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xfilesficrecsWe're back to the mythology, this time for a two-parter that introduces the most disturbing villain of The X-Files mythology, the black oil entity. The story line is structured as a thriller, with a horror component as the centerpiece. Alongside Mulder's action story, we get the resolution to Melissa's murder, with Scully capturing Luis Cardinal, the man who killed her sister.
The story has better than usual continuity, pulling together loose threads from several past mythology episodes: the Talapus, which was the salvage ship that transported the U.F.O. from "Nisei," Melissa's murder from "Paper Clip," and the digital tape from "Anasazi."
The teaser from "Piper Maru" is of the French diver Gauthier being taken over by the black oil. It gets echoed by the opener to "Apocrypha," where we see the sole remaining survivor of the entity's attack on the WWII submarine crew being interviewed by a young Bill Mulder, who is accompanied by two other men.
No, Sailor. You can't trust any of them. But there is the sense that a burden of knowledge and responsibility has passed from father to son. We know Fox Mulder wants to make the truth known. Maybe deep down, his father did, too.
Mulder is convinced that he knows what killed the men on the WWII submarine and the men on the French salvage ship, but as usual he is left without proof. The only thing he recalls about his own encounter with the oilien is a bright flash of light. But he remembers that the oil on the diving suit was just like that found on the French diver and his wife. After the FBI lab analyzes it, Mulder deduces that the oil is a medium that allows an alien consciousness to enter humans and control them.
It seemed like a leap to me, too, Scully.
They do figure out what the oilien wants, after Luis Cardinal gives it up to Scully.
Damn. Alex Krycek has the worst luck. He's in Hong Kong just in time to get captured by Mulder. He's in the men's room positioned to be jumped by Oilien Joan. The final shot in "Piper Maru," of Krycek walking into the camera, the oilien swirling inside his irises, is unmatched in creepiness—until the final scenes of "Apocrypha." The image of Krycek retching black oil, while the black entity oozes from his eyeballs, is horrifying even for The X-Files. The end shot of Krycek imprisoned inside the silo, pounding desperately to be let out, haunts me. The number 1013 stenciled in red letters above the tiny window is a sly touch. YES CHRIS CARTER WE KNOW WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE.
Does Mulder figure out that the Cigarette Smoking Bastard has the digital tape in his evil clutches?
I spotted no signs of the infamous rift between Mulder and Scully. No one gets ditched. Everyone is respectful. True, they are separated from the time Mulder leaves for San Francisco to interview Gauthier until he lands in the hospital following his encounter with "the intelligence community." Scully and Mulder are adorable together in that scene. Mulder is supportive and kind at the end when he has to break it to Scully that Luis Cardinal was murdered in his cell.
It's a rough form of justice, I suppose, but not what Scully would have wanted or she'd have killed the man herself. Just as Mulder doesn't murder the Cigarette Smoking Man when given the opportunity in "One Breath," Scully refrains from pulling the trigger on her sister's murderer. No matter how much pressure is bought to bear on our heroes, they don't crack. They stay true to themselves, they hold onto their values, and they remain loyal to one another.
Yes, I have fic recs. I never posted these at![[tumblr.com profile]](https://www.tumblr.com/favicon.ico)
201daysofxfiles; it has been years and at this point, I have no memory of why.
"Silo" by Bardsmaid is a 155 word episode tag, too short to require more explanation. AO3 claims it is 199 words—it is not. I have no idea how that place calculates word count or why they are off by 40+ words. It is also at Gossamer.
Silo (155 words) by Bardsmaid
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Alex Krycek
Additional Tags: An X-File Case, Episode: S03e15 Piper Maru, Episode: S03e16 Apocrypha
Summary:
"Oil" is disturbing and strange and original. The link is to Ratales but is also archived at Gossamer.
Oil (1579 words) by Eodrakken Quicksilver
Warnings: none
Rating: Gen
Summary: A possession. A nightmare. A love story. A different point of view. Post-"Apocrypha".
The next rec is a qualified one. Mortimer's style is excellent, ditto for the character voices; the plot is clever and well-executed. So what's the problem, Wendy? It's non-con. I got into an argument with a Mulder/Krycek shipper about that fact, but trust me, it is non-con. End of story. I don't care for the fic's ending but the rest of the story is a excellent blend of dry humor and creepiness, kind of like The X-Files. There is a sequel that I cannot recommend at all because she's written Mulder so out-of-character. However, M/K shippers love it, so YMMV. Both fics can be found at Gossamer and at her old site so you can judge for yourselves.
The Same Everywhere (13735 words) by Jane Mortimer
Rating: Explicit. Very.
Warnings: Non-con
Characters/Relationships: Fox Mulder/Alex Krycek, the Lone Gunmen
Summary: An alien has the ability to take over a human's body and force it to do as they please...
See? Even the author gets it. I put in a link to Mortimer's archived AOL website because there are a couple of fics that are not at Gossamer and they're worth reading, imho.
The story has better than usual continuity, pulling together loose threads from several past mythology episodes: the Talapus, which was the salvage ship that transported the U.F.O. from "Nisei," Melissa's murder from "Paper Clip," and the digital tape from "Anasazi."
