The X-Files Recap: Episode 16 - Young At Heart
Posted by Brian Cramer on 08.12.2008
Mulder has skeletons in his closet and the column gets a MAJOR revamping with banners and all sorts of goodies. Come check it out!
BANNERS! We’ve got BANNERS! We’ve got lots and lots of…BANNERS!
Before I get on with X-Files goodness, I have a few other things I’d like to address. I figure it’s my column, so there’s no reason I can’t comment on some things if I feel so inclined. Therefore, introducing the newest feature of your friendly neighborhood X-Files recap – Brian’s Banter!
--- So how about that Pittsburgh/Philadelphia game? What a clusterfuck. I suppose that’s what happens when it’s preseason and you play all your second and third-string guys though. How hilarious was that totally fucked up snap that led to the fumble? Kolb was directing traffic on the line and the ball just smacked him right in the chest. He never saw it coming. Ha. Thankfully, Reed took the shot on that 50-yard field goal because otherwise, the Eagles would’ve ended up tying things up with a field goal at the end of the 4th quarter. A shame Batch didn’t just down himself though. That broken collarbone is going to hamper his entire season now.
--- I have a kick-ass, awesome girlfriend. Be jealous. I just felt the inclination to share that. XD
--- Ric Flair and WWE have officially parted ways. That’s a shame. I can totally understand where Flair is coming from, with wanting to do more outside appearances and fan interaction events. I can also understand why WWE is somewhat against this. It just seems like if they could’ve just discussed it (which I’m sure they did, but maybe not to the extent necessary), perhaps some sort of middle ground could’ve been met. Oh well. Best of luck to Ric and hopefully he stays out of the wrestling ring, at least in any sort of physical capacity.
--- Speaking of WWE, anyone else less than thrilled over the Summerslam lineup? The Edge/’Taker match should be great and I have high hopes for Hardy/MVP. Everything else seems lackluster, at best. Punk/JBL? I might care if they haven’t booked Punk like a, well…punk. Cena/Batista? It has some potential, certainly. I’m just surprised they’re blowing this load on Summerslam. This has Wrestlemania written all over it. HHH/Khali? Do I care? Nope. Henry/Hardy? I’ll be happy if Hardy walks out with the belt but even that isn’t going to save this match from likely being horrible. Beth Marella/Mickie Kingston? Seems like a way to hotshot the Woman’s Championship back to Beth. God knows Santino isn’t going to hold onto the IC title long. The Shawn Michaels announcement could be interesting, depending on what direction they go with it. I’m holding out hope for that, especially based on the awesomeness that was the rest of the Michaels/Jericho feud. Overall, the card just seems underwhelming. I certainly hope it proves me wrong but I’m not holding my breath.
--- I’m going on record with it right now – Mike Adamle as Raw General Manager was a good move. He *will* manage to succeed in this role. Don’t hate.
--- Burn Notice is still the best show currently airing on television. Watch it.
--- In my humble opinion, it is time to either create a “Gossip” section on 411 or eliminate the Gossip headlines from the Movies and Music sections. Now don’t get me wrong – I have absolutely NO problem with the Gossip blurbs. In fact, I read almost all of them myself. I just feel that there are more than enough of them now to warrant giving them their own section. I think it takes away from the authenticity of the respective sections when you have headlines about box office numbers and celebrity interviews coupled with headlines about the latest pictures of Britney’s snatch or the latest progression towards death of Amy Winehouse. These things merit mentioning and there are people who want to read about them. They just need to be relegated into their own category.
--- Leave Miley Cyrus alone. All she’s doing is acting like every other 15-year-old girl on the planet. The difference is, she has celebrity status, so it’s a big deal with someone swipes her pictures and they hit the ‘net. Get over it. Someone needs to stop worrying about what color panties Miley has on today and find the asshole stealing and distributing provocative pictures of a 15-year-old. Dan Haggerty addresses this whole issue VERY nicely in the latest edition of The Mosh Pit. Click this sentence to go check it out.
