s2 episode 13 thoughts
so i read the description of this episode and i was thinking to myself, yeah, this one seems believable. i keep loosely acquainted with the drama of the funeral world, and after learning of the harvard morgue scandal of last summer, i was like. well. the truth echoes art, i guess.
but that was the POINT of the episode- that the real world is scary, even without vampires and bigfoot!
so we begin with a funeral for a poor little girl. and it is an open casket, which is upsetting, and these little kids that i assume were her classmates are looking in. and then to make it even MORE upsetting, this creepy man working the event shows up and starts... touching her hair...
boy, i hope that child actress got a fat check for that very uncomfy bit part.
next we see a man eating an ice pop in the embalming room, to which i say: king. and he's hearing some weird stuff, and who emerges but... donnie!
(donnie's the guy who was stroking her hair... and he's holding scissors... and the girl's hair is scattered all over the floor...)
donnie briefly morphed into a demon, and ice pop man banishes donnie from his realm upon realizing he cut the little girl's hair. he says "i should report you" but i don't think he actually did.
(PRO TIP: if you are in a workplace where this type of event happens, please do file a report)
anyway. agent time. they're arriving in a graveyard. and i saw a gif this morning of mulder lifting the caution tape up so scully can get her umbrella in!!! it is suuuuch a cute moment. and a tiny consolation for the agony the rest of this episode produced.
the policeman is blabbering on about aliens and says to mulder, "you know andy" and he says "no i don't" "well, he knows you" which is sooooo funny. another example of mulder being famous amongst the nerd population.
poor scully looks absolutely horrified at this little girl's desecrated body...
and while the policeman thinks it's aliens, which may be a first, mulder does not, which again may be a first, because he says he's seen cases like this before
"you okay, scully?" he asks, noticing that she is Not Okay, but seeming unsure of how to approach the situation. she insists that she is, and perhaps he accepts this at face value.
they share an umbrella <3 but whilst doing this she's deeply shaken, and says she's surprised he isn't bothered. he says he prepared himself, and i thought he was going to elaborate on what preparing yourself for a case like this looks like, but he didn't
and she's shocked that they drove all the way here for a case that isn't aliens... why did we come here then?
because he got them tickets to a football game. LMAOOOOO this man........... football date night. it does not sound pleasurable to me but maybe watching his nerdy face light up would make up for the misery. i was giggling here. he wanted to take her out and show her his culture.
okay so now we're back to donnie. he's applying for a new job. he says he used to be a cosmetologist.
NOOOOO they had to miss their game because there are more bodies dug up and violated... and since this took place in the 90's they didn't even have facebook marketplace to try and sell their tickets beforehand... this is truly a devastating loss </3
and did they show a football player with the same name as the dude who runs this show... you can't sneak that stuff by me...
scully has to walk out after seeing the pictures of the crime scene and i'm already so deeply sad for her but oh boy, past me, wait a bit and see where all this goes!
mulder says that the police need to put an alert out NOW and the policeman is all "well we don't have a whole lot of guys on the squad so it might take awhile :(" THEN HURRY??? mulder says he thinks this dude is gonna kill someone and you're gonna complain about lack of resources???? WORK OVERTIME???
poor scully is sososo shaken and mulder pops his head out to where she was sitting... he says he'll cancel their plane tickets so they can stay longer and she's just staring out into the distance... SOMEONE HELP MY QUEEN PLEASE
then we get a glasses and takeout moment as the agents come up with a profile for a guy who steals body parts from dead people
donnie sees a woman on the side of the road- a working woman, if you will- and he takes her back to his place. and this woman is sooo pretty. but he's running her a bath and marty i'm scared.
