I don't mind non-linear story telling but this one was a little confusing at first with the Mulder flashbacks. It would have been a good idea to differentiate Scully's looks to give one a better feel for past and present. Still, one can follow the story well enough once you figure out what's going on. Personally, I think I would have liked it better if the writers let the whole alien mythology arc die when it did (sort of), with the 'Two Fathers'/'One Son' episodes.
What really fascinated me in this one was not so much the story itself, but the acting of Gillian Anderson. That scene where she reacts to Mulder's offer to be a sperm donor was simply awe inspiring. How an actor or actress can summon up an expression of joy and mix tears in with it is an uncanny ability. That sequence was so good it's almost easy to miss Mulder's subsequent response to making the offer - "At that part, I'm a pro." Scully didn't seem embarrassed, and it's probably a credit to the director that they pulled the scene off the way they did. My thanks to reviewer 'mikko-sandt' for providing the translation for the title of this episode, 'Per Manum' so I didn't have to look it up. Yeah mikko-sandt, I got it.
So in true X-Files tradition, the viewer is kept way off balance by the intrigue offered in this story about government abductions, alien babies, and a conspiracy afoot to eliminate women who give birth to something that might be 'inhuman'. I think by now, Scully should have had more faith in Doggett to confide in him more about the personal trauma she was going through. It's pretty obvious he went the extra mile in prior stories to try to gain her loyalty and friendship. Granted, he was no Mulder, but neither was he a bad guy.
What really fascinated me in this one was not so much the story itself, but the acting of Gillian Anderson. That scene where she reacts to Mulder's offer to be a sperm donor was simply awe inspiring. How an actor or actress can summon up an expression of joy and mix tears in with it is an uncanny ability. That sequence was so good it's almost easy to miss Mulder's subsequent response to making the offer - "At that part, I'm a pro." Scully didn't seem embarrassed, and it's probably a credit to the director that they pulled the scene off the way they did. My thanks to reviewer 'mikko-sandt' for providing the translation for the title of this episode, 'Per Manum' so I didn't have to look it up. Yeah mikko-sandt, I got it.
So in true X-Files tradition, the viewer is kept way off balance by the intrigue offered in this story about government abductions, alien babies, and a conspiracy afoot to eliminate women who give birth to something that might be 'inhuman'. I think by now, Scully should have had more faith in Doggett to confide in him more about the personal trauma she was going through. It's pretty obvious he went the extra mile in prior stories to try to gain her loyalty and friendship. Granted, he was no Mulder, but neither was he a bad guy.