3x23 Wetwired

[tree]

Another after school special! This one's about how television rots your brain. Think Blood but with TVs. Okay, I joke because I love it. This is an amazing Scully episode that's all about trust and the breakdown of that trust.



Writer: Mat Beck
Director: Rob Bowman
Originally aired: May 10th, 1996

Synopsis: A ~mysterious~ man gives Mulder a newspaper containing a report on a man who killed four people, all of whom he claims were the same man. When Mulder digs deeper he finds that similar incidents have been happening in the neighbourhood. Our agents watch a lot of video tapes and before long Scully becomes suspicious of Mulder's motives. She descends into outright paranoia and trashes her motel room like a rockstar. The Gunmen and Mama Scully make appearances! Mulder maybe has to ID Scully's body! Scully threatens Mulder at gunpoint! Scully looks pretty in a hospital bed!

Most Memorable Quote
THIS SCENE. Seriously, guise. Guise. Seriously.

SCULLY: It's not the truth, Mom. He's lied to me from the beginning. He's never trusted me.
MULDER: Scully, you are the only one I trust.
SCULLY: You're in on it. You're one of them. You're one of the people who abducted me. You put that thing in my neck. You killed my sister!
MARGARET: That's not true, Dana.
SCULLY: It is.
MARGARET: I want you to listen to me...
SCULLY: Mom, just get out of the way!
MARGARET: You trust me, don't you? You know that I would never hurt you. That I would never let anybody hurt you. That's why you came here, isn't it? You're safe here. Put the gun down, Dana.

Links
Autumn Tysko's review
Tom Carissimi's review
Transcript at Inside the X

Fanfiction
Nope.

Comments

[maidenjedi]

How is there not fanfiction about this one?! Travesty!

Meanwhile, watching now. Amazing episode all around; a superior play on the trust issues between Mulder and Scully. I think I'll have more to say later but for now - love love love.

[tree]

oh, there's fanfiction. it's just not good. in my not humble opinion.

[wendelah1]

in my not humble opinion. ♥

[maidenjedi]

Fair enough!

[wendelah1]

I like Poems by that_khyber. It's a post-ep for Wetwired that's part of his Khyber v. Season 7 universe. I don't know if it works outside of it. But I really like it. (highlight and hit enter to get the story to load)

[maidenjedi]

Thanks for this link and the others below!

One more rec

[wendelah1]

This is kind of an AU post-ep for "Wetwired." It's also an abandoned WIP, which I have an idea for how to finish, and which Naraht gave me permission to write. Someday I will, I hope. But I think it's worth reading even unfinished. She's an excellent writer.

Much madness is divinest sense (7637 words) by Naraht
Chapters: 2/?
Fandom: The X-Files
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder, Margaret Scully, Walter Skinner
Additional Tags: Mental Illness, Suicide Attempt, Suicidal Thoughts, Season/Series 03, Unfinished and Discontinued
Summary:

"Scully, I'm not crazy..."

Re: One more rec

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

I started to read this, but then I couldn't I just couldn't.

Even More Recs

[wendelah1]

And lilydale's recs: fanfic recs for Wetwired.

I also liked this David Hearne story: Margaret.

[tree]

this episode hits my trust kink so hard. scully's greatest fear is being betrayed by mulder. and then she goes to her mother's place because she's afraid. and her mother talks her down! and it's just epic and beautiful and i love it.

the psychology/psychiatry makes no sense, but let's pretend like it does. it's easier that way.

scully's hair is pretty. (still shallow)

[wendelah1]

Belief and trust. The two big themes of TXF. This episode just nails it. It is epic and beautiful and I love it too.

[lilydale.livejournal.com]

Here are some Wetwired fics that I had noted as being good. The notes are over 10 years old, and I have not read any of these stories anytime recently (maybe not since the list was made), but maybe there's a gem in here. *g*

Shibboleth by RivkaT (http://archiveofourown.org/works/39061?view_adult=true)

Reprieve by Shalimar (http://fluky.gossamer.org/display.php?Reprieve)

Fall From Grace by Nicole Perry (http://fluky.gossamer.org/display.php?FallFromGrace)

Comparing Betrayals by Ten (http://fluky.gossamer.org/display.php?ComparingBetrayals.Ten)

Rubies and Emeralds by eponin119 (http://fluky.gossamer.org/display.php?RubiesAndEmeralds.Eponine119)

[wendelah1]

Thank you so much for these. I remember liking "Shibboleth," too.