The teaser from "Piper Maru" is of the French diver Gauthier being taken over by the black oil. It gets echoed by the opener to "Apocrypha," where we see the sole remaining survivor of the entity's attack on the WWII submarine crew being interviewed by a young Bill Mulder, who is accompanied by two other men.
SAILOR: That thing... is still down there! The navy will deny it... but you've got to make sure the truth gets out. I can trust you to do that, can't I, Mr. Mulder?
(Bill Mulder looks at his partners. One of them puts a cigarette in his mouth, and lights it)
THE CIGARETTE-SMOKING MAN: You can trust all of us. (He takes a puff and exhales.)
No, Sailor. You can't trust any of them. But there is the sense that a burden of knowledge and responsibility has passed from father to son. We know Fox Mulder wants to make the truth known. Maybe deep down, his father did, too.
Mulder is convinced that he knows what killed the men on the WWII submarine and the men on the French salvage ship, but as usual he is left without proof. The only thing he recalls about his own encounter with the oilien is a bright flash of light. But he remembers that the oil on the diving suit was just like that found on the French diver and his wife. After the FBI lab analyzes it, Mulder deduces that the oil is a medium that allows an alien consciousness to enter humans and control them.
MULDER: I think that it came off of whatever they pulled from the bottom of the Pacific ocean. It's been waiting 50 years down there for another host, another body to bring it up to the surface.
SCULLY: Waiting to jump into the diver and then into the diver's wife.
MULDER: And then into Krycek.
SCULLY: Krycek?
MULDER: I think that Mrs Gauthier went to Hong Kong under the control of this thing (Scully laughs) to find Krycek. I know, I know how it sounds.
SCULLY: Is anybody not looking for Krycek?
MULDER: No, but I think that the 64,000 dollar question is, what is this thing looking for? And now that it's in Krycek, what does it want?
It seemed like a leap to me, too, Scully.
They do figure out what the oilien wants, after Luis Cardinal gives it up to Scully.
Damn. Alex Krycek has the worst luck. He's in Hong Kong just in time to get captured by Mulder. He's in the men's room positioned to be jumped by Oilien Joan. The final shot in "Piper Maru," of Krycek walking into the camera, the oilien swirling inside his irises, is unmatched in creepiness—until the final scenes of "Apocrypha." The image of Krycek retching black oil, while the black entity oozes from his eyeballs, is horrifying even for The X-Files. The end shot of Krycek imprisoned inside the silo, pounding desperately to be let out, haunts me. The number 1013 stenciled in red letters above the tiny window is a sly touch. YES CHRIS CARTER WE KNOW WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE.
Does Mulder figure out that the Cigarette Smoking Bastard has the digital tape in his evil clutches?
I spotted no signs of the infamous rift between Mulder and Scully. No one gets ditched. Everyone is respectful. True, they are separated from the time Mulder leaves for San Francisco to interview Gauthier until he lands in the hospital following his encounter with "the intelligence community." Scully and Mulder are adorable together in that scene. Mulder is supportive and kind at the end when he has to break it to Scully that Luis Cardinal was murdered in his cell.
It's a rough form of justice, I suppose, but not what Scully would have wanted or she'd have killed the man herself. Just as Mulder doesn't murder the Cigarette Smoking Man when given the opportunity in "One Breath," Scully refrains from pulling the trigger on her sister's murderer. No matter how much pressure is bought to bear on our heroes, they don't crack. They stay true to themselves, they hold onto their values, and they remain loyal to one another.
Yes, I have fic recs. I never posted these at
"Silo" by Bardsmaid is a 155 word episode tag, too short to require more explanation. AO3 claims it is 199 words—it is not. I have no idea how that place calculates word count or why they are off by 40+ words. It is also at Gossamer.
Silo (155 words) by Bardsmaid
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Alex Krycek
Additional Tags: An X-File Case, Episode: S03e15 Piper Maru, Episode: S03e16 Apocrypha
Summary:
He's not alone. He's definitely not in control.
"Oil" is disturbing and strange and original. The link is to Ratales but is also archived at Gossamer.
Oil (1579 words) by Eodrakken Quicksilver
Warnings: none
Rating: Gen
Summary: A possession. A nightmare. A love story. A different point of view. Post-"Apocrypha".
The next rec is a qualified one. Mortimer's style is excellent, ditto for the character voices; the plot is clever and well-executed. So what's the problem, Wendy? It's non-con. I got into an argument with a Mulder/Krycek shipper about that fact, but trust me, it is non-con. End of story. I don't care for the fic's ending but the rest of the story is a excellent blend of dry humor and creepiness, kind of like The X-Files. There is a sequel that I cannot recommend at all because she's written Mulder so out-of-character. However, M/K shippers love it, so YMMV. Both fics can be found at Gossamer and at her old site so you can judge for yourselves.
The Same Everywhere (13735 words) by Jane Mortimer
Rating: Explicit. Very.
Warnings: Non-con
Characters/Relationships: Fox Mulder/Alex Krycek, the Lone Gunmen
Summary: An alien has the ability to take over a human's body and force it to do as they please...
See? Even the author gets it. I put in a link to Mortimer's archived AOL website because there are a couple of fics that are not at Gossamer and they're worth reading, imho.