"The Truth Is Out There" Re-Watch: "Duane Barry" & "Ascension"

 The X-Files

These episodes are not just classic episodes of "The X-Files." The things that happen in these episodes have consequences that reverberate through the remainder of the series.

"Duane Barry"

Scully: "Mulder, it''s me. I just had something incredibly strange happen. This piece of metal that they took out of Duane Barry, it has some kind of a code on it. I ran it through a scanner, and some kind of a serial number came up. What the hell is this thing, Mulder? It's almost as if... it's almost as if somebody was using it to catalog him... Mulder! I need your help! Mulder! [shouts]

Scully: "Mulder!"

Notable Guest Star: Steve Railsback as Duane Barry & CCH Pounder as Special Agent Lucy Kazdin

Mythology or Monster of the Week: Mythology

X-File of the Week: Former FBI agent and current psychiatric patient, Duane Barry, has taken hostages at a Virginia travel agency including his shrink, Doctor Del Hakkie. Barry is claiming to be a multiple alien abductee, so top negotiator, Special Agent Lucy Kazdin, calls in Agent Fox Mulder. Mulder ingratiates himself with the kidnapper, but is he telling Mulder the truth?

That Speedo...

As I said in the brief intro to this post, "Duane Barry" & "Ascension" aka the episodes where Scully gets abducted change the course of the show forever. So much happens because of what goes down in these episodes, it's kind of crazy. Even if they were bad, they would still be seminal episodes of the show. Luckily for us, they are pretty damn good. 

You really need to give a slow clap for Steve Railsback. These episodes would fall apart if it weren't for his portrayal of the titular character of this episode. Railsback goes from unhinged lunatic to calm, scared victim in the blink of an eye and Railsback sells every single moment. I've always been curious if Duane Barry referring to himself in the third person was in the script or if it was an acting choice that Railsback made. Either way, it's great and makes Barry seem even crazier. I glanced through Railsback's filmography and didn't see anything else that I was super familiar with, but he did play Charles Manson prior to his "X-Files" stint and that makes sense. CCH Pounder makes an appearance in this episode and is fucking amazing, as per usual. Already displaying the chops she would use in "The Shield" a few years later.

The Speedo. Every episode the Speedo makes in an appearance in is a classic. Look at that man. Seriously. Just take some time and stare at him. I won't be upset with you if you do. 

I give the dude a lot of grief but Chris Carter writers a pretty thrilling, densely plotted episode that leaves you guessing throughout the runtime. There are enough holes in Barry's story to make viewers seriously question him. It's no surprise that Mulder believes him wholeheartedly from the jump. Mulder wants to believe. He wants to believe his sister is still out there and that Barry is proof of that. But, you have to give it up to Mulder. He never loses sight of the fact that Barry is dangerous and the hostages are the number one priority. 

It feels like the episode is going the way these things usually do. Scully shows up with the information about Duane Barry's psychosis. He gets taken in and Lucy lets Mulder know about the things they found that matches up to the things that Barry says. You expect some third act macguffin to pop up. Government agents taking Barry away. He miraculously has no memory of the past alien abductions. You don't expect Scully start having doubts after she has the metal found in Duane Barry analyzed. There is this creeping sense of dread as Scully stares at that supermarket scanner until curiosity gets the better of her and she has scan it. A scan she'll regret for the rest of her life. When Duane Barry wakes up, you know exactly where he is heading, but that doesn't make his face appearing outside Scully's window any less terrifying.

Grade: A

"Ascension"

Walter Skinner: "There's nothing you can do."

Fox Mulder: "What can you do about it?"

Walter Skinner: "There's only one thing I can do, Agent Mulder. As of right now, I'm reopening the X-Files. That's what they fear the most."

Mythology or Monster of the Week: Mythology

X-File of the Week: Duane Barry has Scully and is ready to trade her to the aliens that have been abducting him off and on for more than a decade. Mulder is hot Barry's trail, even though he's being hindered at every turn by his partner, Alex Krycek. 

Duane Barry is a winner.

When Gillian Anderson became pregnant it was clear she was going to probably have to miss at least one episode and have limited appearances in a few of the show's second season. Why give Scully the flu or anything else, when you can have her abducted by aliens. It's a great little twist that the show's skeptic is the one who has the closest encounter yet.

"Ascension" picks up right where "Duane Barry" left off, with Mulder coming home to Scully's shouts for help from his answering machine. Mulder makes it to her place, but it's too late. She's already gone, taken by Duane Barry. Mulder walking through the crime scene, seeing things disturbed. At the same time, he sees what must have happened. It's pretty chilling and it sets the stakes for the episode right away. 

The first half of the episode is pretty great. A tense chase between Duane Barry and Mulder. It's really fast paced and it does exactly what an episode like this is supposed to do. It keeps you on the edge of your seat. Will Mulder catch Barry in time? Will Scully be saved? it works really well. There are so many moments in this first half that I love. I'm always a fan of Mulder and Skinner butting heads because it gives of a dad and son are fighting again vibe which is great. Barry rocking out to "Red Right Hand" when he gets pulled over by the state trooper. The show uses trams to great effect here. Anytime I see a cable car, I think of this episode. That is an impact. 

Once Barry is in custody and Scully is gone, things kind of slow down and the rest feels more like table setting. Barry of course doesn't live out the episode due to that weasel Krycek. I do like that Mulder figures out Krycek pretty much right away. All it takes is finding that half smoked cigarette in the ashtray of his car. Krycek lives to ooze another day. This episode solidifies what side Skinner is on as he re-opens the X-Files. Our agents need to have someone in power on their side and Skinner is great for that. Senator Matheson is out as Mulder's go to but we get our first real look at X aka the new Deep Throat. 

None of this stuff is bad. It's table setting that needs to happen, but it does cause the back half of the episode to drag a bit. That being said, there is still some great stuff. The images of Scully aboard the alien spacecraft, using her actual pregnant belly are pretty haunting and are not anything I've ever seen, before or since. I need to give a shout out to actress, Sheila Larkins who plays Scully's mom, Margaret. She always does a killer job in each episode that she appears and this episode is no different. Her episode ending conversation regarding faith, particularly Scully's as a skeptic is pretty nuanced and beautiful. Entrusting Mulder with Scully's cross necklace is a really beautiful and hopeful note to end the episode on.

Grade: B+

Next up, Mulder goes after some very 90's vampires and Scully returns.

What do you all think of these episodes? Do you agree they are classics? Are there moments you love that I didn't mention? Let me know in the comments.