Revelations ('MOW'): This Episode Doesn't Exist

Every television series has that one episode that doesn't exist in your mind. The X-Files is my all-time favorite television show. I know all the episode titles, the episode facts, guest stars, completely useless trivia, and even where the episodes exist in the showing order. . .I have my own list of Mythology episodes that are suited to me and I cry when The Lone Gunmen die (oops! Spoiler!). I just couldn't remember 'Revelations' to save my life. It's packaged between two classic myth-arc episodes and a MOW classic and I still forgot about it. It's got R. Lee Ermey for God's sake. . .and I still didn't remember it.



This episode doesn't exist. And there was only one scene, towards the end, that I even remembered. Yeah, some fan I am. But I realized that this is the case with almost any series. In a show with 209 episodes and two movies, you're probably going to forget one here and there. 'Revelations' is it and it's a shame. . .because 'Revelations' is probably the most important Scully episode in the show's run up to this point.

I mentioned in an earlier review that the X-Files is primarily known to the layman as an alien show. Ghosts probably come up second. But religion is third in the rotation and justfully so. There are a large number of religious themed episodes and, fitting to the characters and their ideas of faith, etc, they usually are very important in the grand scheme of things for Mulder and Scully's character development. 'Miracle Man' was an unofficial myth-arc episode because it dealt with Mulder and his sister and while 'Revelations' is more 'MOW' it sure does quantify Scully's presence and her relationship with Mulder.

The third season has been a great season for Mulder and Scully's relationship. We've seen them grow closer, we've seen them be jealous of each other, we've seen them fight, and we've seen them doubt each other. . .all signs of a real relationship. In this episode, we tend to get the idea that perhaps Mulder can only be so supportive of Scully and vice versa since Scully seems to be frustrated with Mulder's lack of belief in what she's going through. And my initial reaction, much like Scully's, was 'dude, I put up with all your alien bullshit, throw me a frickin' bone' but then I realized Mulder was just playing the Scully role for her. . .keeping her grounded in reality to remain objective.

So, in the end, Mulder does just what Scully does but it is so alien to her (no pun intended) that she doesn't know how to handle it. But it's also a little ironic that in the two episodes where Scully has trouble accepting things beyond her world view (see 'Beyond the Sea') Mulder has been the skeptic, not the believer. But that is what character dramas are all about. And though initially put off by Mulder's attitude, I ended up loving him more because he was protective of Scully. Sadly, Scully didn't understand that because she decides to talk to an anonymous priest in confession in regards to her challenged faith (we realize she's been stagnant in her religion for six years) rather then Mulder.



The episode, especially the final scene, is probably one of the most important in the history of the show. Scully is truly three-dimensional at this point. The religious pieces of her existence were only hinted at. . .but now they are out in the open and we can now see where Scully is coming from on a multitude of issues from a new perspective. Very cool. Great episode. . .I wish I knew it existed.