Ha ha! I just saw that your icon is a gif! Very cool!

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I remember loving that one back in the days. *cracks knuckles*

1) Lovely reflection of the Capitol building in Mulder's car's window.

2) Ah, the mysterious informant. Such a reliable X-Files staple.

3) Blink-and-you'll-miss-it little sarcastic look from Scully when Mulder asks if there is "anything good?" in the video collection. She knows his tastes.

4) Is "wiggy" a medical term Dr. Scully?

5) Scully's increasing paranoia is so creepy.

6) Aw, Agent Pendrell is mentionned.

7) Even in her paranoia it looked like Scully wasn't shooting to kill. Her shots were aimed way too high and we know she is a good shot.

8) The bedside table portraits in Mrs. Scully's bedroom. Is that Melissa on the left? Who do you think the baby is? Bill?

9)What a dreadful call this must have been for Maggie, hearing that her daughter is missing *again*.

10) Skinner looks so young!

11) The downstairs neighbors must love Fox Mulder and his bouncing Basket ball.

12) Mulder is colour blind. It saddens me that he must see Scully's hair as some shade of army green.

13) Is it just me or did Mulder's reaction when hearing about Scully's potetnial death seem a bit too subdued? You'd think he would be running out of the Gunmen's lair like a lunatic screaming "Sculllaaaaaay!!!".

14) "You put that thing is my neck! You killed my sister!" Maybe not, but Mulder still has a good share of responsibilities in both events and I think Scully is aware of this, even if she refuses to consciously blame him.

15) Scully's worst nightmare is being betrayed by Mulder. So interesting to see the partnership's dynamic suddenly reversed.

16) I really disliked X as an informant, he was such a bastard.

17) Aw, the beige suit!

[wendelah1]

7) Even in her paranoia it looked like Scully wasn't shooting to kill. Her shots were aimed way too high and we know she is a good shot.

I was thinking it was her vision being affected. She sure sounded like she was out for blood.

11) The downstairs neighbors must love Fox Mulder and his bouncing Basket ball.

I'd say the basketball is the least of their worries with Mulder living there. Wasn't it early in this season or late last season that someone was pumping hallucinogens into the building water supply?

12) Mulder is colour blind. It saddens me that he must see Scully's hair as some shade of army green.

Not exactly army green, though I guess it depends on the type and degree of impairment? I read about it on this website: http://www.colourblindawareness.org/colour-blindness/types-of-colour-blindness/ I'm still confused.

15) Scully's worst nightmare is being betrayed by Mulder. So interesting to see the partnership's dynamic suddenly reversed.

Yeah, definitely. This was such a great episode.

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

Truthfully my first rewatch, and it made my heart happy! What a super show it was in its prime. I agree with Autumn's review; WW brings together all the good things that made X unique: the mysterious monster, the paranoia, the ship, the ACTING, the LG, in a tightly wound story that actually plays out and resolves with perfectly maintain tension. By the special effects guy!

I always like saying what everyone probably knows, that Scully's trash freakout is a homage to Gene Hackman's in "The Conversation." Likewise Mulder doing something similar though somewhat saner in EBE.

GA is a wonderful actress and she underplays a total mental breakdown with a blank face but hysteria-fueled, insectile physical moves. Her fear just builds and builds. DD was capable of putting in a good performance, and this was among his best. I think I disagree with Fish that he should have been screaming "SCULLY" as he went to identify the body. It would have made sense, but the effect would have been bad. I never thought David could emote too well (cf TFWID). Though I liked him chewing out the poor doctor in OB. He scolded, but he didn't scream.

Sure hope you guys are up on your acronyms.

I liked the nefarious (word of the week) doctor who got shot at the end. Ir was such a sympathetic and convincing performance.

Do we really believe that Mulder was colorblind? I think it was Jess Mabe who put "they let you into the FBI with that?" into a fic; she liked showing up the continuity absurdities. But I guess it's like the wedding ring; you have the option of using or ignoring it.

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

Oh--forgot to say--what the hell is Scully doing sloshing down soda in a power suit while Mulder is sensibly down to his undeshirt. She couldn't get into something more comfortable?

[wendelah1]

Yeah, it's a funny contrast. Mulder is walking around half-dressed and she's still dressed to the nines, right down to her high-heeled shoes.