--- I still haven’t seen The Dark Knight. Yes, I realize this makes me a horrible person that should die a painful death. Meh. I haven’t even seen the new X-Files movie and I recap the fucking show on a weekly basis. I’m working on both.
--- Oh – keep your eyes peeled for a review of season one of Saving Grace by yours truly. With so much going on lately, I’ve been doing my best to get all the episodes, features and extras watched so I can get the review written up but I haven’t been able to do so as hastily as I’d have liked. It’s coming though, so watch for it.
--- Lastly, you will find a new feature at the end of this column. It’s tentatively named “Twitch’s Take” and will be a short (?) review on each episode from the perspective of ever-loyal reader Twitch. It’s a hell of a good read, so make sure you check it out and let him know what you think in the comments.
William B. Davis appears in this episode as a CIA Agent. As you probably know, he would go onto much greater fame in the X-Files universe as the Cigarette Smoking Man.
Robin Mossley portrays Dr. Joe Ridley in this episode. He would later return for three more episodes over the next two years, playing several different characters.
Merrilyn Gann also returns in 1997 for a second appearance on the show. She also gets added to our list of X-Files cast members that have appeared in Supernatural, as she has a part in the episode A Very Supernatural Christmas.
Lastly, Gordon Tipple, who plays Joe Crandall, would return for two more episodes of the series. This is not his first appearance, however. He had a bit part as a detective in the episode Eve.
Cast:
David Duchovny - Fox Mulder
Gillian Anderson - Dana Scully
Dick Anthony Williams - Agent Reggie Purdue
Alan Boyce - Young John Barnett
Christine Estabrook - Agent Henderson
Graham Jarvis - NIH Doctor
Jerry Hardin - Deep Throat
Robin Mossley - Dr. Joe Ridley
Merrilyn Gann - Prosecuting Attorney
Gordon Tipple - Joe Crandall
William B. Davis - Cigarette Smoking Man
David Petersen - John Barnett
Episode 16 – Young At Heart
TASHMOO FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
PENNSYLVANIA, 1989
Wheelchair-bound man hears screaming and follows the sound to a room where doctor-man is standing over the body of John Barnett. Doctor-man tells wheelchair-bound man that Barnett is dead and tells him to get lost. Barnett’s expressionless (admittedly, dead-looking) face blinks as we fade out.
*cue The X-Files introduction credits and theme song*
WASHINGTON, D.C.
PRESENT DAY
Our dynamic duo arrive at the scene of a jewelry store robbery that Mulder was specifically called to. Mulder’s old ASAC, Reggie Purdue, shows him a note that was left there that says, “Fox can’t guard the chicken coop.” Apparently, this note directly links to Mulder’s first ever case – one involving the John Barnett we got a glimpse of in the intro. They caught him, but not before an agent died because Mulder “screwed up”. Everything about this new heist points to Barnett, with one small technicality – Barnett died in prison four years prior.
An FBI handwriting analyst tells Mulder that she’s 95% sure it matches Barnett’s writing. Clever line of the episode: when Mulder rushes her after only having brought the letter in ten minutes prior, she tells him, “Ten minutes may be enough time for you, Mulder. Of course, I wouldn’t know that from personal experience.” Ha. Tremendous.
Scully and Purdue are watching the video from the warehouse incident where Barnett was captured all those years ago. The video clearly shows Mulder coming up behind Barnett (who had a hostage) but not being able to take the shot because it wasn’t “by the book”. This resulted in the hostage and the aforementioned FBI agent being killed. Mulder never forgave himself and Barnett said he’d “get” Mulder as Mulder left the courtroom after his trial.
We cut to a pee-wee football game as Mulder, being the super-awesome nice guy that he is, insists on going to watch the son of the dead agent play. When he leaves the game, he finds a folder on his driver seat with a note that says, “A hunted Fox eventually dies” along with surveillance-type photos of Mulder. Mulder screams out, “I’ll get you, you son of a bitch,” which draws the odd looks of the other football spectators, along with a guy in a parka on the bleachers with glassy-looking, glazed over eyes. Hm.
