"The Truth Is Out There" Re-Watch: "Tooms" & "Born Again"

 The X-Files

Honestly, I am not sure what to write in this intro. So, I will just point out that Gillian posted a pic of her and David and her dog on Twitter and it was super cute. I love seeing them together, no matter what, even if it has nothing to do with the show. If you haven't seen the photo, definitely check it out. It' adorbs.

"Tooms"

[trying to distract Eugene Toom]

Mulder: "Excuse me. Could you help me find my dog? He's a Norwegian Elkhound. His name is Heinrick. I use him to hunt moose!"

Notable Guest Star: Doug Hutchison returns as Eugene Tooms and Mitch Pileggi as Assistant Director Walter Skinner

Mythology or Monster of the Week: MotW

X-File of the Week: Eugene Tooms, mutated serial killer from the episode "Squeeze," is back, back, back again. He's fooled his psychiatrist that he is rehabilitated and Mulder's seemingly unhinged testimony about Tooms' possible mutation and murders going back decades doesn't help at his parole hearing. He is released but Mulder and Scully are on his ass, knowing that he will try to get his last liver. This is not the best time since they are under even more scrutiny now that Assistant Director Walter Skinner is on the scene.

Eeewwww.

This episode is notable for a couple of reasons. First, it brings back former "Monster of the Week" Eugene Tooms and it introduces us to AD Walther Skinner played by Mitch Pileggi. 

Let's talk about the latter to begin with. Who would have thought watching this first appearance that Skinner would become such a beloved presence on the show, reaching fan favorite status. Pileggi is full of charisma, but in this initial appearance he's not much different than the other faceless FBI bureaucrats that Mulder and Scully have come across. He's huffing and puffing about the agents unorthodox investigation methods despite their 75% case closure rate, which Scully touts is higher than the FBI average. I'm going to have to have someone check the math on that. It is a little odd seeing Skinner and the CSM being so chummy chummy especially considering how their relationship evolves or de-volves, will.

Then we have the return of Eugene Victor Tooms. We rarely see "The X-Files" re-visit monsters of the week, particularly in the same season they first appeared, but it makes sense that they would want to bring back Tooms. "Squeeze" is one of the best season one episodes and they do run the risk of hurting that episode if the sequel isn't as good as the first. I'm happy to report that "Tooms" doesn't surpass "Squeeze" in terms of quality, but it is a great sequel. 

I think where "Tooms" really excels in its tense moments. The whole sequence where Tooms is casing that house and Mulder is trying to stop him is crazy in the best way. Even though I've seen it a million times and I know how it's going to work out, I'm still on the edge of my seat. When the wife is snaking the toilet, like I kept expecting her to yank Tooms up with it. It is really good stuff and the show feels really confident in these moments and I love that. The climax works really well, too. An image that is like imprinted on my mind for life is a naked Tooms crawling after Mulder all greased up. It's amazing and disturbing. Then, the death by escalator. Just great. "Squeeze" may be the more cerebral episode of the Tooms duology, but "Tooms" definitely ups the scares and tense moments.

There are a few small things that bug me about this episode. The biggest one being that Tooms would get paroled in the first place. Why are psychiatrists always portrayed as so gullible in episodes like this? Like, would a good shrink really buy into all this? I was glad they brought Detective Briggs back but again, is it police procedure to just let a retired officer keep all these evidence boxes, including a preserved liver? I mean, maybe with how the police are. Who knows? 

Grade: B+

"Born Again"

Mulder: "Why is it still so hard for you to believe, even when all the evidence suggests extraordinary phenomenon?"

Scully: "Because sometimes looking for extreme possibilities makes you blind to the probably explanation right in front of you."

Notable Guest Star: Maggie Wheeler as Detective Sharon Lazard

Mythology or Monster of the Week: MotW

X-File of the Week: Buffalo PD detective, Sharon Lazard, finds a young girl, Michelle, alone in an alley. She brings her back to the station and leaves her briefly in an interrogation room with another detective, Barbala. Shortly after leaving the room, they hear a loud crash and find that Barbala has supposedly committed suicide by leaping through a window. Michelle contends that there was a man in the room with them that pushed Barbala. Lazard isn't convinced and calls in Mulder and Scully due to their reputation dealing with the unexplained.

Women of the '90's

Oy vey. This episode is really bad, y'all. Really bad. If you don't believe me, take it from the people who made it. Many crew members have talked about how they really disliked the episode and disliked making it. Co-writer, Howard Gordon, has gone on record about how he didn't like it. And David Duchovny has said he detested the episode, so there.

I hate just dumping on the episode completely, so let's see. Is there anything good about this episode? Hmmm... Well, there is the notable guest star, Maggie Wheeler. You may remember her for playing Chandler's Fran Drescher-like ex, Janice. So, it was great to see her in a role where her voice isn't like nails on a chalkboard. Anything else, anything else? Yeah, no, not really. Sorry about it.

This episode is just bad and what makes it bad is nothing fun. It's not like there is outrageous dialogue or an out there story. It's not a it's so bad it's good or fun to watch because you can make fun of it. Its bad because it is boring and it feels like an episode you've seen before, which isn't great in a show's first season. The story here is that Michelle saw an ex-policeman who was part of some dirty dealings and maybe she's the reincarnation of this policeman who is now trying to get revenge on the people who did him dirty and got him killed.

This feels a lot like the episode "Shadows." Remember that? It had secretary Lauren Kyte being defended by her ghost boss who was killed by his partner and is getting revenge. Make a few minor changes and it is basically a carbon copy and that episode wasn't that great and this one isn't doing anything to elevate the concept. Even the dialogue feels like re-treads of what we've heard a million times before. Take the quote I chose to open the episode, that could have been pulled from any number of early first season episodes and it feels like backtracking especially since in "Tooms" it really feels like Mulder and Scully have found this great groove in their partnership. It's just head scratchingly bad. And that's really all we need to say about it.

Grade: F

Next up, we close out the debut season with sigh a supernatural mentally handicapped man and possible proof of a government conspiracy.

What do you guys think? Happy to see Tooms return one more time? Do you hate "Born Again", too or am I and others being too harsh? Let me know in the comments.