A shipper’s dream come true!
Let’s back it up for a second.
Previously on The X-Files, Agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) return to investigating the weird and paranormal, and their relationship status.
“Plus One” opens with a young man spotting his doppelganger while driving home drunk from a concert. There isn’t much of a stretch saying something weird is going on in this small rural Virginia community. Several other mysterious deaths have cropped up where victims have seen their doubles beforehand.
Mulder and Scully quickly figure out that their case revolves around a pair of peculiar twins who like playing hangman telepathically, with the names they spell out linking to deaths within the community. First, it’s Arkie Seavers (Jared Ager-Foster), who ends up hung in his jail cell. Then it’s Arkie’s lawyer, Dean Cavalier (Benjamin Wilkinson), who has his head cut off by one of his own katanas.
The doppelganger conundrum culminates with both Mulder and Scully seeing their doubles, which results in Mulder having a quick fistfight with his other self while Scully gets so freaked out, she turns to her partner for comfort. They end up having an honest conversation about their relationship and sex ensues.
In the culmination of the episode, the twins turn on each other, ending the killings and allowing Mulder and Scully a breather, which ends up with them having sex, AGAIN.
So, what do I think?
This, my dear readers is the reason I am ALIVE today! After 25 years and 10 seasons of forehead kisses and vague affirmations and lingering looks, with some making out thrown in at the end of season 9, we FINALLY have confirmation that Mulder and Scully share a much more intimate connection than just FBI agents. So pardon my giddiness when I say “THIS IS AWESOME!”
But there’s a lot more to this episode than just Mulder and Scully having sex. While the character study was A+ worthy, the actual storytelling was more C+ worthy. This is the second episode of the season written by Chris Carter, and it certainly fairs better than “My Struggle III.” Honestly, though, it’s not by much. Narrative-wise, this case file was replete with clunky dialogue, bad exposition, and just an overall lack of sense, capped off by a truly anti-climactic climax that was resolved far too easily.
Final thoughts:
“Plus One” was one of those episodes where there was a mediocre storyline that left me wishing the plot had been better handled while at the same time left me screaming because MULDER AND SCULLY HAD SEX! Oh, and a really deep conversation about their relationship. It’s hard for me to score this episode because it was both fantastic and meh.
I’d give this episode a solid B.
Photo Credit: Shane Harvey/FOX