FBI HEADQUARTERS
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Purdue is trying to convince Mulder that someone is just fucking with him and that Barnett is really dead when Scully walks in. She brings in Barnett’s last will and testament, which left what little he had to our wheelchair-bound prisoner from the intro, Joe Crandall. Barnett’s ashes were also supposedly spread along the Delaware River, so we’re to believe he’s very much dead. Mulder is Mulder, so he’s obviously not convinced.
While a computer tech at the bureau ages Barnett’s picture for Mulder, he lapses into a flashback of Barnett’s trial. After his testimony, he pretty much goes off on Barnett, yelling that he should die like an animal and again calling him a son of a bitch. We also see Barnett telling Mulder that he’ll get him. Scully pops into the tech’s office right after Mulder snaps out of it and tells him that although Barnett supposedly died of a heart attack, on his physical from the prison six months prior, he was given a “clean bill of health”.
TASHMOO FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
Crandall tells the agents about the last time he saw Barnett (think back to the intro). He tells them he saw Barnett blink and that he’ll “never forget those eyes”.
FBI HEADQUARTERS
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Mulder gets a phone call from Barnett. Barnett talks all sexy to him and blows him kisses before hanging up the phone. I wish I was making this up. Scully is unable to get a trace.
After the call, Mulder calls Purdue to tell him what’s going on when a silhouetted figure sneaks up and chokes Purdue (presumably to death).
We cut to everyone at Purdue’s apartment. Scully tries to console Mulder and reminds him that they’re not even sure it’s Barnett. Mulder points to a dresser where another note sets, this one reading, “Funeral for Fox’s friends – then for Fox.”
Back at the X-Files office, Scully tells Mulder that the doctor that amputated Barnett’s hand and signed his death certificate hasn’t *officially* been a doctor since 1979. His license was revoked for research malpractice. Turns out he was experimenting on young children afflicted with progeria.
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH
BETHESDA, MARYLAND
Mulder and Scully get a crash-course on progeria. Apparently, Doctor Ridley was trying to slow down the aging process. This, of course, leads Mulder to believe that he was actually able to reverse the process, thus making him wonder if they’re perhaps not looking for a 40-year-old Barnett, but a younger version.
At Scully’s apartment, she types up her field report as we see…a mutant hand (?!) open her door. She hears a noise, which she writes off at first but a second noise prompts her to get her gun. As she’s walking around the house, a knock at her door startles her and when the voice on the other side identifies itself as Dr. Joe Ridley, she’s even more surprised. As she opens the door for the good doctor, the figure that snuck in slinks away into a back room.
When we cut back, Mulder has joined Ridley and Scully and the gist of it is as follows. Ridley is dying of the same disease that kills the kids with progeria because my reversing his aging, he effectively made himself susceptible to that very disease. John Barnett apparently thrived off the treatment, however. Ridley was also able to grow Barnett a new hand – albeit, one from cells of a salamander. He tells Mulder that the Federal Government financed his research after he lost his license and that Mulder would be surprised how high up his “dirty little secret” goes.
This revelation, of course, prompts Mulder to meet with Deep Throat (FTW!), who tells him that the government is bargaining with Barnett to get Ridley’s research from him. Mulder is disgusted and leaves.
At Scully’s apartment again, a phone calls triggers her answering machine and when she comes out from taking a shower, she realizes that someone is checking her messages remotely. We cut to the X-Files office, where she tells Mulder that fingerprinting found Barnett’s print on the underside of her answering machine. She’s cut off by Barnett actually calling again, making more threats and sounding overall psychotic. Mulder asks Scully what messages he got off the machine and she tells him she’s meeting a friend before her cello recital.
