Another well done episode. Chris Carter wants the show to go out with a bang, and he's getting better and better at that then ever. "En Ami" was a great insight-ep into the smoking-man's true self, which was wonderful, because even though he's still the 'mysterious character' CC intended him to be, we've delved a bit deeper into his thoughts, words, feelings, and actions. It was interesting to find that Scully, for all her doubt and hatred, actually began to trust him. Examples would include her falling asleep in the car, and even though she flipped out on him later on, she realized that he had done nothing to her whatsoever, even letting her keep her wire on.
We find later that the smoking-man's intentions were, as usual, only for himself. He was ready to sacrifice two people's luves so that he himself could live longer, all under the guise of playing to Scully's most compassionate side: the fact that she is a doctor and took an oath to do whatever was possible to save anyone's life.
However, anyone would be blind not to see that the smoking man was slowly unveiling how much he really cared for and admired her, even to the point of possibly falling in love with her. I didn't think that the smoking man could care for anyone like that, but Mulder has Scully's heart, and he knows it. When he was feeling her out earlier in the ep and telling her that she wouldn't allow herself to love Mulder, I believe he was merely trying to confirm his hopes. After all, in the end, he realizes what he has done, and that Scully will never trust him again, and this is why he throws his disk into the lake.
It was interesting to see his internal struggle. Was he going to follow through with his plan in the exact way it was executed? Or would he stray from it, not able to pull it off because he actually held the trust of someone whom he had hurt for so long? He wondered at that, that someone whom he had nearly destroyed in so many ways, actually was beginning to trust him. I believe that, even though he strayed insofar as allowing Scully to keep her life, he kept up his plan of action, disappointing her and ending up with a mountain of guilt, partly because he knew what would happen: she would take the disk and go back to Mulder as soon as she obtained it. Perhaps his 'generosity' was a test of sorts, to see if she would stay with him after the disk was in her possession, but she didn't. She knew he was monstrous, and wanted nothing more to do with him after the disk was taken. He realized that he would never be more than what he had shaped himself into, a liar and killer, and probably figured that the world was better off without him in it. Of course, this is if he's dying at all. But then, why didn't he make it right and send her the disk in the mail? Perhaps it was because she saw what he was, and he didn't stary from that image because he knew she knew. I have to say that, as ambiguous as it all is, you can clearly see my own opinions in this one.
Mulder's role in this ep is clearly another struggle. He trusts Scully with his life, but if she just runs off like that (because, in effect, she did), how is he supposed to continue that trust? Regardless of the tapes, she went off with the man that had come close to killing them both numerous times, without telling him anything. He wanted to believe her, that she was fine and that nothing was wrong, but he knew that something was going to happen, just for the simple fact that he knew the company she was keeping. The flip side to this was that he could do absolutely nothing about it because no one could find her, and the tapes were taken. When the e-mails were discovered, and when he talked with Skinner, the fear was clearly evident in his voice and eyes..."This may be the last time we see Scully alive again..."..."Scully has a relationship?!" He fears anything that might take her from him, because he loves her, and she knows that. However, this time, she couldn't let that stop her. The oath she took, which was discussed during the last ep, was the one thing that is more powerful than quite a few other things. If she could save the entire world with that knowledge, and did nothing to obtain it, her guilt would eat her alive. Mulder, even though he was incredibly pissed off, knew that, and had to allow himself to understand. In the end, when they go to CSM's empty office building, Mulder tries to convince her otherwise, but Scully is confident in what she saw for a short moment - the fact that this monster was, in reality, nothing more than a sad, lonely, sick, frightened old man who wanted more than what he had become.
Author's Note: (Added April 2, 2000) I just noticed something...did anyone else get the play on words with the title? "En Ami" ---> "enemy". Just thought I'd share...: )
Come back for more next week, and please feel free to send comments in as well!
