There are a couple of ways of looking at this show. It's certainly a show that is about entertaining its audience and the mysteries are perfect fodder for the hungry people watching the TV every night to get some good storytelling and some nice narratives, which this show has in big amounts. However, there's also a way of looking at this show as a show that deals with the possibility of facing the truth and getting a chance to face the government and what they're doing. We know that there are a lot of secret projects about bioweapons and chemical experimentation of regular people. It's not a big secret. There are even world leaders who have used these weapons against their own people. It feels like Chris Carter is trying to take up these issues and ask us what we would do in order to actually achieve some sort of clarity about what is going on under our noses. We are all supposed to be in the shoes of Mulder, and while we may not necessarily believe that aliens and spaceships are actually a real threat to us, it covers the larger truth under a sci-fi blanket that we can all watch and have fun with. This episode, in particular, puts that aside to give us an hour of intense storytelling that always feels like it's a run against the clock and an impending doom that will prove difficult for our protagonists to get out of, while they continue to uncover the conspiracy they're facing.
The writing for this episode is particularly terrific, because it knowingly splits up the episode in two narratives that both compliment the sensibilities of our lead characters. Mulder is caught on a train with a possible otherworldly being and an assassin, while Scully is presented with evidence of what is actually going on in the form of something that she would be able to understand. It would have been interesting to see what they would have done had their places been reversed, but it feels like the episode is specifically designed to adhere to the beliefs of these two characters.
However, the episode is also meant to set back the audience in their expectations of what is actually going on. It's clear that Mulder is facing an existential crisis here as he is approached by facts that contradicts his own struggle to find the answers that he truly believes he's going to find. Watching characters have these crisis of faith moments are always heartbreaking, but Mulder is both strong and stubborn, so it's clear that he will get back on the horse again and go forward still trying to convince us (and himself, maybe) about the existence of otherworldly beings.
The conception of this episode is really impressive and how Rob Bowman handles directing duties is honestly quite inspiring. There is a race happening against the clock, and Bowman finds ways to make the episode feel tense, and all the slow moments feel like a waste of time for the characters as well, which only makes us worry about the possible outcome even more. We know that nothing is going to happen to our leads, but we've also seen things occur that set them back, and Bowman directs this episode as if we should hold out for another big tragedy.
It leads the mythology of the show in a very interesting direction, and a darker one as well. None of what we've seen really supports the idea that this is not somehow connected to extraterrestrial beings, but the episode is very clear in its distinction from that, and therefore, the mythology feels vastly changed afterwards. And that is in a good way, because to trick us and take us along for the ride like that is always a plus for me, so it's going to be extra special to see what they'll do to get this train back on track.
"731" puts a new spin on the show and brings a new side of the mythology to life; one that may be darker than ever. It's full of great tension and features some iconic character moments, as well as being one of the more interestingly made episodes in terms of its approach to the narrative.
The writing for this episode is particularly terrific, because it knowingly splits up the episode in two narratives that both compliment the sensibilities of our lead characters. Mulder is caught on a train with a possible otherworldly being and an assassin, while Scully is presented with evidence of what is actually going on in the form of something that she would be able to understand. It would have been interesting to see what they would have done had their places been reversed, but it feels like the episode is specifically designed to adhere to the beliefs of these two characters.
However, the episode is also meant to set back the audience in their expectations of what is actually going on. It's clear that Mulder is facing an existential crisis here as he is approached by facts that contradicts his own struggle to find the answers that he truly believes he's going to find. Watching characters have these crisis of faith moments are always heartbreaking, but Mulder is both strong and stubborn, so it's clear that he will get back on the horse again and go forward still trying to convince us (and himself, maybe) about the existence of otherworldly beings.
The conception of this episode is really impressive and how Rob Bowman handles directing duties is honestly quite inspiring. There is a race happening against the clock, and Bowman finds ways to make the episode feel tense, and all the slow moments feel like a waste of time for the characters as well, which only makes us worry about the possible outcome even more. We know that nothing is going to happen to our leads, but we've also seen things occur that set them back, and Bowman directs this episode as if we should hold out for another big tragedy.
It leads the mythology of the show in a very interesting direction, and a darker one as well. None of what we've seen really supports the idea that this is not somehow connected to extraterrestrial beings, but the episode is very clear in its distinction from that, and therefore, the mythology feels vastly changed afterwards. And that is in a good way, because to trick us and take us along for the ride like that is always a plus for me, so it's going to be extra special to see what they'll do to get this train back on track.
"731" puts a new spin on the show and brings a new side of the mythology to life; one that may be darker than ever. It's full of great tension and features some iconic character moments, as well as being one of the more interestingly made episodes in terms of its approach to the narrative.