...a merry, Merry Little Christmas... -- X-Philes World-The Old Episodes

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, [6], 7, 8 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 18:38:39 02/04/00 Fri
Author: c_shantal
Subject: ...a merry, Merry Little Christmas...
In reply to: devlin 's message, "Those Ghosts and their Christmas" on 15:45:58 02/03/00 Thu

Devlin, you and Mat have inspired me to post another point of view on "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas". I am enjoying this thread very much and love the different opinions. It's so cool how each of us interprets differently the same thing!

Believe me, it was much easier to enjoy Ghosts just before the Holiday season when emotions run high and things are a little, well, merrier for most people. Seeing it now in the dead of winter while still paying Christmas bills probably took a lot of the fun from it. This is a repeat post from the old FOX forum dated 12/17/98. I am a little red-faced of my exuberance, ah, but that's the price of being a dedicated Phile! Sorry, it's a little long. :-)

One is the loneliest number as Mulder and Scully very well know. Christmas Eve has to be the worse time ever for them. Mulder is apparently estranged from his mom. Scully will see her Mom and family Christmas Day. But Christmas Eve ....

So Mulder goes ghost hunting on Christmas Eve, ("soul prospecting", Maurice calls it :-) ) for ghosts that are tied in with Christmas Eve murders, a lovers pact to be exact. What an interesting way to pass the time. Hunt ghosts, go home and hope to sleep, probably late into the next day; excellent way to not think of Christmas alone. He figures it'll be so much more fun if he can get Scully to join him. Tease her a little bit about the "lovers pact", scare her a little in the old mansion. "Spooky" fun...

Scully too, can't stand to be alone on Christmas Eve. So our practical Scully saves her Christmas gift shopping for Christmas Eve? I don't think so - this is done by design to fill the evening. Shop hard and long, go home and wrap the presents that aren't already wrapped until late, then get up early for family Christmas. But Mulder calls, and she just can't resist. Whatever is he up to now, out in the middle of nowhere late on Christmas Eve?? Their evening is all set. Piece of cake...

You know the rest of the story. CC presents his version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and even betters Tim Burton"s "Nightmare Before Christmas". The Ghosts That Stole Christmas is so entertaining. From the countless excellent one-liners, "We're not lovers", from Mulder and Lyda's response, "And this isn't an _exact_ science", I'm ROTF! The episode is multi-layered with double meanings and symbolism ("the brick wall - the brick wall"). The ghosts' "haunting" of Mulder and Scully is much more effective than a Halloween "boo". Maurice and Lyda's partial possession and tampering with Mulder and Scully's minds is especially chilling. Hours later, Scully still questions the events, "It didn't really happen..it was all in our heads?" she asks Mulder. "It had to be", he responds. And the ghosts were such a delight. Lyda's bizarre enjoyment of the tragedy she was causing, and Maurice's humiliation to lower himself to parlor tricks is such a hoot. IMHO these ghosts were fun!

I actually cringed when Mulder, mortality wounded, falls down the stairs and meets Scully bleeding out as she crawls feebly to the door.. Of course I knew they wouldn't die -but that scene - and them pointing their guns at one another while bathed in blood is just ghastly ingrained into my memory. And the totally off-kilter song, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is playing while they slip and slide in their own blood. Way bizarre. I can never hear that song again without thinking of that scene.

Then we cut to Mulder's apartment. His fun evening didn't work out. He can't sleep, TV is only showing Christmas programs which only serves to remind him of Christmas alone again, and can't distract him from the evening's memories. When Scully knocks he looks up, I thought - he's startled - ghosts! He's still spooked! LOL! Scully can't sleep either because she's still spooked - she says - but I think she also just didn't want to be alone either, and she did have the excuse of the gift to go to his apt. Notice when he opened the door he sort of just stood there. Could he be stunned that his wish of Scully for Christmas has just come true!? ( ahem author's disclaimer- I am not even a shipper and "I" wrote that!)

And didn't they just look delighted with their little gifts. It WAS the thought that counted between these two after all..

I too, love the closing scene of the camera pulling backwards, up and away out of the windows of apartment 42 through the gently falling snow of Christmas Day to the old favorite song in the background, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

Chantal
ps: I DID remember this episode this Christmas when this song played in a store as I was busily Christmas shopping! Deja Vu!

ps2: Devlin, you and Mat are going to have to stop meeting like this - people are going to talk...

ps3: Agent M, this 'wounded Mulder' scene with his soft little moans is just right up your alley, girl! It's the one I thought you would especially "enjoy"
;-) that I mentioned to you earlier in the season.

ps4: The presents? Piece of cake.. Mulder gives Scully a NY Knicks wall calendar. Scully gives Mulder a video, "How to Save and Store Important Files from Thieft and Fire". Ha! ;-)

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Fun post Chantal! -- detoured, 01:21:23 02/06/00 Sun