Severed Review: "The Sixth Extinction"
By Skullhead

"The Sixth Extinction" was better than "Biogenesis" and a hell of a lot
better than "The Beginning". The scenes in which Scully wielded a machete
and did the chair thing made up for any plot discrepancies, and the rumoured
existence of nursing pads was a far more hotly debated topic than that of
the existence of extraterrestrial life.

Aderyn: What chair thing?
Skull: The thing with the chair. Doesn't she bash someone up with it or
something?
Aderyn: Oh. That chair thing. Why didn't she use her gun?
Skull: She didn't have it. Something to do with customs, or with being
undercover, or with computer hackers.
Aderyn: Oh. Well, why didn't she use her machete? That would have been more
effective than a chair.
Skull: Just let me write already.
Aderyn: Whatever.

There has been controversy over whether this premiere can truly be classed
as Scullycentric. Some feel that the spray-paint masquerading as a T-shirt
is the only qualification necessary, while others object to the mytharc
still appearing to be All About Mulder, who was catatonic, murderous,
skinny, fat and endowed with a sock throughout the episode. It was gladly
noted that the white shirt/black bra combination was not used on Scully
again, but a disturbing scene involved Diana Fowley simultaneously
restraining and pleasuring Mulder.

Aderyn: Whatthehell?
Skull: What?
Aderyn: The Mulder thing. What's that about?
Skull: Well, he was fat, but apparently it was just his face. And he was
catatonic, but he attacked Skinner.
Aderyn: But the sock?
Skull: Maybe it was a tent. I don't remember. Let's move on.
Aderyn: Wait a second. What's that about Diana? Did she undress again?
Skull: No, but apparently she was giving him...with the...when he was having
a seizure.
Aderyn: Wouldn't that make it pretty difficult to give him...with the...
Skull: Stop. I don't want to know.

Plot-wise, it was fairly well done. Highlights included a Primitive African
Man practicing Jedi mind tricks, Navajo apparently being composed entirely
of protein codes, and Scully having an argument about God being an alien. In
a shocking twist to the mytharc, it was revealed that the human genome is
composed of 24 pairs of chromosomes, not 23 as previously believed.

Aderyn: It wasn't a Jedi mind trick. It was a Vulcan mind meld.
Skull: Whatever.
Aderyn: And the protein codes?
Skull: It seems to be so. But they got the adenine one wrong.
Aderyn: How could they get it wrong if they were just codes?
Skull: Are you going to let me write or not?
Aderyn: Um, did you just say that God was an alien?
Skull: No, I said that Scully was arguing about it.
Aderyn: With whom?
Skull: With a guy.
Aderyn: What guy?
Skull: I think it might have been the guy she hit with the chair.
Aderyn: Oh, well no wonder she hit him. God an alien. Humph.
Skull: May I continue, please?
Aderyn: Okay, okay, but the chromosomes?
Skull: Have you been dead during this week or something? The chromosome
argument went on for, like, two days.
Aderyn: Oh, right. So they decided it was possible?
Skull: I don't know. It's Carter.

The scene where Scully and a bug lamp were entrapped in a tent was a
thrilling example of suspenseful writing, and amazing special effects were
achieved in a scene where Scully and some other chick defied gravity with
their bras.

Aderyn: Why was Scully trapped with a bug lamp?
Skull: Actually, I'm not sure. Apparently there was a locust plague, so
maybe the idea was to attract the locusts so they would kill Scully.
Aderyn: But they didn't kill her.
Skull: Apparently not.
Aderyn: How did she escape, then?
Skull: It was a tent, Aderyn. Maybe she slashed it open with her machete.
Aderyn: But how did the locusts get in if she was trapped?
Skull: She wasn't trapped. It was a freaking tent.
Aderyn: But you said that she...
Skull: Shaddup.
Aderyn: Fine. Who's this other chick?
Skull: I think she's a Scully clone, except she's African.
Aderyn: Oh, okay. So she's smart like Scully?
Skull: Yes.
Aderyn: And she's pretty like Scully?
Skull: Yes.
Aderyn: And she's scientific and rational like Scully?
Skull: Yes.
Aderyn: And she's likeable like Scully?
Skull: Yes, already.
Aderyn: And Scully interacted well with her?
Skull: YES.
Aderyn: How did she die?

Performances in this episode were excellent. Gillian Anderson once again
demonstrated that she can act and have boobs at the same time, while David
Duchovny brought vivid realism to his role as a drooling vegetable. The weak
link was Mimi Rogers, who seems to continually forget that the character of
Diana Fowley is not human. In spite of this, one scene between Duchovny and
Rogers touched some viewers to such an extent that they felt the need to
regurgitate their dinners.

Aderyn: I know that happened for me. And I haven't even seen the durn thing.

Overall, "The Sixth Extinction" was an excellent start to the final season
of "The X-Files". Improvised elements of the mytharc unfolded somewhat less
confusingly than in previous seasons, and we got to see Scully wearing
glasses. The only disturbing thing to arise

Aderyn: Hee, hee.
Skull: Oh, be quiet.

The only disturbing plot point to arise was the trailer for next week's
episode, which apparently shows more of Fowley's underwear - this time when
Mulder is not comatose. We shall have to stay tuned (in some cases for a
very long time), to discover whether Mulder gets to see the hooters in
action.

Aderyn: I hope she gives him cooties.
Skull: Oh, you're so immature.
Aderyn: Whatever, Little Miss Cranium.
Skull: There's no need to get personal, wench. If you're so smart, why don't
YOU write next week's?
Aderyn: I'll do that.
Skull: Fine.
Aderyn: Fine.

-end