This is the end is the tagline that adorns the opening credits for My Struggle II, the final episode of season 10. Does the tagline refer to the end of the beloved television series or to the pandemic that is beginning to kill off the majority of the world's population as seen in the episode? Considering that the episode ended on a cliffhanger, we can only hope that the X-Files returns for another round to see if Scully's vaccine will be enough to save humanity.
As My Struggle showcased Mulder's struggle with his wanting to believe in a government conspiracy of the existence of aliens, My Struggle II has a double meaning, serving as a sequel to the first episode, but also showing that Scully has a similar struggle. Except, in Scully's case, her struggle is to use science to make sense of and fight the paranormal elements she encounters in her work with Mulder. The amount of science in this episode is overwhelming, which I guess is to be expected when you see that the two co-writers of the story with Chris Carter are doctors. I was lost in all the science jargon being thrown around.
Agent Einstein, who was very irritating in the previous episode, proves to be a competent companion to Scully this time around. Scully slowly gets her to see the light of the conspiracy and the existence of aliens, or at least, alien DNA. Scully powers this episode while Mulder is mysteriously beat up, not communicating with anyone, and traveling on his way to a rendezvous with CSM.
This episode had some tense, exciting moments as the pandemic was spreading and Scully and Einstein were racing to find a cure for it. It had me on the edge of my seat for most of the episode. We got to see Agent Monica Reyes return, whom many fans despised in the original run. I don't think this episode helped her cause, as it is revealed that she became CSM's lackey to save her own neck from the upcoming pandemic. Scully refers to Reyes as a coward, which she is. Reyes decision is a bit baffling, considering how passionate she was toward Mulder's cause originally.
My Struggle II had a couple of goofy lines that I don't think Chris Carter really thought through before putting them in. Scully tells looters to stop it and go to the hospital. Right. Like they are just going to stop and listen to some red head running through the streets holding IV bags. Also, CSM tells Mulder that he summoned Mulder to him to invite him to be one of the elect saved. Mulder tells CSM that he doesn't come when CSM calls him. Ummm, yeah, Mulder, you just did that. Speaking of which, I thought Mulder would have already been protected from this pandemic, based on him being exposed to the alien virus and CSM saying Mulder was immune to the coming viral apocalypse in The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati. I guess not.
As much as I liked this episode, there wasn't enough Mulder in it, and definitely too little Mulder & Scully interaction. But, with the episode ending in a cliffhanger, it gives us hope that the X-Files will return someday or Chris Carter will have X-Files fans rioting in the streets, just like in this episode. If not, he will have given us one of the biggest cheats ever.
As My Struggle showcased Mulder's struggle with his wanting to believe in a government conspiracy of the existence of aliens, My Struggle II has a double meaning, serving as a sequel to the first episode, but also showing that Scully has a similar struggle. Except, in Scully's case, her struggle is to use science to make sense of and fight the paranormal elements she encounters in her work with Mulder. The amount of science in this episode is overwhelming, which I guess is to be expected when you see that the two co-writers of the story with Chris Carter are doctors. I was lost in all the science jargon being thrown around.
Agent Einstein, who was very irritating in the previous episode, proves to be a competent companion to Scully this time around. Scully slowly gets her to see the light of the conspiracy and the existence of aliens, or at least, alien DNA. Scully powers this episode while Mulder is mysteriously beat up, not communicating with anyone, and traveling on his way to a rendezvous with CSM.
This episode had some tense, exciting moments as the pandemic was spreading and Scully and Einstein were racing to find a cure for it. It had me on the edge of my seat for most of the episode. We got to see Agent Monica Reyes return, whom many fans despised in the original run. I don't think this episode helped her cause, as it is revealed that she became CSM's lackey to save her own neck from the upcoming pandemic. Scully refers to Reyes as a coward, which she is. Reyes decision is a bit baffling, considering how passionate she was toward Mulder's cause originally.
My Struggle II had a couple of goofy lines that I don't think Chris Carter really thought through before putting them in. Scully tells looters to stop it and go to the hospital. Right. Like they are just going to stop and listen to some red head running through the streets holding IV bags. Also, CSM tells Mulder that he summoned Mulder to him to invite him to be one of the elect saved. Mulder tells CSM that he doesn't come when CSM calls him. Ummm, yeah, Mulder, you just did that. Speaking of which, I thought Mulder would have already been protected from this pandemic, based on him being exposed to the alien virus and CSM saying Mulder was immune to the coming viral apocalypse in The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati. I guess not.
As much as I liked this episode, there wasn't enough Mulder in it, and definitely too little Mulder & Scully interaction. But, with the episode ending in a cliffhanger, it gives us hope that the X-Files will return someday or Chris Carter will have X-Files fans rioting in the streets, just like in this episode. If not, he will have given us one of the biggest cheats ever.