(wait i just realized i can straight up insert the reaction images i'm referring to on here)
HE IS OBSESSED WITH HAIR... first the little girl's, and now he asks this woman if she needs shampoo for chemically treated hair...
he goes to take a phone call- congrats, you got the job- and she sees his room is FILLED with wreaths from funerals. and she might be naked but i was still yelling at the screen GIRL YOU NEED TO RUN!!!!!!
well. we cut to body time. so we know how that went. it is a spectacularly bloody body. and our freak has escalated from desecrating graves to killing real people.
mulder wants to go look at the body and asks scully to come but she can't bring herself to do it. WHY IS NO ONE NOTICING THE STRESS SHE IS IN. HOW CAN WE TAKE STEPS TO AID HER.
(i think that mulder is trying his best to Not Make A Big Deal out of her visible distress to make her feel better, and instead just gives her space and respects her lack of desire to discuss the whole thing. because there is no way he doesn't actually notice)
now donnie is on the job as a grocery deliveryman. which i am familiar with as i do use doordash occasionally. but the woman whose house he's delivering too just. LETS HIM IN??? to pack up the groceries. is this how the job worked at the time... can anyone confirm or deny... because i'm trying to imagine welcoming the doordash or instacart guy coming in and putting the food away for me... and i feel my skin crawl... what a textbook murder situation...
and if that isn't bad enough, the woman tells donnie they have 3 daughters and leave the backdoor open........ this does not bode well for the plot....
he asks to go to their bathroom and he digs through their trash to find a clump of hair and he SNIFFS it and then pockets it... we need someone to deal with this man with a QUICKNESS.
scully is in autopsy mode now, and unlike her usual very professional self, she looks like she is going to pass out conducting this one. which is remarkable because she has seen some nasty stuff, but this is what puts her over the edge.
in her report, she's writing about how every autopsy tells the story of a life, and that being killed for someone to take a piece of your body is perhaps the most dehumanizing death imaginable
someone who saw this freak donnie says that he looked like an ordinary guy, so this is gonna be a tough search. so mulder is going into deep psychoanalysis mode, saying it must be driven by a very intense hatred of women. which seems fair. i'll trust the oxford trained fellow.
now donnie is in class and he sees a woman and we know what's coming, but when he approaches her and tries to get creepy, she kicks him away and manages to run!!!! thank god honestly we could use a victory.
the phone wakes up scully from a nightmare where she sees the same demon we saw earlier and also SHE was the one on the autopsy table- but mulder says they have a suspect at the station. and i'm like, yes! they're gonna get him!
but it isn't him that they get! they brought someone else in, and we SEE donnie watching their interview moment and this was the narrative taunting me
mulder can no longer try and ignore scully being so on edge, and he says "scully, if you're having trouble with this case, i want you to tell me" and my first reaction was, king, do you have eyes, she has been about to collapse this whole time. but now i see he is doing the best he can to put the ball in her court, and yet she STILL denies it. lies straight to his face.
"i'm not having trouble", she says <- okay so we all see that this isn't true but i respect that he's trying to be mindful of her boundaries. however i would have been like hey queen let's get you out of here <3
"i just don't want you to think you have to hide anything from me", he says, and i kiss each of my fingers like i just savored a delicious meal, because that is EXACTLY what i wanted this man to say. mmm angst. just what i had ordered.
so donnie is asking the guy who DID get questioned what they were talking to him about, and what their names were, and he remembers scully's name because she has the same name as a baseball announcer i guess? and then they let the donnie go -_-
she goes back to DC to get a fingerprint read on the body but says something about maybe not flying back to the case that night... she did NOT want to be there!!!!!
at this point we learn that the FBI has an on sight therapist, which honestly makes perfect sense... but man. this scene.
she's referring to herself in the second person, talking about how you have to become used to seeing death in med school and in fbi, and she's distancing herself to try and cope. and the therapist brings up losing her father and her coma, and asks if she feels uncomfortable with her partner, and she's like no, i trust him with my life.
wow. that's incredible. but!
"i don't want him to feel like he has to protect me"
and i cannot imagine a world in which mulder, the protector, would ever NOT try and guard those he loves like some sort of snarling beast. but she must still feel horrible after just coming out of a coma, and he had been so scared to welcome her back, let her come on the missions, she had to PROVE herself, and she can't make herself feel guilty knowing he'll see her as something to protect.
