Rewatch Extra: 3x17 Pusher
The grocery store's name is “Mt. Foodmore.” For some reason, thinking about this name for too long this morning made me start singing a song about it set to the tune of "On Top of Old Smokey." I cannot explain the mysteries of my gray matter.
Modell hums along with the Muzak. I also sing along when I’m shopping by myself. Probably because I, too, was trained by gurkhas in Nepal and ninjas in Japan.
Collins, the undercover agent who later SETS HIMSELF ON FIRE(/Lucille Bluth), is kind of cute.
The tabloid that Modell picks up has Flukeman on the cover, but I’m more interested in this story: “Girl raised by squirrels for 15 years found begging for peanuts in park.”
Frank Burst. “You got the greatest name.” I’m always envious of people who have a talent for coming up with terrific character names. I’m awful at it. I think Burst is a great character, too. I love seemingly gruff, by-the-book guys who buy Mulder's ideas.
You know what? I think Scully’s red jacket is awfully pretty on her. I wouldn’t guess it to be a good color on her, but she looks aces. It’s certainly helping that her hair’s finally reached that wavy, glam late season 3 look. Our long national nightmare is over! (Until Lego hair, but they’re doing it by then, so who cares? I bet it looks a lot better when it’s all messed up on Mulder’s pillow.)
Mulder gets to watch a slideshow! But he can't resist butting in and gets up to flip the slide over and show them that the message from Modell actual reads “RONIN.” It means, he says, “samurai without a master.” He knows that a magazine called “American Ronin” exists. Mulder, you're so smart and weird.
Look at them doing research, putting their big brains together to read some books.
I love this stakeout so much. First, here’s Mulder looking hot while on the phone. Now look at how he gazes at her while she’s sleeping. And it’s not creepy at all. Except for the part where Modell has apparently been watching them at some point. But no matter! Because now he wakes her up in an indescribably sweet way, tapping her cheek with his little finger. Scully, you didn’t really drool on him! Don’t be embarrassed! And even if you did, he wouldn’t care! How many times do I have to tell you: he loves you, drool and all!
Running to the payphone! Sharing the phone!
“You and your pretty partner seem awfully close.” God bless Vince Gilligan.
Is this the first use on the show of “G-man”? And then he calls her “G-woman." It's super hot, so I have to imagine that, a few years later, he will use this term of endearment in other circumstances, if you catch my drift, and I think you do.
I can't quite explain it, but I love the crouched running Mulder does as he swoops across the parking lot to apprehend Modell. It's a little silly looking, but it also has the feel of a patented FBI technique or something. I’m also enjoying rainy Vancouver.
They’re in court, with Mulder as a witness, a la “Tooms.” I really, really like this. It’s not like I want to see them giving testimony every week, for every case, but there’s something nice about getting to see the nitty gritty of their work. It’s also nice that everyone’s saying “the FBI believes,” rather than putting all of the nuttiness on Mulder, which is what happens in “Tooms.” He's worrying his hands while he's on the stand, like he's trying to keep himself from gesturing. It's cute.
Look at this supremely skeptical look in the courtroom!
Mulder says “induced to self-immolation” instead of “lit himself on fire.” Marry me, Mulder. Remember the good old days when everyone on this show was unapologetically intelligent?
“Made you look. How do YOU do it?” Oh, Mulder, why you so smooth, baby? And then poor Frank Burst? Not so much with the smoothness. “Hey, Modell! I know your name now! I know where you live!”
I hate guns. They scare me to no end. So why the hell is it so hot when Mulder is firing one? Also, he’s chewing gum in this scene. Yum.
I love how Scully just patiently tolerates Mulder being a know-it-all about Modell’s past, then pulls the “did you know he applied to the FBI?” card. She's so clearly delighted to be able to one-up him.
They’re totally setting Mulder up as Modell’s “worthy adversary” here, by obliquely drawing parallels between the two men. Modell is, Scully says, “suspicious of government and authority.” Mulder, not yet as self-aware as he will become, responds, “Yet he wants to be in authority.” Cough, cough, Mulder.
“Please explain to me the scientific nature of the whammy.”
