than made it to the screen. This was the voice-over we heard Mulder deliver.
It was war that destroyed Leonard Trimble's body... but his wounds went deeper than the loss of his limbs... What destroyed those parts of him that make us human beings? Those better angels of our nature? I cannot say. (The emphasis is mine.)
This is the closed-captioning. Note the significant difference in the wording.
MULDER: Leonard Trimble was a casualty of the Gulf War. A victim of friendly fire. The wounds of war, however, can go beyond the physical and mental injuries of battle. There was a spiritual toll on the combatants, the attack against the psyche that leaves in its wake only bitterness and anger. It was war that destroyed Leonard Trimble's body and released his phantom soul. And it was war that destroyed those parts of himself that make us civilized human beings... those better angels of our nature.
I'd love to have been a fly on the wall of the writer's room on the day they made those changes. John Shiban was clear about what destroyed Leonard Trimble. But for whatever reason, his mouthpiece, Fox Mulder, didn't get a chance to speak the words Shiban had written.
On to the recs.
"Capacity" is a nuanced character study of Dana Scully in "The Walk."
Capacity (1022 words) by tree
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder, Margaret Scully
Additional Tags: Community: picfor1000, Interstitial, Episode: s03e07 The Walk
Summary:
"No Greater Love" is a third season fic that takes place during the infamous Rift, but that’s not really what’s it’s about. The title is from John 15:13. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” This story is about sacrifice and the redemptive power of love. And, since this is casefic, along the way, we get lots of dead bodies.
No Greater Love by Karen Rasch
Rated R | 335K | Category XR | Archived 96-06-11
Keywords: Mulder/Scully romance.
Summary: Mulder and Scully travel to a small town in Missouri to investigate a series of deaths involving a faith healer. Along the way, questions are raised concerning their relationship and their feelings towards matters of the spirit.
Winner of 1996 Spooky for Most Carteresque (First Place), Best Platonic Mulder/Scully Relationship (First Place), Best Non NC-17 Mulder/Scully Relationship (Third Place), Best Scully Characterization (Second Place), and Best X-File Story (First Place).
This is the first time I recall The X-Files depicting the military as anything other than a tool of the Consortium. The parallel being drawn between the irrational violence of Leonard "Rappo" Trimble and the Gulf War that resulted in his injuries works, mostly. Rappo is a monster, who is killing innocent people to avenge the deaths of his fellow soldiers, but he's our monster. Rappo's astral body does his dirty work, just as the military does ours.
Scully was fierce in this episode, strong in her belief that General was hiding something, unwilling to back down when Captain Draper tries to get them to leave. As soon as Scully heard about the deaths of the two officers' families, she was all over that case. Mulder was there to look into reports about phantom soldiers, but Scully was ready to take on the entire chain of command to get justice for those victims.
The scene that provides the episode's title is short but moving. It ties beautifully into the theme of the casualties of war.
MAN: I keep having the same dream almost every night. I know a lot of crips have the same dream. "The Walk". In my dream, I rise up out of my chair, and I can stand. I look down the hallway, I'm not in the ward anymore, I'm home. With my baby girl.
There was a lot of righteous anger in Shiban's script, more even than made it to the screen. This was the voice-over we heard Mulder deliver.
It was war that destroyed Leonard Trimble's body... but his wounds went deeper than the loss of his limbs... What destroyed those parts of him that make us human beings? Those better angels of our nature? I cannot say. (The emphasis is mine.)
This is the closed-captioning. Note the significant difference in the wording.
MULDER: Leonard Trimble was a casualty of the Gulf War. A victim of friendly fire. The wounds of war, however, can go beyond the physical and mental injuries of battle. There was a spiritual toll on the combatants, the attack against the psyche that leaves in its wake only bitterness and anger. It was war that destroyed Leonard Trimble's body and released his phantom soul. And it was war that destroyed those parts of himself that make us civilized human beings... those better angels of our nature.
I'd love to have been a fly on the wall of the writer's room on the day they made those changes. John Shiban was clear about what destroyed Leonard Trimble. But for whatever reason, his mouthpiece, Fox Mulder, didn't get a chance to speak the words Shiban had written.
On to the recs.
"Capacity" is a nuanced character study of Dana Scully in "The Walk."
Capacity (1022 words) by tree
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder, Margaret Scully
Additional Tags: Community: picfor1000, Interstitial, Episode: s03e07 The Walk
Summary:
Character is what you are in the dark.
"No Greater Love" is a third season fic that takes place during the infamous Rift, but that’s not really what’s it’s about. The title is from John 15:13. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” This story is about sacrifice and the redemptive power of love. And, since this is casefic, along the way, we get lots of dead bodies.
No Greater Love by Karen Rasch
Rated R | 335K | Category XR | Archived 96-06-11
Keywords: Mulder/Scully romance.
Summary: Mulder and Scully travel to a small town in Missouri to investigate a series of deaths involving a faith healer. Along the way, questions are raised concerning their relationship and their feelings towards matters of the spirit.
Winner of 1996 Spooky for Most Carteresque (First Place), Best Platonic Mulder/Scully Relationship (First Place), Best Non NC-17 Mulder/Scully Relationship (Third Place), Best Scully Characterization (Second Place), and Best X-File Story (First Place).