(as if there was ever going to be another way)
so yeah i was basically barking at the screen here.
she says she's lost faith, and she needs it back. and where do you get faith these days?
but, while she was away, they found a print. she calls mulder to tell him this and decides that she'll fly back that night.
"anyway, you could use my help" "always" <- what if i started crying.
but someone called for her while she was away... and i knew it was that donnie freak........... foreshadowing....
so the agents trace the prints to donnie and bust into his house, where they find his endless funeral wreaths and even a FINGER in the fridge, but no donnie
and this is just as scully is arriving from the airport AND DONNIE IS STALKING HER. and i wrote, donnie, i will get u with my bare hands.
and he HITS HER CAR and DRIVES HER OFF OF THE ROAD and then mulder comes to the scene and they find her car but no SCULLY
back at donnie's place, he is running a bath and my screen was dark enough to see my face in the reflection and it could best be described as looking like that dizzy emoji. "oh girl i am UNCOMFY", i wrote, but in a sort of horror way that you expect from the genre.
she's tied up in his closet and sees him as a DEMON again which is more evidence that she has had to endure SO MUCH and i'm getting duane berry flashbacks with the gag in her mouth and i'm feeling a profound level of defensiveness for a person who does not exist
mulder is stressed, there are no witnesses, and he's pissed, he says "there are people that can videotape police beatings on darkened streets, they manage to spot elvis in 3 cities across america every day, but no one saw a pretty woman being forced off the road in her rental car"
AUGHHHH his bloodhound nature, need to find answers, is kicking in again.
(and also he thinks she's pretty)
so back at donnie's place, he is approaching rapidly with a knife, and mulder is sleuthing. the car they found was donnie's mother's car, so maybe they're at donnie's mother's place... but he is PICKING UP THE KNIFE AS MULDER SPEAKS
he ASKS ABOUT HER HAIR to properly shampoo it which is SO FREAKY but she manages to BREAK AWAY by shoving him into the tub. yes yes those FBI agent skills are kicking in!!!
shes hiding and he yells "there's no way out, girly girl" which briefly took me out of the scene because i just know that he would have said "girly pop" if the writers had their hands on that phrase and it was distracting but still. STILL.
she's hiding in the closet and he opens the door and she SPRAYS HIM WITH ROACH SPRAY and runs and they're tussling about when...
MULDER BREAKS DOWN THE DOOR and sees her!!!! he's calling for paramedics while the policemen take care of donnie
and the first thing she says to him is "i'm okay", reassuring him despite her awful situation, perhaps referring to her mostly uninjured body, but she's shaking like a leaf, and she just keeps saying that she's fine, she's fine, until he lifts her chin up to look at her face...
and she starts SOBBING into his chest. he's got his fingers in her hair and he's mumbling "it's okay" to her again and again and. i could feel my heart melting. i was a mere puddle of a human being at this moment. it's okay. it's okay.
there is something i think you will understand that is so rich about seeing characters hit their breaking point. it tells the audience so much about them- here we see that scully's biggest fear is the evil that lies in the ordinary, in the idea that anyone could be a monster, that this is a world of constant fear, and how do you try and rationalize the things that humanity is capable of doing? how do you walk down the street knowing that someone, anyone that passes you by could be a devil, metaphorically speaking? and she doesn't have the luxury of believing that it could be some outside force- some aliens, or evil vampires- manipulating people into doing their bidding, like mulder does. she knows that it is flesh and blood people that she sees everyday at the grocery store or next door or even those she autopsies, that do horrific things. and that there is a capacity for that in anyone, and no way to keep yourself or those you love entirely safe. what is there in this cold world of facts if there isn't faith? and again, where do you get more faith when you run out?
