“Paper Clip” – Season 3 Ep. 2

Scully: I need something to put my back up against, Mulder.

Mulder: I know. I feel the same way. I feel that we’ve lost so much… but we’ve got The X-Files, and I believe what we’re looking for is in them. I’m more certain than ever the truth is out there, Scully.

Scully: I’ve heard the truth, Mulder. Now what I want are the answers.

Written by: Chris Carter

Directed by: Rob Bowman

Original Air Date: September 29th, 1995

Principal Setting: Washington, D.C. and West Virginia

Episode Summary:

With Skinner and Scully still pointing guns at each other, Mulder bursts into the door and demands Skinner put down his gun. After a lot of convincing, Skinner tells them he is on their side and reveals he has the tape, which is the only hope of leverage in exposing the conspiracy.

The agents visit The Lone Gunman and show them the photo with Mulder’s dad which leads them to recognize Victor Klemper, a Nazi scientist who worked on a secret project called Operation Paperclip. Frohike informs Scully her sister has been shot, although Mulder persuades her to stay away from the hospital since she could be targeted there.

Meanwhile, the Syndicate is furious that an innocent person was killed and demands that the Cigarette Smoking Man give them the tape. At the same time, Mulder and Scully visit Klemper who reveals the photo was taken at the Strughold Mining Company in West Virginia. After the agents leave he calls the Well-Manicured Man to inform him Mulder is still alive, which causes them to mistrust the CSM even more (YES!).

Mulder and Scully go to the mining company and find secret safes with thousands of files on experimental testing containing smallpox vaccinations and tissue samples, including even files on Scully and Mulder’s sister. Cars full of armed soldiers arrive and shoot at Mulder, and the agents nearly escape through the back door. They return to Klemper’s greenhouse and the Well-Manicured Man reveals a huge secret that Klemper and Mulder’s father helped gather data to create alien-human hybrids. When Mulder’s father discovered what they were doing, he threatened to expose them, so Samantha was taken to ensure his silence. He later tells his mother, and she tells him his father choose Samantha be taken over Mulder and she hated him for it.

Skinner has a standoff with CSM as he calls Skinner’s bluff about having the tape. Then the best scene happens when Skinner tells CSM, “This is where you pucker up and kiss my ass.”, and discloses that Albert and twenty other Navajos have translated the tape to memory and are ready to let the world know about if any harm comes to Mulder and Scully. Mulder meets with Scully at the hospital, learning that her sister has died. They bond even closer being reassured there is still truth in the X-Files to be found. Scully tells Mulder she now wants answers to these truths.

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And now the third installment of Elaine’s Episode Commentary Corner:

Paper Clip

• Gila monsters symbolize healing? I don’t want ants to bring my parts back together, thanks.

• There’s lots of synthesizers in the opening of this episode.
• Okey-dokey. White buffalo omen. Got it.

• Whoa. That was tense. I’m sort of surprised that they let Skinner keep the tape. This means they must trust him. (Yay!)

• I love how smug CSM is about the whole thing–mostly because he’s so wrong about Mulder being dead. Haha. And because he really doesn’t have the tape. Unless Skinner’s wrong…

• Yikes. Mulder’s dad was part of the CSM circle. Not that we didn’t know that.

• I’m amused that Krycek and goon were referred to as “ineffectual assassins.”

• Oh man! They’re back to their crappy flashlights! I miss the $4000 mega awesome ones. (Oh, now I get it. They couldn’t have the mega light because then they could actually see things like space ships and aliens–and people shooting at them–you know, important things.)

• What the files? ALL THE FILES!!???? In a mountain? Wow.

• Crap. Beat up Skinner, they get the tape, and now Krycek is back to good lapdog status. All because Skinner was trying to protect Melissa.

• Oh. Too bad Krycek didn’t blow up too. He sounds pretty pissed though. Maybe that will blow up in CSM’s face.

• CSM’s associate likes to talk. About aliens, the Nazi agenda, Mulder’s dad…unfortunately, everything he says makes a twisted sort of sense–which is ultimately terrifying, especially when talking about making human-alien hybrids like one would make an orchid hybrid. *shudder*

• Albert Hosteen saves the day–or, at the very least, saves Skinner, Mulder, and Scully’s bacon with regard to the CSM. He might be the ‘side’ hero of the week. The hero of the week is Skinner, for (once again) standing up to that smug, SMUG! CSM and then telling him where he could stick his little cigarette.

• Choosing your child for abduction?!?!! No. Just no. No wonder Mulder’s parents split after that.

• I’m sorry Scully lost her sister. I’m glad she got to say goodbye. This is clearly a bonding event for Scully and Mulder as they’ve now dealt with the loss of family through this episode arc and have both lost sisters and fathers. For Scully, I think this will fuel her search for answers just as much as Mulder’s. Even if she’s still a skeptic, maybe she’ll dig more for the answer that’s ‘out of the ordinary.’

    Or not. I don’t know. 🙂

   Six out of five flying saucers. 

Personal Commentary:

The conclusion to this three parter has fantastic payoffs. We learn so much like why Mulder’s sister was taken, the Syndicate putting a computer chip in Scully’s neck to track her, alien-human hybrid testing (including files on Scully), Mulder finally seeing a UFO and Scully seeing aliens (even though she shrugs it off that they were children), and Mulder’s father being a part of the controversial testing and choosing Samantha, instead of Mulder, to be taken.

Episode highlights:

• Skinner blackmailing CSM getting his comeuppance
• Scully and Mulder finally finding proof of extraterrestrial existence
• The last scene where Scully telling Mulder she wants answers as he embraces her

Episode lowlights: None. Perfect from start to finish.

Episode Grade: A+

Favorite Scene:

Very interesting short documentary on the history of the real life Operation Paperclip.

Fun Facts:

• The aliens who run past Scully in the mining facility were portrayed by children aged eight and nine.
• The spacecraft spotted by Mulder was achieved by using a crane to lift lights outside the building.
• The first time in the series where Scully’s full name is revealed to be Dana Catherine Scully.

Faces You May Recognize:

• Walter Gotell is famous for playing various roles in several James Bond films begininning with playing a henchman, Morzeny, in From Russia With Love. Then he would go on to have a reoccuring role of General Gogol in The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill, and The Living Daylights. Gotell is one of a few actors to have played a villain and a Bond ally in the film series.