The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati attempts to fool us big time. The Cigarette Smoking Man(CSM) approaches Mulder in the hospital with a cure for his psychological condition. We knew from the previous episode that Mulder can read thoughts, but apparently CSM can as well, though it's never explained how. The two carry on a thought conversation. Mulder just needs to go with CSM to wherever and CSM will cure him of his affliction. CSM then takes Mulder to a new life, where an old acquaintance once thought dead, is alive and enjoying life with a family. His sister and her children are living happily with CSM and Diana Fowley gives herself to Mulder for his new life. All this is very bizarre, especially when viewing it for the first time. You just can't believe that all of this is real. Which it isn't. We find out that Mulder is dreaming all of his while lying on an operating table, about to share some of this brain with CSM. Mulder has the appearance of Jesus Christ on the cross, with his spread out arms and a "crown of thorns" on his head. Apparently, this episode borrows heavily from the film "The Last Temptation of Christ" which I have never seen. I don't really care for all the Christ/savior references strewed throughout this episode, but I did enjoy this "new life" for Mulder which we are made to believe is really happening for the first half of the episode. It really trips you out. The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati is heavy-handed at times with its symbolism, but still manages to entertain, and trick us, for half an hour at least.