(and, of course, her deep and terrible fear of needing protection. needing to rely on someone that isn't just herself. of inadequacy. how scary that must be for a person who sees the terror in the rest of the world)
so yeah. love to see a character break. and i love it even MORE when we get to see someone they love comfort them. hurt/comfort trope remains undefeated.
the episode ends with mulder writing the case report and talking of very similar things as i just rambled on about- about humans being demons, and demons being what humanity comes up with to explain that- but this is delivered over a slideshow of donnie's childhood pictures to emphasize how he was just the boy next door, except that honestly he looked like young sheldon. so i was a bit taken out of the whole thing.
so yeah. this episode did not leave me with the warmest and fuzziest of feelings, but in terms of horror it was definitely one of the scariest so far, again because the entire lack of supernatural causes. i mean you could choose to interpret that this guy genuinely WAS a demon, but i think that defeats the purpose of the episode and scully's character study we get as a result. i was spooked, but we still had some good moments, such as attempted football date.
overall, i thought this episode was great. and we could talk about how the creepy killer was super queer coded, and discuss if this was done in bad faith, which could be an interesting conversation- but i find it not entirely relevant to the overarching theme. like, the scary part was that he wanted to keep your fingers, not that he called scully "girly girl", and i didn't get the sense that those two things were being equated in the episode.
now give me 10 beach episodes, or perhaps a journey to a museum, or a spa, or the mountains, or an ice-skating trip with matching scarves worn by our agents, or a day at the mall. really i don't ask for a lot!
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"FREEZE YOUR BRAIN"
THIS IS NOT AN EXACT TRANSLATION, THIS IS AN ADAPTATION (AND ONE THAT STILL NEEDS TONS OF FIXING AT THAT)
I regret my life choices of not being able to actually start studying.
Here's "Freeze Your Brain" adapted in Italian!
ASK ME FOR PERMISSION BEFORE USING THIS, DO CREDIT ME IF YOU EVER USE THIS (I doubt you will it’s impractical and still needs so much fixing it’s unbelievable) AND TELL ME/LINK WHATEVER YOU USED IT FOR USING REBLOGS (because for some reason Tumblr doesn’t like comments with links and while I do think I understand why I don’t always like it)
(the apostrophes [or however ’ is called] are used to shorten the number of syllables often in poetry so I’m obviously abusing that power.)
[J.D.]
Sono stato in dieci superiori
Tutte la stessa scenetta
Inutile abituarsi
Perché ce ne andiamo di fretta
Mio padre tiene nel baule pronti due bagagli
Quindi è solo una questione di ricaricarli
I nomi non imparo
Che faccia è di chi non m'è chiaro
La fiducia in questa oasi di cemento riparo
Sembra che ogni volta che sto per disperarmi
C'è un 7-Eleven ad aspettarmi
Ogni negozio è lo stesso
Da Las Vegas all'Ohio
Corsie di linoleum che adoro
Vagare io
Prego al mio altare di granita;
Sì, adoro quella dolce botta di vita...
Congela il cervello
Succhia dalla cannuccia
Meglio di un coltello
Arriva la felicità
Quando tutto se ne va
A chi serve uno spinello?
Congela il cervello
Congela il cervello
[J.D., parlato]
Ti va un tiro?
[VERONICA, parlato]
La tua mammina sa che mangi tutta quella merda?
[J.D., parlato]
Non più
(cantato)
Quando mamma era viva
Vivevamo quasi normalmente
Ora siamo solo io e mio padre
Stiamo meno formalmente
Ho imparato a cucinare
Le tasse a pagare;
Imparato che'l mondo
Nemmeno un cent ti vorrà dare
Il tuo futuro hai pianificato
Veronica Sawyer
Andrai a qualche college
E sposerai un avvocato
Ma il cielo farà male
Quando su di te sarà demolito
Quindi è meglio se
Il tuo muro l'avrai già costruito...
Congela il cervello
Nuota nel ghiaccio
Perditi nel suo doloroso bello
Chiudi bene i tuoi occhi
Fino a che non ti vedran quegli sciocchi
Non diventare uno zimbello
Congela il cervello
Distruggiti il teschio
Combatti il dolore con uno più bello
Dimentica chi sei
Liberati da quel peso
Dimentica in un mese e mezzo
Riavrai lo stesso frainteso
Quando la voce nella tua testa
Dice ch'uno come te è meglio se non resta
Non ascoltare a quello
Solo congela il cervello
Congela il cervello
Vai avanti e congela il cervello...
