2x01: Little Green Men

[wendelah1]

From the same team that gave us "Ice," next up is "Little Green Men," another early season gem. Scully engineers a covert meeting with Mulder in a parking garage. We finally get our first glimpse of an extraterrestrial biological entity, and are introduced to Mulder's longtime ally in Congress, Senator Richard Matheson.

Comments

[badforthefish]

NOHO ON THE ROJO.

The Big Beige Trenchcoat of Fluctuating Width Era Is Nigh.

[tri_sbr]

Also, this:

SCULLY: That would be bad for the fish.

[wendelah1]

Her disdainful tone makes the line.

[badforthefish]

It's in that ep? God, I'd completely forgotten!

[estella_c]

I do love LGM in so,so many ways. The watcher-count for the show had risen during its reruns, and this opener shows the confidence, almost gravitas, of a creative team that is sensing its strength. The opening monolog on the alien-watch is lovely (though DD's monotone was still distracting), and the closing scene is remarkable. Scourged back to his make-work cubicle after losing all his evidence, Mulder mutters to Scully "I still have my work" and then "I still have you." This is major, and she gives him a look that so signifies. They now trust each other and defend each other, as the story proves

[infinitlight]

I'm not a huge fan of Little Green Men (Mulder's so complain-y, Scully is patiently trying to help him and being rebuffed, the Deep Throat/Senator Matheson ideas frustratingly go nowhere, as does the alien encounter(!)), but I do love "I still have my work. I still have you. I still have myself." (If you include that last sentence, it's less shippy ;)

[wendelah1]

According to X-Files Confidential, Duchovny was talking with Glen Morgan on the set first season about "Beyond the Sea."

He said, "That was a pretty good episode. When are you going to write one like that for me?" Well, I liked him, he deserved it, and I thought that's what "Little Green Men" was trying to be.

[wendelah1]

This is a great review. You said most of what I'd planned to say if I wasn't cat-wrangling and football watching, only more eloquently.

I liked the monologue, too. According to X-Files Confidential, Glen Morgan was angry about the government shutdown of the SETI project and wanted to address that. I remember being distracted by Duchovny's delivery the first time I heard it but I'm so used to him now, I found it endearing.

Shippers started screaming for romance. Carter was deaf. He was right.As early as first season? I'm still not seeing it. I think Scully is a sister substitute for him at this point, and I think he's still in denial about how truly important she'd become to him during the time that they'd worked together. But the scene at the end is tender and sweet, but the feelings on her side come off as maternal to me, not romantic

[amyhit]

Can I add Puerto Rico, 1994 by finisterre (aka Marasmus) to the LGM fic recs pile? It's tiny, but it's good.

Also, I agree with everything estella_c says about this ep. Also also, I agree with her about Universal Invariants being sorta, kinda, not-really-but-it-still-feels-like an LGM-centric fic. I don't know why it's more attached to LGM in my mind than to, say, Ascension or One Breath, but it is. I think it's mainly that the sheer perfection of that sex scene will remain seared into my brain for eternity.

[wendelah1]

Thank you. I added the story as you suggested. I agree wholeheartedly that the sex scene from UI is perfect, one of the most memorable I've ever read. As I explained to EC, as much as I adore the fic, I can't see the story as a post-ep because it's an AU. One of those things is not like the other--at least in my head.

[tri_sbr]

I really liked In the Fields of Boaz; hadn't read it before. (It's very short.) Then I read Crinolynne's other one at gossamer, a post-ep for amor fati. Nice, and both were new to me.

[wendelah1]

Crinolynne is actually Aloysia Virgata, which fact she announced (and I'd already guessed) during her brief return to fandom--was it last year? I've already forgotten. Personally, I don't think what she's written since is up to the level of the work she produced while she was writing with Scarlet Baldy (aka badforthefish). She is a very talented writer but imho she benefited from a stronger beta.

But the fics are much better, with much more sophisticated use of language, than most of the work that gets the acclaim these days. Sadly, I don't think many people read those fics, which goes to show how hard it is to break through people's resistance to reading anyone new and anything remotely challenging.

[tri_sbr]

Thanks for the context / history, for this relative newcomer. I don't know about many author name changes (although I did get that Scarlet Baldy = badforthefish) and I don't usually know (pay attention to) which fics are newer vs older for a given author, since I am sort of reading everything written over ~20 years all crammed into, like, now. :) So I tend to miss out on any sort of progression or evolution in terms of writing style, quality, etc.

[mosinging1986]

- Carterlogue!

- This opening reminds me of the opening scene of the movie Contact

- Which, of course, led to me spend four hours listening to the abridged audiobook, read by Jodie Foster.

- Sunflower seeds!

- Aw, poor sad, tortured, unshaven Mulder. I love him that way. He's so young and puppy-like. You really do want to pet his little head the way she did in the parking garage.

- Samantha floating away is pretty freaky! I can imagine younger viewers being scared by that scene.

- Arlo Givens! I mean, Senator Matheson. Whatever happened with this plot point with their connection? Or was it just left hanging, like so many other things? I can't even recall

[lyryk]

I am so pleased you mentioned 'Contact', because it was one of the reasons I fell for this episode in the first place. :-)

[mosinging1986]

I'm glad to know it's not just me! (And I"m not sure I caught the similarities until this viewing.)

Now I need to read the book. I thought I had, but listening to the (abridged) audiobook, I am not so sure. It's quite different than the film.

[lyryk]

I'm sure you'll love the book - it's gorgeous. :-)