“Dreamland” – Season 6 Ep. 4

Joanne Fletcher: You’re not attracted to me anymore. I disgust you, don’t I?

Mulder (as Morris): No. No. It’s not… It’s not that you’re disgusting. I- i- it’s just that…

Joanne Fletcher: It’s just that you don’t want to ever make love to me ever again, that’s all. That and you mumble something about Scully in your sleep. Who is Scully, Morris? Is it another woman?

Mulder  (as Morris): Does Scully sound like a woman’s name to you?

Written by: Vince Gilligan, John Shiban & Frank Spotnitz

Directed by: Kim Manners

Original Air Date: November 29th, 1998

Principal Setting: Area 51, Nevada

Episode Summary:

Mulder and Scully travel to the secretive Area 51 to meet a contact who has inside information on UFOs. Before they arrive, they get stopped by military personnel who tell them to turn back. A weird event occurs that results in Mulder switching bodies with Morris Fletcher, a “man in black” from Area 51, without anyone else knowing. Mulder takes advantage of this perfect disguise to infiltrate Area 51, while Fletcher uses the opportunity to escape the life he hates.

Personal Commentary:

Season 6 continues to start off strong with the hilarious ep “Dreamland”. Michael McKean acting like he is Mulder, and Duchovny acting like he is Morris is such a treat to watch. Especially memorable when Mulder (impersonating Morris) has to deal with the domestic life of a nagging wife and his bratty kids. It also clears up a lot of mysteries on the true use of Area 51.

Michael McKean gives such an excellent performance of impersonating Mulder and trying to swoon Scully with champagne and a water bed. Probably top three best guest appearances in the entire series.

Chris Carter also does a great job of keeping the audience from being very confused on the body switch as we see the actual actor playing the impersonator. At first it gets a little confusing, reminding me a lot of Face/Off, but then as you settle in you can decipher who’s who easily.

My only gripe is that Scully should know her partner by now to distinguish which one is the true Mulder at the end of this two-parter where she arrests who she thinks is Morris. C’mon Scully!

Episode Grade: A-

Featured Video:

Behind the scenes of “Dreamland”:

Fun Facts:

• Originally, the writers contacted Garry Shandling, who was good friends with David Duchovny, to play the part of Fletcher Morris. Unfortunately Shandling was unavailable.
• In the first episode of the second season of the show Fringe, we can see the Dreamland scene where Mulder and Scully first meet Morris Fletcher and he changes his body with Mulder. In that episode we can see shape shifting.
• Another connection between this episode and the show Fringe is the involvement of people being fused with objects.

Faces You May Recognize:

• Michael McKean has played countless hilarious characters in movies including Mr. Green in Clue, David St. Hubbins in This Is Spinal Tap, and recently playing Chuck McGill in the TV show Better Call Saul. He will also revive his Morris Fletcher role in X-Files revival in the episode “My Struggle”.

• Nora Dunn is famous for playing in Bruce Almighty, Three Kings, and in TV shows including Bones, Entourage, and Psych.