[wendelah1]

I always like saying what everyone probably knows, that Scully's trash freakout is a homage to Gene Hackman's in "The Conversation." Likewise Mulder doing something similar though somewhat saner in EBE.

Everyone? You betray your cinephile roots. I never would have thought that but then I've never seen or even heard of "The Conversation."

It is a great episode, one of the best of the season. And I love the third season.

I like how Duchovny underplayed the scene with the Gunmen and at the morgue.

Do we believe Mulder is colorblind? He says he's colorblind. Are we supposed to think he's lying about it? What I believe is that the writers didn't do their homework on that one. What a surprise.

[maidenjedi]

Re: Mulder being color blind. I really have a hard time believing he is, and it doesn't really explain why he isn't affected here. I'd say it's more to do with he never really sits down and watches the tapes the way Scully does.

[wendelah1]

He tells Scully watched the video tape. 36 hours of it.

He tells the Lonegunmen he's green red color blind. Why would he say those things if they weren't true?

[maidenjedi]

I missed him saying he watched the tapes. I guess I assumed, we didn't see him do it, etc. My error.

I'm not saying he's NOT red-green colorblind, but it is one of those historically challenged pieces of canon, for whatever reason. I have a hard time with it because it seems like it would come up more often or affect more things in Mulder's day-to-day investigative work. Two times it could come up - 'Small Potatoes' and later in 'Dreamland' - it doesn't. In this episode, it seems like a throwaway statement to the Lone Gunmen so the writers don't have to contrive too much about why Mulder isn't affected. It's almost lazy, since it comes out of nowhere. IDK, this kind of thing in canon always just irks me irrationally.

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

I agree. It's an irksome bit of canon. It's not that Mulder is lying, it's just a kind of dumb resolution to the problem and I can imagine someone suggesting it at the last minute. Anyhow, ficcers do what they want. I actually just used it in a funny vignette. I think if it came up in a life-or-death situation one might hesitate. (Not that WW *wasn't* a life-and-death, etc.

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

End paragraph. Make note to preview.

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

Favorite moments:

The big scene with Scully, Mulder, and Dana's mom

Mulder pausing in the car before going in to look at the body
(Someone wondered if he should have freaked at the call, but I think he's always expecting the people he loves to leave.)

'That's the blonde?'

Scully's manic attempts to find a listening device are great.

Her mom is a really terrible liar.

So the device in the cable box was sending the signal that played up paranoia, and with one guy it was what he was watching (the Bosnia documentary), but not with the housewife who killed her neighbor (but not the dog). So the signal was recorded on the tapes? In which case they do have evidence beyond the gizmo? Or were the tapes destroyed or something. I'll admit I kind of lost interest once Scully's part was resolved.

[maidenjedi]

Okay, I was on devices with low battery power last night, so I'm chiming in for real now.

THIS EPISODE. I always forget how much I love it, then I rewatch it and whoa. (come to think of it, that's how I feel about season 3 in general)

Scully's paranoia comes from such a natural place for her at this point in the series, as if it didn't take very much exposure to the interference to push her over the edge. So much terror, so much death and pain that is so fresh for her. And we know we're less than a season away from Scully attempting to push Mulder away as an authority figure in her life; you can see it build over the course of season three and into the first half of season four, right up to 'Never Again.' How do the events of 'Wetwired' play into that for Scully? On some level, she has to blame Mulder for everything, even if this episode is the closest that she comes to articulating it.

I love that she goes to Maggie, but that Maggie sides with Mulder. BTW, how incredibly AWFUL to get that phone call saying Dana is missing yet again. And then Mulder, called in to identify a body and holding in his fear. Gut-punch.

X is a douche, seriously, but I do like him as Mulder's informant the best. His reasons for doing what he's doing are complicated, and he's not going to compromise himself more than he absolutely has to. I find him really interesting.

The "mytharc" portion of this is quite dull and a bit confusing, but let's just stop and appreciate the depth of what CSM and his people are doing and are capable of. They weren't successful here, really, in the end, but they probably were elsewhere. In some ways I think this show would play very well in today's political climate. The NSA, Edward Snowden, all of that? It's practically ripped from the scripts.

And can I just get a "hell yes" on the Gunmen appearance? Because <3

(PS - last edit - I have to own up to this. I hate the beige suit. HATE.)