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Date Posted: 01:08:00 02/06/00 Sun
Author: detoured
Subject: Re: How the Ghosts Stole Christmas: Chris Carter on Drugs?!
In reply to: devlin 's message, "Those Ghosts and their Christmas" on 15:45:58 02/03/00 Thu

That was my immediate reaction after I saw this the first time (ask Sleepless! That's what I told her). But guess what? I had the same odd transformation with this one that I had with the previous year's PMP. Meaning that, at first I either didn't think I cared for it or didn't know what the heck to think of it and then I later loved it. And I loved this one more than PMP (I haven't had a transformation ep like that for Season 7 yet---and there's no way I am ever going to start loving "Hungry"-I'm sure the S7ers get that one! ;-) ).
But being that I didn't like HTGSC at first I can surely see the points made by Devlin and I guess since Mat agrees they are his points too. :-) Get a room, you two! LOL

The ending was so weird and I thought too over the top with the shootings. And I was a super dummy with this one because I was so confused with who was shooting who and the whole thing with Lyda pretending to be Mulder and DD doing a Lily Tomlin impression that had to be pointed out to me that he was even doing that because I totally didn't get it. And I thought all the writhing on the floor and that long drawn out bloody scene was just stupid!

But as I said, now I love it. I can still see problems people have with it. One thing Devlin didn't mention which was a major complaint from me and many others was that we thought Scully was way out of character with all the screaming and hysterical behavior. Since when do we see Scully act like that? She's seen far worse. But that was the thing, everyone has their fears and with Scully it seems to be ghosts. Remember her frightened reaction in Elegy? It does fit in well that she would have a fear of apparitions. But at the same time I was botheed by Mulder asking if she believed in ghosts as if the Elegy events were forgotten (so what else is new!? The writers forget a lot!). Someone also pointed out to me that, unlike other things Scully has seen, there was no way she could explain away these ghosts. They were just THERE and that's why she was so frightened. She couldn't rationalize them away.

OK enough negativity. Why did I love it and now count it among one of my Season 6 faves? Well I absolutely love haunted house stories, LOVE them! The good old fashioned kind with spooky houses and this was a cool looking one.
Second point, I saw this again over the holidays and marvelled at what a brilliant script it was. Most notably the psychoanalytic dialog of Maurice and Lyda. Chantal mentioned that she was mad that this was CC's dig at the fans and I had some of the same feelings. And I'm sure that is part of it. But I think CC realizes that the characters have become so much bigger than he ever dreamed, almost as if they are out of his control now. They've become all too "real". So even if they were digs they all rang true. I think maybe they were digs at himself at well. But whether he was making fun of philes or fanfic writers, what the ghosts said about Mulder and Scully really made sense and it ws great fun to have outsiders look at them this way. It brought things out in the oepn that many of us have been thinking for quite awhile. I loved Maurice's "Your lonely man. You're a lonely man." We've all believed Mulder has been lonley for years but when have we ever heard it directly pointed out on the show? I really liked knowing that CC and the fans seem to be in sync with our ideas of who M&S are.

I thought Asner and Tomlin's performances were just brilliant and they really should have gotten Emmy nods for this. I was a bit disappointed when I heard they were going to be on XF beforehand because I don't really want big stars appearing. I think it takes away from being able to immerse yourself in the show. But both of them immersed themselevs in their performances so well that I didn't feel like I was watching the actors at all (exept for Maurice's one political line which I'm sure was an inside joke about Asner and his politics).

But above all I think what I loved the most was what this story was really about. This was simple a story about Mulder not wanting to be alone on Christmas and coming up with whatever excuse he could to get Scully to spend it with him. He is a lonely man. The whole thing about who took the keys was confusing to many but I think Mulder's facial expression said it all when Maurice told him "What'd you do, steal her car keys?" The look on Mulder's face gave him away. It could be that he didn't take them but he realized it was something he *would* do just to get Scully to stay with him. What do others think? Who took her keys?

So Mulder got to spend Christmas with Scully in the best way possible for him. In a spooky old haunted house where he even had the fun of scaring her with a flashlight (torch). Oh boy, was he enjoying himself!

It was when they both saw the bodies that resembled them just a little too closely that things got a little too spooky. DD was great in that scene! Mulder wasn't really expecting to find anything in this house.
It was just an excuse.

Other things I loved:

The symbolism such as the brick walls which represented
the distance between M&S. They still have trouble breaking down those barriers sometimes.

Mulder's sheer delight at watching Lyda make the books jump around on the bookshelf. He's such a kid when it comes to those things!

The "masher" and "frump" lines that Devlin mentioned.
The house with the confusing floor plan. Gee, if you try to go into the kitchen for a snack you might just go hungry if you keep winding up in the livingroom instead!

Great costuming. Lyda's ghostlylike nightgown with Tomlin wonderfully creating the image that she was floating around. And Maurice looking like your average joe complete with his fishing hat doubling as a good cover for the whole in his head worked well too. And ahem, I hope you all noticed the first appearance this year of the Mulder black jacket with white tshirt combo I love so well! See, there you have it! I can't dislike any ep when Mulder is dressed like that! :-)

I liked the use of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas for the shooting scene. Interesting choice!

I liked Mulder's sad sad face when he was back at his apartment watching A Christmas Carol. You know this has got to be the saddest look I've ever seen DD give. One can only wonder what he was really thinking of to create that look.
It tears your heart out! *sniff*

Scully realizing "Maybe I did want to be out there with you."

This is soo important in the scheme of things. For the first time we have Scully admitting that she actually likes just being with this guy whether they are on a case or not. I think one of the key elements of this ep is that it points out that these two people really do enjoy each other's company and don't have to rely on work as an excuse. Mulder thought he needed one with the haunted house but look how happy he was whe Scully made her admission that she sort of wanted to be with him too! :-)

MY favorite line (since everyone is playing):

"Brick wall? Or brick wall?", spoken by Maurice regarding what's really keeping Mulder at the stage he is in his life.

My 2nd fave:

Scully: "Mulder, she's wearing my outfit."

Mulder: "How embarassing." (great read by DD)

I also liked hearing Mulder tell Lyda that he and Scully weren't lovers. hee hee! Yes, we ALL know that! But that's the first time we've heard one of them say it out loud.

The presents scene at the end. How adorable. There were long threads on the Fox boards with people gussing what was in them. I couldn't come up with anything inventive. But unlike some, who expressed aggrivation that we didn't get to find out what was in them, I was glad we didn't see. That wasn't the point of the story. After all, it's the thought that counts! Merry Christmas Mulder and

Scully! :-)

det :-)

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