(parlato)
Provaci
So, direct translation! (used in this to specify the meanings and explain certain word choices)
[J.D.]
I've been through ten high schools
They're all the same little scene (but little in this case is meant in a negative light)
No point getting used to it
'Cause we're gone in a hurry
My dad keeps two suitcases ready in the den
So it's only a matter of refilling(/repacking) them
I don't learn the names
Whose faces is whose isn't clear to me
My trust resides in this concrete oasis
Seems every time I'm about to despair
There's a 7-Eleven waiting for me
Each store is the same
From Las Vegas to Ohio
Linoleum aisles that I love
To walk around in
I pray at my altar of slush;
Yeah, I live for sweet hit of life (or however you call that, basically gives life force again but something that gives you life force not in a literal sense)...
Freeze your brain
Suck from that straw
Better than a knife
Happiness comes
When everything goes
Who needs a joint?
Freeze your brain
Freeze your brain
[J.D., spoken]
You want a hit?
[VERONICA, spoken]
Does your mommy know you eat all that crap?
[J.D., spoken]
Not anymore
(sung)
When mom was alive
We lived almost normally
But now it's just me and my dad
We live less formally
I learned to cook pasta
To pay taxes;
Learned the world
Won't want to give you even a cent
You've planned your future
Veronica Sawyer
You'll go to some college
And marry a lawyer
But the sky's gonna hurt
When it'll be demolished on you
So it'll be better if
You'll have already built your wall
Freeze your brain
Swim in the ice
Get lost in its beautiful pain
Shut your eyes tight(/well)
Till those fools (sorry I had to use this for the rhyme) won't see you
Don't become a laughingstock
Freeze your brain
Destroy your skull
Fight pain with a more beautiful one
Forget who you are
Free yourself from that weight
Forget in a month and a half
You'll have the same misunderstanding again
When the voice in your head
Says someone like you is better off gone
Don't listen to that guy(/him)
Just freeze your brain
Freeze your brain
Go on and freeze your brain...
(spoken)
Try it
OG LYRICS (if you’re seeing this I doubt you don’t know them, but here they are anyway):
[J.D.]
I've been through ten high schools
They start to get blurry
No point planting roots
'Cause you're gone in a hurry
My dad keeps two suitcases packed in the den
So it's only a matter of when
I don't learn the names
Don't bother with faces
All I can trust is this concrete oasis
Seems every time I'm about to despair
There's a 7-Eleven right there
Each store is the same
From Las Vegas to Boston
Linoleum aisles that I love
To get lost in
I pray at my altar of slush;
Yeah, I live for that sweet frozen rush...
Freeze your brain
Suck on that straw
Get lost in the pain
Happiness comes
When everything numbs
Who needs cocaine?
Freeze your brain
Freeze your brain
See upcoming pop shows
Get tickets for your favorite artists
[J.D., spoken]
Care for a hit?
[VERONICA, spoken]
Does your mommy know you eat all that crap?
[J.D., spoken]
Not anymore
(sung)
When mom was alive
We lived halfway normal
But now it's just me and my dad
We're less formal
I learned to cook pasta
I learned to pay rent;
Learned the world
Doesn't owe you a cent
You're planning your future
Veronica Sawyer
You'll go to some college
And marry a lawyer
But the sky's gonna hurt
When it falls
So you better start
Building some walls...
Freeze your brain
Swim in the ice
Get lost in the pain
Shut your eyes tight
Till you vanish from sight
Let nothing remain
Freeze your brain
Shatter your skull
Fight pain with more pain
Forget who you are
Unburden your load
Forget in six weeks
You'll be back on the road
When the voice in your head
Says you're better off dead
Don't open a vein
Just freeze your brain
Freeze your brain
Go on and freeze your brain...
(spoken)
Try it
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