God, I love it when their brains argue. Mulder gets so flustered he starts stuttering: “Well, o-o-o-okay. What’s your big theory?”
Look, it’s Dave Grohl with his long 90's hair and a puffy green jacket! Hi, Dave Grohl!
Here is a cap of Skinner. But I want to prepare you. You’re going to be a little frightened. Don’t look directly at it. You need to see it, though. Because dudes, he is ready to PUT SOME ASSES IN SLINGS.
“Let’s hit the bricks, huh?” Vince gives him the BEST lines.
Poor Holly! First she gets mugged, now she totally got the whammy put on her and beat up her boss. She looks so embarrassed. Coming back to the “we’re not who we are” theme, I think that’s one of the most interesting things about it to me, the aftermath, the real you having to deal with what “you” or your person did while your brain was away. The idea of someone or something making your body, your physical representation to the world, do something that you would never do? That's just horrifying.
When Scully tells Skinner that she agrees with Mulder, Mulder gives her this stunned look, like, “Oh, baby. Uhhh....Skinman, could you excuse us for a minute while we step into this broom closet and make out a little?”
I love how unimpressed Mulder is with Svengali being on TV when they walk into Modell’s apartment, and how he sticks the warrant right to the screen.
"Brain tumor? The growth of brain tumors has been linked with the reported occurrence of psychic ability."
"Mulder, those reports are completely unsubstantiated."
Foreshadowing? Maybe.
Look at how cute they are here, sitting together on the bed, listening to Modell give poor Frank Burst a coronary.
Smile, Scully.
She's so worried about him, she can't really smile, only managing a tight-lipped, sad little grin. But look! He's so cute, she can't resist. He's joking around with her to put her at ease about the fact that he's about to put himself in an incredibly dangerous situation. Still, she's SO WORRIED about him, but resigned to the fact that he will never NOT put himself in situations like this. She doesn't try to stop him.
Look at their hands! Their hands, their hands, their hands. Poor Brophy, the super-cool eyes and ears agent. He has to just, I guess, avert his eyes while these two play handsie over Mulder's weapon. (COME ON. Don't be so dirty, people. Occasionally I mean what I say.)
Mulder doesn’t take his eyes off of her when he says “Let’s get this show on the road.” Their eyes, you guys. The way they LOOK at each other and really, really see. It punches me in the gut.
He’s extraordinarily cute in his undershirt and bulletproof vest. Really, this show has given me strange predilections for things like bulletproof vests and FBI jackets. On my way to work the other day, I passed an empty house being used by the county police as a SWAT training site, and I seriously wanted to stop and watch when I saw a guy walking around with a battering ram.
I love the institutional green of the hospital walls. It provides an especially lovely backdrop for Scully's hair.
This scene is kind of amazing. You know Mulder really and truly thought he could handle Modell. He believed himself to be a worthy adversary, he thought Modell wouldn't be able to wriggle into his head so easily. So beyond the fact that Modell has him in a potentially fatal situation, he's clearly pissed and disappointed in himself for allowing it to get this far.
Oh, Scully. How on earth does she manage to produce that one, perfect tear?
"Shoot the little spy!" Thanks for my new name, episode! Also, I think this era of their relationship is SO INTERESTING. Their greatest fear is betrayal by the other. It's what would break their hearts the most. ("Wetwired," I'm coming for you soon.) But I think eventually, they get to a point where that isn't even a fear, that's how much they trust each other. It's sort of like...if someone asked me if my mom or dad would betray me. No. It's so far out of the realm of possibility, it isn't even a fear. I think they get to that. But here, they're still in that limbo where they trust each other, yes, yes they do, more than anyone else, but it's like they haven't quite accepted it yet. They want it, they're almost there, but there's still a tentativeness. They haven't fully capitulated to the enormity of this thing that they've got.
Look at the way he looks at her when she comes into Modell's room. I can't even make sexy jokes here, because this is heavy duty shit. He almost shot her, but here she is, alive. Damn.
And then she's the one who initiates the hand hold. I think that's important, because sweet, sweet Mulder always needs reassurance about her feelings for him. She has to absolve him, and she does it when she reaches out and clutches his fingers.
