X-Files--"Max"

I mentioned yesterday that Mulder makes a very large error in judgment that has stuck out in my mind for nearly fourteen years now. Not that it means I am a total weirdo. I recall it because I met with some friends who were strolling around the Horseshoe at the University of South Carolina later that sleepless night. We were all facing some personal issues. The habit was to wander around until we were literally ready to pass out. It was easier to sleep that way when you were too tired to think about how different life is about to become. One prominent thing I recall discussing that night--the only one I am going to share with you, at any rate--is Mulder’s error in judgment. We all reached the same conclusion--he got lucky his decision did not kill 139+ people.

Before I get to that, it must be noted how heavy “Max” is on exposition. The two cliffhangers from the previous episode are quickly resolved. Mulder is arrested by the military, then released the next day. Pendrell dies off screen at the hospital after Scully promises to 8ahem8 celebrate her birthday once he recovers. She was promising to finally pay attention to him in the high emotion of knowing he is not going to survive, but some sentimental ’shippers insist she was offering to rock his world as an incentive to cling to life. Draw your own conclusions as to which Scully likely meant. So as not to dwell too much on the emotion of the moment, Scully’s nose begins bleeding from her tumor. Perhaps it means something that she wants to celebrate what is probably her last birthday with Pendrell.

Those resolution are literally the last action of the episode until the final few minutes. We are told the military is shooing away the NTSB crew and taking over both the plane crash and clearing out the UFO in secret. Mulder explains to the NTSB supervisor his theory that max was carrying a piece of alien technology he wanted to show the agent. The plane was intercepted by a UFO, which removed Max from the plane, took the technology, and then put him back. However, the military shot the UFO down before the aliens could complete their task, so both the UFO and the plane went down. The military is now attempting to cover up every aspect.

The agents learn that Max had only one of three parts to the alien technology. Sharon Graffia had another, but it was taken from her in her abduction in part one. Searching max’s mail by way of his landlord, Mulder discovers a baggage claim ticket that must be the final piece. He claims the bag at the airport and, in order to avoid the Mustache Man, boards a flight to Washington with it.

Which is an incredibly dumb thing to do. The other two people who held onto pieces were abducted. Max was abducted off a plane. The result of his abduction was the death of 140 passengers onboard when the military intervened. Mulder got on the plane to evade an agent pursuing him, so he knows the military is onto him and is not afraid to sacrifice numerous lives to keep the existence of alien technology a secret. Why would he risk the lives of everyone on the plane, knowing full well the military is going to take the same action it took two days prior? It did not happen this time, as the Mustache Man snatched the bag away from Mulder before the aliens did their thing by abducting him. The only thing different is the military did not have time to shoot the UFO down this time.

That is one heck of a risk Mulder took. I cannot even see him putting the lives of so many in jeopardy in in the first couple seasons when he placed the truth as he saw it about nearly all else. At this point, mulder has matured enough to recognize there are things more important than his personal quest, as evidenced by his refusal to tell Scully some of her eggs have been harvested for cloning experiments because she was so emotionally spent over her terminal illness. The Mulder in “Max” has seriously regressed.

Why do the aliens not return Mustache man the same way they did Max and Sharon? For the sake of drama, I can only assume.

To lighten the mood, the closing scene of “Max” has one of the most memorable exchanges between Mulder and Scully. She speculates on why he gave her an Apollo 11 commemorative keychain in the most profound of terms. His dry response is priceless:

Scully: This gift that you gave me for my birthday. You never got to tell me why you gave it to me or what it means... but I think I know. I think that you appreciate that there are extraordinary men and women and... extraordinary moments when history leaps forward on the backs of these individuals... that what can be imagined can be achieved... that you must dare to dream... but that there's no substitute for perseverance and hard work... and teamwork... because no one gets there alone... and that, while we commemorate the... the greatness of these events and the individuals who achieve them, we cannot forget the sacrifice of those who make these achievements and leaps possible.

Mulder: I just thought it was a pretty cool keychain.

Heh. Way to deflate the moment, Mulder.

In spite of Mulder’s reckless behavior, “Max’ is still one of the most moving episodes of the series. The abduction scene in the climax is one of the most exciting and action packed sequences of the series, too. No wonder the powers that be had to cut some corners and tell us so much of the story through exposition. They had to have spent a ton of cash on the abduction sequence. Good stuff, all things considered.

Rating; *** (out of 5)