3x04 "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose"

[wendelah1]

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY DANA SCULLY!

As chosen by the Scully Fest members, our final episode is "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose," one of my favorites. Though it begins with a murder and ends with a suicide, it doesn't leave the viewer feeling hopeless. The story is a perfect mixture of light and dark, with the bleakness of a serial murder investigation interlaced with black humor. The script won an Emmy for Darin Morgan. In the span of 44 minutes, Peter Boyle creates an unforgettable character, winning an Emmy for his performance.



Writer/s: Darin Morgan
Director: David Nutter
Originally aired: October 13, 1995 (in the US) – 6th March 1996 (in Australia)

Synopsis: In the course of the FBI's investigation into the serial killings of psychics, Mulder and Scully meet Clyde Bruckman, a psychic whose only ability is to predict when people will die. (What does he do for a living? He sells life insurance.) He will eventually help lead the FBI to the killer.

Most Memorable Quote: How do I choose just one? The entire episode is quotable. This dialogue inspired some of the fandom's best fanfiction.
SCULLY: So, Ahab mistakes the prophecy and as a result, dies. A similar fate happens to MacBeth.
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: Still, you're not the least bit curious?
(There is a knock on the door.)
SCULLY: That must be Mulder. Time for the midnight shift.
(She puts her cards down and stands up. She goes towards the door, but then walks back up to Bruckman.)
All right. So how do I die?
CLYDE BRUCKMAN: You don't.

Links:
Episode transcript.
Not Just a Fluke: How Darin Morgan Saved The X-Files Jonathan Kirby, Pop Matters.
The Immortal Agent Scully Josh Daniel, Slate.
Autumn Tysko's review.
Sarah Stegall's review.

Fanfiction: These are all takes on the Scully is immortal trope. They are all different, all brilliant, and all very dark. That's a warning. If these look familiar, it's because they're all cribbed from the "Tithonus" post.
Fata Morgana by Julie Fortune. Another take on how Scully becomes immortal.
How a Resurrection Really Feels by idella. Summary: Experimental living.
Fathoms Five by penumbra23. Summary: Never is a very long time.

From the spoilers section at Gossamer, I can recommend "Monotone" by Pacquin. She calls it an homage to the Mulder/Scully first time genre. It made me laugh, though it has nothing to do with the episode as far as I can tell.

Comments

[chinapatterns.livejournal.com]

I had forgotten how amusing this episode was. I sat and giggled through most of it and still see the negative energy out-take in my head when that scene plays.

I love the gentle ribbing between Scully and Mulder throughout and it still stands the test of time.