JANIE TAYLOR MEMORIAL
RECITAL HALL
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Mulder rallies the troops. Unintentionally funny moment of the episode: Mulder asks Scully how she’s feeling and she says it’s the first time she’s played the target. Mulder’s reply? “Well let’s make sure it’s not the last time.” Yea, I get it. If she died, it would be the last time and he doesn’t want her to die. But how much better is telling her to make sure it’s not the last time she has to play the target of a serial killer? Ha. Moving along. Incidentally, Mulder walks right past Barnett, as he’s fronting as the guy tuning the piano.
In the lobby, Barnett appears with a gun he retrieved from his piano tuning kit and shoots Scully twice. Mulder tells one of the agents to check her out and takes off after him. He runs back into the auditorium and grabs the cello player (who was rehearsing on-stage) as a hostage. Mulder and two agents follow him in and we’re *SHOCK* in a familiar situation. Remember the video from the warehouse? Barnett taunts Mulder from onstage with the fact that he’s the only one that knows where the research is and that it would be “against regulation” for Mulder to shoot him. Mulder FINALLY lets his balls drop and plugs Barnett.
At the hospital, everyone and their brother are trying to keep Barnett alive while a CIA agent (the Cigarette Smoking Man!) tries to get information out of him before he dies. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen and Barnett kicks it. Scully asks Mulder where he thinks the research is.
Mulder voices over a camera shot of an airport lobby. He says that it’s ironic, scientific knowledge that could change mankind, hidden out there, getting old just like the rest of us. The camera focuses on a airport locker numbered 935 and we fade out.
*cue credits*
Hey – Twitch here! Long time 411 reader, first time column-portion writer. Brian has so generously allowed me to give my take on this episode due to the fact that I've been faithfully following his column. Am I an expert on The X-Files? Far from it, actually. I was a young teenager when the show first premiered and I never watched it. Maybe because this was before the days of TiVo and I was too busy trying to kiss a girl. But whatever the reason, I'm finally catching up on it thanks to Netflix. But alas, I am slacking a bit and still only on season 1. Ironically, Brian's recaps have come along at the same time as my first watching of the show. I have 9 seasons and two movies to catch up on!
But on to the episode. I'm going to skip the in-depth recap, assuming you have read Brian's. But as you know by now, the "bad guy" in this episode is a guy Mulder thought to have been dead already! As we go back four years we see that this guy killed some agents he took hostage when Mulder didn't take the shot to kill him. Now you have to understand this is before he was "Spooky-Mulder" and simply known as "By-The-Book-Mulder". So “bad guy” supposedly dies in jail, but four years later, notes start to appear to Mulder written by the "dead" guy. (DUN DUN DUN!) Did I mention that I've always wanted to leave cryptic notes on someone's windshield? How's that for a phun-fact?
So anyways, apparently this guy is no normal guy but one who has been subject to anti-aging experiments. And no, not dead at all. And did I mention he's part salamander? Only on The X-Files could they get away with this. I mean they never had a part salamander guy on Friends. Or did they? That Ross fellow may have been part salamander. But I'm getting off subject here.
Oh, wait a minute. Now this guy wants to take out Scully? Now we just can't have that for the simple reason that Scully is hot. And Fox just hasn’t banged her yet so he's going to have to save the day. Ahh - here we go. Now Scully is taken hostage. Time for "By-The-Book-Mulder" to redeem himself and take out the salamander man! But now the secret to anti-aging is gone forever! Or...is it in this airport locker? (DUN DUN DUN!) Now this is what I like to see in an episode – Mulder killing someone! And a few more Scully shower scenes couldn't hurt either…
The 411: A good episode with some backstory into Mulder's past. There's not a whole lot to say about the episode as far as The411 goes this week, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Take the time to check this one out. You won't be disappointed.
William B. Davis appears in this episode as a CIA Agent. As you probably know, he would go onto much greater fame in the X-Files universe as the Cigarette Smoking Man.
